Donie's News Ireland daily BLOG

Top US politician Jerry Brown launches assault on Irish tax laws 

   

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Silicon Valley’s best young whizz kids were left embarrassed as California Governor Jerry Brown took a sledgehammer to the Irish tax laws that lure US corporations here.

The Enterprise Ireland event in San Francisco was held to celebrate Irish-American links and the new wave of Irish entrepreneurs heading to the west coast in search of a fortune in new technologies.

Instead there was barely concealed hostility as California’s most senior politician gave a withering attack on our tax system and the US corporations who benefit.

He said his state of California would become an “independent country” if it had the same tax regime as Ireland.

It was one of several jibes about Irish taxation made after Taoiseach Mr Kenny had heralded the relationship between Ireland and the US.

And Mr Brown said that Apple was now an “Irish company” that benefited from what he described as “creative accounting”.

“I don’t know how you got to have Apple to have so much of their business in Ireland, we thought they were a Californian company, when you look at their tax returns they’re really an Irish company… it’s called creative accounting,” Governor Brown said.

The no-holds barred assault on fiscal policy caused deep unease among the Irish contingent in the boardroom.

His speech was met with gasps after he remarked about the relationship between Ireland and Britain.

After stating that both the Irish and Californians swim “against the stream”, he added: “The Irish have had to live next door to the English for all these centuries.”

Governor Brown then alluded to the number of Irish barmen working on the very street where he was making his controversial remarks.

“We have a lot of your countrymen that come to San Francisco, they run a lot of establishments here, on Geary Street you see a number of them,” he said, to polite laughter. But it was his continued focus on Irish tax laws that raised most eyebrows, even among the officials from the Government, the IDA and Enterprise Ireland.

The event – designed to assist Irish start-up firms seeking to break into the US market – was also attended by Irish ambassador to the US, Anne Anderson, several IDA officials including chief executive Barry O’Leary and dozens of Irish business people.

Governor Brown’s outspoken remarks come as the European Commission is poised to launch a formal probe into allegations that the Revenue Commissioners have offered special deals to multi-national companies.

The probe, which may begin as early as Wednesday, could result in businesses being asked to repay money.

When asked about the matter during his visit to Silicon Valley, Mr Kenny said: “Clearly when the Commission decide to make a statement on the matter, Ireland will react to it.

“We believe our legislation is robust, that the application of that legislation is ethical and obviously we will be prepared to defend that very strongly in the event of any further statement or requirement from the European Commission.”

In his own speech at the Enterprise Ireland event on Saturday, Mr Kenny spoke about his aims for Ireland to become “the greatest small nation on Earth”. He added that Dublin was “becoming a magnetic attraction for young people from all over the world”.

The Taoiseach said these young people were “changing the frontiers up ahead”.

Galway cancer survivor’s medical card withdrawn without any notice

  

A Galway carpenter who had a bone marrow transplant and aggressive chemotherapy treatment for a rare cancer nearly 22 years ago that left a legacy of side effects, was among those whose medical card was withdrawn out of the blue.

Now James Mullen, 59, is among tens of thousands hoping they will get their medical card back after the Government’s U-turn forced by their humiliation at the ballot box in last month’s local and European elections.

In 1993, James, from Clifden, Co Galway, underwent a bone marrow transplant that saved his life.

Back then, the chemotherapy regime that accompanied his successful cancer treatment was extremely aggressive – unlike the carefully targeted therapy available today.

It left James with a legacy of medical issues. At one stage he was on 22 tablets a day to treat blood pressure, stomach problems and other side-effects of his cancer treatment.

He told the Sunday Independent: “It’s a small price to pay. I’m glad to be rid of the cancer. Without the bone marrow transplant and the treatments I was told in 1993 that I would be dead within five years.”

Since then James has had a discretionary medical card – until about eight weeks ago.

He received no official notification. He found out that his medical card had been withdrawn by the HSE when he went to his pharmacist to pick up his prescription.

“I had to pay €140 for my medicines,” James added.

It is a large monthly bill the married father of four can ill afford.

“I rang the HSE and was talking to someone in there. I told them I was a cancer patient on twice yearly check-ups in Galway and Dublin. The chap said to me that back in the Nineties it was easy to give out medical cards because cancer patients didn’t live that long, but that has changed now,” James said. He has still not got his medical card back and has written to the HSE stating his case.

“They did send me a GP visit card to replace the medical card but that is not worth anything to me, I never go near a GP,” he said. “If I have a problem I have to see the specialist in hospital. What I need is help meeting the bill for medicines and drugs.”

The Irish Cancer Society (ICS) and other groups representing patients who had medical cards withdrawn in the latest health fiasco have been promised by Minister James Reilly that the mess will be sorted out before the Dail rises for Summer.

An emotional Dr Reilly was joined by Junior Minister Alex White for meetings with a number of groups on Friday, including Down Syndrome Ireland, the Jack & Jill Foundation, ICS and the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association.

The Our Children’s Health group, which has been campaigning for the return of cards and also met the Minister said: “We would like to acknowledge Minister Reilly’s sincerity and commitment to expedite the introduction of the new framework while also moving quickly to deal with those that have lost their medical cards.”

The group said the minister had “committed to identify and reinstate medical cards for all those affected” and added that this would be undertaken by the time the Dail breaks for the summer recess on July 17.

A spokesman for the group said Dr Reilly became “quite emotional” as he spoke to them.

A Department of Health spokesman said: “On the issue of those persons who lost a discretionary medical card through the review process, the groups were advised that the goal of the Government is to resolve that issue before the summer.”

It has now emerged that both Dr Reilly and the HSE furiously opposed the “medical cards probity” savings of €113m in 2014 advocated by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

Eventually, after that battle, the savings sought under the heading “Medical Card Probity” were reduced to €23m and approved by cabinet.

On Wednesday, Dr Reilly apologised to his Fine Gael colleagues for the way the medical card issue had been handled, but appeared to cast some blame on cabinet colleagues for forcing unrealistic savings on his department.

A range of options to treat prostate problems

HALF OF MEN OVER 60 HAVE SYMPTOMS OF ENLARGED GLAND

  

As men age, an undeniable aspect of men’s health involves beginning to think the prostate.

According to Men’s Health Network, more than 50 percent of men in their 60s and as many as 90 percent of men age 70 or older have symptoms of an enlarged prostate. More than 230,000 men each year are diagnosed with prostate problems and 30,000 men a year will die.

The prostate is part of a man’s sex organs. It is a small gland that produces semen. The walnut-sized organ surrounds the urethra, a tube that takes urine from the bladder to the penis, and also carries semen during ejaculation. In men, the prostate gland grows in puberty and then stops until about age 40 when it starts to grow again. In some men, the prostate gland does not stop growing after that.

There are three conditions associated with prostate growth. It can result in an enlarged prostate, a non-cancerous condition that can lead to frequent urination, difficulty going and an incomplete emptying of the bladder. This condition can lead to pain, sleep disorders, incontinence, bladder stones, kidney infections or damage to the bladder, kidneys or urethra.

Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate and can have complications related to infections, including fever, and illness.

Physicians advise a prostate exam at about age 50, earlier if there is a family history of prostate cancer.

“When we do the exam, we are looking to gauge the size of the prostate,” said Dr. Cullen Jumper of Core Physicians’ Atlantic Urology Associates in Exeter. “We check for hard spots (nodules) which might be concerning. If we need to, we biopsy and discuss the results. Once they reach this age group, all men should at least be discussing this test with their primary care physician. If they have concerns, they need to ask the questions. Many men do not, and they should.”

Dr. Steven Kahan of Atlantic Urology Associates said benign prostate hyperplasia, BPH, is the common term for the condition where the prostate grows to the point that it begins to interfere with urinary function.

“Traditionally, in the past this was treated with surgery, called TURP (transurethral resection of prostate), and that may still be done if needed, but there are also a variety of medications now to treat this,” Kahan said. “Some of the medications used were designed to treat high blood pressure, but we discovered they work well for this condition, too. Now we treat with medication and only consider surgery if that does not work.”

Besides the TURP surgery, Kahan said options include green light laser and ablation of prostate surgical methods.

Cancer of the prostate is treatable if caught early. A physical exam by the physician and possible biopsy tests are required to diagnose prostate cancer.

Dr. Gary Proulx is medical director of radiation oncology at Exeter Hospital’s Center for Cancer Care. He said that even if cancer is detected, treatment may be postponed in favor of “active surveillance” because prostate cancer is usually a very slow-growing disease.

“It is a typical misconception that men die from prostate cancer and that is usually not the case,” Proulx said. “Active surveillance means we simply monitor the cases where there such a low volume of the disease, where it is early grade cancer. We will generally biopsy it one year after discovery, to gauge the growth. Of course, if it is progressing we will treat it.”

Treatment of prostate cancer can involve surgery to remove the cancer followed by radiation treatments. Proulx said there used to be a push to treat immediately, but thinking has changed.

“It was thought that the prostate was generally being overtreated, and I would tend to agree,” Proulx said. “We are leaning the other way because sometimes it is just not necessary. Obviously, if the cancer is in the intermediate to high grade, we will act. Autopsies of men in late age, in their 80s, will often show the presence of prostate cancer, where the men never had any prostate issue in their lives.”

While there are no specific lifestyle changes recommended for prostate health, Proulx believes diet is a factor.

“Japanese men living in Japan never get prostate cancer,” Proulx said. “They eat a lot of fish and a generally lean diet. When they come here and take on a fatty diet, they get prostate cancer.”

A new ‘solitary’ dolphin’s moved to Irish waters

SWIMMERS ARE BEING URGED TO KEEP THEIR DISTANCE

 

Clet, who originated in French waters, is described as a “non-social solitary dolphin who does not seek out and engage with swimmers”.

Some people may remember a series of warning being issued last summer after a number of swimmers were injured while interacting with a dolphin off Co Clare.

As many as five people were injured by the mammal known locally as ‘Dusty’. Warning signs were placed around Doolin harbour, a favourite spot for the animal.

Well — as we head into the summer swimming season once again, a new warning’s being issued concerning another dolphin who’s recently relocated to Irish waters.

The dolphin in question, known has Clet, has been spotted recently in scenic West Cork — in particular, Glandore, Schull and Baltimore harbours.

According to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, the mammal — who originated in French waters — recently moved the southwest coast from the Isles of Scilly.

According to the IWDG’s Paul Kiernan he is a “non-social solitary dolphin who does not seek out and engage with swimmers”.

In an article on the group’s website this week, Kiernan set out the dangers posed by swimming with any wild dolphin, pointing out that the practice poses “significant potential to increase the risk to the health and safety of swimmers”.

He writes that while many dolphins “spend long periods of time in shallow waters facilitating encounters with small groups of people” their behaviour often changes as more and more people seek to share the experience — especially if they grab at the mammal or attempt to be towed along…

Natural, normal behaviours such as diving, feeding and resting behaviours decline in frequency in the presence of humans.

The animal seeks out interactions, becomes increasingly forceful in these interactions and begins to exhibit behaviour hazardous to swimmers in the water.

Documented behaviours include preventing swimmers from leaving the water by repeatedly swimming in front of them to intercept their exit, increased activity levels and force of activity, tail slapping and breaching in close proximity or on top of swimmers.

Dolphins have also been shown to bite or butt swimmers.

As humans, we do not possess the power to communicate with these animals and therefore we cannot understand how our actions will be interpreted by a wild dolphin, regardless of whether that dolphin is seeking contact with humans or not.

Clet was spotted swimming around sail boats in Glandore harbour on Thursday. The IWDG is encouraging people to get in contact if the spot the mammal, as hope to monitor his movements around Irish waters.

Great white shark EATEN by even larger mystery animal 

 

The 8-foot-long shark was eaten, possibly by an even bigger shark, say researchers.

Scientists are baffled after they discovered that 8-foot long great white shark has been eaten by even bigger “mystery sea monster.”

Researchers have no idea what animal could be responsible for killing and eating the shark.

The only theory they have so far come up with is that was attacked by a “colossal cannibal white shark.”

Researchers had tagged the healthy shark to track its movements.

But the tracking device washed up on an Australian beach four months later.

Data shows there was a rapid temperature rise along with a sudden 2,000-foot plunge, That, scientists believe, proves it eaten by something much bigger, saying the records indicate the shark went inside another animals’s digestive system.

Donie's Ireland daily news BLOG Update

The Irish Government ought to make water charges fair, equitable and affordable for Irish people

 

DECISIONS ENSURE SECURITY OF QUALITY WATER SUPPLY FOR THE DECADES AHEAD?

The debate on water charges has filled airwaves and newspaper columns in recent weeks and rightly so. It is good the public is debating issues around water as a precious national resource. But there has been a lot of misinformation about the Government’s water reforms.

It’s important to remember why domestic consumers will soon pay for water. Water just like other utilities such as gas and electricity, is costly to deliver, so the “user-pays” principle must apply. And we also need to radically reform the way we deliver water services.

The public water and waste water systems are not fit for purpose and need fixing. We are dealing with the consequences of years of under investment: 40 per cent of water is lost through leakage; almost one million people have drinking water supplies at risk; 23,500 people are on “boil water” notices; and our waste water infrastructure – vital to keeping coasts, rivers and lakes free from pollution – is inadequate.

Water services can no longer be primarily funded by the exchequer with no link between usage and funding. If we want to protect public health, our environment and provide for sustainable economic growth, we need a secure, long-term funding model to provide investment in water infrastructure into the future.

Water funds ring-fenced: Domestic water charges are a necessary component of our reforms. Charging will commence in October, with households receiving their first water bills from January 2015. Water charges will be ring-fenced for water services and will contribute significantly towards increasing infrastructural investment to the levels needed. Last week, Irish Water published its proposed 2014-2016 capital investment plan.

The establishment of Irish Water means services are now delivered through one national utility rather than 34 separate local authorities, resulting in greater efficiencies and economies. Critically, the transition will be seamless, as the partnership with local authorities allows local operations’ experience to be combined with Irish Water’s strategic network and asset management expertise.

There will be independent, economic regulation of the new utility. Protecting consumer interests is the primary responsibility of the Commission for Energy Regulation. The CER will critically examine Irish Water’s operational costs and capital plans, take decisions on a “water charges plan” and exercise its powers regarding Irish Water codes of practice on customer engagement.

The Government has sought to make water charges fair, equitable and affordable and to protect the most vulnerable. Charging will be based on metering, which the OECD says is the fairest form of charging. The assessed charge for those households which won’t have a meter right away, will be based on occupancy and will be a strong proxy for usage.

Fair prices: To increase affordability, the Government is providing a free allowance for every household. It is also providing further supports for groups highlighted as potentially vulnerable: the absence of a standing charge will benefit those living alone; the additional free allowance for children under 18 effectively means children’s consumption will be free; people with high water usage due to medical conditions will have their bills capped; and pensioners, people with disabilities and carers who receive the households benefits package will receive €100 a year to assist with bill payment.

The policy decisions taken by Government mean the average charge should be €240; a person living alone will have approximately 40 per cent of their water needs provided and will pay about €138 per annum; and a family of two adults and two children will have over half their water needs provided, and pay about €248 per annum. Irish Water will have flexible payment options.

I have also secured Government agreement to fund a free first fix on leaks identified on the customer side as a major water conservation measure.

Politicians are often accused of short-termism. The objective of the Government’s water reforms is to deliver sustainable investment and long-term improvements to our water and waste water systems.

The difficult decisions we have taken will ensure security of quality water supply for communities and businesses and the protection of our environment in the decades ahead.

We are confident that security of good quality supply will attract more inward investment to Ireland from water-intensive industries such as in the pharmachem, ICT and agrifood sectors.

Ireland needs more than MEPs in the European Union

  

Irish politicians have played a staunch role at the heart of Europe, but their influence is waning and work is needed to address an impending fall-off in top jobs, 

Between May 22 and 25, European citizens from 28 member states will democratically choose 751 MEPs to take their seats in the European Parliament. We should not underestimate the task we face as voters in choosing who will represent and communicate our best interests at the heart of the EU. But nor should we be blinded to the fact that in Europe’s heartland, Ireland needs more than its MEPs.

We are all familiar with the presence of high-profile Irish political figures in Brussels. Most Irish European commissioners have been drawn from the ranks of the Irish cabinet. It is likely Ireland’s next nominee for the commission will share that background.

Many of us are also at least cursorily acquainted with the names and profiles of incumbents and candidates for seats in the parliament. However, the Irish presence in Brussels (the headquarters of the EU) is more substantial and more numerous than this.

For a small state like Ireland’s record in securing high-profile and powerful positions within the administrative ranks of the EU institutions is singularly impressive. Former ombudsman Emily O’Reilly currently occupies the position of European ombudsman. Catherine Day, from Dublin is secretary general of the European Commission and the highest-ranked EU official in Brussels.

She succeeded another Irish person, David O’Sullivan, who has since had a distinguished career as chief operations officer of the European External Action Service and was recently appointed EU ambassador to the US. This highest of EU ambassadorial roles was previously held by John Bruton, a former taoiseach.

It is clear that throughout 40-plus years of membership of the EU, Ireland has been disproportionately represented at senior administrative levels in the EU’s major institutions. This pattern is less pronounced at lower administrative levels, but here, again, Irish officials are present. All of these officials, and many more since 1973, have dedicated their professional careers to serving the EU.

Their nationality is important, but not overwhelmingly so. What is important are the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values they bring to their roles. However, as the retirement of senior Irish Brussels-based officials looms, the prospect of a lesser Irish presence is becoming very real.

There are fewer younger Irish available to replace their more senior colleagues, and furthermore, today’s Irish graduates are not qualifying in sufficient numbers for EU positions or internships.

This trend is likely being affected by the diminishing range and choice of European studies programmes and modules in Irish universities, and by low fluency levels in a second language. It may also reflect a broader public disinterest in the EU and the limited (or maybe discredited) appeal of public service. Collectively, these developments mitigate against a strong Irish presence within the various EU administrations.

The absence of Irish officials is troublesome. It is not political figures alone who influence the EU landscape. We need knowledgeable and skilled administrators, too. We need leaders and innovators, problem-solvers and pioneers, thinkers and trailblazers.

We need a new generation of Irish men and women who are interested in the EU and who are qualified and equipped to work there. In serving the EU, these officials serve Ireland, too, by positively influencing the European environment within which we all live and work.

The factors which disallow a strong Irish presence in Brussels can be overcome but it will require some reorientation in how we protect and project the interests of the State. Knowledge and understanding is key, and so, rolling out an enhanced civic education to all Irish schoolchildren is imperative. In addition, there is value in embedding the study of the EU across a diverse range of university programmes, and in determinedly encouraging the study of international languages.

Elevating the quality of political and public debate on the EU and placing worth on public service are similarly vital. Then can we hope to produce a new and strong generation of skilled and competent Irish-EU officials. Amid the hype of the European election campaigns, we would do well to remember that in serving Ireland, we need more than MEPs at the heart of the EU. And therein lie some important challenges and choices for this and future Irish generations.

Irish State pays out millions to treat mental health patients abroad

“FIGURES REVEALED BY SENATOR RONAN MULLEN MEP CANDIDATE FOR EUROPE” WHO DEMANDS ACTION FROM HEALTH MINISTER REILLY

  

Irish psychiatric patients are being sent abroad for treatment, at a time when the health service locally closed a mental health unit in Ballinasloe, 

The cost to the Health Service Executive (HSE) of sending patients abroad for treatment for mental health problems could be as much as €3.1 million annually, as it costs an average of €13,000 per month per patient.

Payments of hundreds of thousands of Euros to private foreign hospitals comes despite the HSE West having spent a whopping €2.9 million refurbishing the 22-bed mental health unit in St Brigid’s Hospital in Ballinasloe, which is now controversially closed. Independent Senator Rónán Mullen, who obtained the figures, says it is an outrageous waste of taxpayers’ money.

The European election candidate in the new Midlands-North-West constituency, from Ahascragh, has demanded action from Health Minister Dr James Reilly. He said it was a matter of grave concern relating to the human dignity of the patient but also to their family and loved ones who are forced to travel abroad also.

“It is scandalous that we are closing top facilities in Ireland, and in particular admissions units situated in therapeutic locations like St Brigid’s in Ballinasloe while at the same time sending people out of the country for treatment.

We are training doctors and nurses who are much sought after around the world for their skills and expertise, and it is a nonsense for the HSE to suggest that Irish people cannot be treated by skilled Irish clinicians on Irish soil, ” Senator Mullen said.

The HSE has confirmed that twelve children with mental health problems are currently being treated abroad, and eight adults are being treated in private hospitals in Europe. It is understood that some of the patients have received mental health treatment abroad for several years.

Ronan Mullen takes Miriam O’Callaghan and RTE to task on selection bias of MEP’s debate panel of speakers

  

Senator Ronan Mullen with his fellow candidates Ben Gilroy, of Direct Democracy Ireland; Thomas Byrne, of Fianna Fáil; Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Independent; Mark Dearey, of the Green Party and TJ Fay and Mark Fitzsmons, both Independents, on RTE Prime Time’s debate of Midlands-North-West MEP candidates last night. 

You may have seen Senator Ronan Mullen on Prime Time’s second panel debate of the Midlands-North-West MEP candidates on Monday night last.

During Senator Mullen’s appearance, he took host Miriam O’Callaghan to task, accusing RTE of bias, censorship and of being too cosy with Government parties – an outburst that earned vocal approval and agreement from Mr Flanagan.

Senator Mullen’s claims came on foot of Senator Mullen and Mr Flanagan’s annoyance over their exclusion from the first panel debate.

This morning, the RTE Player had the debates from last night posted but it stopped short in the second panel’s debate, just before Ms O’Callaghan turns to speak to Mr Mullen and when Mr Flanagan is in mid-sentence – therefore those looking back this morning cannot see  Senator Mullen’s outburst.

In total, of the 44-minute video posted, 37.15 minutes consisted of the first panel’s debate, with the remaining seven or so minutes consisting of the second panel’s debate – with the seven or so minutes consisting only of contributions from Thomas Byrne, Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and Mark Deary.

The two debates in total were actually approximately an hour and 15 minutes.

Now, in the last few minutes, it appears the Prime Time debate has been removed from the RTE Player entirely.

Prior to the the second panel’s debate, an earlier panel consisted of Senator Lorraine Higgins, from Labour; Cllr Matt Carthy, of Sinn Féin; Mairead McGuinness, Fine Gael MEP; Jim Higgins, Fine Gael MEP; Marian Harkin, Independent MEP; and Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher, Fianna Fail MEP.

The first panel consisted of sitting MEPs and those candidates whose parties, or Independents, who won 10% support or more at the last election – a set-up which prompted complaints from both Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and Senator Mullen.

Online medical card campaign kicked off by nine-year-old girl receives over 25,000 signatures in just one day

 

The ‘Our Childrens Health’ online petition has received over 25,000 signatures in less than one day.

The campaign was launched this afternoon in Dublin by nine-year-old Louise Shortall who was just recently granted a one year medical card, despite the fact that she was diagnosed with cancer two years ago.

A spokesperson for the campaign, which was initiated by little Louise’s family, said this evening that the volume of support was so great that the site has temporarily crashed.

However, they are asking people to remain patient and supportive as they hope it will be repaired soon.

“There were over 25,000 during the day but as soon as the evening news bulletins carried the story of the campaign launch the site couldn’t cope with the volume of traffic,” Kevin Shortall said.

“We were taken by surprise by the huge numbers wanting to sign the petition, but we’re working to fix the problem and design the site to be able to carry a much larger number of people at any time,” he added.

The ‘Our Children’s Health’ campaign is calling upon the government to amend the 1970 Health Act so that all children who are seriously ill or suffer from a congenital condition receive a medical card for the duration of their treatment.

Peter Fitzpatrick, cofounder of the campaign, said today that it has been received positively and that they will remain in action for as long as they need to.

He was inspired to start the campaign after he seen his family become embroiled in the medical card fiasco with the HSE, as his brave niece was consistently being issued with temporary medical cards, despite the fact that she is due to undergo treatment until next year.

Scientists track great white shark Katharin off the coast of the US

 

An enormous great 4.3-metre white shark that is being tracked during her swimming along the US coast has eager scientists and fans following her every move.

The 4.3-metre shark, named Katharine, surfaced near Key Largo, Florida on Monday night, announcing her presence with a ping from a tracking device placed on her dorsal fin last year.

Weighing one tonne, Katharine is being followed by the website Ocearch, which is run by a group that tracks a number of sharks to learn more about their habits.

Researchers follow Katharine’s migratory movements with the help of the tracking device Ocearch attached to her in August 2013, which “pings” the researchers whenever it comes to the surface.

In the past month, Katharine has appeared off the coast of Georgia before swimming south to Florida, coming within a few kilometres of Miami Beach on Saturday, according to the website.

Although the website is updated every half hour, Katharine doesn’t surface nearly so often.

With almost 4000 Twitter followers, the great white’s @Shark. Katharine account, managed by Ocearch, is dedicated to answering questions about the life of sharks and debunking myths.

Tagging their posts #GoKatGo, followers have cheered on the great white as “Katharine” weighs in on subjects like eating humans.

“What makes anyone think we’d really want to eat them #notmyflavor”, she “tweeted” on Tuesday.

Through Katharine’s movements, scientists hope to gain much more information about sharks than just her whereabouts.                

Donie's Ireland daily news BLOG

Economist Morgan Kelly talks with the Central Bank about SME risks

 

STRESS TESTS AND DEBT ON THE AGENDA?

Irish economist Morgan Kelly has taken up Finance Minister Michael Noonan’s invitation to discuss his views with the Central Bank on the threat he believes Ireland’s small businesses faces from the upcoming ECB bank stress tests.

The Sunday Independent has learnt that senior officials from the Central Bank moved quickly to contact Prof Kelly following remarks from Mr Noonan last Monday night in which he acknowledged that the UCD professor’s views had to be taken seriously because of his track record in predicting the country’s house price crash.

“What Morgan Kelly says has to be taken seriously. He was correct before when nobody else was and I think if the Central Bank was to make contact and access some of the data that is underpinning his speech, that would be helpful,” Mr Noonan told reporters at a meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Brussels.

Mr Noonan was responding to a warning given by Prof Kelly in a lecture to the Economics Society in UCD last week. In the course of that address, Prof Kelly said the SME sector which provided most of the employment in the economy was still struggling with debts from the property boom which it was unable to repay.

These businesses were now “an existential risk to the economy”, he said.

News that discussions between Prof Kelly and the Central Bank are already under way will come as a surprise to some given the UCD academic’s past tendency to avoid public attention in the immediate aftermath of making forecasts for the economy.

It is an intriguing development considering Prof Kelly’s devastating criticism of Central Bank Governor Patrick Honohan in 2011.

In one of his rare published articles, Prof Kelly accused Mr Honohan on that occasion of having made what he described as “the costliest mistake ever made by an Irish person” after the bank stress tests conducted by the Central Bank in 2010 failed to properly assess the true condition of the country’s banks.

In a further searing criticism, Prof Kelly accused Mr Honohan of having “deftly sliced off at the ankles” the then Finance Minister Brian Lenihan by insisting that the “bank losses could and should be repaid by Irish taxpayers”.

Mr Honohan rejected that claim, insisting that he was “playing for Ireland” during the negotiations, but that his ECB role was restricted to certain scenarios.

He admitted, however, that the deal had been put together in a hurry and was not the “final solution”, but a “holding operation”.

Responding to Prof Kelly’s latest predictions for the country’s SME sector last week, the Central Bank Governor insisted there was no mechanism whereby the ECB bank stress tests could increase pressure on small and medium-sized businesses.

He said the Irish banks had been working through the SME loans on their books in a very systematic way for the past three or four years.

“As with the mortgages, it has been very slow, but it has been going on and the banks are dealing with the loans,” Mr Honohan said.

Speaking to the Sunday Independent in the course of his official St Patrick’s Day visit to Sydney, Australia, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney also rejected Prof Kelly’s views on the dangers faced by the SME sector.

“I think he’s wrong but he’s entitled to his opinion,” Mr Coveney said.

The ESB makes €415m profit after hiking prices up by 8%

 

Profits at the ESB surged to more than €400m last year, even as the semi-state company piled price hikes on hard-pressed householders.

The state-owned power company yesterday reported profits of €415m for 2013 – up from €335m a year earlier.

The soaring profits will spark calls for the hugely profitable company to reduce the price of electricity and gas for customers.

The boom in profits at the ESB comes as it is under increasing pressure from Government to pay higher dividends that could help fund the Exchequer.

Last year the Government took €258m out of the business, including a special dividend of €161m raised by selling the ESB share in a UK power station.

The latest 23% rise in profits comes after the company raised electricity prices for consumers by 1.7% at the start of January, following a 5.9% price hike in late 2012 – a cumulative rise of almost 8%. The price rises have added around €82 to the annual electricity bill for a typical customer.

The January increase made it the third winter in a row that households were hit with a price rise for electricity.

The ESB raised gas prices by 2% last October. It says rising gas prices on international markets is the big driver of prices. Profits at the company rose more sharply than sales, which increased by a more modest 5% to €3.42bn.

The founder of price comparison website Bonkers.ie David Kerr said rising profits highlighted the need for consumers to make sure they were not overpaying for electricity.

“Consumers have to be vigilant, there are great rates available for electricity and gas, including for the ESB’s Electric Ireland, but you have to go out and get the discounts,” he said.

Deregulation of the sector means power companies can charge what they want, and standard tariffs across the sector are high, according to Mr Kerr.

Meanwhile, the simmering industrial relations row at the power giant means this year’s financial results will be pored over by unions, whose demands that the main company pension be classed as a “defined benefit” scheme almost led to nationwide power outages last year.

The wording in this year’s accounts around the controversial pension appears to leave open the question of who is financially on the hook, if the scheme was ever to fall short of cash, despite a deal with unions last year to end the strike threat.

This month, unions at the ESB wrote to management threatening legal action if the pension was not referred to as a ‘defined benefit scheme’ and a ‘balance of costs’ scheme in the 2013 accounts.

The new ESB accounts do call the pension a defined benefit scheme – meaning pensioners are entitled to a fixed income regardless of the performance.

But they go on to say it is “different to the normal ‘balance of cost’” pension and that the ESB has no legal obligation to increase contributions to maintain payouts – in the event of a deficit.

Last night, the workers’ union declined to comment on the carefully worded accounts.

Meanwhile, the ESB itself puts the likely bill for this winter’s storms at around €30m for the company.

The past winter saw the worst storms in 20 years, according to ESB’s finance director Donal Flynn.

The state-owned power company “threw everything” at the storm clean-up, including bringing in 300 contractors from abroad and sparing no expense when it came to machinery and materials, he said.

He praised the extraordinary efforts by ESB staff to restore power in the aftermath of the storms that hit nationwide.

Average pay at the ESB fell to €59,000 last year for the company’s 7,500 thousand staff from €69,000 in 2010 as a result of a five-year programme that aims to slash 25pc of costs from the business by 2015.

That programme remains on track to deliver total savings of €280m, Mr Flynn said.

Ireland’s ambulance emergency services not up to scratch

 

Too many emergency vehicles arrive too late, and when they do, people can die. Can anything be done to improve this underfunded service?

Colm Murphy, an advanced paramedic with Dublin Fire Brigade, provides the kind of response that anyone making a 999 call for an ambulance would hope for.

In the middle of Dublin recently a cyclist crashed into an opening car door. It cut a sizeable hole in his chest, and as his chest filled with air his lungs started to collapse. Murphy was on the scene within four minutes of the emergency call being received.

“When we arrived he was in huge difficulty. He was on his knees, making very short sentences, pleading for help. He couldn’t breathe.” Murphy and several fellow paramedics got him into the back of the ambulance. “As he was taking his last gasps we drove a needle into his chest wall, to allow the air that was trapped in his chest out and, therefore, to allow the lungs to reinflate.”

Had Murphy arrived five minutes later the cyclist’s heart would probably have arrested. The cyclist received the kind of prehospital emergency care we expect in a society with some of the best medical care in the world. Not all are so lucky.

We do not expect a person who is choking, or in cardiac arrest, or who has been assaulted, to be left waiting for an ambulance for 30 minutes, 45 minutes or even an hour or more. It happens. And when people die after such delays, we do not expect the Minister for Health to say in Leinster House that the emergency was responded to correctly and appropriately.

Families across the Republic have been talking about the trauma of watching their loved ones at their most vulnerable, needing emergency medical help, and their own helplessness as they wait for an ambulance that arrives too late.

SOME EXAMPLES OF SLOW AMBULANCE SERVICES:

Maura Porter, a Donegal woman, was hit by a car on her way home from Mass in December. She lay on the road for almost 50 minutes before an ambulance arrived.

Elizabeth Riordain choked on food in Tralee last November. She was left waiting for half an hour after her husband, Michael, called 999.

Wayne McQuillan was stabbed and left bleeding for so long that a garda brought him to hospital in Drogheda in his squad car.

All these patients died. Their families are not only shattered by the traumatic deaths but feel bewildered, angry and let down by a front-line emergency service they believed they could depend on.

When the circumstances of these deaths were raised in the Dáil, by Charlie McConalogue of Fianna Fáil , the Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae, and Gerry Adams of Sinn Féin, Minister for Health James Reilly gave answers provided by the HSE National Ambulance Service, or NAS. The answer he gave McConalogue, a TD for Donegal North East, about Porter’s death was typical of those given to the other TDs.

“The call,” he said, “was triaged as clinical status 1 delta (life-threatening). The nearest available resources – a rapid-response vehicle with an ‘advanced paramedic’ and an emergency ambulance, both in Letterkenny – were dispatched . . . The response vehicle and ambulance arrived in 40 and 43 minutes, respectively. A second ambulance from Letterkenny arrived in 50 minutes . . . The NAS has reviewed this call and is satisfied that the call was triaged correctly and that the nearest available resources were dispatched.”

A 999 call is classified as “echo” if it involves life-threatening cardiac or respiratory distress and as “delta” if it is another type of life-threatening condition. In 2010, to help improve the ambulance service, the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) set target response times for emergency care, following a process in which the National Ambulance Service was closely consulted.

Hiqa said that both echo and delta calls must have a first responder on the scene within seven minutes and 59 seconds. A first responder can be a paramedic, an advanced paramedic or a trained cardiac first responder. A fully equipped ambulance should then arrive within 18 minutes and 59 seconds.

Hiqa set targets for the proportion of calls that should get such timely responses. The seven minute and 59 second response time should be met for 75 per cent of echo and delta calls, for example. The target time for the fully equipped ambulance to arrive was set at 85 per cent of cases by December 2012, rising to 90 per cent by December 2013.

These targets have never been met. In fact the HSE lowered the ambulance-time targets to 80 per cent in 2012 and 70 per cent in 2013. Compliance rates have improved on paper as a result, although reports emerge constantly of failings in ambulance response times or mishaps with the ambulances themselves.

More than 100 parliamentary questions about ambulances have been tabled in the Dáil since January. The more than 30 TDs who have asked them, including McConalogue, Healy-Rae and Adams, are almost all from outside Dublin. Most of their questions are about the impact of delayed response times or about National Ambulance Service resources. The NAS operates mainly outside the capital but does have ambulances in Dublin; Dublin Fire Brigade provides emergency ambulances within the city.

Could philosophy in the community aid Ireland’s recovery?

 

The pub is ‘an unrivalled space for civic discussion’, but discussion must lead to action, says an Inishowen community activist in Donegal.

Sometimes dismissed as a niche activity in Ireland, philosophy has traditionally been associated with monks and seminarians.

Or those who didn’t quite get the points of science.

But this mis-categorises the discipline, says Brendan Flanagan, a Co Donegal community activist who believes philosophy can be done – an d is be ing done – in pockets of civil society across Ireland. As in Plato’s day, he sees a role for debating over a drink, and the Inishowen Civic Forum, which he helped to found, has held a number of meetings on the peninsula to demonstrate in practical terms that philosophising is not just for ivory towers.

Arguing that the pub is “an unrivalled space for civic discussion”, Flanagan – a retired Met Éireann employee who has also been involved in adult education and job-creation initiatives – provides today’s idea: Ireland needs to develop its own civic philosophy.

Can philosophy take place in local communities?

Brendan Flanagan: “Yes, and it does. For philosophy to take place at a community level it requires disposables of both income and time.

“Ironically, a feature of economic recession, where there is a welfare safety net, is that reflective people engage in collective philosophising. These people, experienced in formal and existential education, have time to think and ruminate on matters beyond the immediate.

“Ireland currently enjoys the most highly educated population in its history and therefore the best equipped for philosophical analysis of current problems and issues. It is ironic then that this phenomenon is also accompanied by the highest levels of anomie, of alienation. This is evidenced in electoral indifference, opinionated egoism, failure to educate for empowerment, the erosion of civic equality.

“Those who take time to reflect become ever more detached from civic society as they feel powerless to change what they conclude needs changing.”

What do you mean when you say Ireland lacks a civic philosophy?

“We do not have a positive shared vision for the future of our society. We lack a shared conceptual map to provide us with intellectual coherence for our future. We do not have an open civic dialogue emanating from the citizens.

“The agenda for civic dialogue is set by the elites in Irish politics and by all institutional civic agencies rather than with the collaboration of the people.

“For instance, Government policy is decided behind the closed doors of party rooms from which the public or their media are excluded. Only then is it subjected to the cursory scrutiny of parliament. The bulk of citizens have no role in the selection of candidates for public office, only in their election.

“A true democracy is marked by shared power, shared knowledge, shared respect, and the existence of a viable alternative administration having a differentiated philosophy.”

How might this be achieved?

“Through reaching a broad consensus on both a definition of what we understand by ‘civic society’ and a determination on how to develop it. Traditionally, civic society was understood as the public engagement of citizens in public affairs relating to government, distribution and separation of powers, the legitimation of the use of force, etc, all with a view to promoting civic virtue.

Kenny praises ‘fighting Irish’ rugby team after Six Nations victory

 

Taoiseach tells a Boston agathering that America will be the better for immigration reform.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny speaks to reporters alongside Boston mayor Marty Walsh at a St Patrick’s Day breakfast meeting in Boston today.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has heaped praise on Ireland’s Six Nations Championship-winning rugby team, saying that the players showed “incredible courage” to win the game against France.

Mr Kenny, who watched yesterday’s match in Washington, said that the game was almost in danger of being a repeat of the game against New Zealand last year that the team lost in the final minutes.

“It was a very physical match but fair play to them – they epitomised what the fighting Irish can do,” he said, speaking after the traditional St Patrick’s Day breakfast inBoston hosted by local politicians.

Speaking afterwards alongside Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, the son of Co Galway immigrants, Mr Kenny likened the Irish rugby team’s victory to last year’s World Series winning baseball team, the Boston Red Sox, noting how that team won after the tragedy of the Boston Marathon bombings.

“My message is always when we apply ourselves to a single objective, there’s actually that is nothing can stop us, not even Les Bleus on this occasion,” Mr Kenny told reporters.

In his speech at the breakfast, the Taoiseach told guests that since the country’s economic crash the Irish people were “fighting back as we know that they can”.

Referring again to Irish immigrants in the US, Mr Kenny said that he had visited the Vietnam War memorial in Washington and seen the name of an Irishman who fought and died in the late 1960s.

“It is important to understand the psychological benefit of so many people being released to pay their way, to pay their taxes, to raise their families and travel home and abroad is so important for America, he said.

He said it was the responsibility of legislators and political representatives to overhaul immigration laws. “America will be the better for it,” he said.

Mr Kenny addressed 1,000 people at the breakfast where the speakers included Massachusetts senators Ed Markeyand Elizabeth Warren, governor Patrick Deval and Congressman Stephen Lynch.

The convivial breakfast, where local politicians poked fun at rivals and colleagues in the state legislature, was hosted with irreverent humour by the effervescent Linda Dorcena Ferry.

The Taoiseach immersed himself in the humorous spirit of the occasion, joking: “In the words of Samuel Johnson, the Irish after a very fair people – they never speak well of each other.”

Great white shark turns tail and heads towards Greenland

 

Biologist says tagged great white likely to head west as waters cool

Lydia’s journey across the Atlantic up to yesterday, as marked on the Ocearch web tracker

The great white shark which has been tracked on home computers as it crossed the Atlantic has turned away from this “green isle” this St Patrick’s weekend and is heading in the direction of Greenland.

Lydia, the one-tonne predator on a course for this coastline earlier this week, was still maintaining her new track northwest towards Greenland yesterday.

“It’s not that she doesn’t like you, but she may not like your habitat,” Massachusetts state senior marine fisheries biologist Dr Gregory Skomal told The Irish Times . The shark, which was tagged by Dr Skomal’s team on theOcearch research project a year ago, set a new record earlier this week as the first such fish to be tracked by satellite across the Atlantic ocean.

Several days ago, she was within 1,200km of this coast, having reached the mid-Atlantic ridge. Dr Skomal judged it an official crossing as she roaming around the mountainous ridge and was “further from us than from you guys”.

However, almost as soon as she began making newspaper headlines, she turned north. Her satellite tag, or “pinger”, which emits a signal when she is close to the surface, placed her just over 1,400km from Ireland yesterday, and just 1,000km from the southern tip of Greenland.

“If she continues on this track, she is going to reach some very cold waters, down to between five and seven degrees Celsius,”Dr Skomal said.”My guess is that she will start heading west, and perhaps southwest, very soon . . . but hey, anything can happen.”

So far, Lydia has covered some 32,000km on her Atlantic “meanderings”, since she was hoisted out of the water and given her tag by the Ocearch team. Her odyssey over the past 12 months appears as series of pink-bead necklaces on the Ocearch web page.

Great whites normally frequent temperate waters, along the coastlines of South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, north and south America, the Mediterranean and into the Pacific. They have been recorded more rarely in cooler waters off Alaska and Canada.