Irish households saving more now while continuing to pay down bank debts
Total credit to households on the balance sheets of the main banks was down 3.7% in the year to the end of March
Figures from the Central Bank show that the total credit outstanding stood at just over €100bn at the end of March.
The total amount of loans outstanding to private households, including loans that have been securitised and continue to be serviced by resident credit institutions, stood at €141.8bn at the end of March.
Variable rate, trackers or one year fixed-rate mortgages accounted for 92% of all outstanding loans for house purchases on balance sheets at the end of March.
Total deposits held in resident credit institutions by Irish private households was €87.2 billion at end-March 2013.
That represented a quarterly increase of 0.2% and an annual increase of 0.3%.
Irish Communion events spending drops by 4% on last year
AS PARENTS SPEND MORE THAN €700 ON AVERAGE
Parents spend an average of €713 on their children’s Holy Communion, according to a study from Ulster Bank.
That is a drop of 4% on what they spent last year on clothes, entertainment and food for family and friends.
The study also shows that while the average spend is falling, children make more money than ever.
They receive an average of €521, 42% of which is spent of video games.
Just 10% of children do not spend any of their money and opt to save it instead.
Irish men at greater risk of cancer and mortality than women
A LANDMARK REPORT FROM THE IRISH CANCER SOCIETY SHOWS THAT MEN ARE AT HIGHER RISK OF GETTING CANCER AND DYING FROM THE DISEASE THAN WOMEN.
The study of cancer incidence and mortality from a gender perspective in Ireland, the first of its kind, found that men were more likely to die from all cancers examined – including melanoma, a skin disease that develops more frequently in females.
Male mortality rates ranged from between 1.6-2.7 times that of women, according to the report launched to mark Men’s Health Week 2013, with colorectal and lung cancer presenting the highest risks.
An executive summary that accompanies the Excess Burden of Cancer Among Men in the Republic of Ireland report refers to projections that the number of invasive cancers is to increase by 7% annually for men compared to 6% annually for women.
Further to lifestyle decisions such as smoking, excess drinking and unhealthy eating, other mitigating factors for the figures include the traditionally poor patterns of help seeking behaviour among men.
Dr. Noel Richardson director of the Centre for Men’s Health at the Institute of Technology Carlow said: “Cancer represents a significant proportion of what Ireland’s National Men’s Health Policy describes as ‘the burden of ill-health’ experienced by Irish men. Lifestyle factors account for a large proportion of this excess burden and are particularly crucial for men in lower socio-economic groups.”
“The publication of today’s report gives a solid evidence base for what action needs to be taken by both policy makers and service providers so they can engage more effectively with all men, to improve health and well-being and to bring down the incidence of cancer and the number of men dying from cancer.”
A single serving of salad dressing a day could help men beat prostate cancer
A spoonful of salad dressing a day may improve a man’s survival chances after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, research has shown.
The finding is the most striking result from a study linking consumption of healthy vegetable fats with a reduced risk of deadly cancer and death.
One serving of oil-based dressing a day – equivalent to one tablespoon – was associated with a 29pc lower risk of potentially lethal prostate cancer and a 13pc lower chance of dying from any cause.
The US authors stressed the research involving 4,577 prostate cancer patients had revealed an association and not a causal link.
In an online paper published by the journal ‘JAMA Internal Medicine’, they wrote: “Overall, our findings support counselling men with prostate cancer to follow a heart-healthy diet in which carbohydrate calories are replaced with unsaturated oils and nuts to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality.
“The potential benefit of vegetable fat consumption for prostate cancer-specific outcomes merits further research.”
Of the male health workers with prostate cancer enrolled into the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, around a fifth (21pc) died from the disease over a period of about eight years. Another 31pc died from heart disease and almost 21pc from other cancers.
At the time they were recruited, all the men had non-metastatic prostate cancer, meaning the disease had not yet spread to the bones or other parts of the body.
ANTIOXIDANTS: Information about the patients’ dietary habits was collected from food questionnaires.
Swapping animal fats and carbohydrates for healthy vegetable fats, including olive and canola oil as well as oils from nuts, seeds and avocados, was found to have a significant impact on disease progression and death.
Men who replaced 10pc of their total daily carbohydrate consumption with healthy vegetable fats had a 29pc lower risk of developing deadly prostate cancer and a 26pc reduced risk of dying from any cause.
The study also showed that eating an ounce of nuts a day led to an 18pc lower risk of lethal prostate cancer and an 11pc lower risk of death.
Lead scientist Dr Erin Richman, from the University of California at San Francisco , said: “Consumption of healthy oils and nuts increases plasma (blood) antioxidants and reduces insulin and inflammation, which may deter prostate cancer progression.
“The beneficial effects of unsaturated fats and harmful effects of saturated and trans-fats on cardiovascular health are well-known. Now our research has shown additional potential benefits of consuming unsaturated fats among men with prostate cancer.”
The study took into account factors such as age, medical treatment, body mass index (BMI), smoking, exercise, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and other aspects of diet that may have influenced the results.
Three (dolphins) discovered alive and living happily in the deep waters of the Shannon Estuary
Three Shannon dolphins, who captured the publics imagination earlier this year when they took up residence in shallow waters close to Bunratty, were discovered safe and well over the weekend.
The Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation (SDWF) have been attempting to locate the dolphins since they were last sighted in Bunratty in April.
The “Bunratty Three” were spotted by a monitored dolphin tour boat in the deep water of the Shannon Estuary on Friday.
The “Bunratty Three” were spotted by a monitored dolphin tour boat in the deep water of the Shannon Estuary on Friday.
The dolphins were last spotted in Bunratty on April 13 and the SDWF and other dolphin group were keen to confirm that they had managed to reconnect with their main Dolphin population.
“The SDWF carry out annual monitoring of the dolphins from dolphin tour boats operating from Kilrush and Carrigaholt, and during dedicated boat transects,” said a spokesperson from SDWF.
“During the first monitoring trip from Kilrush this week, three dolphins were recorded by the SDWF. Each dolphin in this small, discrete population is important and it is reassuring to know that the ‘Bunratty Three’ are healthy and have rejoined the Shannon population.”
Thousands of people traveled to see the dolphins during their two week long stay in Bunratty earlier this year.
It was originally thought that the dolphins were trapped in the shallow water in Bunratty and were unable to swim underneath a nearby bridge because of the sound of heavy traffic.
It was originally thought that the dolphins were trapped in the shallow water in Bunratty and were unable to swim underneath a nearby bridge because of the sound of heavy traffic.
A rescue attempt was planned but an expert assessment of the dolphins condition revealed that the animals were in good condition and in no immediate danger.
The dolphins eventually left the shallow estuary but were unaccounted for for the three months leading up to last weeks confirmed sighting.
The dolphins eventually left the shallow estuary but were unaccounted for for the three months leading up to last weeks confirmed sighting.
Drink licences granted for Westport festival of music & food
Special exemptions and an occasional licence were granted for the serving of alcohol at upcoming Westport festivals at last Thursday’s sitting of Westport District Court.
An occasional licence and a special exemption was granted for the Westport Festival of Music and Food while special exemptions were also granted for Reek Sunday weekend and the Gael-force West adventure festival.
An application for a special exemption for the Sea2Summit festival was adjourned because its November date falls outside the time frame for a joint application with the other festivals.
An application for an occasional licence for the Westport Festival of Music and Food at Westport House by Tom Dickinson, a bar-licence holder in Limerick.
Judge Mary Devins asked why last year’s music festival had operated without an occasional licence. She was told by solicitor Dermot Morahan that an ‘entertainment’ licence was received last year but a certain size of crowd must be in place for such a licence. The court was told that, this year, organisers are expecting 5,000 to 7,000 at the festival.
Judge Mary Devins asked why last year’s music festival had operated without an occasional licence. She was told by solicitor Dermot Morahan that an ‘entertainment’ licence was received last year but a certain size of crowd must be in place for such a licence. The court was told that, this year, organisers are expecting 5,000 to 7,000 at the festival.
Judge Devins asked why Mr Dickinson was applying as it was ‘very unusual’ for an outside licencee to apply to the district court for an occasional licence. Dermot Morahan told the court that Mr Dickinson’s daughter, Ashley, had operated such bars at various music festivals all over the country and was doing the same in this instance.
M/s Dickinson told the court that she had worked at the Westport Music Festival last year and the promoter, Darryl Downey, had asked her to run the bars this year. She said that this festival would be ‘family orientated’ and anyone who looked under 21 years of age would be asked for identification if they sought to purchase alcohol at the festival.
Superintent Aiden Foley said Gardaí had a number of meetings about the situation and they are happy with the arrangement.
Judge Devins also granted special exemptions for the Westport Festival of Music and Food, for the Croagh Patrick annual pilgrimage and for Gael-force West.
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