The Government is providing additional funding of almost €1million for a range of suicide prevention measures under the dormant accounts funding. This is in addition to the €4.5 million already provided this year.

“This is a sign of the Government’s firm commitment to reducing the number of deaths by suicide, as part of a whole community effort to ensure that people in distress do not feel isolated and alone. The increase in suicide rates is a matter of concern for me and for the Government and we must, I believe, redouble our efforts to reduce the incidence of suicide and make every effort to reach out to people in despair. The tragedy of suicide affects every community in the country”. Minister for Mental Health John Moloney said.

The funding announced today will allow communities to develop suicide prevention initiatives and which will assist them in preventing suicidal behaviour at all levels by providing for example places where people can access support and information such as youth cafes; networks of carers and supporters in the community that can respond to signs of risk by completing ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) or SafeTalk (suicide awareness training programmes); and suicide bereavement support information, outreach and counselling services to support families and communities when individual tragedies occur.

The programme will help communities to develop integrated local action plans for suicide prevention which can draw on positively evaluated projects elsewhere. This approach will enhance the ability of communities to prevent suicidal behaviour at all levels of risk and is consistent with Reach Out the National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention (2005) and will complement the national work undertaken by the NOSP.

The tragedy of suicide affects every community in the country. The Government is firmly committed to reducing suicide, as part of a whole community effort to ensure that people in distress do not feel isolated and alone.

See Change - Reducing the stigma

The launch of the National Stigma Reduction Campaign ‘See Change’ in April last. The aim of the campaign is to:

• Reduce the stigma associated with mental health problems and challenge discrimination.
• Create an environment where people are more open and positive in their attitudes and behaviour towards mental health.
• Promote a greater understanding and acceptance of and support for people with mental health problems, and
• Empower individual people with experience of mental health problems to gain equality, respect and rights.

As part of this campaign Minister John Moloney TD will be hosting a series of townhall meetings around the country. The following meetings have been confirmed so far:

• Clare Templegate Hotel, Ennis 14th September @ 7.30pm
• Limerick Courtenay Lodge Hotel, Newcastle West 4th October @ 7.30pm
• Donegal Venue in Letterkenny TBC 11th October @ 8pm
• Dun Laoghaire Assembly Room, County Hall, Dun Laoghaire 18th October @ 8pm
• Wexford Riverside Hotel, Enniscorthy 21st October @ 8pm
• Dublin City Council City Offices, Woodquay, Dublin 8 1st November @ 7pm
• Mayo Venue in Castlebar TBC 8th November @ 8pm

For more information, please contact the Department of Health & Children. Click here for contact details.

Michael McGrath, Fianna Fáil T.D. for Cork South Central and Vice Chairperson of the Oireachtas Finance Committee, has today repeated a call he made last April for the analysis of the different options for the future of Anglo Irish Bank to be published.

According to Deputy McGrath, “In the interests of public accountability, the analysis of the different options considered for the future of Anglo Irish Bank should be now made available by the bank for public and expert scrutiny. In recent days, the Bank's Chairperson, Mr. Alan Dukes, has said that a detailed analysis of the different options for Anglo has been completed and the bank favours a split into a good bank / bad bank."

"I believe the Irish citizens deserve to have all relevant information made available to them on the different options which have been considered for the future of Anglo Irish Bank, including the cost of winding the bank up immediately, the cost of winding the bank down over a period of time and the cost of restructuring the bank and maintaining it as a going concern.

"The bank itself estimates the cost to the State of bailing it out at €25 billion. The ratings agency Standard & Poor's has given an estimate of €35 billion. Whatever the final figure, it is clear the amount of money involved in cleaning up the Anglo mess will be a heavy burden which this State will be carrying for many years to come.

"Every Irish citizen has a stake in the decision concerning the future of Anglo and I believe every citizen deserves to have full information on the options available to minimise the State's exposure to the bank's losses.

"In addition, the Director of Corporate Enforcement and the Gardai need to immediately update the Irish people on the various investigations into the practices at Anglo Irish Bank."

'In a statement today, Fine Gael omits any reference to the NewERA plan in the party's response to the latest set of very disappointing unemployment figures.

'On the basis that Fine Gael had to launch NewERA several times and uses the tagline at every opportunity in press statements, the omission today could signal that the party has dropped the plan altogether,' said Minister Kelleher.

The move comes after Deputy Noonan claimed the party's jobs target was a "public relations add-on" in an interview in July.

'Fine Gael appears to have now heeded Deputy Noonan's criticism and dropped the plan,' said Minister Kelleher.

He said the Government's focus remains on protecting and creating jobs and effecting economic recovery.

'The loss of a job is devastating and these figures are again very disappointing but Government policy is necessarily geared towards getting the economy back on track.

'The Government is investing almost €1.2 billion in our job creation agencies to create more than 270,000 jobs up to 2016.

'A further 30,000 jobs will be supported annually under the capital infrastructure programme while some 10,000 jobs will created through retrofitting and energy projects.

'Over the next six years, we will invest €2.4 billion in science, technology and innovation programmes to create new high-quality jobs,' said Minister Kelleher.

He pointed out that initiatives such as the Employer Job (PRSI) Incentive Scheme, Employment Subsidy Scheme and Enterprise Stabilisation Fund are supporting employers and securing jobs.

'Our training programmes and extra places in further and higher education are re-skilling our workforce to take up new jobs.

'And we have set up the Credit Review Office to adjudicate on lending decisions as part of Government efforts to force banks to lend to viable small businesses,' said Minister Kelleher.

The Minister for Transport, Mr. Noel Dempsey, T.D., will today open the completed 32km M50 Upgrade Scheme that has transformed the M50 from a two-lane heavily congested road with toll barriers and signaled interchanges into a modern free-flowing motorway that has reduced journey times by up to 50%. The upgraded M50 has resulted in shorter, more reliable and safer journeys that improve commuters’ quality of life, increase efficiency for businesses and help Dublin to be more competitive in order to attract more foreign inward investment. The one billion euro project was carried out over four and a half years, in the midst of 100,000 moving vehicles per day and was completed four months ahead of schedule. The final section of the upgraded M50 Motorway, the new and improved Junction 6 (N3 Blanchardstown Interchange), will open to traffic at 5.30pm this evening, Wednesday 1st September.

“This upgrade scheme will future proof the M50 by helping to reduce traffic congestion and providing very significant time savings for hard pressed motorists,” said Mr. Noel Dempsey, T.D., Minister for Transport. “I particularly thank the regular M50 motorists for their patience during the construction phase of this project. It was not easy for anyone as this huge engineering project got underway and I think you will agree that the upgrade has made a real difference and was worth the wait. This investment and the billions more that we are spending on the provision of world class transport infrastructure is helping to boost our national competitiveness. This Government will continue to invest in transport because we are committed to having the proper infrastructure in place to make the most of our economic recovery.”

“The transformation of the M50 has dramatically improved the daily commuting experience for every road user in and around Greater Dublin. The M50 Upgrade has proven its value to the entire national network by fulfilling its role as the key motorway hub linking Greater Dublin with the major Interurban Network, benefitting all strategic traffic from wherever they are travelling. It truly is the backbone of our national roads network,” said Mr. Peter Malone, Chairman, National Roads Authority.

“I congratulate all those who contributed to the planning, design and construction of the M50 Upgrade; it was a highly challenging project that is in an engineering and construction triumph. The entire M50 project could not have been accomplished if it were not for the patience and support of the general public and the dedication of all national and local governmental organisations, including South Dublin County Council, Fingal County Council, Dublin City Council, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, the National Roads Authority, the Department of Transport and the Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, TD,” said Peter Malone.

“The M50 Motorway is now amongst the highest quality modern road infrastructure in Europe and we in M50 Concession Ltd are very proud to have helped deliver such an important venture that enhances Ireland’s economic and social development and improves the quality of life for road users,” said Mr. Javier Galera, General Manager, M50 Concession Ltd.

The M50 Upgrade Scheme comprises:-

• Widening of 32km of motorway from two to three-lane standard in each direction between Junction 3 (M1) and Junction 14 (Sandyford)

• An additional fourth auxiliary lane in each direction between Junction 3 (M1) and Junction 12 (Scholarstown)

• Full free-flow interchange at four junctions Jct 3 (M1), Jct 5 (N2 Ashbourne/Finglas), Jct 7 (N4 Palmerstown), Jct 9 (N7 Red Cow)

• Partial free-flow interchange at six other junctions Jct 4 (Ballymun), Jct 6 (N3 Blanchardstown), Jct 10 (Ballymount), Jct 11 (N81 Tallaght), Jct 12 (Scholarstown), Jct 14 (Sandyford)

• Removal of the West-Link toll plaza to provide barrier free tolling

• Establishing a segregated corridor for Luas at Jct 9 (N7 Red Cow), thus removing the need for traffic and trams to cross each other.

The removal of the West-Link Toll Plaza and its replacement with a fully electronic barrier-free tolling system was a crucial element of the strategy for easing congestion on Ireland’s busiest roadway allowing drivers to travel unencumbered at the legal speed limit along the M50. As we reach the second anniversary of the commencement of barrier-free tolling, traffic volumes on the toll section are approaching an average of 100,000 vehicles per day, equating to 2.9 million transactions being processed per month. Since the commencement of e-flow over 3 million individual vehicles have used the system. Almost 75% of trips on the toll section of the M50 are by motorists who have opened a toll account with 60% of customers having an electronic tag account and 15% availing of the video account option. The account option allows motorists to avail of lower toll rates than available for motorists who choose not to have an account. The revenue raised through e-flow tolling is being used to fund the M50 motorway upgrade costs along with the future operation and maintenance costs of the road.

The Longford TD has expressed his sincere support to the staff at the Longford News, all of whom he knows personally.

“The Longford News has a long and proud history in Longford. It has documented the events of the county for almost 75 years and news of its closure has come as a shock to me personally and to the people of Longford.”

“It has been an important part of the fabric of Longford all my life and I am personally very saddened that this decision has been taken.”

“I have had the honour of knowing and dealing with all the owners of the paper down through the years from the original owner Vincent Gill to the former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, and the more recent owners Jack Davis, Arnold Fanning and Turners Printers and, most recently, the Alpha Group and Lord Kilclooney.”

“I am particularly disappointed for the staff of the Longford News, who I know to be very loyal and dedicated staff.”

“I hope that the Alpha Group and Lord Kilclooney give the staff the priority they are entitled to at this time considering the service they have given the newspaper. I know they are due to meet with management shortly and I would very much hope and expect that they will be treated with the respect that they deserve,” he concluded.

Minister Lenihan marked the 1,000th innovation voucher milestone at an event in the Government's indigenous job creation agency, Enterprise Ireland, in Dublin today [Wednesday].

Enterprise Ireland manages the innovation voucher initiative on behalf of the Government.

The innovation voucher enables small firms to access skills, knowledge and specialist facilities in Government-funded research institutions.

Small Irish firms are now working with research teams in more than 41 research institutions - or so-called knowledge providers - across the island.

Waterford Institute of Technology has completed 144 innovation voucher projects since the initiative was launched three years ago.

The Institute of Technology Carlow has completed 70 projects, University College Cork has completed 68 projects, Athlone Institute of Technology has completed 65 projects and Cork Institute of Technology has completed 58 projects.

Minister Lenihan paid tribute to WIT and presented awards to the top five knowledge providers.

He said the vouchers were an important early bridge between firms and academic researchers.

‘The scheme has helped small firms to explore how they can play their part in building the knowledge economy.

‘The vouchers have brought firms and researchers together in finding innovative ways to overcome challenges and give products a more competitive and commercial edge for the marketplace.

‘The knowledge providers offer valuable advice and expertise to small Irish firms that want to scale their output and compete for business by adopting a more innovative approach,’ said Minister Lenihan.

The executive director of Enterprise Ireland, Feargal Ó Móráin, said: ‘WIT has completed a remarkable level of innovation voucher projects with small companies, helping them to solve business and technical challenges and enabling them to move their business on to the next level through innovative practices.

‘Enterprise Ireland is working with all the participating knowledge providers to ensure that small businesses in receipt of an innovation voucher get access to first-class human resources and equipment in 41 locations around Ireland.’

To get an innovation voucher, a firm's project must require an innovative solution, provide additional value for the company and have ongoing benefits.

The next call for applications opens on 1 October.

See www.innovationvouchers.ie

He was one of the most loved actors of his generation and will be dearly missed by the public and his colleagues in theatre and television.

Versatile in both the Irish and English languages, his genius at capturing and portraying the essence of the characters he played brought him wide popular and critical acclaim.

Our sympathies are with his wife Peige, three children Saileog, Maghnus and Darach and his parents.

Ar dheis De go raibh a anam uasal.

“This is the 33rd year of the VEC exhibition and I look forward to opening an event which will give people across Cork easy access to information about the options available to them.”

“Whether you are from the Class of 2010 and just finished the Leaving Certificate or someone wanting to increase your chances of securing a new job the exhibition will have information and guidance on what direction to take.”

“A large number of colleges, state agencies and other organisations will be on hand throughout the three days to provide information, including Cork City Partnership, Local Employment Service, Cork City Enterprise Board, FÁS, City of Cork VEC, the HSE, UCC, CIT, the Employment Resource Centre, Community Development Projects, Cork Volunteer Centre and the Department of Social Protection.”

“An important aspect of the event is the inclusion of workshops in the Millennium Hall of the City Hall to meet the specific needs of people. On the Tuesday evening at 7:30pm there is a session entitled ‘And What Now?’ this is aimed at those interested in re-training or upskilling.“

“On the Wednesday there are three workshops, at 2:30pm ‘I’m unemployed – get me out of here?’ followed at 3:30pm by a special information session on organising and updating CVs. At 4:30pm there is a workshop entitled ‘One for the Lads’, which is focussed primarily on the problems facing men in getting jobs but I am assured is open to everyone.”

“2010 Exhibition Opening times are: Tuesday – 5pm to 9pm; Wednesday – 1.30pm to 6.30pm and Thursday – 5pm to 9pm.”

This is an important event with free admission and has a strong track record in matching Cork people with the course or scheme that is right for them, I would encourage anyone looking for a job or a new opportunity to consider attending”, concluded Minister Martin.

The Bill provides for amendments to provisions across the range of civil and regulatory law including:

• the Civil Legal Aid Act,
• the civil liability of good samaritans and volunteers,
• private security services,
• codes of practice for sale of alcohol,
• the Equality Acts,
• the law on bankruptcy and
• better enforcement of court orders in regard to maintenance and a number of other Acts.

Speaking on its publication, Minister Ahern said: "As in the case of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2008, this new Bill offers a good opportunity to provide for small but important changes to the law on a wide range of measures.

"One issue being addressed by the Bill is an amendment to the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act 1976. This amendment will de-couple family law maintenance debt from civil debt in general. The proposed amendment to the law is based on the premise that a court has already deliberated in setting an appropriate level of maintenance and that if the debtor breaches that order without a significant change in his or her circumstances, that breach will constitute contempt of court and can be punished by imprisonment.

"Furthermore, the potential for civil liability remains a concern for some potential volunteers. In that respect, voluntary organisations expressed the view that legislation to clearly set out the scope and extent of the civil liability of good samaritans and volunteers would have the value of clarifying the law and I hope I have achieved that in this provision."

The Bill is available on the Oireachtas website www.oireachtas.ie

"The Council of Europe have ran such projects that have had winning entries from Donegal. It has been a great pleasure to see Donegal artistic endeavour succeed internationally and there is no reason why the HSE project has not got wider potential.

Aside from the platform it gives for people to explore the medium of short film, the topic of this competition is also an important one to address.

The aim of the call is to bring an awareness to the issue of elder abuse for films through producing short films of between 30 to 60 seconds in duration before Friday 29th October 2010.

The films can be made using digital cameras or mobile phones or professional film making equipment.

The HSE elder abuse services received over 1,800 referrals of alleged abuse in 2009. This is a significant number of referrals from a very vulnerable and usually very cherished sector of our community. What is worse is that the HSE older peoples services personnel believe that the number of older people suffering abuse may be much higher than this.

This project will help raise public awareness of this issue and how people can access more information and where they can go to seek help and advice.

I would like think that now, at the start of an academic year that this might be a competition that our schools might take a special interest in. Who knows what talent it may unearth in the course of supporting our older members of our community?" commented Senator Cecilia Keaveney, member of the Arts, Education and Science committee of the Council of Europe.

The Minister said this positive news was the result of intensive efforts at political, diplomatic and technical level. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, together with the Department of Foreign Affairs, with the assistance of Bord Bia, have been working very closely on this issue over the last eighteen months.

Minister Smith said: “This is a very welcome decision as the Russian Federation has been an important market for Irish beef in the past. The decision by the competent authorities in the Russian Federation follows the submission of a detailed risk assessment by my Department examining the risk involved in raising the age limit for BSE testing. This positive decision removes a technical barrier to the export of beef from Ireland to Russia and should help to stimulate the trade. ”

Announcing the emergency supplies, Minister Power said:

"I remain gravely concerned about the deteriorating situation in Pakistan. We are witnessing untold levels of human suffering; with seven million destitute, without food, clean water or shelter, and millions of children at risk. As a nation we have a moral obligation to respond when faced with a humanitarian disaster of this magnitude.

This shipment is the second consignment which the Government has provided for the Pakistani people. These supplies will provide shelter and basic infrastructure for survival for 33,000 people. It brings total aid from Ireland to over €2 million.

This crisis has deepened over the last seven days as its true scale has become clear. Over 17 million people are now directly affected. Homes, livelihoods, and livestock have been washed away and people have been left in need of the most basic means of survival. This aid from Ireland is vital in helping to alleviate the suffering of the Pakistani people who have been caught up in this terrible crisis”.

Two consignments of aid supplies totalling 130 tonnes were delivered to Haiti earlier this year in response to the crippling earthquake suffered by that country. Ireland remains engaged with the reconstruction process in Haiti as that country continues to recover following the disaster. Similarly, Ireland will remain committed to assisting the people of Pakistan in the months ahead as they strive to rebuild their lives.

Graduates will undertake an initial six-month intensive training and skills development programme in an Enterprise Ireland client firm followed by a12-month placement in a relevant overseas market. G4IG is aimed at developing firms’ export market development strategies and at the same time advancing graduates’ international business skills.

It is geared towards Irish firms in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors with ambitious international business growth plans. Successful graduate participants will be awarded a Post-Graduate Diploma in International Growth by UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.

Launching G4IG, Minister O'Keeffe said the programme would create graduate job opportunities and boost exports.

‘Ireland’s economic recovery will be export-led and this innovative programme will initially place 50 graduates in firms with high growth potential where they can help explore new business opportunities in global markets.

‘By expanding Irish firms’ export footprints, we can create new jobs at home and drive our emergence from recession and back to economic growth.

‘The resilience of our exports in the face of the global downturn shows that the Government has adopted the right strategy in maintaining an openeconomy, seeking new foreign direct investment opportunities, supporting our indigenous export base and developing our services trade,’ said Minister O'Keeffe.

The chief executive of Enterprise Ireland, Frank Ryan, said: 'This initiative is about growing exports by strategically aligning graduate talent, market opportunity and companies’ international business plans.

‘It is a unique opportunity for companies to acquire a valuable market development resource and to drive their export sales strategies.

‘By combining access to the expertise and contacts of Enterprise Ireland's world-wide network of offices and UCD’s extensive experience in delivering executive business development programmes, we are confident that G4IG will deliver significant results for companies and participants.’

The dean of UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, Professor Tom Begley, said: ‘We are delighted to partner with Enterprise Ireland in developing and delivering this programme.

‘Ireland’s best option for dealing with the current economic difficulties is to trade our way out of them and a dynamic export sector is critical to our success.

‘We at UCD Smurfit School are pleased to offer our faculty’s expertise in marketing and international business in developing Ireland’s next generation of export management talent.

‘We are particularly pleased that companies should derive immediate benefits from our action learning approach.’

Photo: The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O'Keeffe TD, launches a Government plan to place 50 top-level college graduates in export-led Irish firms with (l-r) Frank Roche of UCD, Frank Ryan of Enterprise Ireland and graduate Niamh Roddy.

Building on the great success of the free pre-school year introduced in January, when 53,000 children, or 83% of all children in the year before starting school availed of the scheme, Minister Andrews said he expects that 60,000 children, or 90% of those in the year before school, will participate in the free pre-school year from this September. Minister Andrews described the ECCE scheme and its success as "a milestone in the development of Ireland's early childhood services. Against the backdrop of tough budgetary decisions, the investment in the free pre-school year is far sighted and proof of the Government's commitment to improving our children's educational foundations."

In August, all parents of qualifying children received an information leaflet on the scheme. This will help them to choose the best options for their children. For example, daycare services as well as playschools are included in the scheme so that all children and their parents can benefit from it. Almost every pre-school service in the country is participating, making it readily available in all areas of the country. €170 million has been allocated to the free pre-school year in 2010.

Minister Andrews said the Government has invested heavily in developing the childcare sector over the last 10 years, with €523 million spent on building childcare facilities to provide 75,000 new childcare places. "The economic downturn has seen a temporary fall off in the demand for childcare. This will change as the economy begins to recover and we need to support and retain our childcare services now to be able to meet these future needs". The Minister said it is also important to remember that "up to 20,000 staff are working in 4,500 services across the country and these are also an important resource for our future".

The OMCYA will spend a further €75 million this year on two further childcare support schemes, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) scheme which provides weekly subsidies of up to €100 per child, to low income parents, and the new Childcare Employment and Training Support (CETS) scheme, for students and trainees undertaking a range of FAS and VEC.

The CCS is available to qualifying parents through 950 community childcare services across the country and 20,000 parents are currently benefiting from this scheme, helping them to stay in, or return to, employment and training. The CETS scheme is a new scheme that aims to support the Government's labour market activation strategy and will provide qualifying FAS and VEC students with free childcare places for the duration of their course. Previously, these students qualified for a weekly childcare contribution of €63.50 The Minister said childcare costs are a significant barrier for many parents seeking to re-enter training or education and the CETS scheme is a clear example of the Government's commitment to supporting people seeking employment. Nearly 600 services are participating in the scheme and up to 10,000 students and trainees are expected to benefit each year.

Further details of the ECCE, CCS and CETS programmes can be obtained from any of the 33 local City and County Childcare Committees around the country, each of which assists the OMCYA.

The Government’s work opportunity schemes which include the Community Services Programme and the Rural Social Scheme are set to develop further and expand when these two schemes transfer across to the Department of Social Protection early this autumn. Éamon Ó Cuív TD, Minister for Social Protection confirmed today that the Community Services Programme and the Rural Social Scheme will soon transfer over to his Department from the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, as part of the Government’s job activation measures.

Between them, both work schemes currently give work opportunities to 5300 individuals. The Rural Social Scheme which involves 2,600 workers is managed by 35 local development companies countrywide. Almost 2,700 people are engaged in the Community Services Programme which is designed to address locally identified gaps in the provision of services within communities and to exploit the potential of community assets and resources. (See editor’s note for more detail).

The Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2010 enables the transfer of these schemes to the Department of Social Protection.

The Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2010 also allows for the transfer of responsibility, and associated funding, for the employment services and community employment programme of FÁS from the Minister for Education and Skills to the Minister for Social Protection. These particular programmes will transfer over in the late autumn. Arrangements are being put in place to give effect to this transfer.

Minister Éamon Ó Cuív said: “Income support and employment scheme initiatives will soon be integrated into one single department. One of the priorities I have been given in my department is to place a particular focus on job activation. I plan to develop and expand these schemes to give more opportunities to people who are out of work and who want to maintain their skills or improve their job prospects. Changing the way we approach our existing resources can unlock the potential of new ways to create locally-based jobs. We must create a better future for people who find themselves without a job; to provide them with work activity in the short term, to up-skill them and give them opportunities to get back into the mainstream workforce as speedily as possible. Maintaining people’s employability through regular work activity will be important for getting people back into the competitive economy.”

Minister Ó Cuív added: “The Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2010 marks another significant step towards integrating income support and unemployment schemes within one single department and gives effect to An Taoiseach's strategy to deal with the issues around unemployment, income and social supports in a more coherent way. There are many needs in communities in terms of provision of after-school services, childcare, services for older people and environmental projects that we could continue to address through these schemes. There is also the semi-economic sector where we have heritage centres, tourist facilities and sports clubs that can generate some financial income, but that will always require some small state support from work schemes.”

Between them, both work schemes currently give work opportunities to 5300 individuals. The Rural Social Scheme which involves 2,600 workers is managed by 35 local development companies countrywide. Almost 2,700 people are engaged in the Community Services Programme which is designed to address locally identified gaps in the provision of services within communities and to exploit the potential of community assets and resources. (See editor’s note for more detail).

The Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2010 enables the transfer of these schemes to the Department of Social Protection.

The Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2010 also allows for the transfer of responsibility, and associated funding, for the employment services and community employment programme of FÁS from the Minister for Education and Skills to the Minister for Social Protection. These particular programmes will transfer over in the late autumn. Arrangements are being put in place to give effect to this transfer.

Minister Éamon Ó Cuív said: “Income support and employment scheme initiatives will soon be integrated into one single department. One of the priorities I have been given in my department is to place a particular focus on job activation. I plan to develop and expand these schemes to give more opportunities to people who are out of work and who want to maintain their skills or improve their job prospects. Changing the way we approach our existing resources can unlock the potential of new ways to create locally-based jobs. We must create a better future for people who find themselves without a job; to provide them with work activity in the short term, to up-skill them and give them opportunities to get back into the mainstream workforce as speedily as possible. Maintaining people’s employability through regular work activity will be important for getting people back into the competitive economy.”

Minister Ó Cuív added: “The Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2010 marks another significant step towards integrating income support and unemployment schemes within one single department and gives effect to An Taoiseach's strategy to deal with the issues around unemployment, income and social supports in a more coherent way. There are many needs in communities in terms of provision of after-school services, childcare, services for older people and environmental projects that we could continue to address through these schemes. There is also the semi-economic sector where we have heritage centres, tourist facilities and sports clubs that can generate some financial income, but that will always require some small state support from work schemes.”

The exhibition was first held in 2008 and has since become an annual event, run in late August every year.

"Which Course Expo" continues to be the largest exhibition in Ireland to showcase Adult Learning courses, bringing together course providers of academic and back-to-the workplace courses as well as self-development, arts & crafts and leisure pursuits.

Speaking at the RDS, Minister Haughey said, 'As in previous years this exhibition is timed to coincide with the start of the academic year.

'Events such as this are invaluable to learners – enabling them to explore the huge range of opportunities available to them and to identify a course that meets their particular needs.

'This exhibition performs an important role in bringing the provider and learner together.

Minister Haughey continued: 'The retraining and upskilling of our workforce is a key objective of government to address the current high levels of unemployment throughout the country.

'It is vital that learners are provided with every opportunity to identify the most appropriate courses for them and that they have access to the most up-to-date information.

'This exhibition specifically aims to do just that.'

Commending all those involved with the exhibition, Minister Haughey said, 'I applaud the huge effort involved in organising this very important and informative event.

'I wish you every success with this year’s exhibition,’ concluded Minister Haughey.

Commenting on media reports of comments from Dr Edgar Morgenroth of the Economic, Social and Research Institute (ESRI), Deputy Byrne said: “The N2 through Slane Village has caused huge concern among the community for years and many people have lost their lives on a relatively short stretch of

road. Others have been injured and barely escaped with their lives. The safety of the people of our community is of great concern to me and will be enhanced by the completion of this project, rendering it far from ‘idiotic’ as Dr. Morgenroth is said to have described it.”

“An Bord Pleanála is due to hold an oral hearing shortly and I note that Dr. Morgenroth has made the astonishing statement that he will complain to the Comptroller and Auditor General if An Bord Pleanala grants planning permission. This smacks of unwarranted interference in the independence of An Bord Pleanala and is highly inappropriate. Deputy Thomas Byrne has asked the ESRI to confirm that they do not stand over this statement. I would respectfully ask that everyone currently engaged in the high-level campaign to demonise the Slane Bypassthat they would respect whatever decision An Bord Pleanála makes " said Cllr Harding.

Deputy Byrne added: “While it is everyone's democratic right to object to the Slane Bypass, among the objectors are quite a number of barristers and senior counsel living on the southside Of Dublin."

“I support the building of the Bypass and I have been working very closely with Deputy Thomas Byrne to ensure there is Government support for this important project. Meath County Council, the National Roads Authority, the Government and more importantly the vast majority of the community in Slane and Meath want to see this bypass constructed,” said Councillor Harding.

Deputy Byrne concluded: “Among the comments attributed to Dr. Morgenroth is that the Bypass is ‘totally irrelevant’ for access from County Donegal to Dublin. This misses the point of the campaign for the Bypass entirely. Fianna Fáil is seeking to protect the residents of Slane and of County Meath and the travelling public. I will continue working to do that regardless of the uninformed commentary of a few who seem to get a lot of national media attention whenever they rubbish the Slane Bypass.”

“In most parts of the country, the majority of the applicants to the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme have had their payments issued to them. Nevertheless, every effort is being made by the HSE to expedite payment of outstanding claims. Most areas of the country are progressing well but there are two areas causing concern, the HSE Mid-West region and the HSE West region and action has been taken to address this,” stated Minister Ó Cuív.

“At the opening of the scheme last June I was concerned that people would apply in good time and I appealed to parents to apply early. The HSE is confident that all successful applicants who applied before 1 August will receive their payments before schools re-open for the new school year.

“Commonly delays have arisen in cases where parents have been requested to provide information and details to the HSE. I would encourage families in this situation to return this information to the HSE as quickly as possible.”

“Every effort is being made to ensure that applications are turned around within 15 working days.”

Minister O'Keeffe said his officials were dealing with a large volume of claims due to the recession.

'The number of statutory redundancy claims has tripled in the past two-and-a-half years and I have deployed extra resources to clear the backlog.

'We have cut the number of claims by 11,000 in the past nine months - from 43,000 last November to 33,000 this month.

'My disillusioned constituency colleague, Fine Gael's Michael Creed, says my Department is dealing with claims dating to last December.

'In fact, we are dealing with claims dating to February - but obviously Fine Gael will not allow the truth to obstruct a good story.

'The backlog is unsatisfactory and I am taking steps to clear it as quickly as possible but let us not lose sight of the progress being made in challenging circumstances.

'Finally, Deputy Creed says I am "redundant".

'Perhaps Deputy Creed is still coming to terms with his own redundancy on the Fine Gael backbenches after backing the wrong horse during the party's recent leadership crisis,' said Minister O'Keeffe.

Announcing the allocation, Minister Power said:

“Millions of people are at immediate risk of life-threatening illnesses and starvation in Pakistan. I have today allocated funding to a number of agencies working to alleviate their plight and, in particular, that of the many thousands of children who are suffering the effects of this catastrophe.

UNICEF and Plan Ireland both have child-centred approaches to delivering humanitarian aid and to addressing the particular difficulties which children encounter in a disaster of such enormous proportions.

In addition, funding has also been approved to assist Goal for its humanitarian response in Sindh province. The slow pace of the humanitarian response in Sindh province to date has been deeply worrying. Continuing flooding and the difficult terrain have made access extremely difficult.

I am pleased that in Goal, we will be supporting a key Irish aid agency working with local partners in Sindh and that the Irish Aid funding being announced today will assist in the delivery of vital food, clean water and shelter to the highly vulnerable population in this area.

With regard to feeding the displaced population, the World Food Programme faces its largest caseload in at least a decade. Six million people need food for at least the coming month. I am pleased to be able to provide vital funds from Ireland to assist the WFP in this critical response.”

“As classes resume in Togher, Ballyphehane, Turners Cross and across the Southside many families are facing increased bills for books and clothes. The Government has set aside €82m to support parents during this period which has been made available through the Clothing and Footwear Scheme.”

“Thousands of applications have been received since the start of June, however local families who believe they are entitled to the scheme and have not applied still have time to get their form in.”

“The scheme will remain open until the end of September and I would encourage parents in our communities to take some time out over the coming days and examine if they are entitled to support.”

“The allowance helps parents to meet the cost of school uniforms and footwear. Parents receive €200 for each eligible child aged between 2 and 11 years and €305 for each eligible child aged between 12 and 22 years. Parents are welcome to apply through local health centres on the Southside.”

“A mobile text service can be used to obtain an application form for the allowance. For an application form text - FORM BTSCFA - to 51909 followed by your name and address.”

“A person may qualify for payment of the allowance if they are in receipt of a Social Welfare payment (including Family Income Supplement), or a Health Service Executive payment, are participating in an approved employment scheme or attending a recognised education and training course and have household income at or below certain set levels. The weekly income limit for the allowance for parents with one child is now €563.60 for couples and €410.10 for those parenting alone.”

“It is important to note that processing of each application can take a little bit of time so I would encourage people to make their application as quickly as possible”, concluded Minister Martin.

That’s according to Donegal North East Fianna Fáil TD Niall Blaney, who has been working to secure fairer conditions for SMEs.

“New guidelines have now been issued by the Department of Finance to ensure that SMEs are not unfairly hindered in competing for public contracts.”

“Until now, small firms have found it tough to complete and this has been an issue that I have been actively working on with my colleagues the Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan TD and the Minister for Labour Affairs Dara Calleary TD.”

“Under the new guidelines issued this week, all advertised contracts up to €250,000 for works and €125,000 for supplies and general services must now be open to all potential tenderers without a prequalification process.”

“This will make it a lot easier for local, small firms to tender for works such as the summer works scheme, which provides a lot of works around the county.”

“The threshold for advertising supplies and general services on the Government’s public procurement website www.etenders.gov.ie has also been halved from €50,000 to €25,000.”

“The guidelines have been changed prohibiting public bodies from making those who wish to enter public competitions pay to do so. The new rules will also get rid of more red tape for SME’s as a tenderer will only have to submit the necessary documentation when they are close to being awarded a contract. This will reduce the amount of paperwork involved in submitting tenders, considerably easing the administrative burden on businesses bidding for public contracts.”

“These new rules make it easier and less costly to tender for public contracts. They reduce the burden on SME’s whilst at the same time they still ensure the best value for money for the taxpayer. I am hopeful that this will level the playing field for Donegal companies and open up more doors for them to win Government contracts.”

“I accept that there are still some anomalies with some larger contracts but I know that both Minister Lenihan and Calleary are working on that and I expect further news from them on this soon,” concluded Niall Blaney TD.

Speaking ahead of the Committee session Minister Power said:

"I am deeply and increasingly concerned by the humanitarian situation in Pakistan. The risk of a second wave humanitarian crisis continues to grow. The lives of millions, in particular the most vulnerable and especially children, remain in jeopardy as they wait for clean water, food and medical aid. In the southern Sindh province some estimates indicate that only 3% of affected people have been reached. If accurate this is an unacceptable situation.

Last Thursday I met with the United Nation’s humanitarian aid chief, John Holmes. His message was that, unless aid speeds up, the future for the fifteen million people whose homes and livelihoods have been washed away by this terrible disaster looks increasingly bleak. I assured him of Ireland's commitment to assisting those at risk as quickly as possible in close coordination with the international humanitarian community. This is a global disaster and requires a global response particularly in relation to logistics, transport and equipment.

To date Ireland has pledged funding of €2million towards the humanitarian response to the floods and we will continue to work closely with our partners internationally to help the collective effort to reach those in danger.

I am taking the opportunity tomorrow to join with the Ambassador of Pakistan in briefing the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs. I will update them on the current humanitarian situation and on the international response to date. I will continue to call on the international community to speed up its response and save lives in Pakistan at this critical point."

“The increase of ‘head-shops’ and the use of substances which were not listed as banned drugs has given rise to the need for the laws. The commencement of the new regulations will be welcomed by Cork parents and will help keep our local communities safe from those who profit from endangering the lives of others.”

“The laws are specifically targeted at those who sell or supply substances with the intention of giving someone a psychoactive reaction. The penalties are heavy and reflect the danger the trade poises to the general public, in particular young people. Those convicted can be imprisoned for up to five years.”

“The terms of the new law means Gardaí in Cork and throughout the country can move swiftly against those who develop new products, and do not have to wait for it to be placed on a banned list.”

“In addition to the legal approach the Government has also mounted an information campaigned aimed at young people to tell and educate them of the dangers of ‘legal and illegal highs’. We have also taken a multi agency approach to the drugs issue backing up our laws with public information and education campaigns.”

“The website www.drugs.ie has been updated to include new information in relation to the campaign and legal and illegal highs including information resources for young people and parents/guardians. The HSE Drugs Helpline on 1800 459 459 is also available to support the campaign”, concluded Minister Martin.

Minister Martin said the organisers deserve to be congratulated for expanding the international aspect of the biggest business networking event in Munster.

“My Department is always anxious to support companies from Cork, Munster and throughout Ireland which are securing jobs at home by targeting international markets. Whether it is China, Africa or the United States I have seen at first-hand how Irish firms are turning export opportunities into jobs.”

“In Cork we have companies which offer highly specialised goods and services and it is important, as we meet the current economic challenges, that they are given every possible support to identify and operate in new markets.”

“Earlier this year The Department of Foreign Affairs together with Cork Chamber organised a very successful event in City Hall, which was attended by my senior officials as well as Ambassadors from a large number of embassies. The aim of the evening was to strengthen Cork’s business links across the Globe.”

“The inclusion of embassies at Corkmeet at Little Island in October is an opportunity to build on the contacts that have already been made – and to allow other firms to establish links.”

“I will be using the event to underline to business people the supports available from the Department of Foreign Affairs and our network of embassies. Our officials have a unique inside knowledge in many countries, they have valuable contacts and networks which firms can and should tap in to.”

“I have seen during a recent visit to Africa the opportunities for Irish firms and have asked my Department to draw up a new strategy for the continent as a result. The forthcoming World Cup and Olympics in Brazil offer a unique opportunity for Cork firms to secure major contracts, as they have done for London 2012.”

“I was honoured to have been asked to take part in the first ever Corkmeet last year and look forward to the 2010 event, I would encourage all firms in the region to avail of this important networking opportunity if at all possible”, concluded Minister Martin.