A delegation of County Councillors from the West of Ireland met with Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Pascal Donohue, T.D., in Dublin today to express their concerns about the proposed sale of Aer Lingus to IAG.
Showing posts with label Mayo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mayo. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Friday, December 19, 2014
Family Carers asked to put their life story on the line
Family Carers throughout Ireland are being invited to put pen to paper and compose a poem as part of Caring for Carers Ireland’s annual nationwide poetry competition.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Chief Fire Officers issue Carbon Monoxide warning
The Irish Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) is urging householders to be aware of the dangers associated with carbon monoxide (CO) build-up in the home as part Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week 2014.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Friends pedal Shaun's cause
30 friends and work colleagues of a County Donegal man who is currently battling cancer will this week embark on a 350-kilometre charity cycle along Ireland's western seaboard to raise funds for Friend’s of St. Luke’s and Bone Marrow for Leukaemia Trust.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Gort to Tuam motorway contracts signed
Clare Senator Tony Mulcahy has welcomed the news that contracts for the construction of the M17/M18 PPP Gort to Tuam motorway have been signed today by Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar; Minister For Public Expenditure & Reform, Brendan Howlin; and the National Roads Authority (NRA).
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Irish Water regional office to be located in Limerick
The announcement today by the Department of Environment, Community & Local Government of its decision to locate one of its eight regional Irish Water offices in Limerick has been welcomed by the Mayor and Cathaoirleach of Limerick.
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
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.
Monday, October 01, 2012
Significant Drop in Fire Fatalities during 2012
New figures from the Irish Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) show a dramatic reduction in the number of deaths from fires in Ireland so far this year.
Wednesday, July 04, 2012
Clare Road Safety Officer Issues Appeal
Clare’s Road Safety Officer has joined An Garda Síochána and counterpart officials from neighbouring local authorities in Roscommon, Galway and Mayo in making an appeal to road users following a sharp rise in road deaths and serious injuries in the region.
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
Cliffs Of Moher Seismometer Picks Up Mayo Earthquake
The strongest earthquake ever recorded in the West of Ireland was picked up by the recently installed seismometer at the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Taoiseach Walks in Grandfather’s Footsteps at Loop Head
Taoiseach Enda Kenny, T.D., today officially opened the new exhibition at Loop Head Lighthouse and launched the 2012 visitor season at the historic West Clare tourist attraction.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
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.
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.
Friday, October 29, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Killeen Welcomes Gort to Tuam Motorway Announcement
Minister for Defence and Clare T.D., Tony Killeen today welcomed the announcement that the preferred tender has been selected for the M17/M18 Gort to Tuam PPP Motorway.
Minister Killeen said the project forms a key part of the Atlantic Corridor and will greatly reduce journey times for traffic along the West coast.
The National Roads Authority confirmed that the BAM Balfour Beatty Consortium is the preferred bidder and they are expected to finalise project acceptance in the coming weeks. It is expected that work on the project will begin early 2011 and be completed by the end of 2014.
Minister Killeen noted that the new motorway will make a considerable difference to those living in Claregalway, Ardrahan, Kilcolgan, Clarinbridge and the other towns and villages that will be bypassed by the road scheme.
He added: “The commencement of work on this motorway project will be welcomed by motorists throughout the west of Ireland as it will bypass numerous traffic bottle necks and vastly improve commuting time for users. The new scheme will be complemented by the N18 Ennis Bypass and soon to be opened Gort-Crusheen Bypass. Once completed, the motorway also will improve connectivity between Dublin and the western region and it will significantly assist in the economic development of Border, Midlands and Western regions.”
M17/M18 PPP Road Scheme Facts:
• M17/M18 Gort to Tuam is part of the
• It is 57 kms long (53km motorway and 4km Tuam Bypass)
• It connects to the M6 motorway east of Oranmore
• It provides a bypass of Tuam at the northern end as well as Ardrahan, Kilcolgan and Clarinbridge in the south
• It acts as a bypass of Claregalway;
The existing N17 extends from Galway City in the south, through Claregalway, Tuam, Claremorris, Charlestown and Tubbercurry to Sligo in the north. The existing N18 extends from Limerick in the south through Ennis, Gort Clarinbridge and Oranmore to Claregalway on the N17 in the north.
The M18 M17 Gort Tuam PPP Scheme forms part of the Atlantic road corridor, as outlined under Transport 21. It will form a strategic component of the national primary route network providing a high quality link between Dublin and the western region. The scheme will run from Gort in the south to Tuam in the north with a major junction with the N6 Galway Dublin route to the east of Galway City.
Minister Killeen said the project forms a key part of the Atlantic Corridor and will greatly reduce journey times for traffic along the West coast.
The National Roads Authority confirmed that the BAM Balfour Beatty Consortium is the preferred bidder and they are expected to finalise project acceptance in the coming weeks. It is expected that work on the project will begin early 2011 and be completed by the end of 2014.
Minister Killeen noted that the new motorway will make a considerable difference to those living in Claregalway, Ardrahan, Kilcolgan, Clarinbridge and the other towns and villages that will be bypassed by the road scheme.
He added: “The commencement of work on this motorway project will be welcomed by motorists throughout the west of Ireland as it will bypass numerous traffic bottle necks and vastly improve commuting time for users. The new scheme will be complemented by the N18 Ennis Bypass and soon to be opened Gort-Crusheen Bypass. Once completed, the motorway also will improve connectivity between Dublin and the western region and it will significantly assist in the economic development of Border, Midlands and Western regions.”
M17/M18 PPP Road Scheme Facts:
• M17/M18 Gort to Tuam is part of the
• It is 57 kms long (53km motorway and 4km Tuam Bypass)
• It connects to the M6 motorway east of Oranmore
• It provides a bypass of Tuam at the northern end as well as Ardrahan, Kilcolgan and Clarinbridge in the south
• It acts as a bypass of Claregalway;
The existing N17 extends from Galway City in the south, through Claregalway, Tuam, Claremorris, Charlestown and Tubbercurry to Sligo in the north. The existing N18 extends from Limerick in the south through Ennis, Gort Clarinbridge and Oranmore to Claregalway on the N17 in the north.
The M18 M17 Gort Tuam PPP Scheme forms part of the Atlantic road corridor, as outlined under Transport 21. It will form a strategic component of the national primary route network providing a high quality link between Dublin and the western region. The scheme will run from Gort in the south to Tuam in the north with a major junction with the N6 Galway Dublin route to the east of Galway City.
Killeen Welcomes Gort to Tuam Motorway Announcement
Minister for Defence and Clare T.D., Tony Killeen today welcomed the announcement that the preferred tender has been selected for the M17/M18 Gort to Tuam PPP Motorway.
Minister Killeen said the project forms a key part of the Atlantic Corridor and will greatly reduce journey times for traffic along the West coast.
The National Roads Authority confirmed that the BAM Balfour Beatty Consortium is the preferred bidder and they are expected to finalise project acceptance in the coming weeks. It is expected that work on the project will begin early 2011 and be completed by the end of 2014.
Minister Killeen noted that the new motorway will make a considerable difference to those living in Claregalway, Ardrahan, Kilcolgan, Clarinbridge and the other towns and villages that will be bypassed by the road scheme.
He added: “The commencement of work on this motorway project will be welcomed by motorists throughout the west of Ireland as it will bypass numerous traffic bottle necks and vastly improve commuting time for users. The new scheme will be complemented by the N18 Ennis Bypass and soon to be opened Gort-Crusheen Bypass. Once completed, the motorway also will improve connectivity between Dublin and the western region and it will significantly assist in the economic development of Border, Midlands and Western regions.”
M17/M18 PPP Road Scheme Facts:
• M17/M18 Gort to Tuam is part of the
• It is 57 kms long (53km motorway and 4km Tuam Bypass)
• It connects to the M6 motorway east of Oranmore
• It provides a bypass of Tuam at the northern end as well as Ardrahan, Kilcolgan and Clarinbridge in the south
• It acts as a bypass of Claregalway;
The existing N17 extends from Galway City in the south, through Claregalway, Tuam, Claremorris, Charlestown and Tubbercurry to Sligo in the north. The existing N18 extends from Limerick in the south through Ennis, Gort Clarinbridge and Oranmore to Claregalway on the N17 in the north.
The M18 M17 Gort Tuam PPP Scheme forms part of the Atlantic road corridor, as outlined under Transport 21. It will form a strategic component of the national primary route network providing a high quality link between Dublin and the western region. The scheme will run from Gort in the south to Tuam in the north with a major junction with the N6 Galway Dublin route to the east of Galway City.
Minister Killeen said the project forms a key part of the Atlantic Corridor and will greatly reduce journey times for traffic along the West coast.
The National Roads Authority confirmed that the BAM Balfour Beatty Consortium is the preferred bidder and they are expected to finalise project acceptance in the coming weeks. It is expected that work on the project will begin early 2011 and be completed by the end of 2014.
Minister Killeen noted that the new motorway will make a considerable difference to those living in Claregalway, Ardrahan, Kilcolgan, Clarinbridge and the other towns and villages that will be bypassed by the road scheme.
He added: “The commencement of work on this motorway project will be welcomed by motorists throughout the west of Ireland as it will bypass numerous traffic bottle necks and vastly improve commuting time for users. The new scheme will be complemented by the N18 Ennis Bypass and soon to be opened Gort-Crusheen Bypass. Once completed, the motorway also will improve connectivity between Dublin and the western region and it will significantly assist in the economic development of Border, Midlands and Western regions.”
M17/M18 PPP Road Scheme Facts:
• M17/M18 Gort to Tuam is part of the
• It is 57 kms long (53km motorway and 4km Tuam Bypass)
• It connects to the M6 motorway east of Oranmore
• It provides a bypass of Tuam at the northern end as well as Ardrahan, Kilcolgan and Clarinbridge in the south
• It acts as a bypass of Claregalway;
The existing N17 extends from Galway City in the south, through Claregalway, Tuam, Claremorris, Charlestown and Tubbercurry to Sligo in the north. The existing N18 extends from Limerick in the south through Ennis, Gort Clarinbridge and Oranmore to Claregalway on the N17 in the north.
The M18 M17 Gort Tuam PPP Scheme forms part of the Atlantic road corridor, as outlined under Transport 21. It will form a strategic component of the national primary route network providing a high quality link between Dublin and the western region. The scheme will run from Gort in the south to Tuam in the north with a major junction with the N6 Galway Dublin route to the east of Galway City.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
New Renewable Energy Project Launched In West Of Ireland
The Minister for Defence Mr Tony Killeen TD today launched the Regional Approaches to Stimulation Local Renewable Energy Solutions Project (RASLRES) on behalf of the Western Development Commission.
The launch took place in the Bunratty Castle Hotel in Clare.
RASLRES is a €3m multi-national European bio-energy project funded by the Northern Periphery Programme which seeks to build awareness of opportunities for rural communities to produce and supply locally produced biomass (wood, seaweed and energy crops) to towns and cities.
Speaking at the launch Minister Killeen said “This exciting project aims to provide business development support to rural biomass communities and will aid development of biomass supply chains through direct business and community engagement. The project has the potential to bring nearly €1 million funding to Ireland’s Western Region over its three year lifetime and support over 50 companies. While some of the other countries are pursuing various other renewable energy areas under this Programme, the WDC is focusing on the wood energy sector.”
The RASLRES project will address current barriers to market growth including low levels of market confidence, insufficient market information and limited technical and business skills, and actively tackle the issues at regional and local level.
The Minister said: “If the Western Region develops a vibrant wood energy sector, it will help stimulate rural development and create jobs. WDC research has shown that the West could develop an indigenous, sustainable, renewable energy resource delivering 11% of the region’s heat needs by 2020. Such growth will require over 470,000 tonnes of wood fuel per year and would also mean an additional €15 million per annum to the economy and create up to 900 additional jobs in rural areas. Importantly, it has the potential to provide €1.7 million each year to the West’s farming sector.”
The jobs created would be spread across the entire supply chain and result in additional activity to the benefit of private forest owners, forest contractors, haulage companies, plumbers, engineers, electrical companies etc.
”The spin off from the additional employment has the potential not only to revitalise many areas that are dealing with the fallout of the current economic climate but also on the green side, our carbon footprint will improve as the estimated CO2 emissions saved annually would equate to taking over 92,000 cars off our roads”, concluded Minister Killeen.
RASLRES is an international partnership which includes:
- Western Development Commission – Ireland
- Action Renewables – Northern Ireland, UK
- Environmental Research Institute, North Highland College – Scotland
- Municipality of Norsjo – Sweden
- Oceanrainforest Ltd – Faroe Islands
- VTT, Technical Research Centre – Finland
The launch took place in the Bunratty Castle Hotel in Clare.
RASLRES is a €3m multi-national European bio-energy project funded by the Northern Periphery Programme which seeks to build awareness of opportunities for rural communities to produce and supply locally produced biomass (wood, seaweed and energy crops) to towns and cities.
Speaking at the launch Minister Killeen said “This exciting project aims to provide business development support to rural biomass communities and will aid development of biomass supply chains through direct business and community engagement. The project has the potential to bring nearly €1 million funding to Ireland’s Western Region over its three year lifetime and support over 50 companies. While some of the other countries are pursuing various other renewable energy areas under this Programme, the WDC is focusing on the wood energy sector.”
The RASLRES project will address current barriers to market growth including low levels of market confidence, insufficient market information and limited technical and business skills, and actively tackle the issues at regional and local level.
The Minister said: “If the Western Region develops a vibrant wood energy sector, it will help stimulate rural development and create jobs. WDC research has shown that the West could develop an indigenous, sustainable, renewable energy resource delivering 11% of the region’s heat needs by 2020. Such growth will require over 470,000 tonnes of wood fuel per year and would also mean an additional €15 million per annum to the economy and create up to 900 additional jobs in rural areas. Importantly, it has the potential to provide €1.7 million each year to the West’s farming sector.”
The jobs created would be spread across the entire supply chain and result in additional activity to the benefit of private forest owners, forest contractors, haulage companies, plumbers, engineers, electrical companies etc.
”The spin off from the additional employment has the potential not only to revitalise many areas that are dealing with the fallout of the current economic climate but also on the green side, our carbon footprint will improve as the estimated CO2 emissions saved annually would equate to taking over 92,000 cars off our roads”, concluded Minister Killeen.
RASLRES is an international partnership which includes:
- Western Development Commission – Ireland
- Action Renewables – Northern Ireland, UK
- Environmental Research Institute, North Highland College – Scotland
- Municipality of Norsjo – Sweden
- Oceanrainforest Ltd – Faroe Islands
- VTT, Technical Research Centre – Finland
Monday, September 06, 2010
Minister Killeen Unveils The John King Memorial In Ballinrobe
Mr Tony Killeen TD, Minister for Defence was in Ballinrobe on Saturday to officiate at the unveiling of a memorial in honour of John King, a Mayo man who was awarded two Congressional medals of Honour for his service to the American Navy.
John King is only one of nineteen men that received two Congressional Medals of Honour.
The John King Association already exists in America and this is the first time the US marine is honoured in his native county. The seven-foot bronze statue at The Cornmarket was sculpted by the renowned sculpture Rick Lewis.
John King was born in Currabee, Ballinrobe in 1862. He emigrated to the United States as a young man and enlisted in the American Navy in 1893. His time in the Navy spanned 26 years. He first served in the USS Vicksburg and worked in the boiler rooms of 13 naval vessels. He was discharged in 1916 but was recalled in 1917 following the outbreak of World War One. He served two more years and received his final discharge in 1919.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony Minister Killeen said: “I am honoured to be here today to unveil the John King Memorial. It is a fitting tribute to honour such a remarkable man. John King received the Congressional Medal of Honour on two occasions. It is America’s most important award to a person during their lifetime. His story is truly a fascinating one.”
John King died in 1938 in the USA and is buried in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The US guided missile armed destroyer, the USS John King (DDG-3) named after him, was commissioned in 1961.
Minister Killeen paid tribute to all those involved in organising the ceremony for this great hero.
John King is only one of nineteen men that received two Congressional Medals of Honour.
The John King Association already exists in America and this is the first time the US marine is honoured in his native county. The seven-foot bronze statue at The Cornmarket was sculpted by the renowned sculpture Rick Lewis.
John King was born in Currabee, Ballinrobe in 1862. He emigrated to the United States as a young man and enlisted in the American Navy in 1893. His time in the Navy spanned 26 years. He first served in the USS Vicksburg and worked in the boiler rooms of 13 naval vessels. He was discharged in 1916 but was recalled in 1917 following the outbreak of World War One. He served two more years and received his final discharge in 1919.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony Minister Killeen said: “I am honoured to be here today to unveil the John King Memorial. It is a fitting tribute to honour such a remarkable man. John King received the Congressional Medal of Honour on two occasions. It is America’s most important award to a person during their lifetime. His story is truly a fascinating one.”
John King died in 1938 in the USA and is buried in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The US guided missile armed destroyer, the USS John King (DDG-3) named after him, was commissioned in 1961.
Minister Killeen paid tribute to all those involved in organising the ceremony for this great hero.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Killeen Attends Task Force Meeting On Emergency Planning
Mid West T.D. and Minister for Defence, Tony Killeen today chaired his first meeting of the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning at the National Emergency Coordination Centre.
The Task Force is the high level group which is made up of the Ministers and/or senior officials of all Government Departments and key public authorities that meets to share information and to assist coordination of emergency planning across Government. There have been a number of incidents in a short space of time, the pork dioxin crisis, the flu pandemic, flooding, snow and ice and the volcanic ash.
This morning the Task Force received an update from the Department of Transport in relation to the management of the volcanic ash situation.
Minister Killeen acknowledged the speedy response of all of the relevant Departments and Agencies to the crisis.
He noted that the National Emergency Coordination Centre was activated and that a Volcanic Ash Task Force was established and met on the day that the situation arose. He also noted that regular coordination meetings that have taken place since then chaired by the Department of Transport, and he said that the updates and briefings provided have helped to keep the public up-to-date and should continue to be managed in a coordinated way.
The Task Force was also briefed on the flooding and severe weather emergencies that occurred in late 2009 and early 2010.
Minister Killeen paid tribute to the Principal Response Agencies, the Defence Forces, Civil Defence, other voluntary groups and local communities who had worked tirelessly to alleviate the worst effects of these events.
He said that, as in all emergency situations, lessons can be learned.
The Minister noted that the relevant Departments and Agencies are carrying out reviews of how they responded to these weather events and he looked forward to considering these at Task Force.
Minister Killeen said: “I would urge all Departments to implement any recommendations arising from their reviews as soon as possible.”
The Task Force is the high level group which is made up of the Ministers and/or senior officials of all Government Departments and key public authorities that meets to share information and to assist coordination of emergency planning across Government. There have been a number of incidents in a short space of time, the pork dioxin crisis, the flu pandemic, flooding, snow and ice and the volcanic ash.
This morning the Task Force received an update from the Department of Transport in relation to the management of the volcanic ash situation.
Minister Killeen acknowledged the speedy response of all of the relevant Departments and Agencies to the crisis.
He noted that the National Emergency Coordination Centre was activated and that a Volcanic Ash Task Force was established and met on the day that the situation arose. He also noted that regular coordination meetings that have taken place since then chaired by the Department of Transport, and he said that the updates and briefings provided have helped to keep the public up-to-date and should continue to be managed in a coordinated way.
The Task Force was also briefed on the flooding and severe weather emergencies that occurred in late 2009 and early 2010.
Minister Killeen paid tribute to the Principal Response Agencies, the Defence Forces, Civil Defence, other voluntary groups and local communities who had worked tirelessly to alleviate the worst effects of these events.
He said that, as in all emergency situations, lessons can be learned.
The Minister noted that the relevant Departments and Agencies are carrying out reviews of how they responded to these weather events and he looked forward to considering these at Task Force.
Minister Killeen said: “I would urge all Departments to implement any recommendations arising from their reviews as soon as possible.”
Friday, March 12, 2010
Energy Upgrade Scheme Will Create Thousands Of Jobs
A Pay As You Save (PAYS) scheme designed to energy upgrade virtually every building in Ireland over the next decade was officially recognised at Ireland’s prestigious 2010 Green Awards in Dublin last night.
Green building magazine Construct Ireland editor Jeff Colley (pictured), who developed the financing model, received the Green Leader and Green Communications awards for his successful campaigning work on PAYS.
The scheme, which is scheduled to be rolled out by Energy Minister Eamon Ryan before the end of 2010, will enable cash-strapped homeowners and businesses to pay for energy saving measures through fixed repayments on their energy bills over several years.
“Save as You Pay can become a major driver in Ireland’s economic recovery,” commented Mr. Colley. He said the upgrading of 100,000 homes per year will create thousands of jobs, reduce Ireland’s 6bn euro energy import bill, dramatically cut carbon emissions, and enable all Irish people to have comfortable, healthy homes.
"If ever there is an idea that's of its time, it is pay-as-you-save," added Colley. "We have just been through a freezing winter, carbon tax is coming in, and hundreds of thousands of Irish people are stuck in badly built, draughty homes with no ability to pay for the upgrade work needed to make their home more comfortable, cheaper to run, and more valuable. PAYS is specifically designed to solve that problem, and will mean that people can add the cost of the upgrade to their energy bill over time, with the repayments offset against reduced energy costs."
However Colley, who has no commercial interest in PAYS, cautioned that an ill-informed approach could see the scheme falling well short of its potential. He continued: "It is critical that the utilities give considered, independent advice, and that they do not contradict each other. If one utility says 'you should put in wall insulation' and another says 'don't do that - you should put in solar panels and heating controls,' it will create confusion and lack credibility."
Energy minister Eamon Ryan announced in December that his Department plans to test pay-as-you-save by the summer, before mandatory roll-out by the end of 2010.
Colley and Construct Ireland developed a campaign for PAYS last August and September through www.payscampaign.ie, with consequent national helping Colley to successfully lobby for the inclusion of PAYS in the renewed programme for government. In August an Amárach/Construct Ireland survey found that 80% of Irish homeowners would be interested in paying for energy upgrades through their utility bills.
Construct Ireland was among 20 winners of the 2010 Green Awards, which recognise excellence and outstanding achievement by organisations and individuals in tackling climate change and addressing environmental issues. Diageo won the overall green business award for its significant achievement in reducing water consumption by half; for decreasing waste sent to landfill by two thirds by putting in place an advanced waste management and waste prevention programme; and reducing their overall carbon footprint by nearly three quarters.
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