Donie's Friday news Ireland update

Ireland's Petrol prices expected to fall 8-10 cents over the next three weeks

Motorists in Ireland can expect to see a drop in petrol and diesel prices of between 8 to 10 cents per litre over the next three weeks.
     AA Ireland says there is a three- to four-week lag between a change in prices and a change at the pumps.

AA Ireland's Director of Policy Conor Faughnan says a number of studies by the organisation showed fuel retailers on average faithfully followed the drop in oil prices, despite a perception by consumers this was not the case.

Almost 60% of the cost of fuel goes in tax and prices are also affected by the fact that fuel is bought in dollars.

The euro zone crisis has made the euro weaker against the dollar this year, which has had the effect of making petrol and diesel more costly.

Mr Faughnan said 55c of the cost per litre reflected the price of crude oil.

The AA's price watch survey, which is conducted in the first week of every month, shows petrol prices have fallen from 165.9c in May to 162.9c in June.

It shows diesel has dropped from 157.5c to 153.6c over the same period.

Turf-cutter Michael Darcy in hospital after his digger & livelihood is 

Destroyed during Irish bog's stand-off

  

A turf cutter who collapsed during a stand-off with gardai has told how his livelihood is in tatters following the destruction of his digger.

Michael Darcy (42) was at the heart of the 24-hour stand-off between protesters and gardai at Clonmoylan bog, near Portumna in Co Galway, which began after turf cutters were removed from the bog.

Mr Darcy’s digger went on fire after it had been impounded in the bog by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and attempts had been made by a company employed by the NPWS to start it without the key.

Last night it remained unclear how the fire started or who would pay for the replacement of the destroyed vehicle.

Mr Darcy claimed last night that while rangers for the NPWS had impounded his digger and turf-cutting machine, gardai had never provided him with a seizure order.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Mr Darcy told the Irish Independent: “I’m totally disheartened. My livelihood is at risk over this. I specialised in bog work all my life — I don’t have any other machines.

“I have a big overdraft almost up to the limit, I have a big diesel bill. I have thousands of euro in repayments each month on machinery. I don’t know what I’ll do.”

The incident led to a major stand-off between up to 250 protesters and gardai after attempts were made to stop officials removing equipment.

In the early hours of yesterday morning the digger went on fire while in the custody of the NPWS.

It is not clear how the fire started but it is believed that wiring may have caused a spark after NPWS rangers attempted to move the digger.

Officers had been attempting to move the digger onto a lorry to remove it from the bog. However, when the stand-off with protesters occurred they returned it to the bog. The fire broke out at 3.30 yesterday morning.

Impounded: The machine was later sealed off as gardai carried out an examination into the fire yesterday. It remains on bogland at the scene. A garda investigation into the cause of the fire will now take place.

The Galway man must now await his discharge from hospital before he can contact his solicitor on the matter.

He said a replacement digger could now cost him in the range of €50,000. He is also concerned that his turf cutter may have been damaged when it was seized.

The incident ended yesterday afternoon after authorities agreed to released the impounded turf cutter.

One protester said the outcome had been a “victory forcommon sense”.

Protesters gathered at Clonmoylan bog near Portumna in Co Galway from Wednesday afternoon in support of local turf cutters who had been removed from the bog earlier that day. They blocked the roads, stopping members of the National Parks and Wildlife Service from removing a hopper machine that they had impounded.

The impasse continued overnight and into yesterday afternoon before authorities finally agreed to release the machine.

Assistant Garda Commissioner Jack Nolan attended the scene. After negotiations between gardai and protesters, the hopper machine seized by gardai was returned to Mr Darcy. An examination of the machine was later undertaken by gardai at Mr Darcy’s yard.

While the standoff was at an end, locals were determined that the fight would continue. Dermot Moran of the Barroughter and Clonmoylan Bogs Action Group said this was only stage one of their fight and insisted that locals would return to the bog as soon as they could.

Another demonstrator, Tom Ward, was arrested by gardai during the protest. He was brought to Loughrea garda station but was later released and returned to the site, which is located about two miles outside Woodford in Co Galway.

Ireland is required to protect and conserve important peatland habitats on raised bogs under the EU Habitat’s Directive. A European Commission spokesman said it was watching events in Ireland.

Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said he fully supported the gardai in their stance at Clonmoylan bog.

Eating & weight disorders common in women aged 50 & over 'New study reveals'

      

Eating disorder behaviours and weight concerns are common in women over 50, a new study has revealed. These problems are commonly seen as an issue faced by teenagers and young women, but a new study reveals that age is no barrier to disordered eating.

In women aged 50 and over, 3.5% reported binge eating, nearly 8% reported purging, and more than 70% are trying to lose weight.

Furthermore, 62% of women claimed that their weight or shape negatively impacted on their life.

Researchers surveyed over 1,800 women from across the USA participating in the Gender and Body Image Study (GABI).

“We know very little about how women aged 50 and above feel about their bodies,” said Dr Cynthia Bulik, Director of the University of North Carolina Eating Disorders Program, who led the study.

“An unfortunate assumption is that they ‘grow out of’ body dissatisfaction and eating disorders, but no one has really bothered to ask. Since most research focuses on younger women, our goal was to capture the concerns of women in this age range to inform future research and service planning.”

The average age of the women surveyed was 59, while 92% were white. More than a quarter (27%) were obese, 29% were overweight, 42% were normal weight and 2% were underweight.

Results revealed that eating disorder symptoms were common. About 8% of women reported purging in the last five years and 3.5% reported binge eating in the last month. These behaviors were most prevalent in women in their early 50s, but also occurred in women over 75.

When it came to weight issues, 36% of the women reported spending at least half their time in the last five years dieting, 41% checked their body daily and 40% weighed themselves a couple of times a week or more.
62% of women claimed that their weight or shape negatively impacted their life, 79% said that it affected their self-perception and 64% said that they thought about it daily.

The women reported resorting to a variety of unhealthy methods to change their body, including diet pills (7.5%), excessive exercise (7%), diuretics (2.5%), laxatives (2%) and vomiting (1%).

Two-thirds, 66%, were unhappy with their overall appearance and this was highest when it came to their stomach, 84%, and shape, 73%.

“The bottom line is that eating disorders and weight and shape concerns don’t discriminate on the basis of age,” concluded Bulik. “Healthcare providers should remain alert for eating disorder symptoms and weight and shape concerns that may adversely influence women’s physical and psychological wellbeing as they mature.”

Ireland ‘show the way to rest of Europe’ in tackling economic crisis

SAYS GLOBAL INVESTOR MARK MOBIUS

     

Mark Mobius: oversees about $50bn (€39bn) in emerging and frontier market funds for Franklin Templeton

Legendary global investor Mark Mobius saysIreland “has shown the way” in tackling its economic crisis.

Mr Mobius, who is highly esteemed in the international investment community, said the country had been “willing to take a bit of medicine” and that it would emerge from the crisis faster than other distressed nations.

“The Irish were able to take a bit of medicine, and the proof will be in the pudding, but I think they will come out of this a lot faster and a lot better at the end of the day as a result,” said Mr Mobius during an interview with the Irish Independent.

He is the executive chairman of the Templeton Emerging Markets group and oversees about $50bn (€40bn) in assets.

Hoodwinked: “The Greeks have been hoodwinked by their politicians for so long … but Irish politicians seem to have said, look these are the mistakes we’ve made, now let’s get on with it,” he added.

Mr Mobius also said that he believed Greece — where pro-bailout parties yesterday formed a new coalition government following last Sunday’s general election, will remain in the eurozone. “I’m pretty optimistic, but I’m a lone voice in the wilderness. I’ve always felt that Greece will stay in and I believe Europe is going to be in good shape.”

He has recently warned that Ireland, Greece, Spain and Portugal risked being classed as emerging rather than developed markets if any of them were to exit the euro and per capita income fell considerably.

He accepted that change wouldn’t necessarily come quickly in Europe, but that at least the problems were being addressed.