The Northwest of Ireland ‘European Creative Industries Alliance’ gets €100,000 boost
Creating practical programmes with traditional industries is the aim of an EU-funded initiate due to start in the northwest this week.
Graphic and web designers and others in the creative sector will be encouraged to offer their skills to life sciences, tourism, technology and agri-food businesses.
The northwest is the sole Irish region selected so far for the €100,000 initiative, which is backed by the European Creative Industries Alliance.
Participants will receive “talent vouchers” to finance the collaboration between diverse sectors, as part of a business support programme named 4CNW (Creative Challenge Celtic Crescent North-West).
Full details will be outlined at a mini-symposium during the Institute of Technology Sligo’s enterprise and innovation week, starting today.
The project was drawn up in a partnership between Sligo County Council and the Western Development Commission. The pair entered a successful bid to the European Commission’s enterprise and industry directorate with local authority partners from Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo and Roscommon.
“This will add value to the existence of successful technology and industries within the region, and help unlock the potential of the ‘disconnected’ creative talent [in] northwest Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland,” Sligo County manager Hubert Kearns said.
The commission defines the creative sector as “those businesses which rely most on human creativity to generate economic value”, ranging from television production to graphic design, music, theatre, architecture and the visual arts.
In a 2009 report, it forecast that the western region’s “creative sector” could generate employment for 13,000 people.
At that time, some 11,000 people were already working in the arts, representing 3 per cent of total employment in the region.
Will Kate Middleton be the next royal to visit Ireland?
The lovely Kate Middleton could be the next British royal to visit Ireland. She has already wowed audiences in Canada and the US — and now it appears an Irish trip could be on the cards.
Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore has said that she would be “very welcome” to follow in the footsteps of her grandmother-in-law.
Mr Gilmore said: “We would hope that future high-level visits will serve to follow up on the momentum created by the queen’s visit and to reinforce the close ties between Britain and Ireland.”
Brendan Griffin, TD for Kerry South, is calling for a visit from Kate and her husband, Prince William. He believes that it is important for the younger generation of the royal family “to cement relations” between Britain and Ireland.
Kate marked St Patrick’s Day when she presented the Irish Guards with shamrock. Prince William is the royal colonel of the Irish Guards and chose to wear the uniform of the regiment for his wedding last year.
Complaints over household owners personal information on the Government’s charges website
Up to 20 complaints and queries have been made to the Data Protection Commissioner over requests on the household charges website for additional personal information.
One Co Clare householder, James Fahy, wrote to the Department of the Environment saying he had no problem paying the €100, but would not hand over his PPS number, telephone number and email address.
The Household Charge Operations unit had told him they could not set up his account “due to insufficient information”, namely the lack of a PPS number. He had paid the €100.
Mr Fahy complained in writing to the department stating he would not send such information to an anonymous body that “does not even have an address”.
The household charge website asks for a PPS number and also for email and telephone numbers to provide annual reminders. The site also states that such contact information can be used to “to notify property owners of potential liability for household charges”.
The department is also recording the IP address assigned to people by their internet service providers.
This will be used for purposes including site administration, trend analysis and gathering statistics. The department said they will not link IP addresses with other personal information.
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner said they contacted the Department of the Environment about complaints made to them.
“They have agreed that they will deal with the complaints we have received immediately,” said a spokesman for the office. “As part of this liaison, we have discussed and agreed on the content of the privacy statement and the provision of additional online information for users in terms of what their data is being used for.”
Earlier this week, it emerged that the office has already been working with the department to ensure any personal data requests, made by local authorities to the likes of the ESB, are treated in a particular way.
Local authorities have signaled they will be seeking bill payer information from companies so they can ensure maximum compliance with the €100 charge.
The Office of the Commissioner has said any such data must be “requested in a proportionate manner involving minimum access to data held by the ESB, etc”.
Money will be taken from peoples bank accounts for household charges ‘if law is enacted’
Householders might have money deducted from their bank accounts if they fail to pay the household tax
Stark plans to remove cash forcibly from people’s bank accounts and benefits if they refuse to pay the controversial household tax are being drawn up by the Government, it can be revealed.
Environment Minister Phil Hogan said changes this year to legislation introduced two years ago will allow the State to seek court approval to “deduct from source” fines and penalties incurred by the late or non-payment of the 100 euro charge – yet to be paid by the vast majority of citizens.
Furthermore, the Fine Gael minister said fines – which could mount into hundreds of euro after a year – could be taken directly from people’s pay packets and bank accounts.
“We will have legislation that will allow a court to, in certain circumstances, allow the State to deduct from source,” said Mr Hogan.
Hundreds of thousands of householders have so far not paid the charge, against the backdrop of a campaign against it led by several left-wing TDs.
Protesters have claimed they would rather go to court and jail than pay the fee, but the new legislation seeks to prevent that.
Latest figures show that only 15% – some 251,458 of the 1.6 million liable for the charge – have registered.
Those who fail to do so by the March 31 deadline have been warned they could face a fine between 1,000 and 2,500 euro.
They will also accumulate late-payment penalties, building interest fees of 1% (of the 100 euro) per month for six months after the deadline date, which will rise to 10% per month between six months and a year after the date, and 30% per month after the first year.
Opposition TDs have made numerous calls for the Government to scrap the charge, arguing that a flat rate is unfair and that the wealthy should be taxed instead.
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