Tag Archives: Mid-West

Sinn Féin MEP Liadh Ní Riada has called on all political parties, community groups, businesses and statutory bodies in Clare to work together to help negate the effects of Brexit on the county. The Ireland South MEP was speaking at the launch of her latest discussion document on Brexit in the Temple Gate Hotel in Ennis. The Mid-West and Brexit: The Potential Impacts of Britain’s Departure from the EU on Clare, ​​Limerick and North Tipperary examines the specific challenges that Brexit will pose for the region and lays out proposals for how they can best be tackled. “One of the main dangers of Brexit is that it can seem so vast and like such a major international issue that people tend to forget it will have a very real impact on their lives and their communities,” she said. “What I am am seeking to do with this document is remind people that Brexit is a local issue as well as …

THE incidence of tuberculosis in the Mid-West fell from 26 to eight over a 12-month period, it has been confirmed There were 26 cases of tuberculosis in the Mid-West in 2016, despite a decline in overall rates over the last five decades. Dr Rose Fitzgerald explained how there are variations in the number of cases every year and noted this year the numbers had fallen to just eight cases. “We have been having about 15 or 16 cases of TB annually; we had more last year and less this year. TB takes a long time to develop, so you can get variations from year to year. “We are seeing drug-resistance for treating TB, which is a real problem. Sometimes people will get TB that is resistant to one drug, which can be easily enough managed. “Sometimes you can get TB that is resistant to a number of drugs and you can get one that is extremely drug resistant, which is …

The Government must protect jobs in the Mid-West from the worst impacts of Brexit, Ennis Councillor Johnny Flynn has stressed. “The UK withdrawal from Europe places Irish jobs at risk; we have already seen due to the fall in value of sterling that there is a significant drop in tourists from UK. With tourism responsible for one of seven jobs in Clare I am concerned of the impact that that any plans to increase the VAT rate from 9% on tourism spend might have in Ennis and Clare.” Clare and Ennis was very badly affected by the economic collapse in 2008 with huge increase in people signing on due to job losses. By 2012 there were 10,493 people unemployed in Clare, that figure is now 6075. The number of people signing on the Live Register in Ennis district alone has dropped by 2028 from 5859 to 3389 since 2012, Mr Flynn has learned.This news comes as the CSO revealed the …

A better quality of life, career opportunities, shorter commutes, less traffic, and lower property prices and living costs are the main reasons why highly-skilled professionals say they have made the move to the Mid-West. The Mid-West Relocation Survey, launched in Limerick this morning, reveals that the Mid-West is fast becoming a destination of choice for top talent. The survey was carried out by National Recruitment & HR Services Group Collins McNicholas, in conjunction with Limerick Chamber. More than 93% of those surveyed said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their relocation. Almost three-quarters (72%) say they now have a better balance between their working and home lives. Some 70% now have a quicker commute to work since relocating to the Mid-West – with nine out of ten people having a commute that is less than 40 minutes.Some 61% now have a commute of less than 20 minutes. Interestingly while 45% of those who moved back were originally from the …

CAE Parc Aviation is to expand its workforce in Shannon and Dublin by a total of 80. The jobs will include recruitment consultants to service the needs of airlines for pilots and aviation engineers in the global aircraft leasing industry. Minister for Employment and Small Business Pat Breen described the news as “a vote of confidence in the economy of Clare and the Mid-West”. “I would like to congratulate CAE Parc Aviation on its success to date and its foresight in seeing the potential of Shannon Airport. “As the global aviation industry continues to grow, Shannon Airport is well placed to take every advantage of the opportunities presented by such growth,” he said. Over the next 20 years, the aviation industry will need to supply more than one million new aviation personnel. The total civil aerospace expenditure is estimated to be worth $5.6 trillion by 2032 and the world’s airlines will need 38,000 new planes to cater for this demand …

The Mid-West’s reputation as a leading technology hub will be enhanced by the inclusion of UL’s Lero research centre in a €245m funding plan up to 2020, according to Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan. The fund, which is backed by €155m in government investment and €90m from industry sources, is focused on five world class research centres in Limerick, Galway and Dublin. “I am delighted that Lero will benefit from this funding. The investment will ensure that Lero can continue its cutting edge research in software development. This is good news for UL and good news for Limerick. Our growing reputation as a technology hub will be enhanced as Lero goes from strength to strength. “I would like to acknowledge the role that staff at the Lero centre have played in securing this major investment. Professor Mike Hinchey and his colleagues at Lero have created a co-ordinated, ambitious programme of research that involves other third level institutions and …

ENTERPRISE Ireland figures for 2013 show that the Mid-West was the agency’s worst performing region and client companies delivered a net gain of just one additional job in the Banner County. While much has been made of Ireland’s prospering export sector, the figures show the benefits are not being seen in Clare to the extent they are in some other parts of the country. County Councillor James Breen has reacted by claiming Clare is becoming a “poor relation” in terms of jobs and that the county’s Oireachtas members are not delivering. Enterprise Ireland is the government organisation responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets. It published its annual report and accounts on Thursday of last week, which showed 2013 results as the best performance in over a decade in terms of net job creation. The report showed a net increase in full-time employment of 3,620 across its six regions. While each one showed some level …

SEVERAL TDs who attended the Mid-West meeting of general practitioners in Limerick last night said that they would not sign the proposed new contract, which has been offered to GPs,  if they were in practice themselves. This was outlined in statement isssued by the National Association of General Practitioners on Tuesday evening. Limerick TD Willie O’Dea said that nobody could contemplate signing a contract, which contained a ‘gagging’ clause. The deputy said the contract was more onerous than the one in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, which demanded a ‘pound of flesh’. The meeting was held as part of an on-going series of meetings that are being held across the country to highlight the opposition of GPs, not just to the new contract, but the on-going FEMPI cuts which are causing a crisis in general practice. The chair of the meeting, Dr Conor McGee, said that the on-going FEMPI cuts were discriminatory and affected elderly and more isolated people disproportionately. This …