Major Blaze At Nirvana Head Shop In Dublin's Capel Street

A fire has broken out at a premises on Capel Street in Dublin city centre and the entire street is closed as a result.

The fire at the Nirvana Head Shop broke out this morning reports RTE. Several units of Dublin Fire Brigade and members of An Garda Siochána are at the scene. A small number of nearby homes have been evacuated.

AA Roadwatch said the road will stay closed for most of the morning. However, Luas services are not affected. Visibility on the north quays is poor as a result of the fire.

Pics by Ray O'Donoghue

Killeen Welcomes Introduction Of New Bioenergy Scheme

Junior Agriculture Minister Tony Killeen, T.D. has welcomed the introduction of a new Bioenergy Scheme to grant aid the planting of willow and miscanthus crops over the period 2010 to 2012.

The Scheme was initially launched on a pilot basis in 2007 and supported the planting of 2,500 hectares by the end of 2009. The new Scheme is part of the Department's revised Rural Development Programme, which is due to be formally approved by the EU Commission in the near future.

The Clare Deputy said the new Scheme would consolidate progress made during the three years of the pilot phase in developing a biomass crops sector in Ireland.

He continued: “I welcome the announcement by my colleague Brendan Smith TD, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, that EUR1 million is being made available to support the planting of a further 1,000 hectares in 2010. The Scheme is now open for applications and interested farmers can apply for establishment grants of up to EUR1,300 per hectare to cover 50 per cent of the costs of establishing these crops".

“The legal basis for the Bioenergy Scheme is Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005, as amended on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. Eligible costs include ground preparation operations, vegetation management, planting and the purchase of planting stock”, concluded Minister of State Killeen.

The closing date for submission of applications for pre-planting approval is Wednesday 31st March 2010. Details of the Bioenergy Scheme and application forms can be obtained from Biofuels Policy Unit, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Kea-Lew Business Park, Mountrath Road, Portlaoise, Co. Laois. Telephone 057-8692231/8692240 or at www.agriculture.gov.ie.

Energy Sector Event In Dublin

The BER (Building Energy Rating) Assessors Association of Ireland will hold its AGM and a series of workshops on Friday 19th February 2010 in the Red Cow Moran Hotel, Dublin.

Workshops will be hosted by Sustainable Energy Ireland (A review of Technical Documents issued over the course of the year); Drayton (Use of Controls in Energy Efficient Heating Systems); Aeroboard (Application of external insulation to NSAI standards); and systemlink (Interlinking Heating Systems). Information stands will be hosted by FÁS, Flo Gas, Kingspan Insulation, Kingspan Solar, OWL and ecological Building Systems. The workshops are open to members and non-members of the BER Assessors Association of Ireland.

For more on the upcoming AGM and workshops see www.berassoc.ie