Donie's Ireland daily BLOG UPDATE

Majella O’Donnell gets standing ovation as her head is shaved live on TV for Irish Cancer charity

   

Before the shave with Ryan             En-During the head shaving

        

New style after the shaving experience and with husband Daniel O’Donnell on a happier occasion.

MAJELLA ODONNELL, BUSINESSWOMAN AND WIFE OF SINGER DANIEL ODONNELL IS PICTURED AS SHE HAS HER HEAD OF HAIR SHAVED LIVE ON RTES LATE LATE SHOW WITH RYAN TUBRIDY.

The website of the Irish Cancer Society crashed last night after Majella O’Donnell had her head shaved live on the Late Late Show for the charity.
“The flood of goodwill after Majella on the Late Late Show has crashed our text and website,” the charity said last night.

“We’re working to resolve it, please bear with us.”
The businesswoman and wife of singer Daniel got a standing ovation on the show after she shaved her head for the charity live on the show.
“Am I better bald,” she joked to host Ryan Tubridy after she looked at herself in the mirror after having her head shaved.

Majella added that she has just started chemotherapy.

She also revealed how she can’t pray for herself because it makes her think too much.
“I can’t pray for myself because I can’t think about it that much. I can’t sit down and say ‘God help me’ becuase I don’t feel that I need help. I can’t explain it and if it was a friend of mine diagnosed with cancer I’d be praying for them but I can’t seem to do it for myself.

“I know that so many people are praying for me and that amount of power creates power.
“I’m only speaking for myself…I don’t feel sick,” she told Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show as she explained that feeling good might not last.

Earlier she had said she would be too afraid to look but then defied her fears.
“I’m only here to raise awareness and funds for the Irish Cancer Society and I don’t need attention in this arena for this kind of thing.”
She explained that she had discussed how to raise cancer awareness with her husband.

“Having spoken to Daniel, we agreed that we would like to use this as an opportunity to raise awareness and funds. We were both delighted when The Late Late Show and Ryan agreed to facilitate our request.”
She added that the aim is to raise as much money as possible. “I would love it if anyone who would like to contribute to this most worthwhile cause, could startdonating today”

People can donate to Majella’s Pink Appeal for the Irish Cancer Society, text ‘Pink’ to 50300 to donate €4 or CallSave 1850 60 60 60 to make a donation.”
John McCormack, chief executive of the Irish Cancer Society said: “Majella is extremely brave to take the huge step of shaving her hair on national television.”

He added: “Losing your hair to cancer treatment can be a devastating time for many women, as can proactively shaving your hair.
“The Irish Cancer Society fully support Majella and I personally commend her for bringing light onto such a painful time in her life, in doing this Majella will help other people out there now with breast cancer know that they are not going through this alone.”

The Society is 95pc funded by the general public, receiving less than 5pc government funding.

HSE criticised over HSE's paltry mental health funding 

 

A cross-party group of TDs and senators has criticised the HSE for not fully utilising the €35m in funds allocated to the country’s mental health services in last year’s Budget.

The Cross-Party Oireachtas Group on Mental Health said it was “not good enough” for the HSE to continue diverting funds from mental health services into other areas.

“When we pass a Budget we mean it, and the HSE should not try to make up its own policy,” said Fianna Fail TD Simon Harris (pictured).

“If there is €35m ring-fenced for mental health services, it’s not good enough for the HSE to do as it wishes with those funds.”

The Government’s policy on mental health recommended a move from hospital care to community-based care. It established community mental health teams of psychologists, occupational therapists and social workers who work alongside doctors to support people with mental health difficulties.

“Disappointing” delays in 2012 meant only 58 of the 414 staff promised to these teams were recruited and the group hopes such delays will not be repeated this year.

“They say they are going to spend the money, but we’re asking them to spend it in the time frame allocated, as soon as it’s allocated by the Oireachtas,” said Deputy Harris.

A HSE spokesperson said: “Of 414 posts allocated in 2012, the recruitment process is complete for 376 posts as at August 26, 2013. There are a further 21 posts accepted with clearances being processed.”

AirBnB chooses Dublin as European Headquarters, here comes the 2% Tax deal?

  

It would have been almost criminal if AirBnB hadn’t chosen somewhere in Ireland to be its European headquarters: arguably, given what we know about the tax advantages of doing so, possibly getting close to a breach of the fiduciary duty to shareholders.

THE REASON THE COMPANY ACTUALLY GIVES IS INTERESTING:

Chief executive Brian Chesky said in a blog post that the company would set up its European headquarters in Dublin because it was an emerging technology hub and had a tradition of hospitality.

“Dublin is known the world over for its warm welcome. The city has a reputation for being one of the most hospitable and friendliest places in the world,” Chesky said.

That’s all true enough but it’s also even more true of Cork. And there are also plenty of other places who would welcome highly paid tech jobs with open arms. The tax situation is fingered as really being responsible:Yes, 

Ireland’s corporate tax rate is low, at 12.5%. But that’s not the reason that everyone locates there at all. It’s because Ireland runs a territorial tax system that they do (I should note that my native UK is moving towards such a system but no one really believes that it will stay like that for the long term).In Ireland you pay the full Irish corporate tax rate on the profits that you make in Ireland. 

However, on profits that you make in the UK, or Germany, or Spain, you pay absolutely no Irish tax whatsoever. For a company like AirBnB this is of course terribly attractive. Sure, the apartments they’ll be renting out to people will be all over Europe. But all of the transactions are online and can thus be processed anywhere. What will actually happen is that Hans in Stuttgart puts his place up for a weekend rental, Jeorg from Dresden, or Denmark, rents it, the money flows in and out of Dublin.

This is business activity happening inside an Irish corporation (and EU rules do insist that you can operate across the EU in this manner) but it’s not happening inside Ireland. Thus no tax to pay on any profits that may be made. Of course, the company might have to pay tax to Uncle Sam if they then bring those profits back into the US but that’s a rather different problem.

This is the true reason why Ireland is such a great place to set up shop if you want to sell into Europe. It’s also why at least one Apple annual report has pointed out that their effective corporate tax rate on foreign profits is just under 2%. It’s not difficult to do and if you’re setting up in Europe why not? The company is supposed to be being run for the benefit of the shareholders, after all, not the workers or the customers and most certainly not for the benefit of the various tax collectors of the globe.

Michelle’s Obama’s health guru warns clock ticking on Ireland’s obesity crisis

 

Robin Schepper and Dr Muireann Cullen, manager of the Nutrition and Health Foundation at the seminar in Dublin

Michelle Obama‘s health guru has urged every Irish government minister to look at what they can do to tackle Ireland’s growing obesity crisis.

Robin Schepper pictured above, who set up the US first lady’s ‘Let’s Move’ campaign, said that the economic costs of obesity must be stressed to persuade policy makers of the urgency of taking steps to reduce it.

Over 60pc of Irish adults are now overweight or obese as are one-in-four preschool children.

Ms Schepper told a Nutrition and Health Foundation seminar in Dublin of the massive health costs of obesity.

It has even become a national security issue in the United States as 27pc of potential recruits to the US military are too overweight to join and thousands have to leave the armed forces each year because they fail fitness tests.

Ms Schepper said that many soldiers had been unable to perform their daily fitness drills because they were eating doughnuts for breakfast, but measures to provide healthier food at bases had proven highly successful.

Stressing that nutritious foods were better “performance fuel” had worked with them because 19-year-olds didn’t really care about long-term health but were keen to perform better athletically, she said.

Ms Schepper said that Ireland could learn lessons from the US including the need to get key decision makers on board.

Every government minister should be asked what they could do to tackle obesity.

This included measures to provide healthier environments such as putting in cycle paths and footpaths, as this enabled people to get active, she said.

It made sense to stress the economic costs of obesity including the massive healthcare bill, lost productivity at work and academic underachievement to get through to those who were conservative on the need for state action to tackle it.

ROLE MODELS: Michelle Obama’s ‘Lets Move’ campaign had been very successful in using celebrities such as Beyonce and sporting stars to champion the healthy living message, she said.

On a personal level parents needed to be role models to their children and people should encourage relatives and friends to make healthy choices.

She said the US had moved from the confusing food pyramid as a system of nutrition advice to a simpler to understand “food plate” guide in 2011.

There was no magic bullet to tackle obesity as it had taken 30 years to get to the current situation and it would probably take 30 more to reverse it, but prevention was crucial Ms Schepper said.

Jedward & parents facing court over ‘property deal’ breach of contract

Developer claims that there’s been a breach of contract

Pop stars Jedward and their parents are being sued by a property developer over an alleged breach of contract.

The Irish Media can reveal the millionaire performers, 21, look set to be hauled before the High Court after papers were lodged by Limerick auctioneer PJ Noonan.

The documents allege twins John and Edward Grimes and their parents John Grimes and Susanna Condron, breached a contract it is claimed they made
with Mr Noonan.

The Irish Mirror learned the action relates to a disputed property deal. Neither side was willing to comment when contacted last night.

Ms Condron, who is the twins’ mother and manager, said: “I’ll have to check this out and see what the story is myself.”

Mr Noonan is a well-known civil engineer and property developer from Lisnagry in Limerick.

When contacted yesterday at his auctioneering firm KPM he said: “I won’t be able to talk about it because of the proceedings. I was told not to.”

The papers were issued on July 23 and the defence papers were lodged on August 28. No court date has been set and an insider said the matter may be resolved before it comes to court.

Red panda's double trouble as zoo welcomes two brand new cubs

 

Dublin Zoo is calling on the Irish public to help them name their brand new two red panda cubs, born this year.

The cute cubs weighed 150 grams at birth, and are the third litter born to the two red pandas at the zoo.

The twins were born on July 14, but have only recently begun to venture outside their nest.

The red panda is mainly active at sunrise and sunset, so the cubs have mostly been spotted at night.

ADVENTUROUS

The two are said to have a very strong bond with their parents, Angelina and Chota.

Zookeeper Eddie O’Brien said they are doing “very well” and getting more adventurous and confident every day.

He said the zoo is “over the moon” at the birth of the cubs, given that the red panda is endangered.

Red pandas are native to the Himalayas and western China but are classified as a vulnerable species due to poaching and habitat destruction.

“Red panda numbers have declined in their native countries, but thanks to zoos and national parks those numbers have crept back up over the years,” said Mr O’Brien.

“When these cubs are old enough they will be sent to other zoos to breed with other cubs,” he added.

The zoo has opened up a competition to name the cubs on its Facebook page, and has hinted it would like to see names inspired by the animals’ Asian origin.

The winner of the competition will get a Dublin Zoo pass for their family.