Eircom reveals the locations for
Phase 2 of the fibre rollout plan in Ireland
Incumbent telecoms operator Eircom, which last week sought examinership in the High Court, today revealed the locations for Phase 2 of its fibre rollout in Ireland.
Last year, Eircom committed to a 100 million phase 1 plan to reach 1 million households with fibre broadband over the next four years.
Phase 2 includes 13 communities in eight counties across Ireland. Work is expected to commence late this summer and will continue through to the end of 2012.
The locations announced today are in addition to 14 areas previously announced.
The communities include: Shantalla (Galway); Quaker Rd (Cork); Limerick City (Limerick); Rathedmond (Sligo); Ballincollig (Cork); Belcamp, Dun Laoghaire, Rochestown (Dublin); Ennis (Clare); Drogheda (Louth); Bray (Wicklow); Ballina and Castlebar (Mayo).
250k premises to have fibre services by year’s end
Eircom said once Phase 2 is completed, fibre will pass 250,000 homes and businesses within the 27 selected areas, providing speeds of 40Mbps and beyond.
The upgraded infrastructure will largely use fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) technology, but some direct fibre to the home (FTTH) will be used in certain areas.
“We have committed to providing 1m homes and business with fibre in the next three years,” Eircom CEO Paul Donovan said.
“Today’s announcement underlines our desire to remain focused on our strategic aim to provide fibre-based broadband services for Ireland.
“By the end of the year, more than 250,000 premises will be able to avail of new services on offer,” Donovan said.
Big fears that the (H3) strain virus will spread from Donegal
Fears are rising that the deadly flu virus that killed six elderly people may spread after it was revealed four of the six people killed had received the flu vaccine.
Former Moville Parish Priest, Father Paddy O’Kane, was so concerned for his father, Dominic, who resides in Nazareth House in Fahan he gave him the last rites this week.
It is also understood that five members of staff at the private nursing home have also contracted the Influenza A (H3) strain.
The investigation into the deaths was only launched on Sunday after a GP visited the home.
Buncrana-based councillor Rena Donaghey told the Democrat there’s a ‘great fear’ in the area and she’s been inundated with phone calls about it.
She said: “It is devastating news. There is a great fear in the area. Buncrana is a very small community where everybody knows everybody and there is great fear there. People are very concerned for the other members that are in the home as well as for other vulnerable elderly people in the area.”
But, Cllr Donaghey said she felt very assured the HSE had put appropriate measures in place to stop it spreading further. Earlier this week Dr Peter Wright, director of public health HSE North West, said it was ‘unlikely’ the virus would spread to members of the public.
Yesterday the Public Health Department of the HSE West said they’ve deployed a team of medical doctors, nurses and surveillance scientist to Nazareth House in order to control and manage the situation and put all appropriate treatment and control measures in place
All residents in the nursing home have received either active or preventative treatment for influenza
Dr Darina O’ Flanagan, Director of the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSE HPSC), said “The results prove that the measures put in place by the Public Health Department of HSE North West have been appropriate since they became aware of the tragic deaths of residents in the nursing home.
” Dr Wright added: “People should be aware of the simple measures they can take to reduce the risk of infection. These include covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough and sneeze, disposing of the tissue as soon as possible and washing your hands with soap and water as soon as you can afterwards. People visiting older residents of the Nazareth nursing home and healthcare staff should ensure that their vaccinations for influenza are up to date,” he said.
Making big waves: Irish surfer’s Ollie O’Flaherty’s Mullaghmore Sligo feat shortlisted for global award’s
Irish surfer Ollie O’Flaherty left and one of the massive waves he surfed in Mullaghmore Sligo last March.
An Irish surfer has been nominated for a global surfing award after catching one of two massive waves that broke on the Sligo coastline on the same day this year.
The waves occurred off Mullaghmore during the “Viking storm” conditions of March 8th, with one being caught by Lahinch & Irish surfer Ollie O’Flaherty.
The other, estimated at a record 50ft (15.24m), was caught by Devon surfer Andrew Cotton, who had waited three months for the conditions and had almost left for home several days before.
The Mullaghmore nominees are on the shortlist for this year’s Billabong XXL global surfing awards, competing against waves breaking off Outer Bommie in western Australia, Agiti in Spain and Praia do Norte in Portugal.
Surfing film-maker Peter Clyne, who took to his board to record the Mullaghmore conditions on March 8th, said O’Flaherty’s nomination was significant as the first Irish surfer to make it to the final in such a prestigious category.
Surfers from Ireland, Britain, France, Hawaii, Brazil, South Africa and Australia had taken to the northwest swell for what magicseaweed.com described as the best conditions for that month in 15 years. The weather system tracked by the website began off Greenland, the same winds that brought the Vikings to Ireland, said website editor Edward Temperley.
Over 60% of Irish schools may drop leaving cert subjects to cope with education cuts
More than 60% of schools in Ireland are considering dropping subjects from the Leaving Cert programme from September because of budget cuts, according to a new survey for the main second-level teacher union, the ASTI.
The subjects most likely to be dropped are accounting, chemistry, physics and economics, according to the survey, which examines measures taken by schools to compensate for staff losses and budget cuts since 2009.
More than 80 per cent of schools surveyed had lost teaching posts in the period.
The survey found that 47 per cent of the 151 respondents had dropped subjects at Leaving Cert level since 2009.
The most commonly dropped subject at Junior Cert level was German.
About a quarter of schools reported a reduction in teaching hours for core subjects, such as Irish at Junior Cert.
According to the union, other measures employed to address staff losses include the amalgamation of fifth- and sixth-year classes in some subjects and the amalgamation of higher, ordinary and foundation level classes.
“With an estimated 18 per cent of students in second-level schools coming under the category of special needs, this move to amalgamate levels will result in an impoverished learning environment for students,” said Moira Leyden, ASTI assistant general secretary.
Almost half of all schools surveyed reported overcrowding in classrooms.
Last night the Department of Education said it would be premature to speculate on how changes to the teacher allocations in post-primary schools would impact on individual schools in the new school year. As part of necessary budget measures, last December changes were announced to teacher allocations. The budget reduced by 450 the overall number of teachers in 723 schools.
“The department acknowledges this will have an impact on schools. However, schools will decide individually in the coming period how precisely to use their allocation and whether this will necessitate a change in class size, the amalgamation of classes at different subject levels or ceasing to provide a subject.
“It would be regrettable if schools decided to cease providing a subject. Where schools are contemplating dropping a subject, the department would encourage to consider shared arrangements with neighbouring schools where this is feasible.’’
The ASTI findings will inform debate at next week’s union conference in Cork, where subjects up for discussion include reform of the Junior Cert, cuts in guidance counselling allocation, the Croke Park agreement and the position of newly qualified teachers.
Yesterday ASTI insisted that there was “no place for politics” at next week’s conference .
There are suggestions that some ASTI members may be planning a demonstration to coincide with the appearance of the Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn.
“I do not want to see any interference in the internal business of the ASTI by political groups,” general secretary Pat King said.
“Members have a right to hold a dignified protest but political groups have no jurisdiction in ASTI.”
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