Almost half of Ireland’s farmers have no identified successor
A survey shows
Almost half of Irish farmers over the age of 50 have no identified successor, according to the findings of a survey.
The survey was conducted among more than 400 full-time farmers over 50 years of age
Delegates at Macra na Feirme’s annual three day conference in Waterford were given details of the “Land Mobility and Transfer” study.
It was carried out by the organisation in conjunction with the Irish Farmers’ Association and the Irish Farmers’ Journal.
The survey was conducted among more than 400 full-time farmers over 50 years of age, with 48% saying they had no identified successor.
Macra na Feirme National President Alan Jagoe said solutions for the huge number of farmers without identified successors must be identified.
“While it is widely acknowledged that the fundamental issue of farm viability is a major concern for many farmers, nonetheless, farm families must be encouraged to discuss and plan for succession,” he said.
The conference is expected to attract a total of 2,500 young farmers and Macra na Feirme members from across Ireland throughout the weekend.
It was officially opened by Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney last night.
Once fully completed, the findings of the study will be analysed by Macra na Feirme, the IFA and the Irish Farmers Journal.
Global Irish Economic Forum ‘on course to create 5,000 jobs’
The Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has published a 12-month progress report on the 2011 Global Irish Economic Forum.
The forum saw the launch of a number of initiatives including the Gathering 2013 and the Global Irish Contacts programme, which links the diaspora to Irish firms wishing to expand overseas.
So far there are 38 confirmed gatherings organised by the diaspora – including the Irish Technology Leadership Group’s ‘Silicon Valley Comes To Ireland’ event.
Irish Labour backbenchers call for Universal Social Charge (USC) increase for wealthy
Deputy Joanna Tuffy Labor said the measure would raise €71m
A number of Labour backbenchers have called for high earners to pay more tax by increasing the Universal Social Charge in the budget for anyone earning over €100,000.
Deputy Joanna Tuffy said the measure would raise €71m and would make other budget cuts more bearable by sending what she called an important signal that those earning more were paying their share.
The proposal calls for a hike of 3% to 10% in the USC on any income earned over the €100,000 threshold.
But a Fine Gael Minister shied away from the proposal saying there had already been hikes in some wealth taxes.
Lucinda Creighton said there was a fine balance to be struck in making Ireland a good place to work and generate wealth which was needed to meet the targets.
She said there have already been hikes in taxes on wealth like Dirt and capital gains tax.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin called on the Government to go further.
Deputy Aengus Ó’Snodaigh said it was quite strange for Labour to come up with a change to the USC as in his opinion, the better way to do it was by having a third rate of tax for high earners as was Sinn Fein policy.
And speaking on tonight’s The Week in Politics programme, Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins dismissed the idea as a “pathetic” move by Labour to raise a “pathetic” amount of money and it amounted to what he called “a cover my rear end tax”.
A Labour spokesperson declined to comment on the story and whether the proposal might be Labour party policy.
It is understood the idea was discussed at last week’s parliamentary party meeting.
Consuming Omega-3 improves the memory of young people
Young adults may improve their memory if they increase their consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, a new study indicates.
Omega-3 fatty acids are most commonly found in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring. Supplements are also available over the counter in pharmacies.
Studies into the effects of omega-3 on cognitive functioning have been ongoing for some time, however this is the first study of its kind to show that young adults can improve their working memory.
“Before seeing this data, we would have said it was impossible to move young healthy individuals above their cognitive best, but we found that members of this population can enhance their working memory performance even further, despite their already being at the top of their cognitive game,” the US researchers said.
The study involved healthy men and women aged between 18 and 25, who took daily omega-3 supplements over a six-month period. Before taking the supplements, they underwent medical tests, such as blood tests, and a memory test. They were monitored throughout the six months and then at the end, underwent the same medical and memory tests.
The findings showed that the working memories of this young population had improved significantly.
“So many previous studies have been done with the elderly or people with medical conditions, leaving this unique population of young adults unaddressed. But what about our highest-functioning periods? Can we help the brain achieve its full potential by adapting our healthy behaviors in our young adult life? We found that we absolutely can,” the team from the University of Pittsburgh said.
However the study was unable to determine how exactly omega-3 enhanced memory.
Thirty Years of Fungie’s the dolphin Frolics in Dingle
A new video www.dinglepost.com posted to YouTube celebrates 30 years of Fungie the dolphin in Dingle.
The male bottlenose dolphin appeared from out of nowhere in the Co Kerry fishing village in 1983 and soon made it his home, quickly becoming an integral part of the local community.
Since his arrival Fungie has made friends and warmed hearts with people both local and across the world, such as Dutch couple Jeannine Masset and Rudi Schamhart who have been meeting him for more than 20 years.
Meanwhile, locals hope that new measures for harbour users proposed earlier this year won’t bring an end to boat trips to meet Dingle’s most famous resident.
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