Ireland’s 2% VAT increase among the new measures to take effect 2012
+ 2% 
A number of budgetary measures take effect from today, including the 2% increase in the standard VAT rate.
The VAT increase is one of a number of tax increases and expenditure cuts announced in Budget 2012 aimed at saving the State €3.8 billion.The new annual household charge of €100, and a 3% increase in DIRT to 30% have also come into effect.Fares on public transport services operated by Iarnród Éireann, Dublin Bus and the Luas will increase by between 3% and 15%.Motor tax and toll charges will also go up and the hourly rate for parking at railway stations will increase by €1.The cost of private health insurance is also set to rise.Quinn Healthcare has raised its prices by up to 22%, while Aviva policy rates will increase by up to 15% in February.The monthly threshold under the Drug Payment Scheme increases from €120 to €132, which is estimated to save the Government €12 million. Third level registration fees will increase by €250 aimed at saving €18.5m.
The first new baby of the year
born in Rotunda Hospital Dublin
A baby girl born in the Rotunda hospital in Dublin is believed to be the first New Year’s baby in Ireland.
Amelie Rose Mitchell was born by Caesarean section at 35 seconds after midnight, weighing 3.3kg (7lbs 5oz). Her parents are Neil and Catriona Mitchell from Churchtown in Dublin.The first baby born at the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital (CWIUH) in the New Year arrived at 0.17am.The boy, who is yet to be named, weighed 2.4kg. He is the sixth son of Jennifer Dowman from Dublin.The second baby born at the hospital was also a baby boy, who arrived at 1.03am.He weighed 3.89kg and has been named Anthony by his mother Kathleen Sweeney.
Ireland’s 2% VAT increase among the new measures to take effect 2012
+ 2%
A number of budgetary measures take effect from today, including the 2% increase in the standard VAT rate.
The VAT increase is one of a number of tax increases and expenditure cuts announced in Budget 2012 aimed at saving the State €3.8 billion.
The new annual household charge of €100, and a 3% increase in DIRT to 30% have also come into effect.
Fares on public transport services operated by Iarnród Éireann, Dublin Bus and the Luas will increase by between 3% and 15%.
Motor tax and toll charges will also go up and the hourly rate for parking at railway stations will increase by €1.
The cost of private health insurance is also set to rise.
Quinn Healthcare has raised its prices by up to 22%, while Aviva policy rates will increase by up to 15% in February.
The monthly threshold under the Drug Payment Scheme increases from €120 to €132, which is estimated to save the Government €12 million. Third level registration fees will increase by €250 aimed at saving €18.5m.
Irish Cancer Society urges smokers to quit for the New Year
Quit Smoking 
The Irish Cancer Society is encouraging all smokers to make quitting one of their New Year’s resolutions for 2012.
Research shows that 70% of smokers want to quit and the key to giving up successfully is wanting to stop, being motivated, planning and preparing to quit.
The Society said that stopping smoking is the single most important thing a person can do to improve his or her health.
It is the main cause of preventable death and ill health in Ireland, causing 30% of all cancers.
For information and support on how to kick the habit, people can call the National Smokers’ Quitline on 1850 201 203.
Dublin & Ireland heralds the arrival of the new year in style
The party goers burst into cheers amid a confetti-filled celebration in New York’s Times Square to welcome in the new year, part of star-studded celebrations and glittering fireworks displays around the world to usher in 2012.
From New Zealand to New York, the world eagerly welcomed a new year and hoped for a better future, saying goodbye to a year of hurricanes, tsunamis and economic turmoil that many would rather forget.
In Dublin, thousands of people attended an outdoor concert in College Green featuring Damien Dempsey, Dublin band the Coronas and a performance of Riverdance.
In New York, hundreds of thousands gathered at the crossroads of the world to witness a crystal ball with more than 30,000 lights descended at midnight. Lady Gaga and Mayor Michael Bloomberg led the crowd in the final-minute countdown of the famed crystal-panelled ball drop.
Revellers in Australia, Asia, Europe and the South Pacific island nation of Samoa, which jumped across the international dateline to be first to celebrate, welcomed 2012 with booming pyrotechnic displays.
Fireworks soared and sparked over Moscow’s Red Square, crowds on Paris’ Champs-Elysees boulevard popped Champagne corks at midnight.
The first worldwide celebrations started in the island nation of Samoa, which hopped across the international date line at midnight on Thursday, skipping Friday and moving instantly to Saturday.
Samoa and the neighbouring nation of Tokelau lie near the dateline that zigzags vertically through the Pacific Ocean; both sets of islands decided to realign themselves this year from the Americas side of the line to the Asia side to be more in tune with key trading partners.
In Sydney, more than 1.5 million people watched the shimmering pyrotechnic display designed around the theme Time to Dream. In London, some 250,000 people gathered to listen to Big Ben chime at the stroke of midnight.
World leaders evoked 2011’s struggles in their New Year’s messages with some ambivalence.
French president Nicolas Sarkozy warned Europe’s crisis is not finished and “that 2012 will be the year full of risks, but also of possibilities”.
Pope Benedict XVI marked the end of 2011 with prayers of thanks and said humanity awaits the new year with apprehension but also with hope for a better future. “We prepare to cross the threshold of 2012, remembering that the Lord watches over us and takes care of us,” Benedict said last night. “In him this evening we want to entrust the entire world. We put into his hands the tragedies of this world of ours, and we also offer him the hopes for a better future.”
In Brazil, heavy rains did not halt parties as upward of two million people gathered on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro and nearly as many on a main avenue in Sao Paulo, South America’s biggest city.
Brazil has seen healthy economic growth in recent years, as the country prepares to host the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. Growth, however, has stalled in recent months, and Brazilian leaders are trying to stimulate the economy in the new year.
2011 Jobs announcements of the year and beyond-2012
In spite of the recession, the tech industry revealed plenty of new job opportunities in Ireland for 2011 and beyond. We take a look at some of the most notable announcements.
GOOGLE PLANS 1,000 NEW JOBS FOR EUROPE
At the start of the year, the then-CEO of Google Eric Schmidt announced the search giant would create 1,000 jobs in Europe, split evenly between sales and engineering. In March, it bought the 15-storey Montevetro, the tallest building in Dublin, to provide more space for its operations. The company also announced it will establish a €75m data centre in Dublin’s Profile Park, creating 200 jobs building and renovating the facility and 30 jobs to manage it.
QUEST SOFTWARE TO CREATE 150 JOBS IN CORK
In January, US company Quest Software has announced the creation of 150 new jobs in Cork. The software company will create these jobs over the next three years in the areas of finance, software development and renewal, and inside sales for an international shared services centre in Cork. Quest Software operates more than 60 offices in 23 countries, including a sales office in Dublin, and employs 3,400 workers.
PAYPAL CREATES 350 JOBS IN DUBLIN
Online payments provider PayPal announced 350 new jobs this year for its EMEA HQ in Blanchardstown. A total of 150 jobs were created in February and a further 200 in August. The jobs were for permanent positions in customer service, risk operations, financial operations, sales and account management for those fluent in English and a second European language.
LINKEDIN TO CREATE 100 NEW JOBS IN DUBLIN
In March, professional social network LinkedIn said it would create 100 new jobs in Dublin in 2011. The jobs include graduate and experienced positions with opportunities in sales, business development, marketing, customer services, finance, HR and operations. The company’s Dublin offices are located at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay.
UP TO 200 E-COMMERCE JOBS FOR DUBLIN AND LIMERICK
Members-only online shopping site Gilt Groupe announced its plans to bring up to 200 jobs to Ireland by establishing an international HQ and software development centre in Dublin and operations in Limerick. Roles in its Dublin office include senior software engineering to push its most critical projects and its Limerick base offered jobs in customer support
NEW DELL CENTRES TO HIRE 150 PEOPLE IN TWO YEARS
Dell created its first Cloud Research and Development (R&D) Centre in Dublin and its first Dell Solution Centre built globally in Limerick in June of this year. It said it expected to recruit 150 people in two years in roles such as software engineering, IT architecture and development. The Cloud R&D Centre will help develop the next-generation cloud computing architecture on a global basis and the Dell Solution Centre in Limerick is part of a global network of 22 centres with extensive customer engagement capabilities.
APPLE TO CREATE 350 JOBS IN CORK WITH NEW OFFICE
In June, Apple signed a deal to set up an office in Cork city centre, which will house up to 350 employees. The consumer tech giant will lease the top two floors of a €75m building in Half Moon Street. Apple has had a facility in the county since the 1980s serving the EMEA market, and it has hired 3,000 people in Ireland.
145 WIND-TURBINE JOBS IN GALWAY
C&F Green Energy Limited announced in July its plans to create 145 new jobs in Athenry, Co Galway, over the next three years. The jobs are aligned to the commercial manufacturing of the C&F Green Energy’s range of new small wind turbines, which have been in development over the past two years. Enterprise Ireland made a significant investment in the company to provide grants to support these jobs.
TWITTER TO LOCATE INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS IN IRELAND
Twitter announced it would create an international office in Dublin in September of this year. The company shortlisted buildings in Dublin 2 and Dublin 4 for its offices and has already hired its first employee.
ERNST & YOUNG TO CREATE 300 IRISH JOBS
In October, consultancy firm Ernst & Young announced it will hire more than 300 people across Ireland in the next 12 months. The new hires will bring the total number of new positions announced by the company in the last year to 600. Recruitment will take place across Ernst & Young’s offices in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Belfast for various roles, ranging from graduates to qualified accountants and senior executives, into the firm’s Assurance, Tax, Advisory and Transaction Advisory Services practices
VMWARE TO CREATE 250 NEW CLOUD SOFTWARE JOBS IN CORK
Virtualisation and cloud software giant VMware revealed plans in September to create 250 new technology jobs in Cork over the next three years. It is expanding its facilities in Ireland with a further site to support the increasing demand for its virtualisation and cloud technologies across the globe. The majority of positions created involve high-value customer support and sales specialists.
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