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Difficulties experienced by low-paid workers on zero-hours contracts are to be the focus of a major new study, Clare TD Michael McNamara has confirmed. The study will survey workers and business owners on the impact of ‘zero hours’ contracts, in which workers are given short-term notice of their hours, if any, of work each week. The Labour Party Deputy said,“Workers in these situations have no idea each week what their wages will amount to, making it all but impossible to plan for bills, rent and other living costs. “To address this, my colleague Minister Ged Nash has announced details of a major new study into the area, which will gather information on how widespread and how common such contracts are, and to look at how they affect employees’ rights. Once finished, Minister Nash will make recommendations to Government based on the findings.”

Shannon Airport has been praised by recently appointed US Ambassador to Ireland, Kevin O’Malley for its key role in supporting the continuing and strong US multi-national presence in the West of Ireland. Speaking on Tuesday, while on an official visit to the airport, where he met members of its executive and board, Ambassador O’Malley said that having a vibrant airport on the western seaboard with direct links to the US is critical for shared prosperity between the region and multi-nationals. Ambassador O’Malley said, “Literally all of the businesses, the US multi-nationals and those from other countries that are situated in this region, need an airport that can service their connectivity requirements. “These are large companies doing a great job in Ireland, employing Irish people and participating in helping both sides of the Atlantic share in a great prosperity. Shannon helps sustain that through its transatlantic services as without them there would be no direct access from the US into the …

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, chaired by Deputy Pat Breen, will meet Dr Nader Hashemi on this Wednesday to discuss the on-going civil war in Syria and the rise of Islamic State there and in the remainder of the Middle East. Dr Nader Hashemi is Associate Professor at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver. Chairman of the committee, Pat Breen said, “The Committee has been gravely concerned at the continued actions of Al-Assad’s regime and of other extremist militias, as well as the rise of the radical Jihadist force ISIS, which has resulted in a further deterioration in an already precarious human rights situation in Syria. Tomorrow, we will have an opportunity to hear from Dr Nader Hashemi, who will outline the roots of ISIS and the threat that their rise is posing a global security challenge. We will also have an opportunity to consider with him at tomorrow’s meeting the most …

Clare County Council has announced the establishment of a new forum aimed at enhancing and expanding the role played by the public in formulating local government policy and the future development of communities. The Public Participation Network (PPN), which replaces the Clare Community Forum, will be the new representative voice of the community, voluntary and environmental sectors in Clare. An information briefing and registration event will be held at Glór in Ennis at 7.00pm on Wednesday, December 3. The event will outline how community, voluntary, social inclusion and environmental groups can benefit from the new network and why they should consider becoming members. Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council,  John Crowe said the PPN will enable community groups to interact with local government at different levels, as well as facilitate Clare County Council in developing policy and in plan making. A Clare County PPN will be established along with a PPN in each of the four municipal districts; Ennis, Shannon, Killaloe …

Drehidnagower Bridge, near Drumcliffe, on the outskirts of Ennis, is likely to be closed to the public for the winter months due to rising river levels and the requirement to undertake structural remediation works. In making the announcement, Clare County Council said the temporary closure of the bridge to vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians on the Local Road L4587, located north west of the town, is being enforced due to safety reasons while river levels remain elevated. The bridge, which crosses the River Fergus, dates back to the early 19th century and has been the subject of a 30km/hr for a number of months. A council spokesperson said, “The council recently conducted a routine survey of the bridge which determined the requirement for strengthening works to be carried out on the structure’s undercarriage. With water levels rising on the River Fergus, the council has deemed it appropriate for public safety reasons to enforce a temporary closure, which is likely to continue …

Rental accommodation is more expensive than at the same stage last year in every county in Ireland, according to the latest quarterly Rental Report by Daft.ie. In Munster, rents rose by an average of 4.2% in the year to September 2014, compared to static rents a year previously. In Clare, rents were on average 3.3% higher in the third quarter of 2014 than a year previously. The average advertised rent is now €562, a fall of 26% from the peak. Nationally, rents have risen by over 11% in the space of twelve months with the national average rent now €933 compared to €842 a year previously. Dublin’s annual inflation rate has slowed for the first time in five years, but prices have still risen by over 14% in the capital since the third quarter of 2013. In the other city centres, rents continue to climb. Waterford experienced an annual rise of 4%, Limerick 6%, Galway 7% and Cork 8%. Most …

Students from seven Clare schools will exhibit 22 projects in the 2015 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition at the RDS, Dublin in January. Leading the way, with 10 entries, is Mary Immaculate Secondary School, Lisdoonvarna, followed by Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon and Meanscoil na mBráithre, Ennistymon, with three each; St John Bosco Community College, Kildysart and Gaelcholáiste an Chláir, Ennis, with two each, and Rice College, Ennis and Kilrush Community College with one each. Among the Galway schools an interest in the Young Scientist competition are Seamount College in Kinvara, with one project, and Portumna Community College, with three. At the 51st annual event from January 7 to 10, there are over 120 awards to be won, including the prestigious BT Young Scientist & Technologist of the Year. The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is organised by BT Ireland, one of the country’s leading communications and networked IT service providers, and is supported by a number of valued partners …

Noirín Hegarty may be in the business of world travel as Managing Destination Editor with Lonely Planet but the well-known journalist considers her family’s holiday home in Liscannor her ‘refuge’. Her mother Carmel Vaughan and her father Sean Hegarty hail from the West and North of the county and although reared in Dublin, Noirín spent many happy holidays here as a child visiting her 60 cousins. Not only are her ancestral roots here, it was also in Clare that the seeds of her interest in journalism were planted. “My uncle Martin Vaughan still lives in Miltown Malbay. He was always involved in what was going on in the community. He knew what was happening around and that sparked my initial curiosity for journalism,” she said. “I remember when I was a child and Martin was in the civil defence and he would be out looking for bodies after a bad storm and I thought this was fascinating and that goes …