Donie's Ireland daily news BLOG Thursday

Ireland now on top of the world as It is ranked as a ‘most good’ country

  

IRELAND is now ON TOP OF THE WORLD

Known round the globe as the land of a thousand welcomes, our international reputation continues to thrive as Ireland has officially been ranked the “goodest” country in the world.

The results of the “Good Country Index” has found that Ireland tops the list of 125 countries – aimed towards determining which country on earth contributes to the planet and human race the most.

Ireland was determined to have contributed the most to the planet, and was almost identical to Finland who came second, while our British neighbours trailed behind in seventh.

Nine of the top 10 spots were comprised of Western European countries, while Kenya was the highest ranking African nation at 26th. The world’s largest country, the Russian Federation, ranked 95th and Libya was last.

The survey is the first of its kind and is based upon analysis and research from 35 separate indicators from the United Nations, the World Bank, the Basel Convention, the Global Footprint Network, as well as several other international NGOs and institutions.

INDICATORS

The indicators include the number of Nobel prize winners, exports of creative goods and services, as well as drug seizures and humanitarian aid contributions.

These 35 indicators were then grouped into seven different contributory categories, including science, technology, culture, peace, world order and health. Care was taken to ensure countries with weaker economies weren’t “unduly penalised” when compiling the list, and their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was also taken into account.

International independent policy advisor Simon Anholt, founder of the “Good Country Index”, said that he believes countries need to stop “behaving as if they were islands, disconnected from the rest of the world”.

“We live in an age where the impacts of everything we do are always felt around the world, and we need to start taking responsibility for those impacts,” he continued.

“The Good Country Index is a tool that can help start this process”.

He added: “We need a world made of good countries, not a world of successful countries.

Irish Government agrees to a partial merger of Bord na Móna and Coillte

 

FOCUS OF MERGER WILL BE ON AREAS OF OVERLAP, SAYS SIMON COVENEY

Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney: “A joint venture between the two companies will manage their common business activities in biomass, wind energy, shared services, and recreation and tourism.”

The Government has agreed to a partial merger between two large semi-State companies, Bord na Móna and Coillte. The Cabinet made the decision yesterday following a year-long analysis of the implications of a beneficial merger.

Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney, who is leading a four-day trade-and-investment mission to the US, said the focus of the partial merger would be on areas of overlap.

“A joint venture between the two companies will manage their common business activities in biomass, wind energy, shared services, and recreation and tourism. This decision will maximise the levels of benefit to the State and the two companies in the medium term,” said Mr Coveney.

IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS

He added the decision was the culmination of an indepth analysis by the New Economy and Recovery Authority, and the relevant Government departments and it also included input from both companies.

Mr Coveney said he had considered the issue with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin and Minister for Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte and they had agreed a partial merger was best.

In relation to Coillte, which forms part of his responsibility for forestry, the Minister said it was over 25 years in operation and the analysis of the sale of harvesting rights and a merger had been timely.

“The decision allows Coillte to focus on its core activities in forestry and operating its board mills while allowing the company to harness those areas of synergy it has with Bord na Móna. Ultimately this decision will allow the State to derive as much value as possible from both companies.”

Coillte said it fully supported the decision and was committed to implementing the joint venture which would focus on wind energy, biomass supply, shared services and green tourism.

Irish Mental health services are in danger of ‘moving backwards’

 

STATE WATCHDOG WARNS STAFF SHORTAGES could MEAN that PROGRESS IN SOME AREAS of Mental Health HAS GROUND TO A HALT.

Mental health services are in danger of “stagnating and moving backwards”, the State’s watchdog for psychiatric care has warned.

A combination of staff shortages and slow changes to work practices means progress in some areas has ground to a halt, the Mental Health Commission said.

“While some service providers are making progress toward providing a truly modern mental health care service, there are many others that are struggling,” said John Saunders, chairman of the commission.

 “We are moving to a dangerous area of stagnation in terms of progress in the development of mental health services in Ireland.”

Mr Saunders was speaking at the launch of the commission’s annual report which shows key areas of service provision fall below what the watchdog body deems as acceptable.

Some 44 per cent of services complied with staffing requirements last year, while 60 per cent met regulations in relation to individual care plans for patients.

Patricia Gilheaney, the chief executive of the commission, said the level of adherence to these statutory regulations was not acceptable.

“Seven years on, we should be at the stage where we’re moving on and aiming for higher standards.”

In all, there are a total of 9,000 staff working across mental health services in the State , although official policy states there should be 12,000.

Mr Saunders said service providers were under massive pressure to do more with less and that staffing issues were in danger of impacting on basic services.

He said the staffing of community mental teams, in particular, was a priority but significant gaps remained.

A Vision for Change, the blueprint for the development of mental health services, was adopted as official policy in 2006 and envisaged the development of a recovery-oriented services.

While it found there was “considerable commitment” to the policy, it was being implemented unevenly and inconsistently across the State.

Other areas of concern include the over-use of seclusion and physical restraint, as well as the admission of children into adult psychiatric units.

Last year a total of 91 children were placed in adult psychiatric units, despite warnings from the commission that practice should only occur in extreme cases.

Ms Gilheaney also called for the commission to be given powers to inspect community-based services, such as nurse-supervised residences and other settings.

While the commission may inspect these services from time to time, it has no statutory role and care regulations do not apply to these settings.

A report from the Inspectorate for Mental Health Services expressed concern in recent days that many of these nurse-supervised community residences are institutional in nature and have limited access to therapy and support.

"Minister Fitzgerald" says some €12.8m paid to 357 Irish Magdalene women

  

MINISTER FOR JUSTICE SAYS LEGISLATION WILL PROVIDE EXTRA SUPPORTS FOR THE WOMEN. 

Ruth Coppinger TD:  (above right picture) “This is an important landmark for women. Gender-based violence is at epidemic levels and one in four women in Ireland has experienced domestic violence.”

Some 357 former Magdalene laundry residents have been paid a total of €12.8 million in lump sum payments, Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald has told the Dáil. “A further 106 formal offers have been made and letters of provisional assessment on the length of stay in a relevant institution have been issued to an additional 35 applicants,’’ she added.

She said the ex-gratia scheme covered the 10 Magdalene laundries, which were the subject of the McAleese report, as well as St Mary’s training centre, Stanhope Street, and the House of Mercy training school, Summerhill, Wexford. A substantial body of work and engagement had already taken place with those eligible for the scheme, she added. Seventy-one of the 754 applications had been refused because the applicants were not in the 12 specified institutions.

Ms Fitzgerald said the Government, in her proposal, had agreed to the publication of the scheme of a new Bill providing for services and supports for women who worked in the laundries. Its purpose was to make additional provision for access to health services and the exempting of payments made to by the State to the women on the basis of means-tested criteria. “It also provides for legal provision for relatives, or other appropriate persons, to act on behalf of any of the women who do not have the capacity to act on their own behalf.”

The Minister was replying to Independent TD Maureen O’Sullivan who asked why An Grianán was not included on the list of institutions covered by the restorative justice scheme. Ms Fitzgerald said the scheme was primarily for women who were in the laundries. “Obviously, we are in a different situation now with a new inquiry to be initiated following the Tuam situation,” she added.

Meanwhile, Ms Fitzgerald told Socialist Party TD Ruth Coppinger she was anxious to see Ireland ratifying the Council of Europe convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence as quickly as possible. It would require changes to domestic legislation which her department was working on.

Ms Coppinger said the convention had been signed in 2011, but it had not yet been ratified by the Government. “This is an important landmark for women,” she added. “Gender-based violence is at epidemic levels and one in four women in Ireland has experienced domestic violence.”

Ms Fitzgerald said the Government was committed to introducing consolidated and reformed domestic violence legislation.

Greater white-toothed shrew spreads across Ireland

   

Greater white-toothed shrews could colonise abandoned farmland across Ireland by 2050.

An invasive species of shrew is spreading across the Irish landscape at a rate of more than five kilometres a year, according to new research.

Greater white-toothed shrews were first discovered in Ireland in 2007.

They have greyish brown hair and a yellowish grey lower belly. The shrew have distinctive bright white teeth, prominent ears and long, white hairs on their tail.

Prof Ian Montgomery, Queen’s University Belfast, said: “The invasive small mammals of Ireland, the greater white-toothed shrew and the bank vole should be recognised as an invasive species that has the potential to have a large negative impact on the Irish ecosystem.”

He added that “the ecological impact of these alien species is likely to be far greater than, for example, the grey squirrel.”

Expansion: Scientists fear the greater white-toothed shrew could colonise field boundaries and abandoned farmland across the entire island by 2050.

Dr Allan McDevitt, University College Dublin, said “the invading population of the greater white-toothed shrew currently covers an area of 7,600 km2 and is found in Counties Tipperary, Limerick, Cork, Waterford, Kilkenny, Offaly.”

The greater white-toothed shrew has a competitive advantage over native shrew, in eating large insect prey.

This advantage combined with a fast paced expansion could lead to the disappearance of the pygmy shrew, which has been in Ireland for thousands of years.

The Pygmy shrew is one of the world’s smallest mammals.

Limiting the impact: The invasive species has not yet crossed the River Shannon.

However, it is understood that rivers and other barriers are only a temporary hindrance for the greater white-toothed shrew.

Research suggests the only means of limiting the impact of invasive small mammals is to encourage bigger hedgerows and more deciduous woodland across Ireland.

These habitats favour indigenous species against invaders.

Prof Montgomery said: “Ireland has a pitifully small area of woodland.

“Biodiversity would be greatly enhanced by a serious effort to increase the ecological value of hedgerows and expansion of woods and forests throughout the island. “