Sergeant Dean Kerins, the Crime Prevention Officer Meath, has organised a Home Security Exhibition which will be held in the Ardboyne Hotel, Navan, Co. Meath on Saturday 26 November 2011. It will be open from 11am to 7pm and entry is free. There will be 30 companies covering every aspect of home security. This will be a fantastic oppurtunity to come along and speak with all the companies
and get advice on any question you may have on improving your home security. A full list of the exhibitors can be seen on his facebook page Meath Crime Prevention in the event guide.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Dáil Aid: TDs and Senators record a song for charity
MIRIAM LORD
Mon, Nov 14, 2011
Fine Gael’s Peter Mathews seemed the best candidate for the mantle of Bono
THE SCENE before showtime was strained. Performers sitting around in a circle of apprehension, like nervous dental patients awaiting the dreaded call to surgery.
Normally, the same people would go rigid with excitement at the sight of a camera. Stick a voice recorder under their noses and they’ll talk forever. But on Saturday, the prospect of standing in front of a microphone while cameras rolled had the politicians in a state of high anxiety.
One by one, they were summoned before trudging next door to the darkened studio, while those colleagues left behind called out encouragement.
Then, a few minutes later, the door would burst open to reveal the nervous lamb, now smiling broadly and walking with a bit of a rock star swagger. “Did it!”
The TDs and Senators in Ballyfermot College of Education on Saturday morning found themselves way outside their comfort zone when they gathered – Band-Aid style – to record their version of Bridge Over Troubled Water for Pieta House, the suicide awareness organisation.
There were no tantrums. The only slight note of discord came from the men, all of whom wanted to be Bono. In the end, it might be Fine Gael’s Peter Mathews who fits that bill with his stand-out mellow bass contribution.
The cross-party singing group numbered almost 20, and most of them managed to make their date with their musical destiny.
Those who couldn’t – including Joan Burton, Simon Coveney, Michael Ring and Eamon Coghlan – are recording their bits of Bridge Over Troubled Water in Leinster House this week and will be spliced into the video later.
We so wanted to hear Joan sing, but she was busy on Saturday, what with the Labour Women’s conference and then a television chatshow appearance in the evening.
Back in Ballyer, we hadn’t seen Minister of State Lucinda Creighton look so worried since the heave against Enda.
Senator Averil Power admitted her only singing experience was The Green Fields of France at three in the morning.
“I’m doing a [charity] boxing match in two weeks’ time and I’m less nervous about that,” she pointed out.
Musical director Jim Sheridan called the politicians to the stage individually and then in groups. Mick Wallace arrived late and with his arm in a new sling, having injured it again when he prematurely removed the sling he had been wearing for a previous injury.
The Independent TD isn’t the sweetest of singers, it must be said. He explained his robust style comes from years of singing at football matches – whereupon he burst into a noisy rendition of Molly Malone.
Music producer Dave Kearney, who is behind the project along with Fine Gael TD Derek Keating, buried his head in his hands. “It’s not the right song, but who cares,” he sighed.
Finian McGrath produced his guitar and the politicians had a rowdy cross-party sing-song.
Then Mick confessed he hadn’t learned his lines.
Meath East TD Regina Doherty brought along her daughter Grace (who’ll be 10 next month), who said she would love to be a famous singer. More than a politician, like her mum? “I’d rather be a politician,” she said loyally.
Stephen Donnelly (Ind) and Robert Troy (FF) clustered around the microphone with Finian and Lucinda, clutching their headphones the way the big stars do and warbling with all their might.
Peter Mathews was in his element. “Do you want me to go lower,” he asked the control room, his voice already down in the basement.
The musical director was impressed. “Peter has a lovely deep voice and I think any musical society would want to recruit him,” said Jim Sheridan, who also singled out Sinn Féin’s Pádraig Mac Lochlainn for honourable mention.
Deputy Terence Flanagan (FG) took it in his stride. But then, the deputy for Dublin North East is used to big musical occasions, having played side drum with the Artane Band on All-Ireland final day.
His colleague Frank Feighan was flushed with success, having managed to sing a song other than his party piece, Oh, What a Beautiful Morning , which will come as a relief to his weary party colleagues.
In Minister Burton’s absence, Senator Lorraine Higgins kept the red flag flying.
The politicians were kept on track by two gospel choirs in full gowned regalia, and the wonders of audio/visual technology will do the rest.
“This isn’t costing us a penny to produce,” said Dave Kearney. “Jim, who is the Late Late Show musical director, is giving his services free, as is everyone else working on the track. Ballyfermot College have given us full use of their facilities, and the students came in to work on the filming.” RTÉ’s Mooney Show will be promoting the song, while distribution network Indi entertainment will distribute it on six different worldwide platforms, including iTunes.
© 2011 The Irish Times
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Education allocation capital envelope 2012 - 2016
The total allocation of €2.2bn over the next five years with average annual allocation of €440m.
2012 => €430,000,000
2013 => €415,000,000
2014 => €475,000,000
2015 => €475,000,000
2016 => €415,000,000
Total spend on schools is just over €2bn over the period with €120m for higher education.
Job creation
There is general agreement that school works are very labour intensive. The Construction Industry Council have suggested that there are 10 direct jobs and 2 indirect one for every €1m capital spend.
This programme of capital investment in education will provide approximately 4,000 direct and 800 indirect jobs per annum, or approximately 24,000 jobs over the lifetime of this Government.
Schools – focus on demographic demands
There are unprecedented demographic demands for school places in schools. Total enrolment in both primary and post-primary schools is expected to grow by almost 70,000 between now and 2018 - over 45,000 at primary level and 25,000 at post primary.
Recent birth rate data, published by the CSO shows there were nearly 20,000 births registered in the first quarter of 2011. This is the highest number of births registered in a quarter since the series began in 1960. It is vital that the schooling system is prepared to cope with these increasing numbers.
In this context, the Government’s priority is now to focus on major school projects to meet these demographic demands.
I have already announced that over 40 new schools will be required by 2017. Of these, over 20 new schools will have to be established at primary level and another 20 new schools will have to be established at second level.
In addition to these new schools over 180 existing primary schools and second-level schools in developing areas will need major extensions or new buildings between now and 2017 to cater for the increased demand for pupil places and there will also be a need to construct a large number of extensions outside of these areas.
The investment for the next five years will facilitate the provision of over 100,000 permanent school places of which over 80,000 will be additional school places.
By 2016 the total school going population will have risen to over 890,000 pupils. Through the Government’s investment programme, over 11% of the total school population will benefit from new permanent places. This is a significant programme of work.
Minor works / Summer works
Funding of €28 million is being made available to provide a primary schools minor works grant for the current school year. This grant will be paid to schools in the coming weeks.
Given the need to focus on meeting the need for additional school places for demographics, it is unlikely that funding for minor works or summer works will be available in the coming years.
Progression of school building projects
In relation to major projects which do not provide a significant amount of additional accommodation, decisions will be taken prior to projects going to tender. These decisions will have regard to the funding available, the progression of other major projects and the building costs involved.
Higher Education
There will be limited higher education capital investment which will involve projects with existing contractual commitments in place being completed. These include the UCD Science Centre, the University of Limerick Medical School, NUI Maynooth’s library project and the new Campus Development, at St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra.
Projects where contractual commitments have not yet been entered into will not be advanced and the higher education PPP bundles will not proceed.
In relation to DIT’s Grangegorman campus development, exchequer infrastructure investment will be postponed for the lifetime of the investment framework and planning will take place towards an initial PPP project, for possible completion in 2017.
It is recognised that this will be a challenging time for the higher education sector given that dedicated exchequer funding to assist with the further development of infrastructure will not be available. This is a necessary decision given the need to ensure that every child has access to a physical school place and the constraints on the capital funding available to the Department and to Government.
Q&A on Education Spending:
How does this envelope compare with the envelope published in November 2010?
Overall the allocation from 2012 to 2016 has been reduced by €68m which is a 5% reduction.
Tender prices are now up to 40% lower than when at their peak three to four years ago and, therefore, it will be possible to get a greater return from this level of investment.
How does this envelope compare with capital funding in recent years?
There was obviously a peak in capital spending in the period 2007 – 2008 with nearly €650m spent on schools capital in each of these years and about €150m on higher education. However, projects costs would have been much higher during this period too. Overall, capital expenditure has been reducing since 2009. Expenditure for 2010 was €786m and the allocation for 2011 is €501m.
How will the investment on schools be spent?
· As the priority is to ensure that every child has access to a physical school place, the investment will be concentrated on the delivery of new schools and large scale extensions that will provide the additional school places.
· We will also be progressing a number of school extensions where one or two additional classrooms are required to address localised pupil population growth and these will be devolved to schools for delivery.
· To meet the demand for new schools, funding will also be directed towards the acquisition of suitable sites.
· A small sum will be set aside to meet emergency demands that typically arise on an annual basis as well as meeting various miscellaneous demands.
How will you ensure that projects are delivered to meet demand?
· The Department has devolved responsibility for the delivery of a number of the new post-primary schools and VEC extensions to VECs. The construction of a new primary and a new post-primary school in Drogheda has been devolved to Louth County Council.
· Agreement has been reached with the National Development Finance Agency and the Office of Public Works that each of them will advance with groups of projects on a priority basis on behalf of the Department.
· Five professional and technical staff have also been transferred to the Department on an interim basis from the National Building Agency. This is in line with the Government’s approach to move staff to where there is an urgent need to carry out priority work.
· In relation to site acquisitions and planning, there is also urgent co-operation underway between the Department and local authorities.
How will schools manage without summer works and minor works in future years?
· There has been significant investment in these areas in recent years – particularly in the last three years. Over €600m has been invested since 2007 and this has enabled schools to undertake extensive refurbishment.
· In the context of the significant recent investment and the 2011 allocation of a minor works grant to primary schools, the Department’s capital envelope is being prioritised to ensure that every child has access to a physical school place and, arising from this, there is not sufficient funding available to provide for summer works and minor works.
· The allocation of the minor works grant to primary schools in the coming weeks will allow them to undertake some planning for contingencies. Furthermore, should an emergency arise, schools may apply to the Department to access limited funding for this.
Are all the construction jobs supported by your allocation going to be in Dublin?
· No. The need for additional school places extends out to the wider commuter belt areas stretching across from Gorey in the south, over to towns such as Carlow, Portlaoise, Tullamore, Mullingar and Navan up to Dundalk in the north and the bulk of the towns in between.
· There are also areas of significant growth and pressure for school places in many parts of Cork city and Galway city and equally in towns such as Letterkenny where a significant population increase has been experienced.
· The bulk of the additional pupil places that will be required over the next decade will arise in the areas mentioned.
What is the timescale to implement the commitment in the Programme for Government to progressively phase out the inefficient renting of school prefabs?
· We said that we would prioritise school building projects in a revised national development plan and that is what we are doing.
· The focus of investment needs to be on growing schools. Investment in these schools will mean that prefabs are replaced in them.
· The number of prefabs being rented is also reducing. In December 2009, there where nearly 1,900 prefab units being rented, this has fallen to 1,602 this year.
How much are you spending on renting prefabs?
It is estimated that prefab rental costs for 2011 will be in the region of €21m. This compares to €27m in 2009 and €24m in 2010.
How many children are taught in prefabs?
It is not possible to state with any certainty the number of children being taught in prefab classrooms. The level of usage of the accommodation would vary widely among schools.
Higher Education
Is there sufficient funding for higher education infrastructure?
· There has been significant capital investment of just under €1bn in the higher education sector over the last seven years. Major projects have been completed in Athlone IoT, Dundalk IoT, NUI Galway, Mary Immaculate College, UCC and Trinity College.
· Projects that are already underway will be completed, these include the UCD Science Centre, the University of Limerick Medical School and the new Campus Development at St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra.
· Projects where capital commitments have not yet been entered into will not be advanced and the higher education PPP bundles will not proceed.
· In relation to DIT’s Grangegorman campus development, infrastructure investment will be postponed for the lifetime of the investment framework and planning will take place towards an initial PPP project, for possible completion in 2017.
· Difficult decisions have had to be made but it was necessary given the need to ensure that every child has access to a school place and the constraints on the capital funding available to the Department and to Government.
How will the higher education sector be able to cope with increasing numbers if there are to be no new major projects?
· It is recognised that this will be a challenging time for the higher education sector. There is already a sustainability study underway by the Higher Education Authority arising out of the national strategy for higher education.
· The intention of this study is to assess the inter-relationship and tension between objectives for growing student numbers in higher education, maintaining and improving quality and managing within overall funding constraints.
· The purpose of undertaking this work is to ensure that realistic and sustainable levels of growth in numbers can be supported and that better informed choices can be made on policy options for future funding.
· In assessing this, the HEA has also been asked to consider the impact of more effective utilisation of existing resources, including through the potential of contractual changes under the Croke Park agreement. They will also draw on international comparisons and benchmarks in their work. While the overall study is a complex exercise, preliminary findings are due soon.
· In planning for the next few years of higher education, the state is not in a position to expand the infrastructure and it will be necessary for higher education institutions to continue to be flexible in the ways in which they cater for their student cohort.
Will there be refurbishment and emergency works funding available for higher education institutions?
The limited higher education capital investment will only involve projects with existing capital commitments in place being completed. There will be no funding available for new projects. Institutions will need to manage their own building stock without access to additional capital funding.
What are the planned major higher education projects that will not be funded?
The following projects which are currently in planning or at tender for traditional delivery will not be funded:
o UCD School of Law
o Medical facilities at NUI Galway
o Medical facilities at UCD
o Confucius Institute at UCD
o Campus redevelopment works at the Church of Ireland College of Education in Rathmines
o Works at St Angela’s College in Sligo
Grangegorman and PPPs
Why is Grangegorman being postponed?
In relation to DIT’s Grangegorman campus development, the Government remains committed to this project in the long term. Infrastructure investment will be postponed for the lifetime of the investment framework as funding is not available and planning will take place towards an initial PPP project, for possible completion in 2017. The Department will consult with DIT, the Grangegorman Development Authority and the HEA in this regard.
What about health and safety issues in relation to older DIT buildings? Will these buildings have to close? What does this mean for students enrolled in DIT?
Planning has been underway in relation to Grangegorman for a number of years. DIT has continued to operate successfully from within its existing stock of buildings.
While there is now a longer timeframe associated with the delivery of Grangegorman, the Government remains committed to this project and DIT will need to manage its building stock in the interim period. If particular issues arise in relation to existing buildings, DIT will need to discuss the approaches that it needs to take with the HEA and the Department.
Why are the PPPs being stopped?
There are significant annual unitary charges which arise from the time of the completion of these projects, as well as VAT payments on completion of the construction of higher education PPPs. The funding for these is not available.
What Higher Education PPPs are not proceeding?
· All higher education PPPs are being stopped. The Department currently has three Bundles of higher education PPP projects progressing through the various stages of procurement:
· Bundle 1 - This Bundle consists of projects in the following areas:
o Limerick Institute of Technology - Library Information Resource Centre
o University of Limerick – Library extension
o Cork Institute of Technology – Library extension
o Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology – Digital Media Teaching Building; Consolidated Workshops; Multi Purpose Hall
· Bundle 2 –This Bundle consists of projects in the following areas:
o Waterford Institute of Technology – Engineering and Science Building; Architecture Building; Business and Enterprise Extension
o Institute of Technology, Tallaght – Catering & Tourism Building; Multi Purpose Centre; Engineering Building
· Bundle 3 –This Bundle consists of projects in the following areas:
o National University of Ireland, Maynooth – Mathematical Sciences and Computer Centre
o Carlow Institute of Technology - New Administration and Support Centre
o Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology – Engineering School
2012 => €430,000,000
2013 => €415,000,000
2014 => €475,000,000
2015 => €475,000,000
2016 => €415,000,000
Total spend on schools is just over €2bn over the period with €120m for higher education.
Job creation
There is general agreement that school works are very labour intensive. The Construction Industry Council have suggested that there are 10 direct jobs and 2 indirect one for every €1m capital spend.
This programme of capital investment in education will provide approximately 4,000 direct and 800 indirect jobs per annum, or approximately 24,000 jobs over the lifetime of this Government.
Schools – focus on demographic demands
There are unprecedented demographic demands for school places in schools. Total enrolment in both primary and post-primary schools is expected to grow by almost 70,000 between now and 2018 - over 45,000 at primary level and 25,000 at post primary.
Recent birth rate data, published by the CSO shows there were nearly 20,000 births registered in the first quarter of 2011. This is the highest number of births registered in a quarter since the series began in 1960. It is vital that the schooling system is prepared to cope with these increasing numbers.
In this context, the Government’s priority is now to focus on major school projects to meet these demographic demands.
I have already announced that over 40 new schools will be required by 2017. Of these, over 20 new schools will have to be established at primary level and another 20 new schools will have to be established at second level.
In addition to these new schools over 180 existing primary schools and second-level schools in developing areas will need major extensions or new buildings between now and 2017 to cater for the increased demand for pupil places and there will also be a need to construct a large number of extensions outside of these areas.
The investment for the next five years will facilitate the provision of over 100,000 permanent school places of which over 80,000 will be additional school places.
By 2016 the total school going population will have risen to over 890,000 pupils. Through the Government’s investment programme, over 11% of the total school population will benefit from new permanent places. This is a significant programme of work.
Minor works / Summer works
Funding of €28 million is being made available to provide a primary schools minor works grant for the current school year. This grant will be paid to schools in the coming weeks.
Given the need to focus on meeting the need for additional school places for demographics, it is unlikely that funding for minor works or summer works will be available in the coming years.
Progression of school building projects
In relation to major projects which do not provide a significant amount of additional accommodation, decisions will be taken prior to projects going to tender. These decisions will have regard to the funding available, the progression of other major projects and the building costs involved.
Higher Education
There will be limited higher education capital investment which will involve projects with existing contractual commitments in place being completed. These include the UCD Science Centre, the University of Limerick Medical School, NUI Maynooth’s library project and the new Campus Development, at St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra.
Projects where contractual commitments have not yet been entered into will not be advanced and the higher education PPP bundles will not proceed.
In relation to DIT’s Grangegorman campus development, exchequer infrastructure investment will be postponed for the lifetime of the investment framework and planning will take place towards an initial PPP project, for possible completion in 2017.
It is recognised that this will be a challenging time for the higher education sector given that dedicated exchequer funding to assist with the further development of infrastructure will not be available. This is a necessary decision given the need to ensure that every child has access to a physical school place and the constraints on the capital funding available to the Department and to Government.
Q&A on Education Spending:
How does this envelope compare with the envelope published in November 2010?
Overall the allocation from 2012 to 2016 has been reduced by €68m which is a 5% reduction.
Tender prices are now up to 40% lower than when at their peak three to four years ago and, therefore, it will be possible to get a greater return from this level of investment.
How does this envelope compare with capital funding in recent years?
There was obviously a peak in capital spending in the period 2007 – 2008 with nearly €650m spent on schools capital in each of these years and about €150m on higher education. However, projects costs would have been much higher during this period too. Overall, capital expenditure has been reducing since 2009. Expenditure for 2010 was €786m and the allocation for 2011 is €501m.
How will the investment on schools be spent?
· As the priority is to ensure that every child has access to a physical school place, the investment will be concentrated on the delivery of new schools and large scale extensions that will provide the additional school places.
· We will also be progressing a number of school extensions where one or two additional classrooms are required to address localised pupil population growth and these will be devolved to schools for delivery.
· To meet the demand for new schools, funding will also be directed towards the acquisition of suitable sites.
· A small sum will be set aside to meet emergency demands that typically arise on an annual basis as well as meeting various miscellaneous demands.
How will you ensure that projects are delivered to meet demand?
· The Department has devolved responsibility for the delivery of a number of the new post-primary schools and VEC extensions to VECs. The construction of a new primary and a new post-primary school in Drogheda has been devolved to Louth County Council.
· Agreement has been reached with the National Development Finance Agency and the Office of Public Works that each of them will advance with groups of projects on a priority basis on behalf of the Department.
· Five professional and technical staff have also been transferred to the Department on an interim basis from the National Building Agency. This is in line with the Government’s approach to move staff to where there is an urgent need to carry out priority work.
· In relation to site acquisitions and planning, there is also urgent co-operation underway between the Department and local authorities.
How will schools manage without summer works and minor works in future years?
· There has been significant investment in these areas in recent years – particularly in the last three years. Over €600m has been invested since 2007 and this has enabled schools to undertake extensive refurbishment.
· In the context of the significant recent investment and the 2011 allocation of a minor works grant to primary schools, the Department’s capital envelope is being prioritised to ensure that every child has access to a physical school place and, arising from this, there is not sufficient funding available to provide for summer works and minor works.
· The allocation of the minor works grant to primary schools in the coming weeks will allow them to undertake some planning for contingencies. Furthermore, should an emergency arise, schools may apply to the Department to access limited funding for this.
Are all the construction jobs supported by your allocation going to be in Dublin?
· No. The need for additional school places extends out to the wider commuter belt areas stretching across from Gorey in the south, over to towns such as Carlow, Portlaoise, Tullamore, Mullingar and Navan up to Dundalk in the north and the bulk of the towns in between.
· There are also areas of significant growth and pressure for school places in many parts of Cork city and Galway city and equally in towns such as Letterkenny where a significant population increase has been experienced.
· The bulk of the additional pupil places that will be required over the next decade will arise in the areas mentioned.
What is the timescale to implement the commitment in the Programme for Government to progressively phase out the inefficient renting of school prefabs?
· We said that we would prioritise school building projects in a revised national development plan and that is what we are doing.
· The focus of investment needs to be on growing schools. Investment in these schools will mean that prefabs are replaced in them.
· The number of prefabs being rented is also reducing. In December 2009, there where nearly 1,900 prefab units being rented, this has fallen to 1,602 this year.
How much are you spending on renting prefabs?
It is estimated that prefab rental costs for 2011 will be in the region of €21m. This compares to €27m in 2009 and €24m in 2010.
How many children are taught in prefabs?
It is not possible to state with any certainty the number of children being taught in prefab classrooms. The level of usage of the accommodation would vary widely among schools.
Higher Education
Is there sufficient funding for higher education infrastructure?
· There has been significant capital investment of just under €1bn in the higher education sector over the last seven years. Major projects have been completed in Athlone IoT, Dundalk IoT, NUI Galway, Mary Immaculate College, UCC and Trinity College.
· Projects that are already underway will be completed, these include the UCD Science Centre, the University of Limerick Medical School and the new Campus Development at St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra.
· Projects where capital commitments have not yet been entered into will not be advanced and the higher education PPP bundles will not proceed.
· In relation to DIT’s Grangegorman campus development, infrastructure investment will be postponed for the lifetime of the investment framework and planning will take place towards an initial PPP project, for possible completion in 2017.
· Difficult decisions have had to be made but it was necessary given the need to ensure that every child has access to a school place and the constraints on the capital funding available to the Department and to Government.
How will the higher education sector be able to cope with increasing numbers if there are to be no new major projects?
· It is recognised that this will be a challenging time for the higher education sector. There is already a sustainability study underway by the Higher Education Authority arising out of the national strategy for higher education.
· The intention of this study is to assess the inter-relationship and tension between objectives for growing student numbers in higher education, maintaining and improving quality and managing within overall funding constraints.
· The purpose of undertaking this work is to ensure that realistic and sustainable levels of growth in numbers can be supported and that better informed choices can be made on policy options for future funding.
· In assessing this, the HEA has also been asked to consider the impact of more effective utilisation of existing resources, including through the potential of contractual changes under the Croke Park agreement. They will also draw on international comparisons and benchmarks in their work. While the overall study is a complex exercise, preliminary findings are due soon.
· In planning for the next few years of higher education, the state is not in a position to expand the infrastructure and it will be necessary for higher education institutions to continue to be flexible in the ways in which they cater for their student cohort.
Will there be refurbishment and emergency works funding available for higher education institutions?
The limited higher education capital investment will only involve projects with existing capital commitments in place being completed. There will be no funding available for new projects. Institutions will need to manage their own building stock without access to additional capital funding.
What are the planned major higher education projects that will not be funded?
The following projects which are currently in planning or at tender for traditional delivery will not be funded:
o UCD School of Law
o Medical facilities at NUI Galway
o Medical facilities at UCD
o Confucius Institute at UCD
o Campus redevelopment works at the Church of Ireland College of Education in Rathmines
o Works at St Angela’s College in Sligo
Grangegorman and PPPs
Why is Grangegorman being postponed?
In relation to DIT’s Grangegorman campus development, the Government remains committed to this project in the long term. Infrastructure investment will be postponed for the lifetime of the investment framework as funding is not available and planning will take place towards an initial PPP project, for possible completion in 2017. The Department will consult with DIT, the Grangegorman Development Authority and the HEA in this regard.
What about health and safety issues in relation to older DIT buildings? Will these buildings have to close? What does this mean for students enrolled in DIT?
Planning has been underway in relation to Grangegorman for a number of years. DIT has continued to operate successfully from within its existing stock of buildings.
While there is now a longer timeframe associated with the delivery of Grangegorman, the Government remains committed to this project and DIT will need to manage its building stock in the interim period. If particular issues arise in relation to existing buildings, DIT will need to discuss the approaches that it needs to take with the HEA and the Department.
Why are the PPPs being stopped?
There are significant annual unitary charges which arise from the time of the completion of these projects, as well as VAT payments on completion of the construction of higher education PPPs. The funding for these is not available.
What Higher Education PPPs are not proceeding?
· All higher education PPPs are being stopped. The Department currently has three Bundles of higher education PPP projects progressing through the various stages of procurement:
· Bundle 1 - This Bundle consists of projects in the following areas:
o Limerick Institute of Technology - Library Information Resource Centre
o University of Limerick – Library extension
o Cork Institute of Technology – Library extension
o Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology – Digital Media Teaching Building; Consolidated Workshops; Multi Purpose Hall
· Bundle 2 –This Bundle consists of projects in the following areas:
o Waterford Institute of Technology – Engineering and Science Building; Architecture Building; Business and Enterprise Extension
o Institute of Technology, Tallaght – Catering & Tourism Building; Multi Purpose Centre; Engineering Building
· Bundle 3 –This Bundle consists of projects in the following areas:
o National University of Ireland, Maynooth – Mathematical Sciences and Computer Centre
o Carlow Institute of Technology - New Administration and Support Centre
o Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology – Engineering School
Capital Investment in Health
The Government is maintaining the existing levels of health capital investment.
The Programme for Government states that ‘health capital spending will be a priority’. The publication of today’s Capital Review is tangible evidence of this commitment; in a time of fiscal consolidation the Government remains committed to supporting crucial health infrastructure development.
Over the years 2012-2016 an investment of €1,950m or €390m per year will be made in health infrastructure.
This funding, along with additional investment from other potential sources, will be used to support the Government’s priorities as set out in the Programme for Government. A principal aim is to ensure that high-quality and cost effective care is delivered in the most appropriate settings.
In particular, the funding will support the delivery of three high priority national projects -
The National Children’s Hospital - and the associated ambulatory & urgent care centre in Tallaght, confirming the Government’s commitment to delivering quality services in modern facilities for the children of Ireland;
The replacement of the Central Mental Hospital which dates from 1850 with an appropriate modern facility for treating and caring for patients with mental illness. The new facility is expected to be operational by 2016
The National Project for Radiation Oncology recognising the demonstrated need for extra radiotherapy capacity and the obvious impact of this treatment on patient mortality and morbidity.
National Lottery Funding will ensure that the National Children’s Hospital will be built, allowing for appropriate investment in other programme areas such as Primary Care.
Funding will be allocated across a number of care programmes - primary care, mental health, older people, disability and acute hospitals – in accordance with the commitments in the Programme for Government. The distribution of funding across the care programmes will be set out in the HSE Capital Plan for 2012-2016.
The ambitious Government reform programme for health will have to be underpinned by effective information and ICT. A major upgrade in ICT capabilities for the health system will, therefore, be supported.
Funding will also enable the Department of Health to contribute to two significant infrastructure projects – a Clinical Research Facility at UCHG and a replacement blood transfusion facility in Cork.
The Programme for Government states that ‘health capital spending will be a priority’. The publication of today’s Capital Review is tangible evidence of this commitment; in a time of fiscal consolidation the Government remains committed to supporting crucial health infrastructure development.
Over the years 2012-2016 an investment of €1,950m or €390m per year will be made in health infrastructure.
This funding, along with additional investment from other potential sources, will be used to support the Government’s priorities as set out in the Programme for Government. A principal aim is to ensure that high-quality and cost effective care is delivered in the most appropriate settings.
In particular, the funding will support the delivery of three high priority national projects -
The National Children’s Hospital - and the associated ambulatory & urgent care centre in Tallaght, confirming the Government’s commitment to delivering quality services in modern facilities for the children of Ireland;
The replacement of the Central Mental Hospital which dates from 1850 with an appropriate modern facility for treating and caring for patients with mental illness. The new facility is expected to be operational by 2016
The National Project for Radiation Oncology recognising the demonstrated need for extra radiotherapy capacity and the obvious impact of this treatment on patient mortality and morbidity.
National Lottery Funding will ensure that the National Children’s Hospital will be built, allowing for appropriate investment in other programme areas such as Primary Care.
Funding will be allocated across a number of care programmes - primary care, mental health, older people, disability and acute hospitals – in accordance with the commitments in the Programme for Government. The distribution of funding across the care programmes will be set out in the HSE Capital Plan for 2012-2016.
The ambitious Government reform programme for health will have to be underpinned by effective information and ICT. A major upgrade in ICT capabilities for the health system will, therefore, be supported.
Funding will also enable the Department of Health to contribute to two significant infrastructure projects – a Clinical Research Facility at UCHG and a replacement blood transfusion facility in Cork.
Friday, November 04, 2011
Doherty Welcomes Iceland to Ashbourne
Deputy Regina Doherty today welcomes the news that Iceland is coming to Ashbourne. The British frozen food chain is opening four new stores in Ireland with one to be located in Ashbourne, Co. Meath.
The Iceland chain is investing €3million in the new stores with the anticipation that it will create over 200 jobs in the country, nearly a quarter of which will be located in Ashbourne.
According to Doherty “The new store will be located in units 35 and 36 of the Ashbourne New Town Centre or, the former ShoeZone to those of you who know Ashbourne well.”
Deputy Regina Doherty believes that this is a massive boost for the residents of County Meath.
“The fact that Tom Keogh CEO of AIM (owner of the franchise in Ireland) and his colleagues at the company believe that Ashbourne will be a successful place to open a store is a big boost for the area and go some way to tackling unemployment in the region.”
“The location of the store is extremely central and will hopefully be a great success when it opens its doors on the 17th November. Employment will be created both directly and indirectly and as Iceland are committed to selling Irish produce in their stores which means that indirectly they are creating jobs for producers and suppliers. They have already invested in excess of €58 million in Irish produce such as meat, poultry and bread to date. Any investment in employment in the country and indeed County Meath is a welcome one.”
The Iceland chain is investing €3million in the new stores with the anticipation that it will create over 200 jobs in the country, nearly a quarter of which will be located in Ashbourne.
According to Doherty “The new store will be located in units 35 and 36 of the Ashbourne New Town Centre or, the former ShoeZone to those of you who know Ashbourne well.”
Deputy Regina Doherty believes that this is a massive boost for the residents of County Meath.
“The fact that Tom Keogh CEO of AIM (owner of the franchise in Ireland) and his colleagues at the company believe that Ashbourne will be a successful place to open a store is a big boost for the area and go some way to tackling unemployment in the region.”
“The location of the store is extremely central and will hopefully be a great success when it opens its doors on the 17th November. Employment will be created both directly and indirectly and as Iceland are committed to selling Irish produce in their stores which means that indirectly they are creating jobs for producers and suppliers. They have already invested in excess of €58 million in Irish produce such as meat, poultry and bread to date. Any investment in employment in the country and indeed County Meath is a welcome one.”
Thursday, November 03, 2011
Fingal East Meath Risk Assessment and Management Study - Public Consultations November 2011
Click on the image to view in detail
Disadvantaged Areas (DAS) and Single Farm (SPS) payments
• Ireland pays its Disadvantaged Areas (DAS) and Single Farm (SPS) payments earlier than most EU Member States and the 2011 payments are well in advance of 2010.
• To date €185m has been paid in DAS to 84,000 farmers – this is €51m ahead of the 2010 position. To date 84% of applicants have been paid in full and 100,000 farmers will be paid in 2011.
• The first possible legal date for the transmission of the Single Payment is 16th October under EU rules (the payment window is October 2011 to June 2012). As of today, a minimum of 102,000 farmers have been €496m in the first instalment – there are 20,000 farmers awaiting payment. A further half a billion euros will be paid when the second instalment is due in the week beginning 1st December.
• The Department of Agriculture will have paid SPS/DAS (€1,500 million) in full to 99% of applicants by end of December – the month when most Member States only start their payments.
Update on AEOS , REPS and TAMS
• Agri-environmental Options Scheme AEOS 1); There are about 8,500 participants in the scheme which was introduced following the termination of the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS). Approximately €2.5m representing the first instalment (75%) in respect of year 1 has issued to just approx 3,500 participants. All other participants will receive the first instalment payment or will have been notified of issues to be resolved by the end of this month. Payment of the second instalment of 25% will also issue shortly.
Payment in respect of year 2 will commence in early December. About 6,000 participants in the scheme have committed to undertake capital investments as part of their agri-environment options but many have not yet submitted the necessary documentary evidence required to indicate that the work has been carried out.
AEOS 2; approvals have issued to 6,350 new applicants to participate in the scheme with an effective starting date of 1 September. The remaining 450 applications involve queries which are still being examined and farmers will either be admitted or informed they are ineligible in the coming weeks.
REPS 4; There are 30,359 participants in REPS 4. Apart from the 589 cases which have outstanding queries which are being resolved with those concerned on an on-going basis, all participants have received the first instalment payment (75%) in respect of 2010 and almost 28,000 have received the second instalment (25%). Most of these payments issued either at the end of 2010 or early this year. Payment of the outstanding second instalment will issue later this month to the remaining 2,300 participants who incurred a penalty in 2010. Preparations are also more advanced than at this stage in 2010 to issue REPS 4 payments due in respect of 2011. These payments will commence at the end of November once all the necessary checks have been completed.
• Targeted Agricultural Measures Schemes (TAMS); These schemes promote on-farm investment in pig, poultry, sheep and dairy enterprises and in rainwater harvesting. The issuing of approvals is well advanced for all schemes. All outstanding approvals will issue in the next 3 weeks. The schemes are currently suspended for new applicants pending the outcome of the Comprehensive Expenditure Review and the 2012 Estimates process.
• To date €185m has been paid in DAS to 84,000 farmers – this is €51m ahead of the 2010 position. To date 84% of applicants have been paid in full and 100,000 farmers will be paid in 2011.
• The first possible legal date for the transmission of the Single Payment is 16th October under EU rules (the payment window is October 2011 to June 2012). As of today, a minimum of 102,000 farmers have been €496m in the first instalment – there are 20,000 farmers awaiting payment. A further half a billion euros will be paid when the second instalment is due in the week beginning 1st December.
• The Department of Agriculture will have paid SPS/DAS (€1,500 million) in full to 99% of applicants by end of December – the month when most Member States only start their payments.
Update on AEOS , REPS and TAMS
• Agri-environmental Options Scheme AEOS 1); There are about 8,500 participants in the scheme which was introduced following the termination of the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS). Approximately €2.5m representing the first instalment (75%) in respect of year 1 has issued to just approx 3,500 participants. All other participants will receive the first instalment payment or will have been notified of issues to be resolved by the end of this month. Payment of the second instalment of 25% will also issue shortly.
Payment in respect of year 2 will commence in early December. About 6,000 participants in the scheme have committed to undertake capital investments as part of their agri-environment options but many have not yet submitted the necessary documentary evidence required to indicate that the work has been carried out.
AEOS 2; approvals have issued to 6,350 new applicants to participate in the scheme with an effective starting date of 1 September. The remaining 450 applications involve queries which are still being examined and farmers will either be admitted or informed they are ineligible in the coming weeks.
REPS 4; There are 30,359 participants in REPS 4. Apart from the 589 cases which have outstanding queries which are being resolved with those concerned on an on-going basis, all participants have received the first instalment payment (75%) in respect of 2010 and almost 28,000 have received the second instalment (25%). Most of these payments issued either at the end of 2010 or early this year. Payment of the outstanding second instalment will issue later this month to the remaining 2,300 participants who incurred a penalty in 2010. Preparations are also more advanced than at this stage in 2010 to issue REPS 4 payments due in respect of 2011. These payments will commence at the end of November once all the necessary checks have been completed.
• Targeted Agricultural Measures Schemes (TAMS); These schemes promote on-farm investment in pig, poultry, sheep and dairy enterprises and in rainwater harvesting. The issuing of approvals is well advanced for all schemes. All outstanding approvals will issue in the next 3 weeks. The schemes are currently suspended for new applicants pending the outcome of the Comprehensive Expenditure Review and the 2012 Estimates process.
CONSULTATION PROCESS ON NEW HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUALITY BODY
The Working Group on the establishment of the new, enhanced Human Rights and Equality Commission is seeking input and ideas from civil society, members of the public and those interested in the future of human rights and equality in Ireland, on key questions arising from their Terms of Reference. This consultation process will help to inform the Working Group’s consideration of the functions, features and priorities of the new Human Rights and Equality Commission.
The Working Group was appointed by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter T.D., on 6 October and has met twice to date.
The key questions the Working Group is consulting on are:
a. What do people want the new body to do?
b. What features and functions does it need to do these things?
c. How should it be structured and what working methods should it use to achieve the above?
It is intended that the new Commission will be in place by the end of February 2012. As the Working Group has such a short timeframe for their work, the closing date for submissions is Wednesday 23 November 2011 at 5.30pm.
Contributions should not exceed 1,500 words and may be emailed to info@upr.ie.
Further information is available from the Working Group’s Secretariat, Department of Justice and Equality, Floor 2, Bishop’s Square, Redmond’s Hill, Dublin 2.
Details of the membership of the Working Group and its Terms of Reference are as follows:
Michael Whelan (Chair)
Michael Farrell Irish Human Rights Commission
Tom O Higgins Irish Human Rights Commission
Helen O Neill Irish Human Rights Commission
Lia O Hegarty Irish Human Rights Commission
Peter White Equality Authority
Kieran Rose Equality Authority
Ellen Mongan Equality Authority
Betty O Leary Equality Authority
Diarmuid Cole Department of Justice & Equality
Tom Cooney Special Adviser to Minister Shatter
Terms of Reference for the Working Group on the new Human Rights and Equality Commission (HREC)
The Government has decided that setting up a new, integrated and independent Human Rights and Equality Commission (HREC) is the most effective way of achieving the shared aim of bringing about a culture of respect for human rights and equality. The HREC will retain the statutory powers and duties of the existing bodies, for example, the power to examine legislative proposals.
The purpose of this group is:
1. To identify best practice in each organisation and the structure and process through which the HREC can ensure respect for human rights, equality, diversity and the freedom and dignity of the individual and the practices in each organisation, if any, that require change and the recommended changes.
2. To identify the functions and areas of work of the existing bodies to be merged; what new functions should be added and the functions, if any, that should cease.
3. To outline how the existing bodies consult with service users; the actions, if any, to be taken to broaden the base of service users; how such processes have fed into the work planning of each organisation and to recommend how these arrangements can be improved for the purposes of the HREC.
4. To advise on what new methods the HREC might employ in carrying out its functions of providing information, education and so forth in the light of the experience gained by both organisations, bearing in mind the overall economic position and the costs of campaigns run to date.
5. To examine the existing internal structures of both bodies and identify what changes are necessary in the HREC.
6. To recommend the best location for the HREC.
7. To advise on the best staffing arrangements bearing in mind:
· the Paris Principles;
· the need to ensure continuity of staff service;
· the need to ensure that the skills available to the Commission are appropriate and sufficiently flexible for the Commission to respond to new challenges while at the same time providing career development opportunities for staff.
· the overall current economic position and the limited resources of Government.
8. To advise on what would be the best practice for the HREC in devising specific objectives and what performance indicators should be used to measure the attainment of the objectives.
9. To advise on the best approaches or means to achieving change - for example making greater use of codes of practice or of strategic cases to achieve changes. Is there a view on which might achieve the greater outcome. Court cases tend to involve the State in one way or another. Would greater use of codes of practice be effective in wider society?
10. To advise on the best form of enquiry powers, and, in particular, to consider whether adopting the model used for Cloyne might be more effective than the current enquiry power.
The Working Group was appointed by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter T.D., on 6 October and has met twice to date.
The key questions the Working Group is consulting on are:
a. What do people want the new body to do?
b. What features and functions does it need to do these things?
c. How should it be structured and what working methods should it use to achieve the above?
It is intended that the new Commission will be in place by the end of February 2012. As the Working Group has such a short timeframe for their work, the closing date for submissions is Wednesday 23 November 2011 at 5.30pm.
Contributions should not exceed 1,500 words and may be emailed to info@upr.ie.
Further information is available from the Working Group’s Secretariat, Department of Justice and Equality, Floor 2, Bishop’s Square, Redmond’s Hill, Dublin 2.
Details of the membership of the Working Group and its Terms of Reference are as follows:
Michael Whelan (Chair)
Michael Farrell Irish Human Rights Commission
Tom O Higgins Irish Human Rights Commission
Helen O Neill Irish Human Rights Commission
Lia O Hegarty Irish Human Rights Commission
Peter White Equality Authority
Kieran Rose Equality Authority
Ellen Mongan Equality Authority
Betty O Leary Equality Authority
Diarmuid Cole Department of Justice & Equality
Tom Cooney Special Adviser to Minister Shatter
Terms of Reference for the Working Group on the new Human Rights and Equality Commission (HREC)
The Government has decided that setting up a new, integrated and independent Human Rights and Equality Commission (HREC) is the most effective way of achieving the shared aim of bringing about a culture of respect for human rights and equality. The HREC will retain the statutory powers and duties of the existing bodies, for example, the power to examine legislative proposals.
The purpose of this group is:
1. To identify best practice in each organisation and the structure and process through which the HREC can ensure respect for human rights, equality, diversity and the freedom and dignity of the individual and the practices in each organisation, if any, that require change and the recommended changes.
2. To identify the functions and areas of work of the existing bodies to be merged; what new functions should be added and the functions, if any, that should cease.
3. To outline how the existing bodies consult with service users; the actions, if any, to be taken to broaden the base of service users; how such processes have fed into the work planning of each organisation and to recommend how these arrangements can be improved for the purposes of the HREC.
4. To advise on what new methods the HREC might employ in carrying out its functions of providing information, education and so forth in the light of the experience gained by both organisations, bearing in mind the overall economic position and the costs of campaigns run to date.
5. To examine the existing internal structures of both bodies and identify what changes are necessary in the HREC.
6. To recommend the best location for the HREC.
7. To advise on the best staffing arrangements bearing in mind:
· the Paris Principles;
· the need to ensure continuity of staff service;
· the need to ensure that the skills available to the Commission are appropriate and sufficiently flexible for the Commission to respond to new challenges while at the same time providing career development opportunities for staff.
· the overall current economic position and the limited resources of Government.
8. To advise on what would be the best practice for the HREC in devising specific objectives and what performance indicators should be used to measure the attainment of the objectives.
9. To advise on the best approaches or means to achieving change - for example making greater use of codes of practice or of strategic cases to achieve changes. Is there a view on which might achieve the greater outcome. Court cases tend to involve the State in one way or another. Would greater use of codes of practice be effective in wider society?
10. To advise on the best form of enquiry powers, and, in particular, to consider whether adopting the model used for Cloyne might be more effective than the current enquiry power.
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
GOVERNMENT BEGINNING TO DELIVER RESULTS FOR THE STATE
An article from today's Irish Times by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, on progress the Government is making in restoring confidence to the Irish economy, getting our people back to work and making the bailout deal work for us
GOVERNMENT BEGINNING TO DELIVER RESULTS FOR THE STATE
OPINION: The Republic cannot follow Greece into default on debts as this course of action would be disastrous for our embryonic recovery, writes ENDA KENNY
THIS GOVERNMENT’S strategy of working to improve the bailout deal in order to get the country working again after almost four years of recession is starting to produce a return. The economy started to grow again in the first half of the year; the public finances and unemployment have stabilised and deposits are now returning to Irish banks.
While we have a long way to go, we have made a decent start and are now on the right track.
The deal agreed by EU leaders last Thursday morning is another step in the right direction. It is intended to avert a banking crisis and another recession in our biggest European trading partners, thus allowing our export-led recovery to continue.
Moreover, the expansion in resources available to the euro zone bailout fund underpins the renewed commitment of fellow euro zone members to continue to support countries such as the Republic that are pursuing sustainable economic policies.
Some have argued that this State should use the restructuring of Greece’s debt as an opportunity to repudiate the deal with our partners and to renege on our own debts.
Such a course of action would be disastrous for our recovery. By cutting ourselves off from further international loans, we would have to close this year’s €16 billion Government deficit immediately rather than over a number of years. This would plunge the economy back into recession and impose a degree of social hardship beyond anything experienced so far.
Given our vastly better economic circumstances compared with Greece, default would mark us out as a country that “won’t” rather than “can’t” pay our debts, killing off foreign direct investment and resulting in even higher borrowing costs for the State and Irish businesses that would strangle recovery and lower living standards for a generation.
It is empathy and solidarity, not envy, that I feel for our fellow EU citizens in Greece. As part of the deal, they are being forced to sell €50 billion of state assets, cut monthly pensions above €1,000 by 20 per cent, cut tax-free income thresholds from €12,000 to €5,000 and suspend 30,000 civil servants on partial pay.
On top of this, they face another 10 years of austerity and troika surveillance. While it is not surprising that a deal of this nature is being put to a referendum by the Greek government, who could possibly want this for the Republic?
The Irish Government’s strategy is growth, not default. We will not unilaterally repudiate the agreement with our partners, but will instead continue to improve its terms to make it more affordable and jobs-friendly. Our ambition is to be the first euro zone country to restore market confidence and emerge successfully from a bailout.
It is this strategy that has already seen us change the terms of the deal we inherited from the previous government in order to:
Secure €7 billion in private sector contributions to the cost of recapitalising our banks, including over €5 billion from burden sharing with junior bondholders;
Finance 5,000 national internship places and cut the rate of PRSI on low-paid jobs and the rate of VAT on tourism services in May;
Reduce the interest cost of the bailout loans in July by almost €10 billion;
Change the measures in the upcoming budget to minimise any negative impact on incomes and jobs.
Part of the existing agreement with our external partners is not to allow any Irish bank, including Anglo Irish Bank, default on its debts to bondholders for fear of paralysing wider European financial markets. I share the Irish public’s dismay at the cost and unfairness of this policy and the delay it caused to the State’s recovery.
But the unfortunate truth is that the vast majority of Anglo’s debts were paid off under the previous government. Of Anglo’s €97 billion in liabilities in September 2008 when the previous government offered it a blanket guarantee, €3.3 billion in unsecured private debts now remain, including the €700 million due for repayment today.
This horse has well and truly bolted.
In the absence of support from our external partners, potential gains to Irish taxpayers from forcing the bank to default on these bonds, while not insignificant, do not justify the enormous risks from such a course of action. Allowing Anglo to default would create doubt over the future of the €110 billion in funding being made available by the European Central Bank and the Irish Central Bank to Irish banks at a low interest rate and could mean a renewed flight of funds and even tighter credit conditions for potential Irish job creators.
This Government is working every day to undo the painful legacy of the calamitous banking policies pursued by the previous administration. From the wreckage of the banking system that we inherited last March we have carved out two pillar banks – AIB and Bank of Ireland – as engines of economic recovery. We will close Anglo Irish Bank at the earliest opportunity. We have not put a single cent of taxpayer money into this bank on top of what was already legally committed by the previous government. We have merged its loan recovery operations with Irish Nationwide and are aggressively cutting costs. Only last week we completed the sale of a large chunk of its $9.2 billion in US assets.
Moreover, the additional flexibilities and resources now available to the euro zone’s bailout fund offer us the chance to negotiate more improvements in our bailout on top of what we have already achieved, including more help with funding our banks. This is something my Government will pursue with determination over the coming months.
GOVERNMENT BEGINNING TO DELIVER RESULTS FOR THE STATE
OPINION: The Republic cannot follow Greece into default on debts as this course of action would be disastrous for our embryonic recovery, writes ENDA KENNY
THIS GOVERNMENT’S strategy of working to improve the bailout deal in order to get the country working again after almost four years of recession is starting to produce a return. The economy started to grow again in the first half of the year; the public finances and unemployment have stabilised and deposits are now returning to Irish banks.
While we have a long way to go, we have made a decent start and are now on the right track.
The deal agreed by EU leaders last Thursday morning is another step in the right direction. It is intended to avert a banking crisis and another recession in our biggest European trading partners, thus allowing our export-led recovery to continue.
Moreover, the expansion in resources available to the euro zone bailout fund underpins the renewed commitment of fellow euro zone members to continue to support countries such as the Republic that are pursuing sustainable economic policies.
Some have argued that this State should use the restructuring of Greece’s debt as an opportunity to repudiate the deal with our partners and to renege on our own debts.
Such a course of action would be disastrous for our recovery. By cutting ourselves off from further international loans, we would have to close this year’s €16 billion Government deficit immediately rather than over a number of years. This would plunge the economy back into recession and impose a degree of social hardship beyond anything experienced so far.
Given our vastly better economic circumstances compared with Greece, default would mark us out as a country that “won’t” rather than “can’t” pay our debts, killing off foreign direct investment and resulting in even higher borrowing costs for the State and Irish businesses that would strangle recovery and lower living standards for a generation.
It is empathy and solidarity, not envy, that I feel for our fellow EU citizens in Greece. As part of the deal, they are being forced to sell €50 billion of state assets, cut monthly pensions above €1,000 by 20 per cent, cut tax-free income thresholds from €12,000 to €5,000 and suspend 30,000 civil servants on partial pay.
On top of this, they face another 10 years of austerity and troika surveillance. While it is not surprising that a deal of this nature is being put to a referendum by the Greek government, who could possibly want this for the Republic?
The Irish Government’s strategy is growth, not default. We will not unilaterally repudiate the agreement with our partners, but will instead continue to improve its terms to make it more affordable and jobs-friendly. Our ambition is to be the first euro zone country to restore market confidence and emerge successfully from a bailout.
It is this strategy that has already seen us change the terms of the deal we inherited from the previous government in order to:
Secure €7 billion in private sector contributions to the cost of recapitalising our banks, including over €5 billion from burden sharing with junior bondholders;
Finance 5,000 national internship places and cut the rate of PRSI on low-paid jobs and the rate of VAT on tourism services in May;
Reduce the interest cost of the bailout loans in July by almost €10 billion;
Change the measures in the upcoming budget to minimise any negative impact on incomes and jobs.
Part of the existing agreement with our external partners is not to allow any Irish bank, including Anglo Irish Bank, default on its debts to bondholders for fear of paralysing wider European financial markets. I share the Irish public’s dismay at the cost and unfairness of this policy and the delay it caused to the State’s recovery.
But the unfortunate truth is that the vast majority of Anglo’s debts were paid off under the previous government. Of Anglo’s €97 billion in liabilities in September 2008 when the previous government offered it a blanket guarantee, €3.3 billion in unsecured private debts now remain, including the €700 million due for repayment today.
This horse has well and truly bolted.
In the absence of support from our external partners, potential gains to Irish taxpayers from forcing the bank to default on these bonds, while not insignificant, do not justify the enormous risks from such a course of action. Allowing Anglo to default would create doubt over the future of the €110 billion in funding being made available by the European Central Bank and the Irish Central Bank to Irish banks at a low interest rate and could mean a renewed flight of funds and even tighter credit conditions for potential Irish job creators.
This Government is working every day to undo the painful legacy of the calamitous banking policies pursued by the previous administration. From the wreckage of the banking system that we inherited last March we have carved out two pillar banks – AIB and Bank of Ireland – as engines of economic recovery. We will close Anglo Irish Bank at the earliest opportunity. We have not put a single cent of taxpayer money into this bank on top of what was already legally committed by the previous government. We have merged its loan recovery operations with Irish Nationwide and are aggressively cutting costs. Only last week we completed the sale of a large chunk of its $9.2 billion in US assets.
Moreover, the additional flexibilities and resources now available to the euro zone’s bailout fund offer us the chance to negotiate more improvements in our bailout on top of what we have already achieved, including more help with funding our banks. This is something my Government will pursue with determination over the coming months.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Bruton launches new €10million International Start-Up Fund to draw overseas entrepreneurs to Ireland
The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, today [Thursday] launched a €10million International Start-Up Fund, aimed at encouraging overseas entrepreneurs to locate start-up businesses in Ireland:
· The fund will be administered by Enterprise Ireland and will be open to company promoters anywhere in the world, but will be targeted particularly at the Irish diaspora, international expatriates, the “New Diaspora” (people from overseas who have previously worked or studied in Ireland), as well as serial and mobile entrepreneurs
· Key geographical targets will include North America, UK, Europe and Australia
· Key target sectors include Internet, Games, Cloud Computing, Medtech and Financial Services sectors
· The fund will target investor-ready projects seeking between €200,000 and €500,000
· Funding will be in the form of an equity stake taken by the State in the company
To support the marketing of the fund overseas Enterprise Ireland will be appointing a number of high profile successful Irish entrepreneurs to act as International Start Up Ambassadors. Dylan Collins, one of the most experienced Internet entrepreneurs in Europe, is one of the first to accept the role of fund Ambassador.
Announcing the fund, Minister Bruton said:
“This Government’s ambition is not only to turn the country around and get employment growing again, but to once again create a dynamic economy that is the envy of the world and has over two million people at work.
“This will not be easy, but one key strand of our new industrial strategy will be to create a genuine indigenous engine of growth. As I have said before, our ambition must not only be to attract the next Google or Microsoft to Ireland, but we must also seek to grow the next Google or Microsoft in Ireland. Indigenous companies provide proportionally more than three times more benefit to the Irish economy than multinational companies.
“Today’s announcement is a direct intervention by government to create more start-up companies here. Across the world, many of the start-up companies which go on to succeed and create jobs are driven by people within a small class of mobile, innovative, serial entrepreneurs. What the Irish Government is saying very clearly today to the international technology community gathered in Dublin is – come and start your company in Ireland, we are open for business, and we will support you”.
“There is no reason why Ireland should not be a global centre for international start-ups. We already have a growing number of mobile start-ups locating here, and with strong Government supports, a business-friendly environment, a deep pool of skills as well as all the benefits that come with a base of multinational companies that is the envy of the world”.
Commenting on the new initiative Frank Ryan, Enterprise Ireland Chief Executive said:
‘Stimulating the flow of new High Potential Start-Ups and supporting their growth are fundamental building blocks in Enterprise Ireland’s strategy for economic growth and job creation. We want mobile entrepreneurs to locate their businesses in Ireland and to see Enterprise Ireland as their dedicated partner.
‘The addition of the €10m fund provides a core offering around which the rest of our overseas entrepreneurship marketing and promotion efforts will be centred. The attraction of overseas entrepreneurs to Ireland is an important opportunity to expand our start up activity and they will significantly add to the diversity and skill-base of the Irish start up community’.
Dylan Collins, Irish serial entrepreneur who has established highly successful companies in various countries, said:
“I am delighted to be the first international ambassador for this start up fund. It’s an excellent way to build on Ireland’s position as one of the leading startup hubs in Europe. If you’re in a startup anywhere in the world which has international ambition, you need to come and talk to us right now”.
Louis Ravenet, a serial US entrepreneur who earlier this year set up his company 2PaperDolls in Ireland, commented on what motivated him to move his business to Ireland:
“Ireland has a number of advantages for an early-stage business - it’s efficient, highly networked, co-operative and it is extremely refreshing that there isn’t a ‘hold cards close to the chest’ attitude here. 2PaperDolls is growing and we have found skilled software developers in good supply in the Irish market. And from a cost perspective, Ireland is a great place to do business - you have the low corporate tax rate and it’s inexpensive compared to other world-class capital cities for office space, housing, schools and getting around”.
To find out more about the International Start Up Fund and Ireland as a location for your business visit: www.startinireland.com
To apply for the fund contact:
Start in Ireland Enquiry Desk, Tel: +353 1 7272140, startinireland@enterprise-ireland.com
· The fund will be administered by Enterprise Ireland and will be open to company promoters anywhere in the world, but will be targeted particularly at the Irish diaspora, international expatriates, the “New Diaspora” (people from overseas who have previously worked or studied in Ireland), as well as serial and mobile entrepreneurs
· Key geographical targets will include North America, UK, Europe and Australia
· Key target sectors include Internet, Games, Cloud Computing, Medtech and Financial Services sectors
· The fund will target investor-ready projects seeking between €200,000 and €500,000
· Funding will be in the form of an equity stake taken by the State in the company
To support the marketing of the fund overseas Enterprise Ireland will be appointing a number of high profile successful Irish entrepreneurs to act as International Start Up Ambassadors. Dylan Collins, one of the most experienced Internet entrepreneurs in Europe, is one of the first to accept the role of fund Ambassador.
Announcing the fund, Minister Bruton said:
“This Government’s ambition is not only to turn the country around and get employment growing again, but to once again create a dynamic economy that is the envy of the world and has over two million people at work.
“This will not be easy, but one key strand of our new industrial strategy will be to create a genuine indigenous engine of growth. As I have said before, our ambition must not only be to attract the next Google or Microsoft to Ireland, but we must also seek to grow the next Google or Microsoft in Ireland. Indigenous companies provide proportionally more than three times more benefit to the Irish economy than multinational companies.
“Today’s announcement is a direct intervention by government to create more start-up companies here. Across the world, many of the start-up companies which go on to succeed and create jobs are driven by people within a small class of mobile, innovative, serial entrepreneurs. What the Irish Government is saying very clearly today to the international technology community gathered in Dublin is – come and start your company in Ireland, we are open for business, and we will support you”.
“There is no reason why Ireland should not be a global centre for international start-ups. We already have a growing number of mobile start-ups locating here, and with strong Government supports, a business-friendly environment, a deep pool of skills as well as all the benefits that come with a base of multinational companies that is the envy of the world”.
Commenting on the new initiative Frank Ryan, Enterprise Ireland Chief Executive said:
‘Stimulating the flow of new High Potential Start-Ups and supporting their growth are fundamental building blocks in Enterprise Ireland’s strategy for economic growth and job creation. We want mobile entrepreneurs to locate their businesses in Ireland and to see Enterprise Ireland as their dedicated partner.
‘The addition of the €10m fund provides a core offering around which the rest of our overseas entrepreneurship marketing and promotion efforts will be centred. The attraction of overseas entrepreneurs to Ireland is an important opportunity to expand our start up activity and they will significantly add to the diversity and skill-base of the Irish start up community’.
Dylan Collins, Irish serial entrepreneur who has established highly successful companies in various countries, said:
“I am delighted to be the first international ambassador for this start up fund. It’s an excellent way to build on Ireland’s position as one of the leading startup hubs in Europe. If you’re in a startup anywhere in the world which has international ambition, you need to come and talk to us right now”.
Louis Ravenet, a serial US entrepreneur who earlier this year set up his company 2PaperDolls in Ireland, commented on what motivated him to move his business to Ireland:
“Ireland has a number of advantages for an early-stage business - it’s efficient, highly networked, co-operative and it is extremely refreshing that there isn’t a ‘hold cards close to the chest’ attitude here. 2PaperDolls is growing and we have found skilled software developers in good supply in the Irish market. And from a cost perspective, Ireland is a great place to do business - you have the low corporate tax rate and it’s inexpensive compared to other world-class capital cities for office space, housing, schools and getting around”.
To find out more about the International Start Up Fund and Ireland as a location for your business visit: www.startinireland.com
To apply for the fund contact:
Start in Ireland Enquiry Desk, Tel: +353 1 7272140, startinireland@enterprise-ireland.com
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