News

A CALL has gone out for Clare businesses to row in behind the annual National Supported Employment Week from Monday, April 7 to Sunday 13. Job Shadow Day (Wednesday) is the high point of the week and will see hundreds of people with disabilities take the opportunity to shadow a workplace mentor, as he or she goes about a normal working day. The Irish Association for Supported Employment (IASE) initiative seeks to encourage businesses throughout the country to support equal employment opportunities and sign up at www.iase.ie to participate. Last year, over 460 individuals with a disability shadowed at 439 employment sites in Ireland, with 27 securing a permanent job placement as a direct result. Following on from its success in Ireland, National Supported Employment Week is set to roll-out in Europe, with 12 countries already committed to take part in 2015. Many high profile individuals participated in Job Shadow Day last year, including Minister Joan Burton and Today FM …

IF you’re planning to drink this St Patrick’s Weekend, do so responsibly and don’t succumb to the increasingly jaded “drunken Irish” stereotype. That’s the sober advice from drinkaware.ie, which is encouraging people to get involved in the celebratory events taking place throughout the country. drinkaware.ie is extending its ‘Reclaim’ awareness campaign to cover this year’s nationwide St Patrick’s Weekend festivities. Reclaim Your Weekend is all about encouraging people to pace their drinking. By ‘pacing’, that is drinking less, and more slowly when drinking, we enable ourselves to get more out of our night and our weekend. Fionnuala Sheehan, drinkaware.ie chief executive said, “There are so many fantastic events planned right across Ireland to celebrate St Patrick’s Weekend that we are encouraging people to pace themselves when they are out celebrating, if they choose to drink alcohol. By pacing their drinking and taking it easy on a night out, they’ll be in a much better state to get the most out …

SHANNON Airport passengers are about to enjoy the country’s cheapest online airport car parking as the airport has launched a new Park4Less service to go with the commencement of nine new destinations this summer. Park4Less is open for booking online at www.shannonairport.ie  from this week. The Park4Less car park will be located at the former Long-Term 4 Car Park, adjacent to the Air Traffic Control tower at the airport. Announcing the new offer, Brian Aherne, Head of Commercial at Shannon Airport, said that the decision to introduce the lower fares online option was in response to customer feedback. “We continually seek feedback from passengers to help us improve our overall service and as a result we are delighted to introduce our new cheaper online car-parking option. We are looking forward to a busy summer season with nine new destinations and are keen to ensure that our passengers have a great start to their holiday,” he said. Payment for the Park4Less …

A number of food products were withdrawn from a Gort grocery shop and meat distributor last month because of food-safety violations. Galway County Council issued a prohibition order, served on Real Brazil manager Sean Fahey at No 3 Sliabh Carran, Ennis Road, Gort on February 7, withdrawing all products held in a fridge and freezer at the back of the premises. This order was lifted on February 24. On the same date, an order issued by the Health Service Executive under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs Regulations 2010)  was served on Anaelson B Dias at Real Brazil, Unit 6, The Grove, Crowe Street in the town. A specified consignment of meat products was withdrawn from the grocery shop. This issue was lifted on Monday, March 3. The Food Safety Authority on Thursday announced that 14 enforcement orders were served on food businesses throughout the country during the month of February including the well-known Town Bar and Grill, on Dublin’s …

By Dan Danaher MONEYPOINT electricity generating station has been earmarked as a possible site for a nuclear power plant, a local county councillor has claimed. Councillor Brian Meaney has warned that a lobby group has already made representations to the Oireachtas Committee for Transport and Communications requesting the conversion of Moneypoint to a new nuclear plant once it is decommissioned in 2025. Speaking at a council meeting on this Monday, Councillor Meaney revealed  Pro Nuclear Lobby Group BENE (Better Environment with Nuclear Energy) has stated that the coal-fired  915 MW ESB  power plant at Moneypoint is the only suitable site for a nuclear power plant for Ireland. One of the main reasons is that it is the only power plant in the country that has the existing 440 kv  grid connections to distribute the power generated from a nuclear power plant. Also it is a costal location, seen as optimal when siting a nuclear power plant According to Councillor Meaney, the need to …

TOMORROW, Tuesday, second-level teachers in Clare will participate in a lunchtime protest outside their schools over proposals for Junior Cycle education, which teachers say will undermine standards, equity and fairness. The protest is being organised by second-level teacher unions the ASTI and the TUI. Up to 27,000 second-level teachers all over the country will participate in the protest.

THE Red Ribbon Project, a Mid West based organisation working within the area of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, sexual health & LGBT, has won the Noel Walsh HIV Campaigner of the Year Award. The Red Ribbon Project has been involved in HIV activism since it was first set up in 1989 by a group of gay men in Limerick and is currently promoting ‘Everyone has an HIV status – do you know yours?’ by providing rapid HIV testing in the community. The group was honoured for its work at the 2014 GALAs – Gay & Lesbian Awards over the weekend. The GALAS were created in 2009 by The National Lesbian and Gay Federation (NLGF) to honour those who work towards a better future for LGBT people in Ireland. “They are here to encourage and reward those LGBT people who give of themselves for the greater good of their community, to show them that their efforts do not go unsung, …

ON Friday, Rice College Secondary School will host a fashion extravaganza dubbed ‘Shop & Style’ at Treacy’s West County Hotel at 7pm. Proceeds from the fashion show will go towards the provision of additional facilities and classrooms in the newly acquired school building. The event has already garnered plenty of support locally, according to organisers at the school with a host of local fashion outlets set to showcase their upcoming collections in the show. A spokesperson for the school said, “Local businesses and community groups have all rallied to sponsor the show, which promises to be a fantastic evening for all fashion-conscious ladies and gents featuring spring/summer collections from many stores.” Professional models will assisted by some of the Rice College teachers, who have sportingly agreed to participate.  MC for the evening is Ciana Campbell. And if all that style isn’t enough, there will also be a very special guest, which is sure to draw in the crowds. The Liam …