News Ireland daily BLOG by Donie

Saturday 23rd January 2016

‘Solvency of banks’ reference removed from Irish Government statement

Inquiry finds press release after bank guarantee was altered

  

The former Governor of the Central Bank John Hurley has objected to the finding of the inquiry.

A reference to the solvency of the banks was removed from a government statement issued on the morning of the bank guarantee, the Oireachtas banking inquiry has found.

It was learned that the parliamentary committee has established that the press release on September 30th, 2008 – confirming the government decision to introduce a blanket bank guarantee – was altered to take out a claim that the institutions had sufficient funds.

This raises questions about how long before the bank bailout in November 2010 was the government aware the banks were insolvent.

The Oireachtas committee is also expected to dismiss the suggestion that Anglo Irish Bank would have defaulted if a guarantee was not agreed that night.

The inquiry, which was set up to investigate the cause of the crash, will confirm the Central Bank lobbied for a blanket bank guarantee, but had a contingency plan in place if one was not signed off in September 2008.

Nine months

It will also conclude the guarantee was not decided on that night, and was being examined by the government and other State institutions for nine months before the decision was made.

The final report of the committee is highly critical of the Financial Regulator, the Central Bank and successive governments for failing to see the risks in the run-up to the economic crash.It will conclude the regulator and the Central Bank had sufficient powers to intervene, but did not.

Former governor of the Central Bank John Hurley has objected to this finding.

Strategy memo

The report, which will be published in full on Wednesday, will criticise the government for ignoring the advice of the Department of Finance in the budget strategy memo laid out every April. It will find that, in every year bar one, it exceeded the department’s figures when drawing up its annual budgets.

There is also criticism of the department for an over-reliance on the advice of the Central Bank, and insists it should have carried out its own risk assessment.

The final report also finds there was no cost-benefit analysis of the property tax incentives introduced by successive governments. It concludes had they been amended or abolished sooner it might have mitigated the impact of the property crash.

The inquiry also found the European Central Bank refused to allow Ireland to burn senior bondholders.

It confirms the former president of the ECB, Jean Claude Trichet, directly intervened and warned Minister for Finance Michael Noonan that a “bomb” would go off in Dublin if it moved to introduce burden-sharing.

The report does not estimate how much could have been saved, but outlines the various figures quoted by the National Treasury Management Agency and former International Monetary Fund official Ajai Chopra, who claimed it could have saved up to €9 billion.

Thousands of protesters join anti-water charge demonstrations

      

Protesters from the Right2Water movement opposed to water taxes and austerity gather in Dublin.

Thousands of anti-water charge campaigners have taken part in a series of nationwide protests on Saturday last.

Around 30 demonstrations were organised in towns and cities up and down the country as part of the sixth day of action by the Right2Water movement.

The movement is led by community and political representatives and trade unions.

Ahead of the main events, a number of campaigners staged a picket at the Fine Gael ard fheis in Citywest in Dublin.

Campaign spokesman and general secretary of the Mandate union John Douglas said the controversial water charges should be at the top of the agenda for the forthcoming General Election.

“We promised over a year and a half ago that we would make water charges the number one issue for this election and today’s set of demonstrations is a step towards that objective,” he said.

“Water charges are an unfair imposition on the public and they serve no purpose other than a transfer of wealth from the poorest to the wealthiest in our society and they’re also about lining up the future privatisation of our water services.”

The largest protest was staged in Dublin outside the GPO on O’Connell Street.

Right2Water, backed by trade unions including Mandate, Unite, the Communication Workers’ Union, power union the TEEU, and the Civil and Public Services Union, plans to follow the latest rallies with another major demonstration on the Saturday before the election day.

It also plans a high profile conference with a panel of international speakers at the height of the election campaign.

Right2Water’s latest campaign centres on claims that households use 10% of water produced in the country compared with big business and agriculture but they pay nearly 80% of costs.

It has also attacked Irish Water figures which found 61% of customers have paid a bill.

Right2Water claims Irish Water should have taken in 225 million euro in charges to date but has only collected 110 million euro and it has spent 80 million euro on conservation grants.

At the last major rally last August, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Dublin.

A Belfast company wins mammogram tender to Sligo Hospital

A mobile mammography service will soon begin to treat Sligo patients

 

Northern Ireland’s leading cancer charity has won the contract to provide a mobile mammogram service to Sligo and the North West.

It means up to 300 breast cancer survivors in Sligo and Leitrim will soon be able to have follow-up treatment here without having to travel to Galway.

In what will be seen as a coup for his election campaign, Sligo-Leitrim Deputy John Perry confirmed the news yesterday (Monday) that the tender for follow-up mammography services at Sligo University Hospital has been awarded to Action Cancer.

Deputy Perry said the satellite follow-up service will “provide a safe, quality and evidenced based service to women in the Sligo, Leitrim and South Donegal area.”

“I can confirm that a company named Action Cancer, Belfast has been awarded the tender from HSE procurement,” said Deputy Perry.

“I’m pleased now that the Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal areas will be served. I expect it will begin as soon as early March,” he said.

“A site has been identified by management at Sligo University Hospital for the mobile service and I very much welcome this fast progression for provision of the service. This is something I have fought tooth and nail for since 2011 and that this was a red-line issue for me,” he added.

Hundreds of patients travel for follow-up treatment to Galway annually and the initial decision not to provide a service in Sligo was “grossly unfair and had to be reversed,” he said.

The service will operate under the governance of the Symptomatic Disease Service at Galway and all reporting will be carried out by HSE Consultant Radiologists in UHG. The tender requires that the mobile service is of a comparable standard and quality to that provided in Galway and that it can be linked electronically to the Group’s imaging system. The mobile service will be shared between hospitals in the SAOLTA group, ie Sligo, Letterkenny, Castlebar, Roscommon, Portiuncula, UHG and Merlin Park in Galway.

‘Doppelganger’ Two look-alike strangers take DNA test to find out if they are related

  

‘What does that mean for doppelgangers? Everyone who looks the same – are they related in some sense?’

Irene Adams and Niamh Geaney, both from Ireland, took a DNA test to see if they were related.

Two strangers who were told they look so alike that they could be related have taken a DNA test to find out whether this could be the case.

Niamh Geaney and Irene Adams, both 26, underwent the test after repeatedly being asked by people if they were blood-related.

M/s Adams is the “third doppelganger” M/s Geaney has found since she set up Twin Strangers, an online project aiming to match people who have never met but look alike.

Since setting up the website with friends, the Dubliner has met two similar-looking strangers – one who lived just a few miles away, and the second residing in Genoa. M/s Adams also lives in Ireland.

M/s Geaney, a student and television presenter, and M/s Adams took a DNA test to find out whether they were sisters, half-sisters or related in any way going back 20,000 years in their ancestry.

The results showed that there was a zero% chance of the women being sisters, at 150,000-1 odds, and neither did they share one parent.

M/s Geaney – who describes herself as a “global doppelganger hunter” – said the results to determine whether the pair are related in any way was the one she was “most worried about”.

“This is the one that could show that we are related in some sense. And then what does that mean for doppelgangers?” she said

“Everyone who looks the same – are they related in some sense?”

The test revealed that M/s Geaney and M/s Adams’ ancestors were descended from different parts of the world and so they could not possibly be related.

“Not sisters, not half-sisters, not even related up to 20,000 years ago. It’s Mental,” M/s Geaney added.

Twin Strangers matches lookalikes by asking them to upload photos and selecting the facial features they feel best match them.

Eleven Rules you should follow if you want Healthy hair

    

In an age of blowout bars, extreme dye jobs, and perms (yes, they’re back!), it’s not a question of if your hair is damaged but of how bad the situation really is. Before you start feeling hopeless because you’d sooner sell your soul than give up your flatiron, consider that even wrecked hair can be revived with a few sneaky little adjustments to your routine, according to scientists. Shinier, healthier-looking hair is just 11 tricks (and one roll of paper towels) away.

RULE: 1 Get it wet less often.

Water makes hair swell from the inside, which forces the cuticle up. “When that happens over and over again, you get frizz and breakage,” says cosmetic chemist Randy Schueller. “Don’t wash your hair more than you have to. Whenever you can skip a day, that’s great.” Instead, embrace a dry shampoo that’s a hard-core oil and odor absorber. Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo removes grease and sweat from your hair rather than just coating it with powder.

RULE: 2 Stock your shower.

On those days when you do wash your hair, add a pre-shampoo–yep, that’s a thing now–to your routine. It works like a sealant, “smoothing the hair’s cuticle before it gets wet so there’s less damage,” says cosmetic chemist Ni’Kita Wilson, who recommends this for all hair types except fine. It also protects against friction from massaging in shampoo. “When your hair rubs together, the edges fray,” she explains. We like Nexxus Color Assure Pre-Wash Primer and Tresemmé Beauty-Full Volume Pre-Wash Conditioner.

RULE: 3 Get smarter about your shampoo.

Don’t worry about sulfates or no sulfates. “We tested sulfates against other cleansers and didn’t see any difference in terms of damage or fading color,” says Schueller. “All shampoos have detergents that strip oil and color from hair.” And don’t even think of touching a clarifying formula since they’re meant to strip your hair of anything and everything. What you want is a shampoo that says “damage repairing” on the label and has proteins to strengthen hair (we like L’Oréal Paris Advanced Haircare Total Repair 5 Restoring Shampoo) or a cleansing conditioner, which has the lowest concentration of detergents. One word of warning to fans of hair spray, silicone serum, or mousse: You’ll need to alternate a cleansing conditioner (we like Purely Perfect Cleansing Creme) with regular shampoo. “Cleansing conditioners can’t remove all that product residue that makes hair less flexible and leads to breakage,” says Wilson.

RULE: 4 Change the way you think about conditioner.

We all know they smooth frizz and make your hair softer and shinier. But if you own a blow-dryer or flatiron, you should also know that conditioners are critical to heat protection. “It’s just as important as heat-protectant spray, if not more, because conditioner is better at coating the hair,” says Wilson. Skim labels for ingredients that won’t rinse off–words with “methicone” or “polyquaternium” in them–or just get one of our favorites: Dove Quench Absolute Conditioner. Leave it on for at least five minutes, and then rinse with cool water. “This allows for more residual conditioner to be left on the hair,” she says.

RULE: 5 Just add layers.

Since heat is the worst thing for your hair, double down with a heat-protectant spray. But recognize that if it’s going to work, you’ve got to apply it the legit hairstylist way: Grab small sections of damp hair and mist each one up and down the length (two or three spritzes per section). When you’re finished, comb your hair to distribute the formula–heat protectants are pretty useless if they’re not applied all over, says Wilson, and getting there takes only a few seconds. Look for one that protects hair up to 450 degrees (it’ll say so on the label), like Style Sexy Hair 450 Degree Protect Heat Defense Hot Tool Spray, or Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Styling Heat Protect Spray for second-day hair.

RULE: 6 Move things along.

Anything that speeds up a blowout is good–less heat means less damage–so humor us with an experiment. Blot (don’t rub) your hair with a towel, then do the same with paper towels. You’ll be shocked at how much more water comes out of your hair and how it makes blowouts take half the time, says hairstylist Adir Abergel. Add a quick-dry spray and you’ll be watching the Today show again in no time. L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle Blow Dry It Quick Dry Primer Spraycontains ingredients that wick water away from hair (isododecane) and protect against heat (silicones), says Schueller.

RULE: 7 Save your old shirts.

We kid you not: Your cotton Madonna Virgin Tour tee is gentler on your hair than a Frette towel for drying. It’s why top hairstylists, including Mark Townsend, keep them on hand. “They don’t rough up the cuticle as much, so you don’t have to work as hard to smooth the hair and make it look healthy,” he says.

RULE: 8 Cool your head.

If your hair feels hot after you blow-dry or flatiron it, that means it’s still frying. “If you remove a steak from the grill, it still continues to cook, and it’s the same thing with heat retention from a blow-dryer, flatiron, or curling iron,” says Wilson. Hit the cold-shot button on your dryer.

RULE 9:  Get creative.

If you air-dry your hair overnight, you can minimize damage and free up time for snoozing, coffee, whatever in the morning. One trick that works for all hair types: Sleep with damp hair in two loose braids. “It smooths frizz, loosens curls, and gives straight hair beachy waves,” says hairstylist Mara Roszak.

RULE: 10 Do treat yourself.

Weekly scalp treatments make a bigger difference in the long run than you’d think. “Keeping the hair follicles clean prevents the blockage and inflammation that leads to thinning hair later in life,” says dermatologist Neil Sadick. Try Sachajuan Scalp Treatment with salicylic acid, which is better at cleaning the hair follicle than the cleansers in shampoo. If you’re pressed for time, “dandruff shampoos are great for cleaning the scalp, even if you don’t have dandruff,” says Sadick, who recommendsHead & Shoulders Instant Relief Shampoo.

RULE: 11 Boost the shine factor.

Sure, you could use shine sprays and serums, but they’re like fake boobs–they change things, but they don’t always look so natural. Dry oils, which contain the lightest silicones and oils, create the most believable shine. “They smooth the hair’s cuticle, which is the hallmark of healthy hair,” says Wilson

More men needed with singing talent to join “Tone Cold Sober” Sligo barbershop group

    

Left picture “Tone Cold Sober” as they were in 2015, and at the Strandhill markets during Xmas 2015 raising money for charity and right picture in 2010 when they won the National Male Chorus trophy at the 22nd International Barbershop Singing Convention which took place in the University of Limerick Concert Hall.

Tone Cold Sober, the well-established Sligo barbershop singing chorus group pictured above left, often seen and heard at charity events like at the Stranhill markets and civic functions. The ever popular group of singers based in Strandhill are in recruitment mode for the next few weeks.

They had a great first night last Wednesday attracting some 14 new men singers to the Clarion Hotel for an enjoyable and fun loving session.  The thirty or so men learned the Beatles number “All MY LOVING” in no time and at the end of the night sang it in 4-part harmony as if they were singing A Cappella together all of their lives.

The “learn to Sing” free event continues for the next three weeks and the club are offering another opportunity to men of over 18 years who enjoy singing and who could not make it on the first to come along next week.

This event is totally free and men will learn to sing in 4 part A Cappella style. The programme starts again at 8pm till 10pm for the next three Wednesday nights January 27^th, February the 3^rd and the 10^th in The Clarion Hotel.

By the end of the fourth session two popular songs, specially arranged in four-part harmony, will be ready for public performance. Irish men enjoy singing but may feel inhibited doing so in public and for one reason or the other maybe from their school days have never had the chance or confidence to give it a go. This well tried and tested programme is designed to help break down such inhibitions. Everyone, including all current members of TCS will be learning the same songs. In that way it’s a level playing field for one and all.

Participants can consider joining the Chorus at some time and any-time in the future. Those interested are asked to text their name to 087-2444548.

Animals more capable of empathy than previously thought, A study finds

Researcher found that prairie voles would console one another after experiencing stress

    

The prairie vole is capable of consoling behaviour that previously was only known to humans and a few almost human like animals, such as chimpanzees.

A new study has found that prairie voles will console other voles who are feeling stressed – which researchers have described as evidence of empathy.

A study team at Emory University set up an experiment where pairs of voles isolated from each other, and one of them was exposed to mild shocks.

When they were reunited, the voles who hadn’t been shocked would lick their partners sooner and for longer durations than specimens in a control group who were separated but not exposed to shocks.

The consoling behavior only took place between voles who were familiar with each other, and not between strangers. According to researchers Larry Young and James Burkett, this demonstrates that the behavior was not simply a reaction to aversive cues.

The study authors said: “Scientists have been reluctant to attribute empathy to animals, often assuming selfish motives. These explanations have never worked well for consolation behavior, however, which is why this study is so important.”

Prairie voles are known for maintaining lifelong, monogamous partnerships, in which both parents will look after their offspring.

Until recently it was thought that only humans, great apes, and large-brained mammals such as dolphins and elephants were capable of showing consolation behavior towards one another. This latest study is the first time empathy has been identified in rodents.

Researchers also investigated the effects of blocking the oxytocin receptor in the voles’ brains, given that the neurotransmitter is associated with empathy in humans. In a series of consolation experiments, it was found that blocking oxytocin did stop the animals from consoling each other, but did not affect their self-grooming behaviour.

Their report, published this week by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, said: “Many complex human traits have their roots in fundamental brain processes that are shared among many other species. We now have the opportunity to explore in detail the neural mechanisms underlying empathetic responses in a laboratory rodent with clear implications for humans.”

News Ireland daily BLOG by Donie

Monday 7th December 2015

Fianna Fáil councillor resigns from party over RTÉ programme

Joe Queenan filmed offering to act as an intermediary in return for an investment

   

Speaking on the Joe Finnegan show on Shannonside Radio, Councillor Hugh McElvaney spoke openly about asking for bribes and incriminating himself to ‘show RTÉ up’.

A Fianna Fáil councillor has resigned from the party after he was filmed offering to act as an intermediary for a company in return for an investment in an agricultural business he was planning.

Sligo-based councillor Joe Queenan featured on an RTÉ Investigates programme on Monday night which examined political lobbying.

As part of the programme, RTÉ reporters established a fake wind farm company and approached a number of councillors. Mr Queenan was recorded offering to act as an intermediary for a company in return for an investment in an agri-feed business he was planning.

While Mr Queenan did not return calls on Monday, Fianna Fáil announced he had resigned from the party. Only Mr Queenan can resign his actual council seat.

One party source said Mr Queenan had no choice following the broadcast.

Another councillor featured on the programme is alleged to have demanded £10,000 sterling for help with planning issues, but accused the national broadcaster of setting him up.

Monaghan councillor Hugh McElvaney, who was a Fine Gael member until he became an Independent this month, claimed yesterday he knew he was being set up by RTÉ.

Mr McElvaney was director of elections for local deputy Sean Conlan in the 2011 general election, and they both claimed to have resigned from Fine Gael in recent weeks over the issue of pylons in the county.

The RTÉ Investigates programme aired a recording of Mr McElvaney demanding £10,000 sterling from an undercover reporter acting for a fake wind farm company and seeking help with planning issues.

He is heard asking for “sterling on the table”.

“What’s in it for me?” Mr McElvaney is heard asking. “What are you putting on the table for me?”

When the reporters asked what he had in mind, he said “£10,000 would be a start, a nice little figure isn’t it?” He warned her that it had to be “utterly confidential. If you let me down there’ll be war.”

Speaking on the Joe Finnegan show on Shannonside Radio, Mr McElvaney said: “I knew I was being set up… I lured her [the reporter] into my trap.”

He said he knew the telephone call was from an undercover reporter the minute it began but said he let it continue to play along, otherwise there “would be no show”.

“I wouldn’t have the opportunity of showing RTÉ up, our State broadcaster, for what they are,” he said. “It was dirty tricks on behalf of somebody.”

A second councillor, Independent John O’Donnell from Donegal, accused RTÉ of “entrapping” him during an investigation in which they claim he asked for money for help with a wind farm development.

The Kilmacrennan politician is filmed being interviewed by a bogus wind farm company, Vinst Opportunities, which was set up by an RTÉ investigation team as part of the programme.

In a statement, Mr O’Donnell said the national broadcaster had sought to entrap him by offering him cash as part of what he described as a “gross deception”.

Mr O’Donnell said he was now seeking legal advice on the “sting operation” which took place in Letterkenny’s Radisson Hotel last month.

The Donegal politician revealed: “I was contacted on November 3rd, 2015, in my capacity as a businessman and a public representative by a lady who told me that her name was ‘Nina Carlsson’.”

“I understood from Ms Carlsson that I was being contacted, primarily, in my capacity as a businessman, and, secondly, in my capacity as a public representative.

“ I would like to state that I was shocked and disappointed to learn of the deception that had been visited upon me by the means of a person who turns out to be an undercover reporter for the RTÉ Investigations Unit, falsely signifying to me that she was a representative of a foreign investment vehicle that was considering investing millions in Co Donegal on behalf of several investors, when, in fact, the investment vehicle in question was a fiction conceived by the RTÉ Investigations Unit with the clear intent of tricking me as a businessman.

“Secondly, I take grave exception to [a] clear effort of RTÉ to mislead me into engaging in behaviour that they describe as being potentially inconsistent with the proper performance of my functions as a county councillor forDonegal County Council. ”

Mr O’Donnell said it was a shame RTÉ had chosen not to use its resources to focus on ways to generate economic interest in the region.

“I reserve all of my legal rights in relation to this matter, and in particular to seek damages from RTÉ for my financial losses.”

The programme also outlined how two TDs and two Senators did not disclose that they were company directors in their declaration of interests, while a further two TDs failed to disclose properties they owned.

Five county councillors investigated by the programme also failed in declaring all their interests.

The programme team investigated declarations by the State’s 949 councillors, 166 TDs, 60 Senators and 11 MEPs.

“We investigated every single politician in the country, regardless of political party,” said reporter Conor Ryan.

They found breaches of the declaration requirement were “widespread”.

Undercover reporter ‘Nina’, fronting for a fake wind farm company, approached councillors for help with planning, on a confidential basis.

RTÉ has issued a statement saying it stands over the programme and acted with integrity at all times in their investigations.

The statement said: “The RTÉ Investigations Unit was very careful to act with integrity at all times in the production of this programme.

“RTÉ’s legal affairs department has scrutinised the conversations carefully and, both legally and editorially, RTÉ is entirely satisfied that we acted appropriately and in the public interest.

“This programme performs an important public service to the people of Donegal and the people of Ireland in revealing the conflicts of interest that Councillor O’Donnell and others are willing to entertain in the performance of their public duties.”

Creighton accuses Pearce Doherty of ‘irresponsible politics’ on banking Inquiry

The Sinn Féin TD says he will not sign off on the final report of the banking inquiry?

    

Renua leader Lucinda Creighton has criticised Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty for not signing off on the final report of the banking inquiry.

Mr Doherty has confirmed he does not agree with the contents and will not be a signature on the report.

Ms Creighton said this was irresponsible politics by the Sinn Féin deputy.

She said: “We don’t believe Sinn Féin is ready or has any desire to be in a position of responsibility in the country.

“We have seen that at large yesterday with the performance with Pearse Doherty and Sinn Féin in relation to the banking inquiry.

“I have seen that before, Pearse Doherty did that exact same thing to previous reports on European Affairs in the past. It is designed to get attention in the media and it is irresponsible politics as far as I am concerned.”

In response to Ms Creighton’s criticism, Mr Doherty said: “ Renua’s Lucinda Creighton promotes herd mentality, attacks contrarian views. Have they learnt no lessons from the past?”

Mr Doherty caused anger amongst his committee colleagues when he informed them of his decision yesterday afternoon.

Fine Gael TD John Paul Phelan criticised Mr Doherty’s decision not to sign off on the report.

“I think its very regrettable that Pearse walked away before any consideration of findings had even begun.

“It has been a gruelling few days, however, I believe we have a duty to try and get a report published.”

Fine Gael TD Eoghan Murphy said he was disappointed and thanked Mr Doherty’s personal assistant for his efforts in rescuing the report.

One member said this was a purely political decision by the Sinn Féin TD who was “concerned at being upstaged by Joe (Higgins)”.

Another said the Sinn Féin TD had shafted the rest of the committee by making the announcement before work was complete.

“He made the decision after we agreed the chapters without any votes. His explanation was that he went home and thought about it. He had an epiphany.”

Eir moves into TV with Setanta Sports takeover

Acquisition of sports broadcaster will give Eir platform to compete with Virgin Media

    V   

Setanta Sports co-founder Mickey O’Rourke. Eir said on Monday it will acquired the Irish based sports broadcaster.

Ireland’s biggest telecoms group Eir (formerly Eircom) confirmed on Monday that it is to expand its TV offering with the acquisition of international sports pay television broadcaster Setanta Sports for an undisclosed sum. The move will pit the company against rival cable TV and broadband provider Virgin Media.

The acquisition will allow Eir to “significantly expand” its TV offering and “further enhance the range of propositions on offer to customers”.

Eir would not comment on the sale price this morning, but industry sources have previously suggested that Setanta could be worth up to €20 million.

“Buying Setanta Sports Ireland is a game changer for eir and is our largest acquisition since we purchased Meteor in 2005,” said Richard Moat, chief executive of Eir.

Jon Florsheim, managing director of Eir Consumer, said that the deal will propel Eir into the content space.

“We are confident the eir brand together with our great value bundles will now appeal to even more households.”

Setanta Sports was launched in Ireland in 2004 and it operates two sports channels in Ireland and has hi-tech production facilities in Dublin’s city centre. It offers a range of exclusive sports content including Live Barclays Premier League Games, every UEFA Champions League game and exclusive Europa League games, and exclusive European Rugby Champions Cup games. BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2, BT Sport Europe and BT Sport ESPN are also available as part of the Setanta Sports Pack in the Republic of Ireland. Setanta’s annual revenues are about € 30 million and it told The Irish Times in March that it had “well over” 100,000 subscribers in Ireland, across various platforms.

The deal will require the approval of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission together with the approval of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources before completion. Those processes will commence with formal notifications in the coming weeks.

Calories to be put on Irish menus in 2016 despite objections

    

The government say they will press ahead with plans to make calorie information compulsory on food menus next year, despite objections from some food businesses and chefs.

Just only 7% of food businesses have volunteered to put calories on their menus. 

The Minister for Health Leo Varadkar believes that putting calories on menus is an important step in tackling Ireland’s obesity epidemic.

Over 60% of the Irish population are currently classed as obese, and recent statistics show that almost a quarter of the total calorie intake of Irish adults is consumed outside of the home.

“Scientific evidence shows that providing calorie posting on menus can be a powerful tool to improve the food choices of a large number of individuals at the same time,” said Minister Varadkar.

A recent independent study revealed that just 7% of food businesses are providing calorie information to their customers on a voluntary basis.

Responding to the findings, Minister Varadkar said the results were “very surprising” and added that they made him “even more determined” to make calorie information mandatory on menus.

“WE KNOW THAT OVER 95% OF CONSUMERS IN IRELAND WANT THE CALORIE COUNT OF MEALS DISPLAYED ON MENUS.”

“It is a proven way of changing consumer behaviour and independent evidence from the USA shows that calorie posting is very effective.

“I appreciate that it can be difficult for some businesses in particular which change their menus on a regular basis but when uptake is that low, it is clear that we need to take further action,” he said.

The Minister said that he has got government approval to draft a Bill to make it compulsory for food outlets to display the calorie content of meals. He hopes to have this passed and enacted in 2016.

The proposed law would require all restaurants, take-aways and food services to display the amount of calories alongside the price in the same font and colour.

However, the idea of compulsory calories on menus has come in for criticism from food businesses and chefs alike.

“I think that food outlets that are catering for someone’s regular dietary needs, like if you’re in an office block and you’re grabbing your daily lunch, that becomes part of your diet and I think there’s a place for them to possibly put in a calorie count so you can keep an eye on it.

“But I think when it comes to special nights out, the last thing you want to do when you come to the likes of our restaurant is be looking at the calories count, saying ‘I was going to have that starter but I’m not going to now because have you seen how many calories are in that? I can’t eat it’.

“They have got all dolled up and they are probably on a date and now they are looking at calories.”

“IF IT’S A FIRST DATE, ONE PERSON DOESN’T WANT THE OTHER PERSON THINKING, ‘OH MY GOD THEY’RE NOT EATING THAT ARE THEY? HAVE YOU SEEN HOW MANY CALORIES ARE IN IT?’”

Kevin believes that the government should take a different approach to tackling obesity.

“I just think that instead of the government putting their time and effort into getting the restaurants to educate the consumer maybe the government should educate kids in primary school from the start, and then we wouldn’t as adults have to try to educate other adults on how to eat,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the Restaurants Association of Ireland say the proposal would cost the average restaurant almost €5,000 to implement, with menus constantly changing.

Scientific talent in Ireland needs to be backed by investment

Global biopharma giant AbbVie (former Abbot’s) is backing two new multimillion projects here

   

Dr Jim Sullivan (above left pic), vice-president of pharmaceutical discovery at AbbVie: “It is important in basic research to have the talent working well together.”

Ireland’s got talent in scientific research, but we need to keep investing it to attract even more. That’s according to Dr Jim Sullivan of global biopharmaceutical company AbbVie, which is embarking on two new collaborations with Irish research groups.

The collaborations with Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute in Dublin and the APC Microbiome Institute in Cork will see AbbVie work with researchers on disease markers and potential new drug targets for conditions such as Crohn’s disease and psoriasis.

“In certain areas of research like immunology and nanoscience, Ireland is right at the top in terms of the quality of research and the quality of researchers,” says Sullivan, who grew up in Meath and who studied to PhD level at Trinity College Dublin. “That is really important, because talent attracts talent.”

But to sustain that quality, it is important to keep up the investment in science, technology and innovation, he says. “Those investments can then have more impact, as one will see even more research opportunities move to Ireland with continued investment.”

Sullivan, who was at the recent Global Irish Economic Forum, is vice-president, of pharmaceutical discovery at AbbVie, a Chicago-headquartered global research-based biopharmaceutical company.

The company, which was formed in 2013 after its separation from Abbott, is focusing on several areas to develop new treatments, including immunology, virology, cancer and neurology and neuroscience, where Sullivan sees conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease as a “looming tsunami” for patients, caregivers and healthcare systems.

Its five sites in Ireland include two manufacturing plants in Sligo and one in Cork.

“Ireland is a very important component of AbbVie’s overall strategy,” says Sullivan. “Those manufacturing facilities play an absolutely critical role in the development of our pipeline as well as our commercial products, and we are continuing to invest substantially in those facilities here in Ireland.”

New collaborations

Sullivan commends Ireland’s investment in building skills to enable the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry and points to the nuances of the field.

“When you think about making complex chemicals at a size and scale that a patient can take in a pill that is a reasonable size, that is complex science [that needs] skills in chemistry and process engineering and scaling up that chemistry,” he says.

The new research collaborations announced last month represent a joint investment of €10 million by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), and they will now link AbbVie into academic centres.

They focus on the biology of the immune system, which has a say in health and disease.

“The immune system plays a very important role in protecting our bodies from infection with viruses and bacteria. However, when the immune system is out of control then instead of protecting us it can start to attack organs and tissues of the body, so the joints, the gut, the skin,” Sullivan says.

“We are looking to come up with much more effective therapeutics and to do that you need to understand diseases like Crohn’s disease and the basic biology much better.”

One collaboration is with the APC Microbiome Institute in Cork, led by Prof Fergus Shanahan, which explores the biology of gut health and the trillions of microbes that call our intestines home. That will get investment to the tune of €7.5 million from SFI together with AbbVie over five years and will support 11 new research positions at the APC.

Effective therapeutics

The other collaboration is with researchers led by Prof Kingston Mills at the TBSI in Trinity and aims to find biomarkers and drug targets for autoimmune and other immune-mediated diseases. That research will get €2.5 million in funding from SFI and AbbVie over the next three years and will support four new research positions.

“There are particular pathways in the immune system that we are interested in understanding better, because we believe that basic biology understanding will lead to more effective therapeutics,” says Sullivan, though he notes that it will take time and involve several steps, including better understanding the disease and moving the findings to clinical testing and then ultimately to the marketplace.

Sullivan is keen on the idea of linking talented researchers around themes.

“It is important in basic research to have the talent working well together,” he says. “So as much as possible where you can bring immunology experts or cancer experts together to collaborate very closely then there is the force multiplier effect of having a really large group of experts and companies which will be very attracted to interacting with those.” What’s new in . . . Biotechnology and medicine What exciting new technologies are bubbling up in the general world of biology and medicine? We asked Dr Jim Sullivan, AbbVie’s vice-president of pharmaceutical discovery, what has caught his attention.

Cell-based therapies “Certainly the emergence of cell-based therapies and the application of cell-based therapies to diseases like cancer in particular has a very significant potential.”

Low-cost gene sequencing “If we look back 15 years the first human genome was sequenced at a cost of over $1 billion. Now we are starting to see the cost of sequencing a human genome approach $1,000, so our ability to contemplate sequencing of entire populations and understand the genetic defects that are contributing to or protecting from various diseases is tremendously exciting, and I think is something that will revolutionise the way we do drug-discovery.”

Gene-editing technologies “When you think about the power of being able to go in and correct molecular defects in genes that we know to be causing diseases, I think that is a tremendously exciting area.”

A camera that sees around corners using scattered laser light could aid rescue teams and motorists

    

Rescue teams and motorists could have the ability to see moving objects around blind corners thanks to an experimental camera.

Scientists at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh have developed a camera that can scatter laser light around corners, and then detect its bounce-back at 20bn frames a second to track its movement like a sonar echo.

Genevieve Gariepy, a PhD researcher in Heriot-Watt University’s extreme light group, said: “The system works by sending light from the camera towards the hidden object or person, and getting it back again.

“A laser sends short pulses of light that last for one hundredth of a trillionth of a second onto the floor in front of the corner of the wall. The light hits the floor, scatters, and travels in every direction, like a growing sphere of light.

“The light then bounces off the object, like an echo, and is sent back to the camera.

“By measuring the time it takes to return to the camera, we know how far away the object is. By recording the shape of the laser ‘echo’, we know what direction it’s coming from. It takes only a second for the camera to record all of this: so if the object is moving, we can follow it.”

Professor Daniele Faccio, from Heriot-Watt University, said: “The ability to detect the 3D shape of static, hidden objects has been demonstrated before, but the long acquisition time required by existing methods meant locating and monitoring the objects was a major challenge.

“We can now track hidden objects in real time and we’re still making discoveries about how the light identifies the objects, and can picture them in considerable detail.

“We’ve already increased the distance from which the camera system will work, which is over several metres. We’re also focusing on how we could attempt 3D reconstruction of the objects captured by the camera.”

Installing the technology in cars would mean that drivers would be notified about moving objects hidden from view, when walls or lorries are obscuring visibility.

The technology also has applications in situations when rescue teams need to assess whether it’s safe to enter a room or building.

News Ireland daily BLOG by Donie

Saturday 21st November 2015

Irish banking inquiry now fears mount its work on verge of collapse

Committee to hold emergency meeting amid concerns draft report flawed by ‘huge gaps’

   

The Irish Banking inquiry has over 1,000 amendments tabled for report described as “fundamentally flawed”.  

Banking inquiry: Over 1,000 amendments tabled for report described as “fundamentally flawed”.

The Oireachtas banking inquiry members are to hold an emergency meeting today amid fears that the work of the committee is on the verge of collapse. The 11 members are deeply unhappy with the draft final report of the inquiry drawn up by its staff and have tabled more than 1,000 amendments.

The TDs and Senators will meet to decide whether the report, which was written by the investigation team working with the committee, can be saved within the allocated time frame. The inquiry has until January 20th to produce a final report. It will collapse if it has not completed its work before a general election is called early next year.

Members have warned the report will still not be satisfactory, even if all the amendments are accepted. They have described it as “not fit for purpose”.

One TD said yesterday: “The meeting is crucial. If we don’t come up with a solution at the meeting there won’t be enough time to fix it, and none of us will sign off on that report as it stands.

“It is fundamentally flawed; it has huge gaps and is not fit for purpose. If we cannot agree a way forward, none of us will sign off on that report and the whole thing collapses.”

The options available to members are limited. They can seek to make a series of amendments to the report or try to write a new one.

Second version

However, the members are reluctant to offer the investigation team the chance to write a second version in view of what they consider to be the weaknesses of the first one.

One proposal to be considered at today’s meeting is simply to publish the transcripts contained in the report and allow the members to write their own recommendations and conclusions.

One member said: “I don’t hold out a huge amount of hope. We don’t want it to collapse. Everyone is working to ensure it doesn’t happen, but it is looking more likely.”

Hundreds more amendments are expected to be tabled. The majority of the members of the inquiry will have to agree to changes before they can be accepted.

When it is agreed, the report will be distributed to anyone referenced in it and each of them will be asked to give their views on its contents. They will have 14 days to respond.

An Election rush

There is some concern among members that the banking committee is being rushed to complete its work ahead of the election.

The report has been split into three modules and runs to 750 pages. It is understood that up to 40 recommendations have been made, including making advice a future minister for finance gives to the cabinet accessible through Freedom of Information legislation.

The Irish Times understands that the report is highly critical of both the financial regulator and the European Central Bank.

The banking inquiry has cost €€4.9 million to date. Of this, €642,856 was spent on salary for inquiry investigators.

Why do we see such massive increases in Irish motor insurance?

This week’s Down to Business panel discusses why we are seeing such massive increases in motor insurance

      

The latest CSO stats have revealed that the cost of motor insurance has surged by just under 27% in the past 12 months.

This is compared to all other forms of insurance at an increase of 6½%.

Why are we seeing such massive increases in motor insurance? Is the trend likely to continue? What does it mean for consumers and businesses?

Those were just some of the topics explored in this week’s Industry Review on Down to Business, which focused on motor insurance.

Vincent Wall was joined by Conor Faughan, Director of Consumer Affairs at AA Ireland; Pádraig Lynch, a Director with Chill Insurance; and Brian Butterly, who is the Sales Manager with First Ireland.

Pádraig started by explaining “essentially what’s happened is, between 2003 and 2013, car insurance premiums have reduced by 47%. There was good stuff happening… [but then] really intense competition came in, and insurance companies focused on market share. Quite clearly they have driven the price down to a level which is not sustaniable”.

He pointed out that in 2014 in car insurance alone, insurance companies lost €175m. They are now attempting to get pricing back to a level where they can receive a return on their capital – which is naturally driving the premium prices upwards.

Brian agreed companies “were focusing on numbers rather than the actual amount of money they were bringing in versus the amount of money they were paying out”.

He added that unfortunately the fluctuating prices for customers are ‘very common’. “Like the housing crisis, prices go down, prices go up. It seems to be very similar in the insurance trade. They all follow a cycle”.

Conor had some very strong words on the subject, suggesting that “collectively the insurance sector has acted foolishly. They did underprice, that is part of what is going on”.

However he added it’s important to understand what the ‘real prices’ of insurance are. He said that ideally it “should just be the cost of compensating victims”, but he suggested that in Ireland “there’s so much waste”.

He highlighted €200m a year in legal fees, which he calls an ‘unnecessary burden’ for punters to pick up. He also observed that “fraud is rampant”.

“Insurance prices may need to go up, because of an element of correction. But we do not need to pay for waste. We do not need to pay for fraud. We do not need to pay for lawyers”, Conor argued.

UCC researchers develop new compound from Bloodhorn tree berries that reduces tumour’s

Plans to test compound to see if it works on patients after successful trials on mice

      

The tests, using molecules derived from berries from the Bloodhorn tree, found that the compound significantly reduced tumour size by up to 70% in experiments conducted on mice.

Dr Florence McCarthy, who leads the team on the project at the Analytical and Biological Facility at UCC, said the next step is to seek funding to see if the compound will kill leukaemia cells in patients.

He explained that the molecule in question is derived from an ellipticine which has been isolated from the berries of the Ochrosia Elliptica tree or Bloodhorn tree which grows inAustralia and Brazil.

The molecule was produced by a member of Dr McCarthy’s research group, Elaine O’Sullivan whose work as part of the group is funded by the Irish Research Council, he added.

Dr McCarthy said his research team partnered with the National Cancer Institute in the US where “the molecule showed promise against leukaemia cancer cells over other cancers.”

The research team then collaborated with Prof Tom Cotter, chair of Biochemistry at UCC, to identify if the molecule could be marketed as a drug and this led to seeing how the drug kills cancer cells.

The group then obtained funding primarily from the Children’s Leukaemia Research Project and the Irish Cancer Society and they set up a study to see how effective it might be in killing cancer cells.

“The fact that Tom ran across campus to deliver the results to me, rather than use the cursory email, indicated the significance of our findings,” said Dr McCarthy.

“Our plan is now see if other drugs can be accessorised in the same way and develop our drug to further improve the cancer killing effect,” he added.

Prof Cotter revealed: “We targeted acute leukaemia, which is a difficult to treat cancer, and to be honest I didn’t expect the experiments to work as well as they did.

“In fact I was so surprised with the results I kept looking at them for ages; I couldn’t really believe what I was seeing,” added Prof Cotter.

According to Dr McCarthy, the group’s research has “taken the natural product and restyled it with unique features to improve the potency and solubility.

“What is truly exceptional is these features are not common in drugs and so we aim to exploit this fully. There is also significant potential to apply this approach to other drugs in a similar fashion.”

Facebook shuts a man’s account after refusing to believe the name used is his real one

But apparently it is. 23-year-old Phuc Dat Bich isn’t one bit happy with the social network’s administrators.

   

A Man with a deeply unfortunate name, from a phonetic English point of view at any rate, has expressed his profound irritation that no-one believes it is in fact his real one.

23-year-old Australian Phuc Dat Bich, who is of Vietnamese descent, posted a photograph of his passport on Facebook after his account was locked down a number of times as administrators felt it was a joke account.

“I find it highly irritating the fact that nobody seems to believe me when I say that my full legal name is how you see it,” Phuc said in the post.

I’ve been accused of using a false and misleading name of which I find very offensive. Is it because I’m Asian? Is it?

Having my fb shut down multiple times and forced to change my name to my “real” name, so just to put it out there. My name.

The post is signed “yours sincerely, Phuc Dat Bich”.

Phuc’s post was initially shared on 28 January of this year, but has only recently gone viral, with 72,000 shares and counting.

In case you’re wondering, the correct Vietnamese pronunciation of the name is ‘Phoo Da Bic’.

You can see how people might be confused though.

Not to worry, Phuc’s Facebook profile picture depicts him sitting in an opened car boot while eating a bag of kettle chips. So he may be a man with the ability to see the lighter side of things.

Graphene can now be produced with significantly cheaper materials,

High Capacity Batteries Coming Soon

      

Graphene has been focused on by researchers as it can do wonders for smartphone batteries and other electronic devices, but it has been too expensive to make.

Now, a more cost-effective manner in manufacturing the material has been found. Researchers from the University of Glasgow has a way to produce more graphene without spending too much.

The traditional process of producing the material is done via “chemical vapour deposition”. It involves combining several gases inside a reaction of chamber.

After the combination, a film of graphene will then be deposited on a substrate surface. The researchers still used the same process, but they utilized the cheaper copper foils for the surface.

Copper foils are not only significantly cheaper, the researchers also found out that they are an excellent medium for the formation of graphene, according to Irish Independent. The cost-effective way could finally pave the road for better batteries.

How cheap are the copper foils used by the researchers? For just more than a half pound per square meter, graphene can be produced. This is the copper used by the university researchers.

In contrast, the copper used in the traditional methods cost about £75. It also needs a special preparation process that also costs more, according to TechRadar. The method and copper used by the researchers does not require additional costs.

Dr Ravinder Dahiya, who led the researchers at the university, said: “Our process produces high-quality graphene at low cost, taking us one step closer to creating affordable new electronic devices with a wide range of applications, from the smart cities of the future to mobile healthcare.”

In addition, Dr Dahiya said that graphene could provide a conductive surface that will benefit not only the electronics industry, but also the world of advanced prosthetics. The field of synthetic skin is the focus of Dr Dahiya’s research.

Aside from being a great conductor, the material was also found to be ultra-flexible. In fact, researchers have also found a way to bend them more using the Japanese paper art technique called Kirigami.

The technique is not the same as the popular Origami. Instead of using folds, several cuts are used to form flexible structures out of the paper. Using the technique, researchers from the Cornell University were able to stretch the material.

To do the technique, the researchers used both magnets and micro-manipulators. Applying the technique to graphene will make it more stretchable, which can be also applied in the synthetic skin research of Dr Dahiya.

Graphene’s thinness makes it an ideal material for prosthetics and wearable tech. It does not easily break when it bends, and it can still conduct electricity. Microelectronics can be utilized along with the flexibility of the material to produce devices and prosthetics that aren’t possible with other materials.

However, the material is being praised most because of its endless potential for electronics applications. The usefulness of the material was demonstrated when researchers from Columbia Engineering managed to make the world’s thinnest light bulb using the material.

The graphene used in the light bulb was able to withstand temperatures of more than 2500 degrees Celsius. Focusing the heat on one spot enabled the light to shine brightly and be visible to the human eye.

With the cheaper way of manufacturing graphene, tech companies may finally be able to make better smartphone batteries. One of the main problems of the handsets is the short battery life.

Graphene can also be used in super fast computing, which could mean significantly faster chips on both mobile and desktop computers. It can also lead to flexible wearables and devices.

News Ireland daily BLOG by Donie

Sunday 26th July 2015

David Drumm to give evidence by video link to Banking Inquiry team

    

Ciaran Lynch said a decision would be made on Tuesday

The Chairman of the Oireachtas banking inquiry Ciaran Lynch said it will decide on Tuesday if it will accept an offer from the former Anglo Irish Bank Chief Executive, David Drumm, to give evidence to the inquiry via video link from the United States.

Mr Lynch said by then the inquiry team will have access to the full legal advice on the matter and will make a decision on that basis.

However, he would not be drawn on the implications for the future of the inquiry if some members withdraw from the session if the inquiry does agree to hear Mr Drumm’s evidence in this way.

Mr Lynch said he was sure the work of the inquiry could be kept “out of the courts” when the full membership meet and discuss the matter with their support team and legal advisers on Tuesday.

He said it was important that the inquiry finish its work and that it has managed to complete two thirds of its work and interview 70 witnesses without encountering any major legal obstacles.

Mr Lynch said at the start of the inquiry he had asked members to leave their club jerseys at the door and he was sure they would do that when the group meets again on Tuesday.

He also said it is critical that the banking inquiry survives the recent controversies about how it is operating.

Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week programme, Mr Lynch said a Senior Counsel has been appointed to look at the internal procedures of the inquiry and it would be inappropriate for him to comment.

He said he would not speculate on what would happen if an inquiry member refused to take part in a particular hearing.

The inquiry has faced a number of challenges to date but it has operated on a collegial basis so far and he expected next weeks meeting to discuss Mr Drumm’s offer of video evidence will be in the same context, he added.

Mr Lynch said the value of the committees work will be reflected in its final report which is due to be published by the end of the year.

Earlier, a number of politicians who are members of the Banking Inquiry said that they will not participate in a proposed session where David Drumm may give evidence by video link.

Fine Gael TD Eoghan Murphy and Fianna Fáil finance spokesman McGrath said if the Banking Inquiry agrees to accept evidence via video link from the former Anglo Irish Bank CEO David Drumm they will not participate in that session.

Mr Murphy said he had made the decision to protect the integrity of the inquiry and said it would be undignified of the Oireachtas to offer Mr Drumm the privilege of giving evidence when he refuses to return to Ireland to co-operate with garda investigations.

He said agreeing to Mr Drumm’s request would be a fundamental mistake.

Mr McGrath said he believed that facilitating someone who had refused to cooperate with Justice authorities would be an affront to democracy and should not be considered.

The Socialist Party TD, Joe Higgins said he would make his final decision on the matter on Tuesday after the committee hears legal advice on the matter.

He said some people were saying that it would be interesting to hear from Mr Drumm but many others felt strongly that allowing him to give evidence in this way might treat ordinary people who had suffered as a result of the banking collapse with great contempt.

New poll shows Ireland wants Leo Varadkar as leader

  

Fine Gael Minister for Health Leo Varadkar.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar is the overwhelming favorite among the public and Fine Gael supporters to be the next leader of the party.

A poll for The Sunday Times shows 34% of people would like to see Varadkar, who came out as a gay in January, take over from Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

“It’s always nice to get positive feedback from the public, but there is no vacancy. Enda is the leader and I have my hands full in health and a lot of work to do,” Varadkar said.

The poll shows independents are up five points to 31%, a record high. Fine Gael were unchanged in the poll with 24%. Fianna Fail were down three points to 18%, Sinn Fein were down two to 17%. Labor was down one point to eight and the Greens were down a point to one %.

Recently-formed political alignments were too new to be included as separate groups in the poll and were counted with the independents.

They included the Social Democrats launched last week with three Independent TDs (members of Parliament) as joint leaders. One of them is Roisin Shortall, a former junior minister who resigned from government in 2012 when she also resigned from the Labor Party.

The other new party is Renua Ireland, whose leader is Lucinda Creighton, who also resigned as a junior minister and from Fine Gael when she voted against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill.

Both the Social Democrats and Renua have said they will run candidates in every constituency in the next general election which will be held within a year.

HSE pays €4.4m every year for mental health treatments in the UK?

   

The HSE is paying €4.4 million a year for mental health treatments in the UK.

The Sunday Times reports that 13 patients have been transferred to the UK for specialist psychiatric treatment.

The patients were moved abroad for periods of between two months and almost 14 years.

Fianna Fail’s spokesperson on Mental Health Colm Keaveney said these cases highlight the lack of investment in specialist care available in Ireland.

“We’ve seen a breach in the Programme for Government – a commitment to ring-fence specialist recruitment and expenditure in community mental health teams,” he said.

“It’s resulted in a staffing crisis on the ground … the HSE are left with no option but to export many of our complex, acute mental health needs.”

Irish study to find best way to quit smoking for ever

   

The Quit.ie programme was launched by the HSE in 2011, resulting in 600,000 “quit attempts” since then

One is a global empire with testimonials from Anjelica Houston, Anthony Hopkins and Richard Branson. These stars claim to be among the millions of smokers around the world who have kicked the habit thanks to the advice of a former 100-a-day smoker who ultimately died of lung cancer.

The other is a programme run by the HSE that uses hard-hitting media ads and an online and telephone support system to encourage smokers to quit for good.

And now, the Tobacco Free Research Institute (TFRI) at the Dublin Institute of Technology is using a controlled sample of 300 smokers as guinea pigs to test the success rates of Allen Carr’s Easyway smoking cessation programme versus the HSE’s Quit.ie initiative.

The 12-month Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT), which is free for participants and funded through the Department of Health’s Lottery Fund, is intended to show which programme – if not both – is the most likely to help smokers quit for good.

The Allen Carr method was founded by the British accountant-turned-anti-smoking crusader who devised his ‘Easyway’ method of smoking cessation after trying unsuccessfully for years to quit his 100-a-day habit.

When he finally did quit after 33 years of smoking at the age of 48, he established his now world-wide chain of clinics and self-help books promoting his concept, which kept him smoke-free until his death from lung cancer at the age 72 in 2006.

The Quit.ie programme was launched by the HSE in 2011, resulting in 600,000 “quit attempts” since then.

Along with online and telephone support – including the National Smoker’s Quit Line manned six days a week – it has run a number of hard-hitting media campaigns, including the stark message that “one in every two smokers will die of a tobacco-related disease.”

The campaigns also include a series of TV ads using the late Gerry Collins, the father-of-three from Greystones, Co Wicklow, who candidly spoke of how his addiction to cigarettes was literally killing him before he died of lung cancer due to smoking in January, 2014.

“Unusually, we have recruited publicly because we want to compare these two treatment modalities,” said TFRI founder and consultant respiratory physician Professor Luke Clancy. “The Allen Carr method is well known all over the world but the efficacy has never been established,” he told the Sunday Independent.

While the number of smokers in Ireland is at its lowest ever level, at approximately 20pc of the adult population, Prof Clancy, who was instrumental in bringing in the 2004 smoking ban, said Ireland still has a way to go if we are to achieve the health department’s goal of being virtually smoke-free, with just 5pc of the population smoking by 2025. “We worried that no matter what we do, we won’t reach this target,” he said. “So we’re looking to see can we improve things.”

Already hundreds of smokers have signed up to the free controlled trial that will take place over the next 12 months in Dublin. After completing an online survey, participants are selected based on various criteria, such as age and number of cigarettes smoked a day.

Those selected can bail out any time after being randomly selected to take part in either the Allen Carr group or Quit.ie group. They will be monitored at one, three, six and 12-month intervals after signing a consent form and being assessed by a nurse who monitors weight and carbon monoxide levels in exhaled breath.

Those who stick it out for the whole year will be rewarded with the chance to enter a draw for a trips to Paris and the Caribbean.

How Lycos almost won the search engine war

 

In 1998, a young developer named Jim Gilliam was hired at Lycos after he impressed management by finding bugs in their site. He took on the task of improving their search results to find a way to beat their biggest competitor, Yahoo.
It was exhilarating to be back in the game again, a 20-year-old college dropout with stock options, working at the center of the internet revolution. But I was overwhelmed. I’d only ever worked on a team with a half-dozen people, and Lycos was a huge company with hundreds of employees. All the developers seemed much smarter and more experienced than I was, and I was struggling to understand all the different proprietary technologies Lycos had created.

As I dug in, I realised that the scope of the problems was immense. I was paralysed. I didn’t know where to start. At the end of my first week I passed Lycos’s VP of development Dave Andre’s office on my way out for the night. No one else was around and he waved me in. He asked how everything was going, so I was honest and told him what I was feeling. With no hesitation, he dropped the most influential piece of advice I’ve ever received. He said, “Jim, you can code. You have all the power. Just go do it.” So I did.

Lycos was a search engine, and like all search engines at the time, it was trying to figure out how to make money. The key was to make our search engine into something that would appeal to advertisers. Like Excite and Yahoo, Lycos paid the browser, Netscape, to send traffic our way, and we were all trying to keep people on our sites longer, because the longer people were on our sites, the more ads they saw. Lycos’s CEO, Bob Davis, was a sales guy, and his strategy was to cut deals with new, venture-funded dot-coms and split the revenue on all the ads that we sold. We would increase our ad inventory, help the startups, and the Lycos logo would be all over the web.

I didn’t really care about all that. I cared about our search results, which seemed to be the one thing that no one was paying attention to. We were a search engine, but our results sucked, mainly because it took between six and nine months to refresh the search catalogue. This meant that even our partner sites didn’t show up in our search results, making the entire sales strategy pointless. If I could fix this, our search would be better and we’d actually sell more ads.

Climate change drove woolly mammoths to extinction, say scientists

Dramatic climate shifts made it difficult for large animals such as the woolly mammoth to survive, new research confirms.

    

The mighty megafauna of the last ice age, including the wooly mammoths, short-faced bears and cave lions, largely went extinct because of rapid climate-warming events, a new study finds.

During the unstable climate of the Late Pleistocene, about 60,000 to 12,000 years ago, abrupt climate spikes, called interstadials, increased temperatures between 7 and 29 degrees Fahrenheit (4 and 16 degrees Celsius) in a matter of decades. Large animals likely found it difficult to survive in these hot conditions, possibly because of the effects it had on their habitats and prey, the researchers said.

Interstadials “are known to have caused dramatic shifts in global rainfall and vegetation patterns,” the study’s first author Alan Cooper, director for the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA at the University of Adelaide in Australia, said in a statement emailed to Live Science.

Temperature drops during the Late Pleistocene showed no association with animal extinctions, Cooper said. Instead, only the hot interstadial periods were associated with the large die-offs that hit populations (local events) and entire species of animals (global events), he said.

Ancient humans also played a role in the megafaunal extinction, albeit a smaller one, he said. By disrupting the animals’ environments, human societies and hunting parties likely made it harder for megafauna to migrate to new areas and to refill areas once populated by animals that had gone extinct, he said.

Extinction analysis

The study is the latest in a long string of research examining what caused megafauna, or animals weighing more than 99 pounds (45 kilograms), to die off during the Late Pleistocene.

George Cuvier, the French paleontologist who first recognized the mammoth and the giant ground sloth, started the speculation in 1796 when he suggested that giant biblical floods were to blame for the animals’ demise. The extinctions also baffled Charles Darwin after he encountered megafaunal remains in South America.

Since then, various studies have placed the bulk of responsibility on ice age humans, temperature swings and aperfect storm of events.

However, advances in examining ancient DNA and ancient climate allowed Cooper and his colleagues to get to the bottom of the issue.

They examined DNA from dozens of megafaunal species that lived during the Late Pleistocene, combing through more than 50,000 years of DNA records for extinction events. The ancient DNA not only told them about global extinction events, but also local population turnovers, which occur when a group of animals dies and another population of animals moves in to replace them. [Wipe Out: History’s Most Mysterious Extinctions]

They then compared the data on megafauna extinction with detailed records of severe climate events, which they gathered from Greenland ice cores and the sedimentary record of the Cariaco Basin off Venezuela.

“By combining these two records, we can place the climate and radiocarbon dating data on the same timescale, thereby allowing us to precisely align the dated fossils against climate,” Cooper said. “The high-resolution view we gained through this approach clearly showed a strong relationship between warming events and megafaunal extinctions.”

The findings also show that extinction events were staggered over time and space, likely because the interstadial warming events had different effects on different regions, Cooper said.

Modern connections

Earth’s climate is much more stable today than it was during the Late Pleistocene, making the world’s current warming trends a “major concern,” the researchers said.

“In many ways, the rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and resulting warming effects are expected to have a similar rate of change to the onset of past interstadials, heralding another major phase of large mammal extinctions,” Cooper said.

In addition, humans have disrupted the habitats and surrounding areas of many wild animals, making it challenging for species to migrate or shift ranges to places where they would be better adapted to deal with climate change, he said.

Other researchers called the new study an important one.

It shows “that the extinction and population turnover of many megafauna was associated with rapid warming periods, rather than the last glacial maximum [when the ice sheets reached their maximum during the last glacial period] or Younger Dryas [a sudden, cold spell that happened when the Earth was starting to warm] as has previously been suggested,” said Eline Lorenzen, an assistant professor of paleogenetics at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

In fact, understanding how the past climate change affected extinction rates may help people be better prepared for future rapid global warming events, she said.

“This study is a bit of a wake-up call,” Lorenzen said. “Here we have empirical evidence — based on data from a lot of species — that rapid climate warming has profoundly impacted megafauna communities, negatively, during the past 50,000 years.

“It doesn’t bode well for the future survival of the world’s megafauna populations,” she said.

News Ireland daily BLOG by Donie

Bertie Ahern said in the banking inquiry today?

‘He did make mistakes’

 

The Fine Gael TD Eoghan Murphy asked if Mr Ahern missed warnings in OECD report.

The former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern says his governments did not squander Celtic Tiger boom.

Bertie gives a good defence of his Taoiseach years in the banking inquiry under tough questioning by Pearse Doherty and others.

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said he made some mistakes during his period in office but said it was a period when Ireland “finally caught up with and then surpassed average EU living standards”.

Mr Ahern, who served as Taoiseach between 1997 and 2008, is giving evidence before the Oireachtas banking inquiry.

He rejected suggestions that his governments “squandered” the Celtic Tiger boom, saying 10 of 11 budgets during his time as Taoiseach recorded surpluses.

He said: “All the time, as Taoiseach, what I wanted to do with budgets was to improve the quality of life for ordinary people and to provide services that our country did not have before.

“Those who say we squandered the boom forget that in my time as Taoiseach we actually recorded budget surpluses in 10 of our 11 budgets.”

He also said he wished the housing bubble had not happen and would, in hindsight, have done things differently.

Mr Ahern said that in 2009, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the housing bubble “caused mainly by cheap credit due to low interest rates, along with rising incomes and a strong demand for housing”.

He said: “There is no doubt that this created a structural weakness in the economy and the international downturn ensured this has turned from a soft landing into a very hard one.

“I wish this didn’t happen and with hindsight, of course, I would have done things differently.

‘I apologise’

“I did make mistakes, I admit that but so does everyone who governs. I know that during my time as Taoiseach, while I did not get everything right, I can honestly put my hand on my heart and say I did try my very best to do the right thing by the Irish people. Of course, I apologise for my mistakes, but I am also pleased that I did get a lot of things right.”

He said the “winds of the greatest international recession since 1929 did batter our country after my departure”.

“But now as that storm abates, it will become increasingly clear that a lot of the progress the Irish people made in the first decade of the 21st century, such as in modernising our infrastructure, investing in our roads, our schools and our hospitals, have not been washed away.”

However, he said the recession “did have a very hard impact on individuals and families, especially those who lost their jobs, and of course that saddened me and I wish the recession did not happen”.

He said: “However, it is disingenuous to suggest that all the gains this country made have been wiped out. Between 1997 and 2008, this country thrived and not only did Ireland enjoy record economic growth, but Irish living standards were raised across the board, and this drove social progress.

“This rising tide was essential in lifting hundreds of thousands of our people out of poverty, to reversing forced emigration, to significantly increasing pensions and child benefit, to modernising schools, health facilities, roads and communications infrastructure around our country, and in creating well paid jobs for our young people at home.

‘Regenerating’

“I am glad that government allocated huge amounts of money in this period into regenerating traditional areas of poverty such as Ballymun, Fatima Mansions in Rialto, and parts of Limerick, Cork, Waterford and other cities. I am glad we put money into the islands, improving the electricity supply, the sewage system, and building new piers.

“Throughout the country, people now drive on better and safer roads. The motorway network that government supported during my tenure has cut journey times and is a vital economic and social artery for our people. People also travel on better trains. Our schools and hospitals have more staff working in better buildings.”

He said his aim with budgets introduced by his governments was to improve the quality of life for ordinary people and to provide services that the country did not have before.

“I want to remind younger members of the Oireachtas that when I first came into this House in 1977 and for right through the 1980s, our national debt was an unsustainable millstone around the neck of taxpayers,” he said. “It was a barrier to national progress as huge sums of revenue had to service interest payments.”

He said: “In 1997, the year I became Taoiseach, 20% of all taxes raised in the State were used to service the national debt. In 2007, my last full year as Taoiseach, that figure stood as low as 4.3%. During my time as Taoiseach, we continued to pay into the national pension fund so that when the downturn came we had €20 billion saved, which provided some protection when the recession came.”

He said there is “zero credibility in suggesting that an open economy like ours could withstand a global recession and the collapse of the global investment banking system”.

“This was not just an Irish experience,” he said. “It was a worldwide recession that affected America, Japan, Britain, China and most of the developed economies in the world.”

He also acknowledged there were “some warnings” about over-reliance on property.

“But it is important to be clear about the record. In October 2004, the IMF alluded to a possible overheating in the housing market even though, subsequently, they themselves and other economic commentators implied there was no bubble,” he said.

Fundamentals

Mr Ahern said he believed the fundamentals of the economy were sound when he handed over to Brian Cowen. However, he also said: “I was quite clear the level of indebtedness and lending to the property sector was growing dangerously.”

He was asked by chairman Ciarán Lynch if he had seen a Department of Finance memo from 2003 warning “the period of exceptional economic growth enjoyed by Ireland is over”.

Mr Ahern said similar warnings had been made from 1999 onwards, adding: “The ups and downs were always there. I went through the current crisis when I was minister for finance, I went through the dot com [crisis].”

His view during his time in office was that public spending was extremely conservative by EU and OECD standards: “I felt we were safe enough, that we were taking a conservative view.”

However, in retrospect he said he “would have battened down the hatches in 1997 and said no to everything”. Such an approach, he said, would have allowed Ireland record huge surpluses and weather the crisis like Germany.

When asked by Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty why parts of his opening statement were word for word copies of extracts from his 2009 autobiography, Mr Ahern said his views had not changed since then.

Mr. Doherty also asked about the relationship between Fianna Fáil and property developers. Mr. Ahern said he mainly dealt with organisations such as the Construction Industry Federation, which he encountered during social partnership negotiations.

He said it was “no secret” Fianna Fáil had a tent at the Galway Races, as well as the Listowel Races, but said these were social events.

“There was no big deal between the connections in the Fianna Fáil tent and the construction industry. It was a social occasion.”

He told Mr Doherty: “You seem to have a bit of an obsession about the Fianna Fáil tent.”

However, he said he wished he had been able to influence some people he met on those occasions.

“I wish I had known the extent of the exposure of some of those people, that they had to the banks. I don’t believe I personally had much interaction with property developers.”

Mr Ahern also said he always tried to maintain a positive message on the Irish economy and said he immediately apologised for a 2007 comment in which he said he didn’t know how people “sitting on the sidelines, cribbing and moaning . . . don’t commit suicide”.

He said he had two friends who took their own lives and apologised immediately.

Opposition proposals

Under questioning from Fine Gael’s Eoghan Murphy, Mr Ahern said he thought public spending in 2007 may have been too high but claimed he would have spent three times as much if he had listened to proposals from the Opposition.

He also said it was “ghastly” that about a quarter of taxation was directly related to residential property.

“The amount of taxation related to property was too high. It was too high, and I accept responsibility as head of government.”

He also said that although he had personal relationships with people such as former European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet, and could have put a “lean” on them during the crisis, he felt he could not have done any better than Mr Cowen as Taoiseach.

“I don’t think Brian Lenihan or Brian Cowen made any mistakes. They did their very best in the circumstances.”

Mr Ahern said he apologised “mainly to all the people who suffered as an end result” of the property crash.

He thought construction activity would decrease but did not anticipate the subsequent crash and believed public spending was sustainable given such forecasts.

Asked about public spending on the back of construction-related tax receipts by Fianna Fáil’s Michael McGrath, Mr. Ahern said: “Was it wise? No, it wasn’t. Was it dangerous? Yes, it was.”

In a reference to lending by banks, he said: “I can’t apologise for issues I have no control over but I do apologise myself that I didn’t know about them.”

His government was influenced by difficulties encountered by young people in buying houses, which he was told about “non-stop and everywhere I went”.

Mr Ahern also said the investigations of the Mahon tribunal did not affect his day-to-day work but he “certainly would have stayed on for another 18 months” had it not been for the tribunal’s work.

He said it was a mistake to abolish property tax when Fianna Fáil took office in 1997.

Mr Ahern also said, as Taoiseach, he never met the financial regulator formally but may have done so at the annual dinner of the Irish Financial Services Centre Clearing House Group.

He told the inquiry financial regulation was “non-existent”, adding: “There was hardly any regulation as far as I can see.”`

Woman battling cancer for 11 years feels ‘worthless’

As government refuses to pay for her drugs

  

A terminally ill woman has said that the state’s refusal to pay for her cancer treatment drug has made her feel “worthless”.

Margaret Reidy, who has been valiantly batting cancer for the past 11 years, said that a drug called T-DM1 is her best chance in her ongoing fight.

“My survival instinct is really strong and this really is my last option,” she said.

Ms Reidy said she is angry that cancer patients who would benefit from T-DM1 are being denied the treatment while the government continue with negotiations with manufacturers.

“It makes being terminally ill more difficult to know that you are approaching the end of the road and there’s something that could help that you aren’t getting the opportunity to try,” she told Newstalk’s Lunchtime.

The T-DM1 drug is designed to seek out and destroy cancerous cells while sparing healthy tissue from unnecessary damage.

As a result, Ms Reidy explained that the patient can experience less hair loss, nausea and diarrhea.

“It’s a very expensive drug. It costs between €65,000 and €85,000 depending on the weight of the patient and the stage that the illness is at,” she said.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar answered a question relating to Ms Reidy’s case yesterday.

“It would be wrong for me as a minister to intervene to change scientific fact that can’t be overturned,” he said.

In response to Mr Varadkar’s comments, Ms Reidy said: “All I asked him to do was to find out why it’s taken so long for this medicine to be introduced.”

Getting emotional, she explained how she copes with cancer in the long term.

“You get your treatment and try to forget about the cancer and live your life,” she said.

“You get as much as you possibly can out of life. I set myself a goal of 5 years at the start.

“Then I was doing well so I said I’ll aim for another three or four years.

“I have my 60th birthday in April next year and I hope to be here for that,” she added.

A spokeswoman for the HSE told Independent.ie today:

“The drug in question is being considered under the national medicines pricing and reimbursement assessment processes.

“As the process is still on-going the HSE cannot discuss potential outcomes at this time.”

Your smartphone can tell if you’re depressed

  

Smartphones can track fitness, sleep and nutrition, and they might be able to detect depression, too. 

A small Northwestern Medicine study tracked the smartphone use and GPS locations of 28 adults, finding that the more time you spend using your phone and the fewer places you visit, the more likely you are to be depressed.

To collect their data, researchers first administered a standardized questionnaire that commonly measures depression symptoms to the participants. They found that half of the study participants did not have any signs of depression, and the other half had symptoms that ranged from mild to severe depression.

Then, the researchers used information collected from the participants’ phone sensors over a two week period to see if depression scores matched the questionnaire. They tracked text messaging, app usage and location throughout the day. They also asked participants, via a daily pop up message, to rate their feelings of sadness on a scale of ten.

When they compared the scores to see how accurately the phone data mirrored the more traditional assessment tool, the researchers found that the sensor data could estimate depression scores with 87 percent accuracy.

What’s more, tracking behavior via these sensors was more accurate at determining depression levels than the single daily question about mood.

The phone sensors showed that people who have a more irregular schedule — like, say, leaving for work at 9 a.m. on one day and at 1 p.m. on another — were more likely to be depressed, according Dr. Sohrob Saeb, the study’s lead author and a research fellow at the Feinberg School of Medicine. Additionally, the GPS tracker linked depression with people who spent most of their time in one location, typically their homes.

Phone use behavior was also revealing: Depressed participants spent an average of 68 minutes on their phones each day, while non-depressed individuals averaged 17 minutes. Previous studies have found a link between excessive cell phone use with depression, stress and sleep issues, though more research is needed to understand the relationship, according to Saeb.

“The theories say that depressed people tend to have this ‘avoidance behavior,'” Saeb told The Huffington Post. “In order to avoid actual situations and real things out there in the world, they distract themselves by using their phone.”

This is not the first time researchers have used smartphones to track mental health. An app developed in 2014 by University of Michigan researchers, for instance, monitored vocal changes during phone conversations to detect mood swings in people with bipolar disorder.

Smartphone monitoring is attractive to clinicians who want more accurate and less invasive ways to monitor their patients. “We now have an objective measure of behavior related to depression. And we’re detecting it passively. Phones can provide data unobtrusively and with no effort on the part of the user,” said senior author David Mohr, director of the Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in a statement.

“We can detect if a person has depressive symptoms and the severity of those symptoms without asking them any questions,” he added.

Glaxo Smith Klyne creating some 50 new jobs in Sligo

  

Global healthcare company GSK is recruiting 50 permanent and temporary staff in Sligo this year, the company has announced.

The roles will vary across a range of disciplines including engineering, quality, technical, logistics, finance and project management.

Half of whom have already been hired, with the remaining 25 to be recruited before the end of the year.

This recruitment drive will increase the total headcount at the site to 250 by the end of the year.

GSK Sligo manufactures a wide range of quality skin healthcare products including Physiogel, Oilatum and Driclor for over 70 markets globally.

Announcing the jobs, Kevin Wright site director of GSK Sligo, said: “It is fantastic to be celebrating our 40th year in Sligo with such positive news on the jobs front.

“It is thanks to the dedicated staff here in Sligo that the business is growing.

“We believe in recruiting and investing in top quality people and offer competitive packages to ensure that we can achieve this.”

NASA releases a closeup image of Pluto’s large moon Charon

   

Closeup image of an area on Pluto’s largest moon Charon. (NASA-JHUAPL-SwRI)

NASA has released a closeup image of Pluto’s largest moon Charon, the latest picture from the New Horizons spacecraft’s historic flyby of the dwarf planet this week.

The image reveals what NASA describes as a “captivating feature” of Charon – a depression on the moon’s surface with a peak in the middle. Few craters are visible in the image, which shows an area of about 240 miles from top to bottom.

In its statement, NASA said that the image was taken at approximately 6:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, when New Horizons was about 49,000 miles from Pluto’s surface, an hour-and-a-half before its closest approach to the dwarf plant.

The agency described the depression as Charon’s ‘Mountain in a Moat’ in a tweet on Thursday, noting that the image is a preview of future closeups.

NASA will hold a briefing Friday to unveil new images of Pluto and discuss new science findings from the flyby.

The agency released the first of New Horizons’ eagerly-anticipated flyby images Wednesday. These included the first closeup of Pluto, which showed a range of mountains rising as high as 11,000 feet above the dwarf planet’s icy surface.

A stunning Charon image was also released, clearly showing a swath of cliffs and troughs stretching about 600 miles across the moon’s surface.

Imaging obtained by New Horizons and transmitted to Earth early Wednesday morning also shed light on Pluto’s outermost moon Hydra. Since its discovery in 2005, Hydra has been known only as a fuzzy dot of uncertain shape, size, and reflectivity, according to NASA, although New Horizons’ Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) reveals the moon’s irregularly shaped body.

The spacecraft’s flyby took it within 7,750 miles of Pluto’s surface Tuesday, roughly the distance between New York and Mumbai.

Confirmation of the successful flyby came late Tuesday, when New Horizons contacted scientists back on Earth, 3 billion miles from Pluto.

Pluto has fascinated astronomers since 1930, when it was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh using the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz. Some of Tombaugh’s ashes are aboard New Horizons.

New Horizons is the first-ever space mission to explore a world so far away from Earth, according to NASA.

News Ireland daily BLOG by Donie

Wednesday 18th February 2015

Ireland ‘ignored EC advice’ to stop economy overheating

 

Marco Buti and Dónal Donovan speak at Banking Inquiry. Dónal Donovan, the former Deputy Director at the IMF, appears before the Oireachtas Banking Inquiry.

Ireland ignored advice from the European Commission to take measures to prevent the economy overheating prior to the banking collapse, according to the commission’s director general for economic and financial affairs.

Marco Buti said the commission issued a critical opinion on the 2001-2003 stability programme highlighting Ireland’s failing to contain its public expenditure.

He said the commission also recommended that the Government be asked to take countervailing measures on February 12th, 2001.

“As some of you may remember, the recommendation was not very well received in Ireland; it was not implemented,” Mr Buti told the Oireachtas Banking Inquiry.

“Also many in the economic profession derided the Commission accusing us of focussing more on decimals rather than acknowledging the strength of the Irish economy,” he added.

Ireland’s economy started to “overheat” in the early 2000s but Europe did not have the authority to enforce responsible budgetary policies at the time, Mr Buti said.

“At the time we had a very limited set of tools within the stability and growth pact,” he said. “We called on the Irish authorities to behave responsibly but we did not have the authority [to enforce this].”

He said he agreed with those who concluded that the domestic financial supervisor did not acknowledge and address the risks associated with the credit and housing boom.

Mr Buti said economic growth became increasingly reliant on construction in the 2000s. Interest rates had declined and access to credit increased with Ireland’s entry into the EMU, which helped trigger a boom in investment and commercial property.

“House price inflation surged in Ireland. It rose by more than four-fold between 1993 and 2007, amongst the highest of any advanced economies,” Mr Buti said. “The supply of housing also rose sharply, but eventually beyond the needs of the population. The idea that house prices would increase forever turned into a recurrent and dangerous motive,” he added.

He said expansionary budgets negatively affected the Irish economy. Revenues became overly reliant on the property market but a shrinking tax base due to tax cuts left the budget exposed to the downturn in the property market.

He said “we saw the risks related to the housing market and we signalled that in a number of documents”. He said the commission used the tools at its disposal at the time to “ring the bell” but he added that this set of tools was “incomplete”.

Later the committe heard that the International Monetary Fund’s surveillance programme failed in Ireland during the years 2000 to 2007.

Former deputy director of the IMF Dónal Donovan said although the organisation noted some vulnerabilities in Ireland during the time leading up to the banking collapse, its assessments “gave no inkling” that a financial disaster was in the making.

He said the IMF got it more badly wrong in Ireland than he had seen in any other country. “I cannot recall in my experience a situation where the rosy picture turned so negatively in such a short period of time.”

Mr Donovan told the Oireachtas Banking Inquiry assessment of Ireland’s and other countries’ economies during this time were “overly positive”.

He said the IMF did believe house prices were “somewhat overvalued” during the construction boom but added that IMF staff and Irish officials implicitly “agreed to differ” over this question.

Enterprise Ireland-backed firms to create 1,500 new jobs

New report states

 

State body supported 81 early stage businesses last year.

A total of 43 new female-led start-ups were supported by Enterprise Ireland last year, the highest number ever

As many as 1,500 new jobs are expected to be created over the next three years by start-up companies backed by Enterprise Ireland, according to a new report from the State agency.

Enterprise Ireland said it supported 102 so-called High Potential Start-Up (HPSU) companies last year. A high-potential start-up is defined as a company that is export oriented, focused on technological innovation and likely to achieve growth of at least €1million per annum over a three-year period, and led by an experienced team.

The majority of the firms to be backed by Enterprise Ireland were in areas such as software and services, cleantech, engineering, medical devices and pharmaceuticals.

The State body said it also backed 81 new early stage businesses under its Competitive Start Fund, which provides seed funding for start-ups.

A total of 43 new female-led start-ups were supported by Enterprise Ireland last year, the highest number ever. The number of female-led firms to receive funding more than doubled 16 in 2012 to 41 in 2013 on the back of a number of women-specific initiatives. Additional programmes launched last year included the development of a dedicated female accelerator programme and the launch of Enterprise Ireland’s first peer-to-peer online networking platform for female-led companies.

Sixteen of the firms to receive funding last year were spun out of third-level institutions, compared to ten in 2013.

Twelve new food and drinks start-ups received backing last year, the highest number ever.

In addition, 14 new start-ups established by entrepreneurs from overseas, involving a range of sectors and with founders who have moved to Ireland to establish their businesses from Singapore, India, Switzerland and Germany.

Elderly Donegal woman faces 250km journey for cancer treatment

  

An 89-year old cancer patient has been forced to find her own way to travel 250km to receive cancer treatment.

The elderly woman, from North Donegal, contacted a local charity which operates a volunteer bus service transporting cancer patients the four-hour journey to Galway or Dublin.

Donegal has no specialist cancer care services, leaving people diagnosed with cancer to travel significant distances for radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

The woman, who do not want her name published, sought help from Eamonn McDevitt, and runs the cancer bus service entirely on donations.

“We have a saying in our charity that, if you’re diagnosed with cancer in Donegal, you’ve two options: you can travel, or you can die,” Mr McDevitt said.

“The lady contacted us to say she has to go to Galway for treatment.

“Believe it or not, the husband is still driving, and while he’s not able to drive to Galway, he said he would be able to drive (20 miles) to Letterkenny to meet up with the bus.

“They don’t have a family, it’s just themselves.”

Mr McDevitt criticised the Irish Cancer Society which, he said, had never provided funding for the charity bus service because, he said: “They don’t (fund) buses”.

“We’re very disappointed with the Irish Cancer Society,” said Mr McDevitt.

“They come to Donegal every year and they do what’s called a ‘Relay for Life’.

“It’s a fundraiser and they announced before Christmas that they picked up €820,000 here in Donegal alone.

“We’ve have talked to them in the hope they might give us something, and each time they have come straight out and tell us they ‘don’t do buses’.”

As part of a detailed statement the Irish Cancer Society said: “In 2015, we will fund a number of…local cancer groups with over €500,000 of direct financial support for their services.

“What these groups have in common is that they are affiliated to the Irish Cancer Society’s network of cancer groups and have signed up to a shared code of practice for good governance.

“This gives us confidence that we can stand over any funds we redistribute to support our vision of a future without cancer.”

“We invited (Mr McDevitt’s charity) to become part of this network and they have chosen not to engage.

“They are aware that this is the first step to take when seeking funds from the Society. It remains open to (them) to join the affiliated network of cancer support groups and seek funding through this mechanism.”

The Irish Cancer Society said it would “not compromise” on its policy of providing funds to affiliated local cancer services.

One third of DNA-tested pork ‘not sourced in Ireland’

Is very misleading 

  

The Irish Farmers’ Association has created a pig DNA database through which pork products can be traced back to the individual animal

Almost a third of pork meat products tested in an Irish Farmers’ Association survey were not of Irish origin, even though they were sold as Irish produce.

The IFA carries out DNA testing on pork as part of its “DNA-certified pig meat traceability programme”.

A total of 91 retail pork products were subjected to DNA tests in December and 26 of those checked (29%) were not assigned to the Irish boar database.

The IFA said the “misleading of consumers remains a serious issue”.

Its national pigs and pig meat committee chairman, Pat O’Flaherty, said the Republic of Ireland was the “first country in the world” to introduce a nationwide DNA traceability programme for pork.

‘Informed choice’

He said boar stud farms on both sides of the Irish border had signed up to the Republic’s DNA database.

“We can test any pig meat and tell if the daddy was Irish or not,” Mr O’Flaherty said.

The County Kildare-based pig farmer has worked in the industry for 15 years and believes consumers should be given an “informed choice” when buying food, as production standards vary greatly from country to country.

He said the IFA introduced its DNA-certified pig meat traceability programme about two years ago “to stop the blatant misleading of consumers”.

Mr O’Flaherty said food suppliers had a wider responsibility to be honest and transparent with consumers on how and where their food is produced

Its most recent set of tests were carried out at shops in Wexford, Galway, Cork and Cavan.

In every store surveyed, an IFA representative posed as a shopper and asked the salesperson to confirm if the pork products on display were Irish goods.

“Not one butcher admitted that the products were imported,” Mr O’Flaherty said.

“We are horrified that fresh pork is being imported into this country. This is a new development and one which the consumer would never expect”.

‘Labelling fraud’

The IFA has a vested interest in promoting Irish farmers’ goods above all others, but Mr O’Flaherty said there is a wider responsibility to be honest and transparent with consumers on how and where their food is produced.

He said there was nothing to stop imported food from being labelled as “produced in Ireland” even if it was only processed or packaged in the Republic, which he felt was misleading to customers who want to buy Irish goods.

He said most Irish consumers knew little or nothing about food production regulations in some of the countries they were unwittingly buying meat from.

Mr O’Flaherty also complained about the lack of prosecutions for food labelling fraud in the Republic of Ireland and said rules must be tightened to promote greater consumer confidence in the food chain.

The BBC asked the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) about the latest pig meat survey results but a spokeswoman said her organisation had no involvement in the IFA’s testing process and could not comment on the findings.

‘Horsemeat scandal’

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin has called on the European Union to introduced mandatory ‘country of origin’ labelling for processed meats.

The party’s Dublin MEP, Lynn Boylan, was among a group that brought forward a resolution to the EU Parliament last week, calling on the European Commission to propose new food labelling legislation.

“We should not wait for another scandal on the scale of the horsemeat scandal before we act on this issue. Consistent studies have shown that the vast majority of consumers want this labelling,” Ms Boylan said.

Penguins are not able to taste fish,

Says a new study

  

Penguins may love devouring fish, but it turns out they might not be able to taste them.

While analyzing the genetic data of five penguins, each of a different species, researchers at the University of Michigan discovered that all the birds were missing three of the five basic taste genes. “Based on genetic data, penguins are believed to have sour and salty tastes, but have lost sweet, umami, and bitter tastes,” researcher Jianzhi Zhang told the BBC, adding that the birds likely lost these taste genes when they evolved millions of years ago.

Zhang said that penguins may be unique in this deficiency. He told the HuffPost that “no other bird is known to have lost three tastes. As far as we know, most birds have both umami and bitter taste receptor genes.” Most, however, cannot taste sweetness.

Without this ability to taste umami, or a savory, meaty flavor, it’s possible that penguins — who are also believed to lack taste buds on their tongues — are unable to taste the seafood that makes up their diet.

“Penguins eat fish, so you would guess that they need the umami receptor genes, but for some reason they don’t have them,” Zhang said in a news release. “These findings are surprising and puzzling, and we do not have a good explanation for them. But we have a few ideas.”

The researchers speculate that the cold environments in which penguins evolved may have played a role in their changing tastes, as the taste receptors for sweet, umami and bitter are said to function poorly in cold temperatures.

Still, though it might strike some as odd that a carnivorous animal can’t taste meat — or perhaps anything at all, given penguins’ reduction in taste function both at an anatomical and sensory level — researchers say that a lack of taste is likely not such a big deal for the birds: penguins swallow their food without chewing.

“Their behavior of swallowing food whole, and their tongue structure and function, suggest that penguins need no taste perception,” said Zhang, “although it is unclear whether these traits are a cause or a consequence of their major taste loss.”

News Ireland daily BLOG by Donie

Wednesday 9th July 2014

The Members of Ireland’s banking inquiry advisory group now announced

 

Group of public and private sector banking specialists will assist our Oireachtas Committe.

The Advisory Group will assist the Oireachtas committee in its proposal for the banking inquiry.

UCD economist Colm McCarthy, comptroller and auditor general Seamus McCarthy, and US economist Megan Greene are three of the nine members of the ad-hoc advisory group announced today to assist in the impending banking inquiry.

The group, which will work on a pro-bono basis, will assist the Oireachtas Banking Inquiry committee in preparing a detailed proposal for the banking inquiry for submission to the CPPs of both Houses by September 17th 2014.

The other members of the group are: Pat Casey, principal officer (Department of Finance);Paul Gorecki, adjunct professor of economics, Trinity College Dublin (Research Affiliate ESRI); Cathal Guiomard, economist, former Aviation Commissioner for Ireland; Conor McCabe, research fellow, UCD School of Social Justice; Rafique Mottiar, consultant economist (Central Bank); and John Shaw, assistant secretary (Department of the Taoiseach).

Committee chairman Ciarán Lynch said that the group had its first meeting yesterday when members were briefed on the work of the committee and the legal and procedural framework for the inquiry. There was also a preliminary discussion on the potential scope of the inquiry.

The group will meet again on Friday July 11th, Friday July 18th and Tuesday July 22nd and an interim report will be given to the committee at its meeting on Wednesday July 23rd.

The Committee also examined potential costs and administrative and logistical issues in relation to the inquiry.

Deputy Lynch said: “A key issue for members is that expenditure related to the inquiry should be kept to a minimum and that the operation of the inquiry should at all times be cost effective, efficient and reasonable and the Committee will keep estimates of costs under continued review.”

Too few people testing  for radon in Irish homes

  

Some 181 homes with high levels of the cancer-causing gas, radon, have been detected in Ireland in the past eight months, including four homes which had levels that were 10-22 times over the acceptable limit, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) has said.

Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas present in all rocks and soils, is classified as a class A carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. When it surfaces in the open air, it is quickly diluted to harmless concentrations. However, when it enters an enclosed space, such as a house, it can sometimes build up to high concentrations, leading to an ‘unacceptable health risk’.

After smoking, long-term exposure to radon gas in the home is the greatest single cause of lung cancer in Ireland. The gas is linked to around 250 cancer deaths here every year.

According to the RPII, four homes were found to have very high radon levels of between 10 and 22 times the acceptable limit. Two of these houses were in Galway, one in Sligo and one in Wexford.

“The families living in these homes would have received a radiation dose equivalent to up to 15 chest x-rays every day,” the RPII noted.

Altogether, almost 1,200 homeowners had their homes tested for radon over the last eight months, however Dr Ann McGarry, chief executive of the RPII, believes this figure is ‘very low’.

“Our research indicates that there are over 91,000 Irish homes with high levels of radon and, so far, only about 8,000 of these have been identified. Many families are unnecessarily being exposed to high levels of radon in their home and they just don’t know it. All people have to do is take this simple test to see if their home contains radon and if so it’s easily fixed,” she said.

  In addition to the four homes with particularly high radon levels, a further 25 homes were found to have radon levels that were up to 10 times above acceptable limits. These were located in Galway (8), Wexford (5), Kerry (4), Mayo (2), Sligo (2), Waterford (2), Tipperary (1) and Dublin (1).

Meanwhile Dr McGarry also pointed out that just one in four homeowners who did test and discover a high reading, ‘have taken action to reduce the high level of radon present’.

“That means three-quarters of homeowners are living with the knowledge that they are putting their family at risk when the problem can easily be fixed,” she said.

In order to test for radon, a detector should be placed in a bedroom and a second detector should be placed in a living room for a three-month period. These detectors are available from the RPII and a number of private companies. They are sent and returned by post for analysis. Nobody needs to come to your home.

The cost of a measurement by the RPII is around €50.

If a moderate radon level is found, improving your home’s indoor ventilation may cut this by up to half. The cost of this is low. If higher levels are found, installation of a fan assisted sump is the most common method of remediation. This can reduce radon levels by over 90%.

The sump can be installed in one day by a contractor, with little disruption to the home. The typical cost of this work is around €850, with annual running costs of around €100 depending on the size of fan installed.

An interactive map is available on the RPII website here to allow you to see if you are in a high radon area. Alternatively, more information is available on 1800 300 600.

Aer Lingus moves operations to Terminal 2 in Heathrow London

 

Passengers to enjoy shorter walking distances and quicker transfer times

Aer Lingus currently operates 48 flights in and out of Heathrow Airport.

Passengers travelling to London Heathrow with Aer Linguswill enjoy shorter walking distances and quicker transfer times after the airline moves to Terminal 2 today.

All 48 Aer Lingus flights per day to and from Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Belfast City airports will now operate out of the new €3 billion terminal, known as the Queen’s Terminal, which opened last month.

The “gate to kerb” time will be 50 per cent less than before, while transfers to other flights will be “seamless”, the airline said.

New flight connections will also be made possible through the same terminal with a number of partner airlines, including United Airlines and Air Canada.

Transport links will be easier too. The Heathrow Express is accessible from beside the arrivals hall, with Paddington Station a 15-minute ride away.

The new Aer Lingus check-in desk is located inside the main departures area in Zone C. The airline is the third-largest operator at Heathrow, and is one of 26 making the move to Terminal 2.

The terminal has 52 shops and 17 bars and restaurants. A new Aer Lingus lounge for business class and Gold Circle customers is 50 per cent larger than the original, with showers, meeting rooms and a quiet area.

How to manage ewes successfully post weaning time in Ireland

 

Appropriate ewe management post-weaning is critical to ensure a successful drying off and ensuring that the ewes will be back in optimum body condition before the next mating season.

Teagasc advises farmers to dry the ewes off by restricting intake for a week to 10 days. It says a bare field is ideal for this job. If the ewes are being housed, then pay particular attention to bedding/hygiene to avoid mastitis. Once the drying off procedure has been carried out, the ewes should be condition scored and divided into groups based on their condition scores. Every farm should have a minimum of two groups of dry ewes.

The first group, which will be the ewes that are in a body condition score of less than 3.5, should receive preferential treatment so that they put on weight.

The second group will be the fatter ewes that are in body condition score of 3.5 and over and these should be managed to maintain or even lose a small bit of weight until the flushing period in the last two to three weeks prior to mating.

Teagasc advise that ewes that do not respond to additional feed in terms of putting on additional liveweight should be culled.

Grassland management

June and July are the most challenging months in terms of keeping grass leafy and highly digestible, according to Teagasc.

It says lamb performance will be maximised where lambs are allowed to preferentially graze paddocks with a grass height of between 6cm and 8cm. Once lambs are moved out of swards, it is essential that they are grazed out fully to maintain grass quality into August/September.

Because the lambs will be moved out at around 6cm, Teagasc advise that it is necessary to get other stock to graze out the sward fully (down to 4cm). Weaned ewes are ideal to clean out these swards. If there is no stock on the farm that can do this job, then the sward will need to be mowed/ topped down to 4-5cm.

Ginger haired people face extinction due to sunshine, scientists now say

  

Gingers could be facing extinction as the red hair gene – thought to be a response to cloudy weather in Ireland and Scotland – is predicted to die out with climate change.

A gene mutation that yields red hair and pale skin which is more sensitive to light leaves DNA in skill cells more prone to sun damage and cancer, and if predictions of rising temperatures are correct evolution might cause it to regress.

Dr Alistair Moffat, managing director of Galashiels-based ScotlandsDNA, said: “We think red hair in Scotland, Ireland and in the North of England is adaption to the climate.

“I think the reason for light skin and red hair is that we do not get enough sun and we have to get all the Vitamin D we can.

“If the climate is changing and it is to become more cloudy or less cloudy then this will affect the gene.

“If it was to get less cloudy and there was more sun, then yes, there would be fewer people carrying the gene.

Only 1-2% of the world’s population have red hair, though in Ireland about 10% are ginger, but it is reported that a staggering 46% are carriers of the red-head variants.

In Scotland 13% of the population are ginger and 40% are thought to carry the gene.

Another scientist, who did not wish to be named due to the theoretical nature of the work, told ScotlandNow: “I think the regressive gene is slowly dying out.

“Climate change could see a decline in the number of people with red hair in Scotland.

“It would take many hundreds of years for this to happen.

“Red hair and blue eyes are not adapted to a warm climate.

“It is just a theory but the recessive gene may likely be lost. The recessive gene could be in danger.”

News Ireland daily BLOG by Donie

Thursday/Friday 12 & 13th June 2014

Irish Government giving politics a bad name

by insisting on majority on banking inquiry

  

Alex White says: Government giving politics ‘bad name’ by insisting on majority on banking inquiry.

Junior Health Minister Alex White has said the political row over a Government majority on the banking inquiry is “giving politics a bad name”.

Mr White’s comments follows Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s decision to insist on holding a Coalition majority on the highly anticipated inquiry before its terms of reference are decided.

However, Mr White, who is running for leadership of the Labour Party, said it was “not critical” for the Government to hold a majority.

“I think this is frankly the kind of behaviour that gives politics a bad a name,” he added.

“I think the critical thing about a banking inquiry is that it gets under way.

I don’t think it’s critical that there is a Government majority on the banking inquiry.

What’s most important is that it gets up and running and we get answer and the public gets answer to questions that have been around now for quite a few years.”

The Dail was suspended on Tuesday when Mr Kenny told Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin that the inquiry’s terms of reference could not be drawn up until the Government held a majority on the committee

The Government was due to hold a majority but a mix-up in voting arrangements in the Seanad meant it failed to hold the balance of power.

Mr White said he believed the current cross-party committee will work together in a “proper way” and an “ethical way”.

“I would have every confidence that members of the Dail and the Senate and opposition will come together in the spirit of achieving what we need to see done, which is get answers to these questions.”

“I think they will work well together and the public would expect them to do that,” he added

Despite suggesting Mr Kenny fired former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan, Mr White said he saw no reason why he could not remain in Government with the Fine Gael leader should he become Tanaiste.

He said there must be “equality” in the Coalition Government and there should never be a circumstance when the Tanaiste is are not informed when important decisions are being made.”

Earlier today, a senator said the Government’s changes to the banking inquiry would make “Hitler ashamed”.

Senators have also complained about being treated like “muppets” after the Government decided to add two members to the banking inquiry.

The move to add two Coalition Senators is to ensure the Government has a majority on the committee.

The Government is taking the step after a procedural mess up by the Coalition resulted in the opposition had a majority on the committee.

Fianna Fail Senator Ned O’Sullivan compared the Government’s actions on the banking inquiry to a dictatorship.

“Hitler would have been ashamed of it,” he said.

“The worst day in democracy since the Blueshirts,” he added.

His party colleague, Senator Labhras O Murchu said the changes had “a whiff of Communist Russia”.

The measure has been described as turning the the banking inquiry into a “kangaroo court”.

Fianna Fáil Senator Paschal Mooney the Coalition was telling the Seanad “be good little muppets and do what the Government want you to do”.

The proposal will increase the number of members on the baking inquiry from nine to eleven.

Fine Gael Senator Michael D’Arcy and Labour Party Senator Susan O’Keeffe will be added to the membership when a motion is put to the Seanad later this morning.

Labour Senator Ivana Bacik said the committee selecting the members was “ambushed”.

The Coalition initially proposed the inquiry team would be made up of five government representatives and four from the opposition side.

However, the issue was subject to a heated row last week after Fianna Fail’s Marc MacSharry was appointed to the inquiry team because the Government’s preferred candidate, Ms O’Keeffe, and some of her colleagues failed to turn up for the vote.

Fine Gael senator Maurice Cummins objected to Mr MacSharry’s membership, claiming that he suffered from a conflict of interest. He later withdrew the remark.

The Government is now adamant that it must have a majority and will increase the number of members from nine to 11.

Speaking in the Dail on Tuesday, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the banking inquiry would not have a proper mandate unless it consisted of a majority of government members.

“Obviously there was a voting procedure that took place last week. But in order for terms of reference to be adopted and for a mandate to be given, the Government need to have a majority,” Mr Kenny said.

In a statement last night, the Seanad’s Committee on Procedures and Privileges indicated that it would not overturn the selection of Mr MacSharry, a Sligo-based senator.

It said that such a move could not be taken because the Inquiry Committee is not up and running.

“Once the terms of reference resolution is passed by the House setting out the subject matter of the proposed Inquiry, and the Committee tasked with carrying out the Inquiry is named, the CPP will have a clear role in the determination of whether a perception of bias arises in relation to an individual member,” the Oireachtas committee said.

Gerry Adams urges Minister for Health James Reilly to make statement to Dáil

 

Minister for Health James Reilly: said last month that a HSE review found the procurement of services from the consultancy was not in accordance with financial regulations.

Sinn Féin has called on the Government to publish the findings of a HSE review into how a private consultancy, part-owned by the chairman of a regional hospital group, was awarded a contract to review maternity services in the area. Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams also called on Minister for Health James Reilly to make a statement to the Dáil.

Noel Daly, chairman of the West-NorthWest Hospital Group, resigned late on Wednesday, saying he did not want his personal and professional reputation or the reputation of the group to be compromised in any way.

Last month, a review by the HSE audit unit found that the appointment of D&F Health Partnership to review local maternity services in the west and northwest breached HSE financial regulations. Mr Daly had stepped back from involvement in the consultancy but still held a 50 per cent stake.

Bill Maher, chief executive of the hospital group, said he learned of Mr Daly’s decision to resign “with deep regret”. “On behalf of the group, I wish to take this opportunity to thank Noel for his unstinting hard work and support over the past two years.”

In a statement, Mr Daly said he took on the voluntary role of chairman two years ago and had been happy to serve in furthering significant improvements in the health services. “The board and the executive are doing wonderful work with the support of the HSE and the Minister and his department and I wish them continued success in their endeavours.”

Both Mr Daly and Mr Maher declined to make any further comment.

As reported in The Irish Times in April, the report by D&F Health Partnership recommended major cuts to maternity services in the west and northwest.

A spokesman for Dr Reilly yesterday referred to the Minister’s comments in the Seanad last month, when he said that a review by the HSE found the procurement of services from the consultancy was not in accordance with financial regulations. He said HSE director general Tony O’Brien had written to the hospital group outlining his concerns and seeking to ensure the recommendations in the review were implemented.

The Irish national Men’s Health Week hits it 20th anniversary 

  

Men can avoid illnesses like diabetes and heart disease by eating right, regular exercise, and getting plenty of sleep.

This is National Men’s Health Week, an awareness campaign to encourage men to take simple steps to improve their health.

By practically any measure, women are healthier than men. Dr. Luis Diez-Morales, medical director of the Curtis D. Robinson Men’s Health Institute at St. Francis Hospital, said there are many reasons why.

“We do not like to go and see the doctor,” he said. “We don’t like to have colonoscopies. We don’t like to have a prostate exam. We do not exercise enough; we do not eat healthy; we have a diet that is very high in fat and carbohydrates. We also do not sleep enough.”

These poor health habits can be deadly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on average men die five years earlier than women, often from preventable diseases, like diabetes, heart disease and prostate cancer.

National Men’s Health Week was established by Congress 20 years ago to encourage men to adopt a healthier lifestyle, and prevent these illnesses.

St. Francis Hospital’s Curtis D. Robinson Men’s Health Institute is celebrating Men’s Health Week by offering free prostate screenings for uninsured and underinsured men in Hartford through the month of June.

Chairman of HSE West Noel Daly resigns as hospital group chief

  

Health Minister James Reilly is under pressure to make an emergency Dáil statement on the sudden resignation of the chairman of the West North-West Hospital Board.

Noel Daly (above picture) stood down from the post after being accused of a conflict of interest by Sinn Féin.

Mr Daly said he quit because he did not want his personal or professional reputation to be compromised by the row.

Sinn Féin attacked Mr Daly because he is a shareholder in a private healthcare firm that conducted a survey of maternity services for the hospital group, which the party claims reflected a privatisation ethos.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams said serious questions remained about Dr Reilly’s appointment of Mr Daly to the role.

“Mr Daly had no option other than resignation considering what has emerged about his conflict of interests, which breached HSE financial regulations,” said Mr Adams after raising the matters several times in the Dáil.

“This man should never have been appointed to this position.

“I want to know if the Government will immediately publish the findings of the review by the HSE into how D&F Health partnership was awarded a contract to examine maternity services in the Hospital Group’s remit.

“Mr Daly is a well-known promoter of health privatisation and was appointed as chair of this Hospital Group by James Reilly.”

Mr Adams, who is a TD for Louth, added: “Minister Reilly needs to explain how such an appointment was made considering the glaring conflict of interests involved.”

Census comparison shows differences between Republic and NI

 

Significant gaps in terms of average age, population density and household size

A comparison of the results of the 2011 censuses in the Republic and Northern Ireland shows clear differences between life in the two near neighbours.

The report by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), published today, highlights clear gaps between the two jurisdictions when it comes to age, gender, marital status, population density and household size.

The population of the island was 6.4 million at the time of the two censuses, carried out within weeks of each other in 2011, with the Republic accounting for 72% (4.6 million) of the total and Northern Ireland 28% (1.8 million).

The report points out that, since 2002, the population in the Republic increased at about two and a half times the rate of Northern Ireland, at 17% and 6.9% respectively.

Across the island, the highest rates of population growth were seen in Fingal (79%), Meath (75%) and Kildare (71%) over the last 20 years with Belfast (-4.1%) and Cork city (-6.3%) the only areas to experience a decline.

The population density for the island as a whole stood at 78% per km2, an increase of 25% since 1991. The population density in Northern Ireland stood at 134 persons per km2; exactly double that of the Republic at 67 per km2.

Strong population growth in the Republic saw population density increase by 30% between 1991 and 2011. The Northern Ireland rate went up 13% in that period.

There are more women than men in both jurisdictions (3.24 million to 3.16 million across the island) with Northern Ireland recording 961 men for every 1,000 women and the Republic reporting 981 men for every 1,000 women.

The median age, the point at which half of the population is younger and half is older, was 34 in the Republic, the lowest of any EU member state. The median age in Northern Ireland, while higher at 37, was also comfortably lower than the EU average of 41.

“The highest median age can be seen in eastern areas of Northern Ireland, in particular in Ards, Castlereagh, Larne and North Down at 41. The lowest median age of 31 was found in Galway City,” the report states.

Children aged up to 12 years accounted for 19 per cent of the population of Ireland, compared to 17% in Northern Ireland, which the report says reflected higher birth rates in Ireland in recent years. Over 65s accounted for 15% of Northern Ireland’s population, compared with 12% of that in the Republic.

Berthe’s mouse Lemurs threatened with world extinction

  

More than 90% of lemurs are being threatened with extinction, the latest global assessment of at-risk species has shown.

They are among the 22,103 species assessed by experts as being in the three ‘at-risk’ categories of critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable to extinction in the IUCN Red List.

The latest update showed that 94% of lemur species in Madagascar – the only place they are found – were threatened with extinction, making them one of the most endangered species of animals on Earth.

Of the African island nation’s 101 remaining lemur species, more than one fifth (22) were critically endangered, include the largest living lemur, the large-bodied Indri.

Almost half, 48 species, were endangered, including the world’s smallest primate, Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur, and 20 were vulnerable to extinction.

Lemurs were threatened by destruction of tropical forest habitat, with illegal logging on the increase in the face of political uncertainty and rising poverty in Madagascar, and from being hunted for food.

Dr Chistoph Schwitzer, on the IUCN’s primate specialist group and director of Conservation at Bristol Zoological Society, said: “Despite profound threats to lemurs, which have been exacerbated by the political crisis in Madagascar, we believe there is still hope.

“Past successes demonstrate that collaboration between local communities, non-governmental organisations and researchers can protect imperilled primate species,” he said, calling for concerted efforts to ensure lemurs survived.

Dr Thomas Lacher, of Texas A&M University, said the high threat level to lemurs required significant action.

He said they served a critical role in threatened ecosystems in Madagascar.

“They also represent an important source of tourism revenue for the country, and as a result are a clear case where conservation can provide local economic benefits,” he said.

Lemurs are just one of the many species on the new endangered list. Almost four-fifths of slipper orchids (pictured above), which are found in North America, Europe and temperate regions of Asia, are also at risk of dying out, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of threatened species has revealed.

The new assessment found that the Japanese eel, a traditional delicacy and the country’s most expensive food fish, is endangered, while the Brazilian three-banded armadillo (pictured below) – the mascot for this year’s World Cup – remains vulnerable to extinction.

A global assessment of temperate slipper orchids found that 79% of the popular ornamental plants, which have characteristic slipper-shaped flowers that trap insects to ensure pollination, were threatened with extinction.

Their plight was the result of destruction of their habitat and over-collection of wild species for trade, even though international trade is regulated.

The freckled cypripedium, which has fewer than 100 individuals left in south-eastern Yunnan in China and the Ha Giang province of Vietnam, was endangered due to over-collection and deforestation.

The Dickinson’s cypripedium which has only scattered populations in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras, was also endangered as its open forest habitat was being cleared for agriculture, the assessment found.

Hassan Rankou, on the IUCN’s orchid specialist group, which is based at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, said: “What was most surprising about this assessment was the degree of threat to these orchids.

“Slipper orchids are popular in the multimillion-dollar horticultural industry.

“Although the industry is sustained by cultivated stock, conservation of wild species is vital for its future.”

Elsewhere, the banana orchid, the national flower of the Cayman Islands, had been assessed for the first time and listed as endangered, due to loss of its habitat for housing and tourism developments.

All eight species of African violets, found in the Eastern Arc mountains of East Africa, were assessed and all but one were at risk of extinction, with three critically endangered.

The Japanese eel was listed as endangered due to its loss of habitat, overfishing, barriers to migration, pollution and changes to oceanic currents.

The Red List update also included a re-assessment of the Brazilian three-banded armadillo, which was believed to have declined by more than a third over the last 10-15 years due to loss of half its shrubland habitat and remained listed as vulnerable to extinction.

But there was good news for Israel’s Yarkon bream, a fish species whose status went from extinct in the wild to vulnerable as a result of a captive breeding programme and release of 9,000 fish into restored habitat in the country’s rivers.

More than 73,000 species were assessed by conservationists for the IUCN Red List, which is marking its 50th anniversary this year.

The latest update listed 4,554 species as critically endangered, 6,807 species as endangered and 10,742 species as vulnerable to extinction.

News Ireland daily BLOG by Donie

Tuesday 21st January 2014

Long-awaited Irish banking inquiry to get under way

 

Announcement about nature and scope of committee to be made within two weeks

A new Oireachtas committee will be established in the next two weeks to preside over the long-awaited banking inquiry.

Government chief whip Paul Kehoe tonight met the whips of the Opposition parties to present them with a proposed set of standing orders for the new committee.

These standing orders will be discussed by the Committee on Procedure and Privileges tomorrow evening.

An announcement about the nature and scope of the committee will be made within two weeks.

It is understood one of the key elements of the standing orders will be a requirement that no member of the committee should have made any public comments about the banking crisis that could be regarded as biased.

This requirement will mean that many prominent political figures who have made trenchant speeches about the banking crisis will not be eligible to serve.

Government sources said no decision had been made as to whether the new committee will be composed of TDs and Senators or whether it will be restricted to TDs.

However, the indications are that the Government favours the establishment of a small committee composed of around six TDs to handle the complex issues involved in the banking inquiry.

The sub-committee of the public accounts committee that inquired into the Dirt tax scandal in 1999, chaired by the late Jim Mitchell, has been widely cited as a template for the banking inquiry.

The then attorney general David Byrne pointed out that an essential element of the Dirt committee’s success was that it operated to a strict set of parameters laid down by his office, which prohibited findings relating to the responsibility of individuals.

That committee concluded its business in 26 days and issued a comprehensive report within a few months.

Irish house prices now rising at a faster rate than most EU states

 

Eurostat figures indicate property prices here rose by 4.1% in third quarter of last year

According to the latest Eurostat figures, house prices here rose by 4.1 per cent in the third quarter of last year compared with the previous quarter.

Irish house prices are now rising at a faster rate than in nearly every other European Union country.

According to the latest Eurostat figures, house prices here rose by 4.1 per cent in the third quarter of last year compared with the previous quarter.

This was the second-highest rate of acceleration recorded across the EU, eclipsed only by Estonia where prices jumped by 5.3 per cent.

Compared with the second quarter of 2013, house prices rose by 0.6 per cent in the euro area and by 0.7 per cent in EU in a sign that economic recovery was slowly gathering pace.

On an annual basis, house prices fell by 1.3 per cent in the euro zone and by 0.5 per cent in the EU in the third quarter compared with the same quarter of 2012.

The quarterly gain was the strongest since a 1.1 per cent increase in the second quarter of 2011, while the annual drop was the smallest since the fourth quarter of 2011.

Among the EU member states for which data are available, the highest annual increases in house prices in the third quarter of 2013 were recorded in Estonia (+11.1 per cent),Luxembourg (+6.5 per cent) and Latvia (+6.2 per cent), with the largest falls in Croatia (-16.9 per cent), Cyprus(-8.0 per cent) and Spain (-6.4 per cent).

The highest quarterly increases in the third quarter of 2013 were recorded in Estonia (+5.3 per cent), Ireland (+4.1 per cent), and the United Kingdom (+2.5 per cent), with the largest declines recorded in Slovenia (-4.0 per cent),Denmark (-3.3 per cent) and Romania (-2.4 per cent).

Only five of the 17 euro area countries – Italy, Cyprus,Malta, Slovenia and Finland – saw house prices fall between July and September last year, according to the data.

Meanwhile, mortgage lenders in the UK reported that last month was their strongest December since 2007.

Some £17 billion worth of mortgages were advanced to customers last month, up 49 per cent on the same month a year ago when £11.4 billion worth of loans were issued, according to a report from the UK’s Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).

It was also the highest total for a December month since 2007, the CML added.

Woman’s car swept off road by ‘avalanche of slurry’

 

Estimated 50,000 gallons of slurry flows onto road after tank on a hilltop farm ruptures

How slurry has traditionally been spread on fields. In Co Limerick last night a slurry tank burst and an estimated 50,000 gallons of material flowed over a road.

A woman is recovering after her car was swept off a road by an avalanche of slurry in Co Limerick last night after a tank on a hill ruptured.

The Doon to Cappamore Road in east Limerick remains closed after the spillage of an estimated 50,000 gallons of slurry onto the road.

It is expected the route will re-open later today.

The surge was so powerful that a Ford Fiesta carrying a woman was washed off the road and into a field at around 9.45pm .

The female driver was taken from the car by a local man who responded to her screams .

The woman, who is from Cappamore, did not sustain any injuries but is said to suffering from shock.

A hearse and another car narrowly escaped the spillage which came from a slurry pit on a hilltop farm.

A number of houses nearby were damaged by the spillage and will have to be cleaned and the cost of the incident is expected to be several thousand euros.

A source at the scene said: “It must have been like an avalanche. The slurry smashed through the slurry tank wall and it ran down a hill about 50 yards from the road. There was a woman driving a car and she was swept across the road with the force if it. There was a hearse and another car in front of her and they got through it.”

Members of the Limerick City and County CouncilEnvironment Department have attended the scene to assess the cost of the clean up and the damage to the local environment.

A Council spokesperson said engineers have inspected the slurry tank.

“Engineers from the council have discussed the matter with the farmer. They have expressed concern about the condition of the tank. It is believed the tank is fifty to sixty years old,” the spokesperson said.

“The road embankment was removed by the slurry flow. The Council is currently building it back up. There is some structural damage to the road boundary, it is being rebuilt by staff from the (Council’s) Roads Department,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added: “The council is confident it will be able to contain the slurry spill and minimise any environmental impact”.

He said because the material had flowed onto a flat area without any rivers or streams the council did not anticipate any issues with local water supplies.

Pharmacists want to spare Irish patients a visit to their GP?

  

Pharmacists in Ireland should be allowed provide a greater range of services to spare many patients an expensive visit to the GP.

The call was made at a conference in Dublin today which was told that pharmacists in Canada and Scotland are already being given an expanded role.

Already the  introduction of the flu vaccination service and loosening of restrictions on the way women can access the morning after pill have shown that pharmacists here can prove an accessible, convenient and cost-effective,” said Rory O’ Donnell, President of the Irish Pharmacy Union which organised the conference.

But overall Ireland has been “laggard “in unleashing the power of pharmacists in the provision of health services.

“Internationally the argument for expanding the role of pharmacists is settled and the question now is only on what more services they can do,” he said.

Research in the UK “suggests that greater use of pharmacists there could reduce the number of visits to GPs by 51 million a year.

“The same approach in Ireland could make a significant impact on reducing pressures on GPs and A&E visits.”

There are over 20 million visits to GPs in Ireland each year. The bulk of these will require a GP but a significant percentage doesn’t and could be dealt with by a pharmacist.”

Advantages of using pharmacists would:

•     Improve access to professional healthcare;

•     Reduce overall Exchequer spending on healthcare;

•     Ease some of the existing burden on GP services and free up crucial resources; and

•     Improve health outcomes for patients and the public.

He said:“There is clear evidence internationally to show that these additional pharmacy-based services have led to considerable improvements in patients’ health outcomes and considerable savings to healthcare budgets.

“The focus of the system must be towards the creation of a patient-centred health service delivered at the lowest level of complexity.”

Pat Rabbitte defends new Irish postcode system

  

The Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte has defended his decision to choose a new form of postcode for Ireland.

A private firm is being given a 10-year contract to roll out a postcode system in Ireland, with the process beginning this year.

At an Oireachtas committee Minister Rabbitte was criticised over the decision not to use a free system for assigning codes to every property.

Mr Rabbitte said the only difficulty with the process will be the need to update existing Government systems.

He said: “Ours will be a unique system.

“The reason that it will take 12 months to be brought into play is that other systems with which it is doing business and interacting will have to be brought into line.

“Databases will have to be brought into line and Government departments for example,and so on.”

Overcrowding in our hospitals cannot not be tolerated

 

Letter to Hiqa highlights staffing issues, overcrowding and unsafe work conditions

The HSE said work is “well under way” to implement all of the recommendations in the Tallaght report in hospitals.

Frontline doctors have warned that emergency departments (EDs) in hospitals across the country are “unequivocally dangerous” to patients due to severe overcrowding.In a letter addressed to the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa), which was also sent to the directorate of the HSE, the doctors highlight issues with staffing coupled with increasing numbers of patients and an ageing population.

“ED overcrowding should not be tolerated,” wrote Dr Aileen McCabe, president of the Irish Emergency Medicine Trainees Association (IEMTA). “We believe that current ED conditions are unequivocally dangerous for patients and staff and there is substantial medical evidence that overcrowding leads to higher mortality and poorer patient outcomes.”

In the letter, which was sent on January 9th, Dr McCabe says doctors around the country “whole-heartedly” welcomed the Hiqa Tallaght Hospital Investigation Report published in May 2012. “We felt that your report signalled clearly and unambiguously to hospital management and the healthcare commissioners that these unsafe systems of healthcare provision would no longer be accepted.”

She said doctors working in Tallaght at the time of the report saw “immediate improvements in conditions and quality of care for ED patients”. However, she argues that the HSE has not issued directives to hospital managers and is relying on a “recommended compliance”.

In response, Hiqa said it would have “serious concerns” if the recommendations from its Tallaght investigation report had not been implemented in full, in particular those relating to emergency departments. “We will be in contact with the HSE seeking assurance on the issues raised by the IEMTA.”

The HSE said work is “well under way” to implement all of the recommendations in the Tallaght report in hospitals.

Meanwhile, all “non-urgent” surgery continued to be deferred at University Hospital Galway (UHG) for a sixth day today due to a “significant” increase in demand at its emergency department.

UHG was overall top of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) trolley and ward watch table today, with 27 people on trolleys in corridors and 17 people on trolleys or chairs in wards or “inappropriate settings”, according to the union.

This compares to 20 on trolleys in corridors and 17 in inappropriate ward settings today in Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, Dublin, and 30 on corridor trolleys and three in inappropriate ward settings in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, Co Louth.

Deep-space Rosetta a comet hunter wakes up from hibernation & gets back to work

 

Rosetta, a dormant billion-dollar comet-chasing spacecraft, arose from its deep-space slumber and sent a message back to Earth, but not before an unanticipated 18-minute delay in waking up.

Scientists waited with bated breath to hear back from Rosetta, the slumbering billion-dollar comet-chasing spacecraft.

“But an unanticipated 18-minute delay made everybody nervous, as you can imagine” Stephen Fuselier, co-investigator of one of the instruments on Rosetta, told the Monitor.

Rosetta did eventually wake up, though.

The spacecraft, which was made to fall asleep in mid-2011 after it cruised far from the Sun and out toward the orbit of Jupiter, sent out the first signal that was received by both NASA’s Goldstone and Canberra ground stations, according to a press release by the European Space Agency.

Rosetta was launched in 2004 and is chasing comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.

Currently, the spacecraft is within about 400 million miles of the Sun, which means that Rosetta will continue to get enough solar energy.

“We have our comet-chaser back,” said Alvaro Giménez, ESA’s Director of Science and Robotic Exploration.

The successful wake-up mission was announced to the world via the @ESA_Rosetta twitter account, which tweeted: “Hello, world!”

“This was one alarm clock not to hit snooze on, and after a tense day we are absolutely delighted to have our spacecraft awake and back online,” said Fred Jansen, ESA’s Rosetta mission manager.

In a press release, NASA announced that it will also be participating in the European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission, which aims to observe “one such space-bound icy dirt ball from up close — for months on end.”

“We are going to be in the cometary catbird seat on this one,” said Claudia Alexander, project scientist for U.S. Rosetta from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.  “To have an extended presence in the neighborhood of a comet as it goes through so many changes should change our perspective on what it is to be a comet.”

The scientists are now trying to increase the data rate so that they can study the comet in detail, says Dr. Fuselier. They are looking at the data for the entire time period during which Rosetta was asleep, he adds.

“All other comet missions have been flybys, capturing fleeting moments in the life of these icy treasure chests,” says Matt Taylor, ESA’s Rosetta project scientist. “With Rosetta, we will track the evolution of a comet on a daily basis and for over a year, giving us a unique insight into a comet’s behaviour and ultimately helping us to decipher their role in the formation of the Solar System.”

The spacecraft woke up after 957 days of hibernation.

In November, Rosetta will release a lander – another spacecraft within the larger spacecraft – whose shock absorbers will touch down on the surface of the comet.

News Ireland daily BLOG by Donie

Saturday 11th January 2014

Bank documents now missing ahead of Banking inquiry,

  

Material relates to communication between Bank of Ireland governor and a tax adviser

Sinn Féin has said “key” documents relating to the bank guarantee have gone missing from the Department of Finance in the build-up to a banking inquiry.

Party finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty TD said he became aware of the absence of the records following a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

The material in question relates to two letters from 2009 between the Bank of Ireland governor and a named tax adviser which had been copied to late minister for finance Brian Lenihan.

Their exact significance was not clear last night.

However Mr Doherty said: “These are some of the only documents between the governor of the Bank of Ireland and the minister for finance during a period when the government decided to pump €3.5 billion of taxpayers’ money into that bank.

“I have now been informed that these letters have gone missing from the Department of Finance.”

Mr Doherty also said the development lent further weight to previous comments made in the Dáil by Taoiseach Enda Kenny with regard to documents having gone missing. “He said they have either been shredded disposed or dispatched of,” Mr Doherty said.

“This new revelation compounds that criticism. Once again, key documents in relation to the bank guarantee cannot be found after Fianna Fáil have left office.

‘Sensitive documents’
“The only reason we know that these documents are missing is because two separate FoIs were made on the same document over a four-year period. The question has to be asked about what other sensitive documents have gone missing. The reality is that we may never know. If the upcoming banking inquiry is to be successful, it is important that all relevant documents are found or returned.”

In a statement to RTE last night, the Department of Finance said it had conducted a widespread search for the documents and it was not clear why they could not be located.

A €126m plan for Galway harbour should create some 800 jobs  

But Europe must give green light

 

A computer-generated image above left of the Galway harbour plan, which would give a boost to trade and tourism in the West.

A major €126m redevelopment of Galway Harbour, which would open up trade and tourism routes to the West, will create up to 800 new jobs, according to developers.

The planning application for the venture, which is the first in the country to use the ‘IROPI’ route, must be green-lighted by Europe because it is being built into a designated European habitat.

The IROPI clause in contained in the EU Habitats Directive and states that projects which may have a negative environmental impact may still proceed for reasons of ‘Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest’.

Eamon Bradshaw, CEO of Galway Harbour Company, said they were confident the project would be given the green light because it had been open about the impact it will have.

“We are putting up our hands and saying at the very beginning yes we will have an impact on the habitat and we’re acknowledging that. And that’s what is different from other planning applications,” he said.

Mr Bradshaw said the group had liaised closely with European Commissionofficials on the plans and also brought people from Hull Port, which has previously gone through the process, to Galway to examine the site.

If the plans are green-lighted the Galway Harbour Company must put forward a compensatory habitat. A number of alternative sites and separate compensatory measures are now being looked at.

The plans for a 27-hectare extension include a 216-berth marina, a 12-metre deep commercial quay, deep sea berthing suitable for cruise liners and a nautical centre.

A cruise and coach terminal will also be included.

If given the green light, the expansion project will be carried out in four stages, with construction on the first stage due to begin next year at a cost of €52m.

The planning application will go live on January 20, with a final decision expected in around six months.

Working mothers are the real heroes of this world says Kate Winslet

 

Working mothers are “real heroes”, the actress Kate Winslet has said, as she discloses she spurns outside help with her children because it would make her unhappy.

Winslet, who has recently had her third child, said she chooses not to have “lots of people who do the cooking, the driving, all that jazz”.

She told Glamour magazine she would not want her children “raised that way”, as she praises mothers who work full time as “heroes”.

Winslet, who recently played single mother Adele in film Labor Day, said the character had a lot of strength to be able to function despite her sadness.

She told the magazine the role had showed her that women from all walks of life are able to “just pull it together because you have to”.

“Mothers who work full time – they’re the real heroes,” she said.

When asked about her life, which she described as “little” when away from the cameras, she added she “trundles along”, having friends over and making dinner.

“It’s weird because the two worlds are so different: from fishmongers to tea to film sets. But that’s the case for any actress who’s a mother.

“Sure, I could have lots of people who do the cooking, the driving, all that jazz – but I would be unhappy.

“I wouldn’t want my children raised that way.”

Console Charity says 600 Irish people in UK at risk of suicide

An Irish suicide charity’s helpline in Britain last month received 600 calls from Irish immigrants who it deemed to be of “immediate risk” of taking their own lives.

Of the further 1,600 calls that Console’s newly formed London centre received last month, 1,100 were from people deemed to be at “low or moderate risk” of suicide and 500 from family members still in Ireland who were concerned about the welfare of their loved one living in Britain.

Paul Kelly, who founded Console here 11 years ago, said the majority of those deemed to be of immediate risk of taking their own lives and who contacted the Westminster centre from across Britain, were young adults aged 18 to their early 30s, particularly young men.

Mr Kelly said a number of factors had lead to the people reaching such a low ebb. He said many had travelled to Britain full of hope for a future where they could secure work and build a new life.

However, he said many, particularly from rural backgrounds, had found themselves unprepared for numerous factors including a lack of work there and the high cost of accommodation. That had led some to suffer from mental health problems such as depression but they did not know where to turn for help.

“They said things like they felt disconnected, suffering from loneliness and isolation. That led some to enter into a state of despair. They felt they had let themselves and their families down,” he said.

Mr Kelly also made reference to the large number of calls which came from Ireland to the Westminster centre from family members of people living in Britain.

He said many were from mothers and girlfriends of people about their sons and boyfriends who were struggling but who had great difficulty in expressing what they were going through.

As is the case in Ireland, the people receiving the calls in the year-old Westminster centre are trained mental health professionals.

Mr Kelly said there was a good news story to come out of the Irish charity’s operation in Britain as, in only the last 12 months, it has even managed to attract the attention of the NHS which has sought its advice on training programmes for those dealing with suicide and bereavement.

Meanwhile, St Patrick’s Mental Health Support Service says it had 2,510 calls for support in 2013 — 29% more than in 2012. Email contacts rose 46% to 1,450.

Its figures for 2013 showed a significant rise in calls relating to depression: 572 in 2013 compared to 382 in 2012. It also said the number of female callers (1,846) almost tripled that of their male counterparts (664) in 2013.

Tom Maher, director of Clinical Services at St Patrick’s said: “It’s encouraging to see the substantial increase in mental health queries to the St Patrick’s Support Service during 2013. It’s a sign that we are getting better at talking about our mental health”

* St Patrick’s Mental Health Support Service: 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday with an answering and call-back facility outside hours. 01 249 3333, or email info@stpatsmail.com

* Console: 1800 201 890

Cork student develops software that adds to what search engines do

 

Caelen’s code modifies what the engine is doing to deliver an enhanced service

15-year-old Caelen Feller developed software that looks to improve search engines

We all use search engines when surfing the internet, but few of us know what these engines do. Caelen Feller knows, and also knows how to improve them.

The 15-year-old transition-year student from Coláiste Choilm, Cork, developed software that adds to what search engines do, and he presented his research at RDS.

It took him a month and a half to produce the software code to achieve it but his code convinced 158 people that they had an improved experience with better searches.

“I investigated ways to improve web searches with a focus on news,” Caelen said.

He wanted to be able to tailor the browsing experience for the user with changes that would give more power to the user.

The primary search engine remains functioning behind, but Caelen’s code modifies what the engine is doing to deliver an enhanced service.

Rory Flynn, a 17-year-old fifth year from Newbridge College, Kildare, also wanted to improve a service for users.

“Data compression is used every day on websites to speed up movement of pages,” he says.

It is based on using mathematical algorithms to crunch down the data to speed up transmission and then un-crunching it when it arrives on screen.

Most of the algorithms used today were written in the 1980s and 1990s however, and Rory wanted to develop a new one.

While he achieved his aim, he found his compression algorithm did not perform as well as competitor systems.

It achieved less compression and was slower, but it is “lossless” and can reconstitute data without loss of quality or clarity, he says.

Penguins climbing the walls as Antarctic ice becomes too thin

 

Emperor penguins endure forced marches, awkward mating rituals, blistering cold and the possibility that all these indignities will be exposed by David Attenborough.

Yet life for at least some of these birds has become even harder. Satellite and aerial reconnaissance by the British Antarctic Survey shows that four colonies of emperors have been forced to forgo the usual sea-ice breeding grounds and repair to firmer ice shelves that jut from the continent.

The shift, apparently caused by a lack of sea ice in warmer promontories of Antarctica, appears to be forcing thousands of birds to surmount walls of ice up to 30m high. The scientists are not clear on how they manage this.

They speculate that a colony of birds spotted near the edge of an ice shelf on Barrier Bay may have ascended through a gully a few kilometres from their breeding ground.

A colony of breeding birds on the Shackleton Ice Shelf also appeared to have made the uphill journey via a shallower route along ice creeks, although it was not clear how they managed to get down afterwards.

“On the way out, they negotiate a large ice cliff,” the scientists write in the journal PLOS ONE. “The drop may be considerable, although there is evidence of large snow drifts abutting the cliff … How the emperor penguins get down the ice cliff is … unclear.”

Peter Fretwell, a geographer at the British Antarctic Survey, said it was possible they were sliding down the cliff, their fall cushioned by the drifts. “We usually imagine emperor penguins to be quite clumsy,” he said. “We don’t think they can climb up the shelves.”

The birds’ predicament – and potential agility – carried uncanny echoes of the 2011 animated film Happy Feet Two, a work of fiction not hitherto thought to contain particularly accurate observations on the lives of emperor penguins.

Dr Fretwell said he had not seen the movie, and thus could not comment on whether it would now be regarded as prophetic in the annals of Antarctic research.

The study concludes that in at least two cases, colonies of emperors may be choosing to forsake the sea ice in years when it becomes too thin – adaptive behaviour that could stand them in good stead if the Antarctic begins to warm, as predicted by scientists. “The Arctic has warmed, the Antarctic hasn’t yet,” Dr Fretwell said.

Emperor penguins were akin to the canary in the coalmine of Antarctic warming – the disappearance of sea ice was expected to endanger the species. If the birds were able to climb on to ice shelves, they might have a stronger chance of surviving in greater numbers.

“It’s not going to be a silver bullet for the emperor penguins,” said Dr Fretwell. “Ice shelves are more exposed in winter, they are farther from their feeding grounds. There are disadvantages as well.”

He said that none of the sites had been visited, not even by Sir David – although a plane had flown over two of them to take more photographs of the habitat.

Dr Fretwell and his three co-authors are uncertain how long the four colonies have been breeding on these loftier spots, formed by the ice of glaciers flowing off the continent. “It is unclear at present whether this behaviour of breeding on ice shelves is a new phenomenon associated with recent climate change or one that has always existed but has not yet been documented,News Irland daily BLOG