CFOA highlights damage caused by gorse and forest fires

An area of land more than half the size of County Louth was destroyed by fire in the Republic of Ireland during the first four months of 2013.

Energy Skills Workshop For Louth’s Construction Sector

Builders, renovators, contractors and other stakeholders involved in Louth's construction industry are being invited to participate in a free energy workshop in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dundalk on Tuesday, 16 October.

Carers Welcome Publication Of Strategy

Caring for Carers Ireland’s, which represents 109 carers groups across Ireland, has welcomed the publication today (Thursday, 19 July 2012) of the country’s first National Carers Strategy by Minister For Disability, Equality, Mental Health and Older People, Kathleen Lynch, T.D.

Minister To Open Fire Officers Conference In Louth

Fire officers from across Ireland and abroad will gather in Dundalk, County Louth next week to participate in the annual Irish Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) Conference and Fire Technology Exhibition.

Grant Aid Scheme For Horticulture Development

Minister for Defence and Clare Fianna Fail T.D., Mr. Tony Killeen has welcomed the launch by the Department of Agriculture of the 2011 Grant Aid Scheme for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector.

The closing date for receipt of applications to the fourth round of the Scheme is Friday 18th February 2011 and only investments commenced after the issue of letters of approval will be eligible for aid.
 
This aid, which is set at 40% (50% in the case of young farmers) of total eligible capital investment, will fund projects in commercial horticulture undertaken during 2011. The scheme covers all horticultural sectors – protected crops, nursery crops, field vegetables, soft fruit, apples, beekeeping and, mushrooms.  
 
Minister Killeen explained that the scheme is aimed at assisting growers to efficiently produce high quality products to meet the increasing demands of a very competitive market.

“It will also contribute to increasing Irish fruit and vegetable consumption towards the recommended target of 5-a-day as part of a healthy diet”, he said.

The Minister continued: “There remains a continual need for the industry to adapt its production methods, both to minimise environmental effects and to benefit from adopting newer technologies. This scheme includes provision for increasing the uptake of green technologies, including water recycling, generating energy from waste and innovations based on plant production”.

Meanwhile, Minister Killeen has welcomed the launch by Bord Bia of their annual Performance and Prospects Report, indicating an 11 per cent increase, to €7.88 billion, in the value of Irish food and drink exports in 2010.

“I warmly welcome the strong performance of Irish food and drink exports in 2010 and the encouraging prospects for food, drink and horticulture in 2011. I am confident that the food, drink and horticulture sector will continue to perform strongly in 2011 with increased demand for dairy products, the maintenance in beef export values and good prospects for beverages, seafood and horticulture”, he concluded.

Details of the  2011 Grant Aid Scheme for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector and application forms can be obtained from Crop Policy, Production and Safety Division, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Administration Building, Backweston Campus, Young’s Cross, Celbridge, Co. Kildare, (01) 5058801/5058797 or at www.agriculture.gov.ie.

US Green Card Application Period Ends November 3

Minister for Defence and Clare T.D., Mr. Tony Killeen has reminded prospective Irish emigrants that the period for US Green Card application period ends on Wednesday 3 November at 5pm.

The diversity visa lottery program gives winning entrants an opportunity to apply for a permanent visa to live and work in the US. The program makes 50,000 visas available annually to applicants who meet eligibility requirements. In the 2008 and 2009 there were 167 and 201 successful Irish applications respectively.

Minister Killeen said he supported the advice issued by immigrant support groups in the United States for anyone thinking of coming to the US to avail of legal avenues that will allow them to live and work legally there.

He continued: “As my colleague Minister for Foreign Affairs Michael Martin said on his recent visit to the USA, prospective Irish emigrants should not come to America without their papers in order. We must at all costs avoid a new generation of illegals in the United States.”

Meanwhile, Minister Killeen urged people to be extra vigilant about companies and websites that charge a fee for processing the application and especially those that guarantee results.

He added: “Not only are immigrants unnecessarily giving their money and their personal information to private companies, but often no application is actually filed for them and they loose their opportunity to submit an entry”.

“All applications go through the one official route which is a US Department of State website at www.dvlottery.state.gov . Applications can only be made online via this site and there is no charge to submit an application”, explained the Minister.

For more visit www.dvlottery.state.gov.

Technology Bridges The Gap Between Past And Present

The County Museum Dundalk is hosting a one-day conference, ‘Reach The Future Through The Past’, on Wednesday 25 August 2010.

The conference will explore the use of innovation in a heritage setting, and will examine new ways of promoting concepts of heritage and identity through the use of new technologies. The event will feature contributions from an international panel of speakers drawn from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academia, archaeology, animation, broadcasting and business.

Conference organiser, Brian Walsh explained that the conference title is inspired by a line in Paul Brady’s The Island, and the purpose of the event is to apply new ways of cultural and commercial thinking to Irish identity and to the historic Irish experience.

He continued: “Last year, the Global Irish Conference held at Farmleigh attracted representatives of the Irish diaspora and the CEOs of several multinational companies. One of the remarkable features of the conference was that the large number of CEOs who chose to attend the cultural – rather than the business - workshops. This is what gave me the idea that we should explore this theme further.”

“The purpose of our conference here in Dundalk is to find ways of seeking inspiration from the past, and to find new ways of applying and presenting this. We explored this theme ourselves earlier this year by hosting the first series of live radio webcasts by a local authority museum in Ireland. The series of hour-long webcasts focused primarily on the lives of people working in the local brewing, tobacco manufacturing and shoe manufacturing industries, as well the role and nature of education and entertainment in the Dundalk area.”, Mr. Walsh stated.

One of the main themes of the upcoming conference will be how to innovatively promote and popularise history, identity, archaeology and culture to wider audiences.

Speakers include Mary Hawkes-Green (founder, Burren College Art and Design); Brian Dolan (founder, seandalaiocht.com); Ciaran McGuinness (Archer Heritage Planning); Paul Young (co-founder Cartoon Saloon and producer of The Secret of Kells); Susan Cahill (producer of Newstalk’s Talking History programme) and Yanky Fachler (historian, business trainer, and author of ‘6 Officers, 2 Lions, and 750 Mules’).

Admission to the conference is free, but prior booking is essential. For all enquiries, please contact Brian Walsh at the County Museum, Dundalk, +353 42-9327056, Brian.Walsh@dundalktown.ie.

Killeen Welcomes Reopening Of Moroccan Market To Irish Beef

The reopening of the Moroccan market to Irish beef and live cattle after more 15 years has been welcomed by Minister for Defence and Clare T.D. Tony Killeen.

A certificate, which allows the export of live cattle from Ireland to Morocco was agreed by both countries last month and a Veterinary Health Certificate for the export of Irish beef to Morocco was ratified this week.

Irish beef from animals aged under 48 months will now be allowed into Morocco without BSE testing and beef from animals over 48 months, which have tested negative for BSE, will also be approved. This is the same testing regime, which applies to beef exports destined for the EU.

Reacting to the news, Minister Killeen said: “This market has been closed to Ireland for almost a decade and a half and its reopening follows a successful visit to Ireland by a delegation of senior Moroccan veterinarians last March.”

“The successful reopening of this vital market is testament to the ongoing work of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Bord Bia and the Department of Foreign Affairs to ensure that Irish exporters will have access to as many global markets as possible”, he added.

“We cannot underestimate the importance of the food sector to the Irish economy and I remain committed to ensuring that Department and I, together with Bord Bia and the Department of Foreign Affairs, will continue to actively work together in order to make this goal a reality”, concluded Minister Killeen.

Following the reopening of the Tunisian market to Irish beef in April, a veterinary health certificate has now been agreed which will permit the export of sheep meat from Ireland to Tunisia.

Citylink Awards €30M Outsourcing Contract To Callinan Coaches

Citylink Ireland announced today that it has outsourced its operations to Galway-based Callinan Coaches Ltd, in a deal worth in excess of €30m.

Under the terms of the five-year contract, Callinan Coaches will carry in excess of one million passengers each year on 85 daily Citylink routes, connecting Ireland’s major cities and international airports.

Claregalway-based Callinan Coaches currently employs 35 drivers and a number of maintenance staff to operate 14 Non Stop services for Citylink, as well as a number of domestic and continental services. An additional 39 drivers will be employed under the terms of the new contract.

Callinan’s fleet of 15 coaches, all of which are 5-Star Failte Ireland approved, will operate the new services along with Citylink Ireland’s fleet of luxury 24 coaches.

Commenting on the contract, Cathy Cullen, Managing Director of Citylink said: “The awarding of this outsourcing contract is an integral part of Citylink’s strategy to secure the financial stability of the company and to reaffirm our long-term commitment to the Irish market. The deal is great news for the travelling public as it consolidates the level and quality of services currently being provided, while it also enables Citylink to refocus its marketing strategy going forward”.

“Citylink are confident that Callinan Coaches, which has been named ‘Intercity Coach Operator Of The Year’ for two years in succession, will operate their scheduled services to the highest standard. Callinan and Citylink share a strong commitment to providing excellent customer care and consistency in the delivery of a first class service”, Ms. Cullen added.

Tommy Callinan, Founder of Callinan Coaches Ltd. stated: "We look forward to continuing our work with Citylink Ireland, delivering a service that allows the company to concentrate on launching new routes and expanding its scope throughout Ireland."

Callinan Coaches, on behalf of Citylink, will operate the following services under the outsourcing agreement:
- 15 multi-stop Galway to Dublin and 15 multi-stop Dublin to Galway services daily
- 14 non-stop Galway to Dublin and 14 non-stop Dublin to Galway services daily (Callinan Coaches currently operates these services under contract for Citylink)
- 5 multi-stop Galway to Cork and 5 multi-stop Cork to Galway services daily
- Daily services from Galway to and from Clifden
- Daily services from Galway to and from Shannon International Airport

For more visit www.citylink.ie.

Louth museum webcast to engage Maryland students

The history of Dundalk, County Louth, will be aired in the classrooms of two American schools on Monday next as part of an innovative new online project developed by County Museum Dundalk.

Students of Dundalk High School and Dundalk Middle School in Maryland are participating in the first of six live internet webcasts on various aspects of life and work in Louth’s capital town during the 20th century.

The series of hour-long webcasts will focus primarily on the lives of people working in the local brewing, tobacco manufacturing and shoe manufacturing industries, as well the role and nature of education and entertainment in the Dundalk area.

The decision to involve students from the US forms part of the project’s key objective of assisting schools with respect to local history studies. Dundalk in Maryland was established in 1856 by Henry McShane, a native of County Louth who established the McShane Bell Foundry on the banks of the Patapsco River on the outskirts of Baltimore.

According to Museum Curator, Brian Walsh: “We are trying to do something novel in the presentation of history to schools not only locally but internationally as well. By broadcasting through our website, www.dundalkmuseum.ie, we are looking to develop a new audience, to make the museum and the collection interesting in a different way, and most importantly produce a publicly available archive of recorded material for future reference.”

“The programmes are designed to assist schools with respect to local history studies with the preparation of a specialised worksheet dealing with each theme over the course of the broadcasts. The worksheets, which will be available to download from the museum’s website, will feature photographs of the activity being discussed along with a unique insight into the dramatic changes in local life over the course of a lifetime”, he added.

Commenting on the transatlantic link-up, Michael P. Joyce, a teacher at Dundalk Middle School stated: “After hearing about the project I knew right away that there was a great opportunity to raise the historical awareness of our students. Learning about the past third person does not always induce thought. As kids we all loved trips outside of school. More importantly those experiences made for strong memories. This project is a brilliant way to inject first person experience into our day to day instruction. Students love what’s new and what they can interact with. This brings the past alive. It’s the new textbook!”

Pam Cline, Librarian and Technology Liaison at Dundalk High School said students were very excited about the connection with their name sake town in Ireland.

“It will be interesting to see what we have in common with the Irish Dundalk. Maybe we will do a history of our Dundalk so that they can know what we are like. We are so looking forward to working with County Museum Dundalk on this project. Our students are anxious to create a video with their sister city”, added Ms. Cline.

Programme host and local radio broadcaster Harry Lee explained that the show will feature guests with first hand experience of working in local industries, and will provide an entertaining and informative glance at life in Dundalk during the 20th Century.

Mr. Lee continued: “I believe that internet radio is the future and that this is a great way of making history interesting and relevant to a new generation. We are hoping to generate an atmosphere of a fireside conversation, making it an enjoyable experience for our guests and, of course, our listeners”.

Running order for live webcasts:
- Education, 1.30-2.30pm, Monday 26th April
- Brewing, Monday 10th May
- Tobacco and cigarette manufacture, Monday 17th May
- Shoe manufacture, Monday 24th May
- Printing, Monday 31st May
- Entertainment, Monday 14th June

Further information on the live history project is available from Brian Walsh at 042 9327056, or on the museum website: www.dundalkmuseum.ie.

County Museum Dundalk Takes To The Airwaves

Details of the country’s first series of live radio webcasts by a local authority museum have been announced.

County Museum Dundalk in Louth will host six hour-long episodes, the first of which will be broadcast on April 26, on various aspects of life and work in Louth’s capital town during the 20th century.

The internet broadcasts will focus primarily on the lives of people working in the local brewing, tobacco manufacturing and shoe manufacturing industries, as well the role and nature of education and entertainment in the Dundalk area.

The programmes are designed to assist schools with respect to local history studies with the preparation of a specialised worksheet dealing with each theme over the course of the broadcasts. The worksheets, which will be available to download from the museum’s website, will feature photographs of the activity being discussed along with a unique insight into the dramatic changes in local life over the course of a lifetime.

Programme host and local radio broadcaster Harry Lee explained that the show will feature guests with first hand experience of working in local industries, and will provide an entertaining and informative glance at life in Dundalk during the 20th Century.

“I believe that internet radio is the future and that this is a great way of making history interesting and relevant to a new generation. We are hoping to generate an atmosphere of a fireside conversation, making it an enjoyable experience for our guests and, of course, our listeners”, stated Mr. Lee.

According to Museum Curator, Brian Walsh: “We are trying to do something novel in the presentation of history to schools not only locally but internationally as well. By broadcasting through our website, www.dundalkmuseum.ie, we are looking to develop a new audience, to make the museum and the collection interesting in a different way, and most importantly produce a publicly available archive of recorded material for future reference.”

He continued: “We hope to develop several aspects to this project including a series of programme worksheets, as well as a text and email facility that will enable our audience to ask questions they feel important.”

The project’s technical adviser, Jason McGee of Jascom Limited commented: “This is an innovative technology that has not been used before. The younger generation are well used to using computers to find information so we thought it would be a good idea to use the internet to provide a history lesson”.

Running order for live webcasts:
- Education, Monday 26th April
- Brewing, Monday 10th May
- Tobacco and cigarette manufacture, Monday 17th May
- Shoe manufacture, Monday 24th May
- Printing, Monday 31st May
- Entertainment, Monday 14th June

Further information on the live history project is available from Brian Walsh at 042 9327056, or on the museum website: www.dundalkmuseum.ie.

Code Of Practice For The Welfare Of Pigs Is Launched

A new booklet produced by the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council (FAWAC) on a Code of Practice for the Welfare of Pigs has been launched.

The booklet aims to encourage all pig farmers to maintain the highest standards of animal husbandry and continue to practice responsible management on farms.

Commenting on the importance of good welfare practices, Junior Agriculture Minister and Clare T.D., Tony Killeen said: “If farmers follow this Code of Practice, it will help them to meet the necessary welfare standards. Without competent, diligent stockmanship, the welfare of pigs cannot be catered for adequately.”

He added: “The booklet provides advice on maintaining good bio-security and animal health status within the herd and on ensuring appropriate welfare by having proper procedures in place for dealing with sick or injured animals. Advice on herd management and on the requirement for pigs to have access to suitable material to enable proper investigation and manipulation activities is addressed.”

Meanwhile, Minister of State Killeen confirmed that the Department will shortly announce details of the new Sow Housing Scheme, being implemented shortly as part of the revised Rural Development Programme, which will provide 13 million euro to producers to assist in conversion to loose housing for sows.

The booklet is available on the FAWAC website at www.fawac.ie or from the FAWAC Secretariat - email FAWAC@agriculture.gov.ie.

Irish Primary Schools Can Save Hundreds Of Euro By Installing Waterless Technology

One of the Mid West Region’s best known primary schools has moved to reduce its annual water and sewer charges by installing waterless urinal systems.

The Model School in Limerick City invested in the systems, which were installed by brwaterless solution, to offset the scale of metered water charges that were introduced for all schools and educational centres in January. The Sligo-based company says that thousands of schools around the country are unwittingly flushing money down the toilet by using conventional toilets instead of newer waterless urinals.

The savings for the Model School has led brwaterless solution to develop the country’s first Pay As You Save (PAYS) programme for national schools interested in using the Waterless No-Flush systems.

According to Ortwin Reintjes of brwaterless solution: “The country’s National Primary Schools have been severely affected by the introduction of metered charges as many are not equipped with urinals for male pupils, necessitating toilet flushes for urination. The absence of installed urinals means that it is very difficult to reduce the level of water usage and the corresponding water and sewer charges”.

Mr. Reintjes said that the Model School will benefit from significant savings by its use of the system.

He explained: “The average conventional urinal uses between 50,000 and 150,000 litres of potable water per year. With only two Waterless No-Flush units installed, the Model School, based on its male pupil population of 250, will benefit from savings on water and wastewater charges of up to 350 euro per year, based on Limerick City Council water charges of EUR2.30 per 1000 litres. Outside of the obvious water conservation and commercial benefits for the school, the urinals also lead to increased hygiene as well as a significant reduction of CO2 emissions and maintenances costs.”

The urinals resemble conventional wall-hung urinal fixtures, but do not require a water supply or flush valve for their proper functioning. Gravity helps the flow into the urinal trap and into the drain line. The urinals, which can even be made of approximately 30 per cent of soybean resin, not only save water but help save natural resources and promote sustainability as well. Due to the dryness of the fixture, bacteria growth is inhibited and odours are eliminated through the minimal use of BlueSeal.

Commenting on the background to the PAYS scheme, Mr. Reintjes said: “On request, we evaluate how many litres of water per year and how much maintenance can be saved though the use of Waterless No-Flush system. The cost of the urinals is paid from part of the savings made on the reduced water charges. Fixtures are usually paid off within two years after which the schools keep on saving on water and sewer charges, along with reduced maintenance costs.”

Commenting on the environmental benefits of the scheme, Mr. Reintjes noted: “The world is becoming increasingly aware of the need to conserve water and to diminish waste water. Dwindling natural resources, climate changes, the need to reduce and/or conserve budget money plus behavioral changes have led to an increased awareness and desire to install water conserving fixtures. We intend rolling out the PAYS program to other schools throughout the country and look forward to the opportunity to speak with Boards of Management interested in finding out more about the systems and to save money.”

For more on brwaterless solution’s PAYS (Pay As You Save) program see www.brwaterless.ie, telephone 071-9150622 or email ortwin@brwaterless.ie.

The Big Freeze Set To Return To Ireland

All indications are that Ireland is set to see a return of bitterly cold conditions from the colder continent early next week.

Daytime temperatures are likely to be in low single figures by midweek and will struggle to rise much above freezing during daylight hours by the end of next week. Present indications are that the cold spell will last for at least five days before the Atlantic restores milder weather over the country.


Local authorities throughout Ireland will be keeping a close eye on the weather situation over the coming days and will be hoping to avoid a prolonged wintry spell that will put further pressure on salt and gritting stocks. Snow is likely at times but sharp to severe frosts can be expected.

Russia Lifts Temporary Ban On Irish Pigmeat

Junior Agriculture Minister and Clare T.D., Mr. Tony Killeen has warmly welcomed the decision by the Russian Federation to reopen its market to Irish pigmeat with effect from the beginning of February.

The market has been closed since the dioxin incident in December 2008. According to Minister of State Killeen: “The temporary ban on imports of Irish pork and pork products has been lifted as from the 1 February 2010 and in this regard pork and pork products produced after that date can be exported from Ireland to the Russian Federation.”

Minister of State Killeen said the announcement was hugely significant as Russia previously was a significant market for pigmeat producers in Ireland. He noted: “The Russian pigmeat market was valued at over 12 million euro in 2007. I have no doubt that that Russian market for Irish pork products is one that has considerable potential to grow. “

Minister of State Killeen added: “The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, together with Bord Bia and the Irish Embassy in Moscow, has been working vigorously to regain access to this important market. The reopening of the market is recognition that the production of pigmeat in Ireland is subject to extremely rigorous controls and reflects the importance we place on high standards for food safety. The Department’s intention as always is to ensure access to as many international markets as possible for all Irish meats and meat products”.

Farmers Receive Upland Sheep Scheme Payments

Tony Killeen T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has confirmed that special payments to eligible farmers under the new Upland Sheep Payment Scheme have commenced.

Minister Killeen confirmed that he expected that Upland Sheep Payment Scheme payments worth in the region of 5 million euro would be made by the end of the month with the remaining 2 million euro being paid in early 2010. A further 54 million euro will be made available over the next three years in unused CAP funds to support incomes in the sheep sector.

The Clare T.D. said: “The Uplands Sheep Payment comprises unused funds from the Single Payment National Reserve. By creating this payment, the Government has recognised the difficulties and costs, including compliance costs, facing the sheep sector.”

“In addition to the 7 million euro payments being made over the coming weeks, the Department has allocated an additional 8 million euro for sheep fencing and mobile handling facilities to assist sheep farmers in reducing labour input, as part of a new targeted on-farm investment scheme”, added Minister of State Killeen.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State also confirmed that payments under the Single Payment Scheme and Disadvantaged Areas Scheme are continuing to issue, as individual cases are cleared for payment.

Minister of State Killeen added: “To date, the combined value of the payments that have issued under these two Schemes is in excess of EUR1.462 billion. Payments due to the small number of participating farmers under the Protein Aid Scheme, worth in excess of EUR220,000, have also begun issuing”.

December Sales Boost For Irish Retailers

A survey carried out by researchers at Waterford Institute of Technology has found that December may give rise to optimism for beleaguered Irish retailers.

The study which was conducted by the RIKON Research Group, on behalf of AllGifts.ie, found that 73 per cent of Irish consumers will spend the same or more on Christmas gifts this year compared to previous years, while 63 per cent of those surveyed have indicated they will wait until December to do their Christmas shopping.

The face-to-face survey also reveals that online spending continues to grow in popularity among Irish shoppers. The main reasons given for shopping for gifts online were not price related, but rather convenience (60 pc of those surveyed) and time saving (22 pc), with online bargains accounting for a distant third (18 pc).

“Despite the current economic conditions, Irish shoppers have indicated that they are willing to open their wallets for a bargain,” said Gary Purcell, Managing Director of AllGifts.ie (ABOVE LEFT).

Mr. Purcell noted that the survey findings could be attributed to the introduction of pre-Christmas high streets sales and other special offers, as well as the 6.6 pc decline in consumer prices between January and October this year.

He added: “The results of this survey are very welcome news for Irish retailers who have experienced a considerable drop off in footfall over the last year. The vast majority of Irish shoppers are saying they will spend the same or more on gifts this year, with online shoppers leading the way. Online consumers are spending more even though their spending power is not as great as the non-online buyers”.

Survey results for consumers that do not shop online for Christmas gifts:
- The three major barriers to not shopping for Christmas presents online are (in order of importance): consumers do not have a credit card, they prefer to see items before they buy them, and they don’t like to wait for items to be delivered
- Over a third of these consumers will spend between 201-500 euro this Christmas (35 pc) with 24 pc indicating they will spend over 500 euro
- A large majority (69 pc) indicated that they will spend either the same or more than last year on Christmas presents
- A large majority indicated that they shop for presents in December (70 pc consumers)

Survey results for consumers that shop online for Christmas gifts:
- The three major reasons that consumers shop online for Christmas presents are: convenience (61 pc), save time (22 pc) and best place to find bargains (18 consumers)
- They are likely to spend 201-500 euro this year on their Christmas shopping (39 pc), with a further 31 pc indicating that they will be spending over 500 euro this Christmas on gifts
- They are likely to spend about the same online as previous years on their Christmas gifts (41 pc), yet a further 49 pc indicated that they would be spending more than in previous years
- 77 pc of online consumers will be spending the same or more this Christmas on gifts than the previous ones
- They are most likely to complete their Christmas shopping in December (58 pc)
- A slight majority does not expect to buy gifts online for children (56 pc).

AllGifts.ie sells 10,000 gifts and gift vouchers online from 175 Irish retailers. An estimated 50,000 shoppers are expected to visit the website during December.

The Top Ten Gifts purchased by the 8,500 registered users of the website in November are as follows (in order of popularity): (1) Airplane Flying Lessons, (2) Hotel Breaks for Two, (3) Restaurant Meal vouchers, (4) Netbook and Laptops, (5) Spa Treatment vouchers, (6) Helicopter Rides, (7) Gourmet Food Hampers, (8) Internet Radios, (9) Rally and 4x4 Driving Experience and (10) Oxfam Gift of a Goat.

For more on the Christmas Shopping Survey visit www.allgifts.ie.

Positive 2010 Outlook For Irish Tourism

UK based self-catering holiday operator, Imagine Ireland, is confidently predicting growth in the Irish tourism market in 2010.

Established in 2003 by Annette Collins and Astrid Nitzsche, Imagine Ireland is one of the UK’s largest self-catering companies and offers over 1000 individually vetted properties throughout Ireland. And although the company saw a 25% drop in holiday bookings during 2009, Imagine Ireland expects volumes to return to 2008 levels of 11,000 holidays by the end of 2010.

Speaking at the launch of Imagine Ireland's new holiday programme for 2010, Astrid Nitzsche stated: “Clearly our outlook is at odds with even the more optimistic commentators in the industry. However, our predictions are predicated on three factors: the increasing value for money for UK tourists in Ireland, the UK general election and the bottoming out of the UK's recession."

"There is an ongoing adjustment within the cost base of the Irish economy which combined with salary cuts and declining domestic demand will see a 10% fall in products and services over the course of 2010 countering the recent rises in the value of the Euro versus Sterling. This makes Ireland a value for money destination for our clients. Secondly we expect the market will react positively to a change of government in the UK which is likely on foot of the 2010 general election which in turn will positively impact on people's perceptions of their own prospects and in turn perceived prosperity”, she added.

Ms Nitzshe continued: “if people are optimistic, they spend more and comes on foot of tremendous uncertainty and pessimism amongst UK consumers. Thirdly although not exclusively, there are green shoots beginning to emerge within the UK economy as the banks are stabilized and the economic upheaval of the past 12 months settles. This in turn will encourage banks to start lending, companies to start investing and companies to start employing in turn putting more spending power back into the UK economy as consumers recover the confidence to spend."

Co-Director Annette Collins added: "Our business is well-established thanks to our relationship with our owners and our holidaymakers. That said we take nothing for granted particularly as the tourism market has become global due to the internet while the self-catering market in particular has seen an upsurge in competition from non-traditional sectors such as hotels and serviced apartments. We have for example invested this year in our brand while our marketing activity is being repositioned to target our predicted lift in tourists' propensity to travel hence our recent re-launch of Imagine Ireland against the backdrop of the world's largest trade fair, World Travel Market, which took place in London earlier this month”.

Imagine Ireland, however, has cautioned the Irish tourism industry against complacency as other worldwide destinations similarly would be actively targeting any resurgence in demand.

“The need to constantly drive value for money throughout pubs, shops, transport providers and attractions, combined for example with Tourism Ireland's efforts at maintaining a prevalent brand presence across key markets particularly the UK, Ireland's closest and largest overseas market, was further underlined as critical to Ireland's emergence from its current tourism downturn”, concluded Ms. Collins.

ABOVE IMAGE:
Pictured at the launch of Imagine Ireland's 2010 Self-Catering Holiday Programme are (from l-r) Jose Herrero, Key Account Manager, P&O Ferries; Astrid Nitzsche, Stregic Director, Imagine Ireland; Colin Faircus, Regional Sales Manager, DFDS Seaways; Karl McCay, Marketing Services Executive, Tourism Ireland; Andy Greenslade, Area Sales Manager, Carlton Hotel Group; Dave Ashcroft, Key Account Manager, P&O North Sea Ferries; and Annette Collins, Operations Director, Imagine Ireland

Killeen Welcomes Transfer Of Foreshore Licensing Functions

Fisheries Minister and Clare T.D. Tony Killeen has welcomed the publication of the Foreshore and Dumping at Sea (Amendment) Bill 2009, which will give effect to the transfer of all Foreshore licensing functions not associated with aquaculture and sea-fishing, from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

The State’s Foreshore stretches from the High Water Mark seawards for 12 nautical miles and foreshore consents are issued under the Foreshore Acts 1933-2005.

Minister of State Killeen said he expected that the legislation would commence its passage through the Oireachtas later this month.

He added: “Following enactment of this legislation, responsibility for Foreshore consents in respect of commercial projects on the Foreshore including, marinas, harbour and port developments and all energy related developments will become the responsibility of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.”

Minister of State Killeen noted that the Bill was major step towards the development of a modern planning and development framework for the State’s Foreshore.

“This Bill will align licensing of major commercial offshore development projects with the core functions of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which already has responsibility for planning issues”, he concluded.

Killeen Welcomes New Long Term Strategy For Agri-Food Sector

Tony Killeen, Fianna Fail TD for Clare, and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has confirmed that submissions on a long term strategy for the development of the agri-food and fishing sector will be invited by the end of November.

The new strategy for the period up to 2020 is currently being developed and is expected to be completed around the middle of 2010. The Department and five State Agencies - Bord Bia, Teagasc, Enterprise Ireland, BIM and the Marine Institute - are jointly involved in the preparation of a series of papers on the main sectors, which will give an informed basis to a web-based public consultation process and request for submissions.

According to Minister of State Killeen: “It is clear that a new direction is needed for the Irish agri-food sector. A number of the chief executives of major food companies share the view that there is a need for a long-term strategic plan for the future of the industry, for which there is so much potential, especially given the projections for population growth over the next few decades.”

He continued: “The Department is keen to seen all those with a stake in the Irish agri-food sector participating actively in the process, which I hope will stimulate debate and provide some answers. There are no easy answers, but we must do everything possible to maximise the potential of the sector.”

“The strategy will represent a new departure and will set out what is needed to reposition Irish farming and food for growth in the years ahead”, the Minister of State concluded.