Donie's news Ireland Blog Friday

It’s a YES for: Ireland as voters approve the fiscal Treaty by 60 – 40 majority

    

With results from count centres completed, Ireland voters have chosen to say yes to the EU fiscal treaty and has now put it up to the Government to deliver on their promises.

The Yes side has officially won by 60.29% to 39.71%. 38 constituencies returned a Yes vote with just 5 – Dublin South Central, Dublin South West, Dublin North West, Donegal South West and Donegal North East – voting No. The turnout for the referendum was 50.6%.

HERE ARE THE results from your constituency counts as they were received at the Dublin Castle central count centre (in alphabetical order).

OVERALL NUMBER OF VOTES: 1,591, 385.

INVALID VOTES: 7,206.                  

TOTAL VALID VOTES: 1,584,179.

‘YES’   VOTES: 955,091. = 60.29%  

‘NO’     VOTES: 629,088. = 39.71%  

The ‘Yes’ vote won by 326,003 votes.

COMPLETED CONSITUENCY COUNTS: 43.

KEY TO MAP (via referendum.ie):

Green – Result in: Majority YES

Red – Result in: Majority NO

Blue – Count not yet completed

CARLOW-KILKENNY: Turnout 50.98%. Yes 63.29%; No 36.71%.

CAVAN-MONAGHAN: Turnout: 48.76%. Yes 57.58%; No 42.42%.

CLARE: Turnout 49.81%. Yes 65.73%; No 34.27%.

CORK EAST: Turnout 49.21%. Yes 60.52%; No 39.48%.

CORK NORTH-CENTRAL: Turnout 51.49%. Yes 52%; No: 48%.

CORK NORTH-WEST: Turnout 51.91%. Yes 65.59%; No 34.41%.

CORK SOUTH-CENTRAL: Turnout 53.46%. Yes 62.17%; No 37.83%.

CORK SOUTH-WEST: Turnout 51.55%. Yes 66.27%; No 33.73%.

DONEGAL NORTH-EAST: Turnout 42.59%. Yes 44.37%; No 55.63%.

DONEGAL SOUTH-WEST: Turnout 41.92%. Yes 45.05%; No 54.95%.

DUBLIN CENTRAL: Turnout 48.3%. Yes 53.53%; No 46.47%.

DUBLIN MID-WEST: Turnout 51.63%. Yes 50.01%; No 49.99%. 
(Just FIVE votes separated the sides in this one)

DUBLIN NORTH: Turnout 52.92%. Yes 60.43%; No 39.57%.

DUBLIN NORTH-CENTRAL: Turnout 58.76%. Yes 62.28%; No 37.72%.

DUBLIN NORTH-EAST: Turnout 57.17%. Yes 58%; No 42%.

DUBLIN NORTH-WEST: Turnout 51.85%. Yes 46.76%; No 53.24%.

DUBLIN SOUTH: Turnout 57.07%. Yes 75.84%; No 24.16%.

DUBLIN SOUTH-CENTRAL: Turnout 51.73%. Yes 49.1%; No 50.9%.

DUBLIN SOUTH-EAST: Turnout 48.84%. Yes 72.3%; No 27.7%.

DUBLIN SOUTH-WEST: Turnout 51.04%. Yes 49.30%; No 50.70%.

DUBLIN WEST: Turnout 51.65%. Yes 58.18%; No 41.82%.

DUN LAOGHAIRE: Turnout 57.17%. Yes 74.21%; No 25.79%.

GALWAY EAST: Turnout 46.77%. Yes 63.25%; No 36.45%

GALWAY WEST: Turnout 48.19%. Yes 57.91%; No 42.09%.

KERRY NORTH/WEST-LIMERICK: Turnout 47.16%. Yes 60.95%; No 39.05%.

KERRY SOUTH: Turnout 48.26%. Yes 64.67%; No 35.33%.

KILDARE NORTH: Turnout 51.23%. Yes 65.28%; No 35.27%.

KILDARE SOUTH: Turnout 49.61%. Yes 58.36%; No 41.64%.

LAOIS-OFFALY: Turnout 48.59%. Yes 59.64%; No 40.36%.

LIMERICK: Turnout 48.33%. Yes 66.1%; No 33.9%.

LIMERICK CITY: Turnout 48.79%. Yes 60.69%; No 39.31%.

LONGFORD-WESTMEATH: Turnout 46.74%. Yes 60.30%; No 39.70%.

LOUTH: Turnout 52.17%. Yes 52.75%; No 47.25%.

MAYO: Turnout 47.76%. Yes 67.24%; No 32.76%.

MEATH EAST: Turnout 48.98%. Yes 62.64%; No 37.36%.

MEATH WEST: Turnout 47.58%. Yes 56.58%; No 43.42%.

ROSCOMMON-SOUTH LEITRIM: Turnout 52%. Yes 60.75%; No 39.25%.

SLIGO-NORTH LEITRIM: Turnout 47.99%. Yes 60.32%; No 39.68%.

TIPPERARY NORTH: Turnout 53.97%; Yes 65.57%; No 34.42%.

TIPPERARY SOUTH: Turnout 52.96%. Yes 60.65%; No 39.35%.

WATERFORD: Turnout 51.11%. Yes 57.66%; No: 42.34%.

WEXFORD: Turnout 48.89%. Yes 57.81%; No 42.19%.

WICKLOW: Turnout 57.47%. Yes 60.88%; No 39.12%.

Europe must now repay Ireland’s trust, says No campaigner Declan Ganley

  

EUROPE must now repay Ireland’s trust in political leaders to deliver the country from crippling bank debts, Libertas founder and No campaigner Declan Ganley said.

The businessman said a Yes vote in the referendum on the fiscal stability treaty was an expression of trust in government to deal with the chronic insolvency that is killing the economy.

“This was the only democratic exercise on this particular treaty to be carried out in Europe,” he added.

“The majority of the electorate here have expressed trust and faith in our partners in Europe to do the right thing by us with regard to this bank debt.”

Arriving at Dublin Castle national count centre, Mr Ganley said the Irish people can no longer be treated as “patsies” picking up the bills of private banks who refuse to pay their own debts.

Asked why the No campaign faltered, he simply responded: “Not enough votes.”

Mr Ganley said it was “way too early” to say if he would run again for elected office under his Libertas banner, which he recently rebranded as a think-tank.

“I wouldn’t rule it out either,” he added.

“It’s going to be a long hot summer in European markets, and a lot is going to happen.”

Damning Enda Kenny with faint praise, he congratulated the Taoiseach on a successful strategy of not debating opponents.

“If you can’t win a debate, don’t have it,” he said.

Ireland’s fiscal treaty referendum

Turnout figures could be as low as 38%

  

Carmelite nuns could be asking where are all the voters? as they prepare to cast their vote in the European Fiscal Treaty Referendum at a polling station in north Dublin while Enda & Fionnuala smile after casting their votes in Mayo.

Voter turnout in Ireland’s referendum on the European fiscal treaty has been reported as low across the country maybe as low as 38%.

As polling stations closed at 10pm and counting starts, the percentage of those casting ballots was estimated overall to be in the high 30s. An electorate of 3.1 million were eligible to have their say.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny was among the first to cast his vote as to whether the country should ratify the controversial agreement to impose stricter budget controls.

Turnout in Dublin averaged at 38%, with averages in the north west counties around 20%, and the commuter belt in Leinster well into the 30s. In the Cork area in the south, turnout was also as described as slow through the day but picked up into the 30s in the evening.

Similar patterns were reported in the western counties and midlands with a few higher results in parts of Limerick. The earliest indication of the result is expected no sooner than mid-morning, when the political tally men start estimations from the 43 constituencies.

Turnout is crucial with low voter numbers in two previous European referendums giving the anti-treaty side a huge boost. Ireland’s record is unpredictable, having rejected the last two at the first vote only to accept the EU reforms in a re-run the following years.

Mr Kenny cast his ballot at St Patrick’s National School in Castlebar, Co Mayo, alongside his wife Fionnuala while Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore voted in Shankill, south Dublin.

Elsewhere, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, one of the key figures in the anti-treaty camp, was out early casting his ballot in the constituency of Louth where he moved to from Belfast to contest the Republic’s 2011 general election.

On Wednesday night both Mr Kenny and Mr Adams made their final appeal for support. The Taoiseach said a strong Yes would send a message that Ireland is on the road to the recovery and that it would help continue the strong flow of investment into businesses seen over the last few months. He said: “While there are still difficult challenges ahead, I hope people will vote Yes to continuing the progress we’ve made together.”

Mr Adams’ final message to voters warned that the treaty would not solve the eurozone crisis and would put into the Constitution the failed austerity policies. He said: “I ask Irish citizens not to be bullied, not to give their democratic rights away, not to give up their say over Irish economic policy and not to write austerity into the Constitution.”

New Euro report shows Irish teenagers now consuming less drink and drugs since 2007

    

A new report by the European Monitoring Centre on alcohol and drug consumption by 15 and 16 year olds across Europe has indicated a drop in drink and drug use by Irish teenagers since 2007.

The survey was carried out last year for Drugs and Drug Addiction; full comparative figures were not supplied but changes from 2007 were shown. In no category was there any increase for Ireland.

The report showed 40 per cent of students of this age in Ireland reported “heavy episodic drinking” in the last 30 days. That was a “significant” drop from the last survey.

While the Irish result was just ahead of the EU average of 39 per cent, it was well behind the British result (52 per cent) and France (67 per cent).

Just six per cent of teenagers reported having tried any drug other than cannabis, exactly in line with the EU average but lower than Britain, where the result was nine per cent.

However Irish teens reported consuming more alcohol than the average in their last drinking occasion.

Irish smoking rates were below average, at 21 per cent in the last 30 days compared to the average of 28 per cent, and 38 per cent in France.

Looking at consumption of all addictive substances, the countries with the lowest rates of consumption were Iceland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova and Montenegro.

No single country was above average for all measures but the report mentioned notably high rates in the Czech Republic, Estonia and France.

Three of Ireland’s youngest universities rank in the 

World’s top 100

  

Ireland’s three youngest universities under 50 years old are ranked among the top 100 in the world for their age.

The three universities are–   NUI Maynooth, (NUIM), Dublin City University (DCU) and the University of Limerick (UL)

The new league table shines a light on colleges that struggle for recognition against institutions with reputations going back hundreds of years.

Global university rankings are usually dominated by iconic names such as Oxford (established 1096), Cambridge (established 1209) and Harvard (established 1636). Trinity College, which carries top billing for Ireland in such tables, was established in 1592.

The new UK-based Times Higher Education (THE) 100 Under 50 rankings puts NUIM in 64th place, DCU at 86th and UL at 97th.

Rankings editor Phil Baty said they served as a warning to the traditional elites that new powers were quickly emerging.

He commented on the “tough times” faced by Irish universities now because of the difficult funding situation.

“The fact that the Ireland’s older elite universities did not make the traditional THE World University Rankings top 100 list last autumn was a cause of great concern. However, this new list of the world’s best under 50s offers some hope.”

Higher Education Authority chief executive Tom Boland said that while there was often dispute as to what rankings measured, Ireland’s universities were always among the top 2pc-3pc.

There are about 15,000 universities in the world, but it is not known exactly how many fall into the under 50 category.

It measured colleges using 13 criteria, and adapted the methodology it uses for its annual World Top100 specially for this purpose.

Earlier this week, DCU was ranked 46th in another rankings of global universities under 50 years old, conducted by ratings agency QS.

Eating 100g dark chocolate a day could prevent heart problem

    

Eating about 100g of dark chocolate daily could help prevent heart problems in high risk people, Melbourne researchers say.

Dark chocolate is rich in components called polyphenols, especially flavonoids, which can have anti-imflammatory and blood pressure lowering effects.

Melbourne researchers surveyed data on 2000 people at risk of developing heart disease and estimated the benefits to their health of eating 100g of dark chocolate a day after a decade.

Using a best-case scenario of 100 per cent compliance, the researchers showed that daily dark chocolate consumption could avert about 85 fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes, per 10,000 people treated over 10 years.

It also showed that spending $40 per person a year on prevention strategies using dark chocolate would be cost-effective.

Although the reduction in heart problems in the population was less than one per cent, Monash University researcher Prof Chris Reid said the strategy could save money considering the cost of heart attack and stroke on the community and the number of people with heart disease who died each year.

“Because of the high cost of treating those diseases, the potential savings of those number of fatal and non-fatal events, actually make this quite a cost-effective strategy,” Prof Reid told AAP.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, causing about 17 million deaths in 2004, the study said.

An increasing number of people were at risk of developing heart disease, Prof Reid said.

The research noted that polyphenols were also found in fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts and tea.

However, Prof Reid said the study had shown eating dark chocolate had a high compliance rate and made people feel full.

The study did not take into account weight gain but the potential benefits on blood pressure and cholesterol would outweigh weight gain, “but that is something you would need to consider,” he said.

Dr Paul Lewandowski, senior lecturer at Deakin University’s School of Medicine, said eating 100g of dark chocolate a day would do no harm but it had to be part of a healthier lifestyle.

He said if people had a balanced diet they would probably receive enough polyphenols from the food they were consuming.

The effects of dark chocolate on lowering blood pressure and cholesterol were not as profound as drugs, the study said.

The study, involving Monash University, University of Melbourne and Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute researchers, was published in the British Medical Journal on Thursday.

Galway's Tesco stores introduce new Homegrown in Ireland products events

  

Galway shoppers are in for a treat as Tesco will showcase the best of Irish produce in Galway, Oranmore, and Ballinsaloe this week.

The events are part of Tesco’s new Homegrown in Ireland campaign which will see 70 suppliers across 52 Tesco stores display their products.

The initiative aims to highlight the best in seasonal, fresh, Irish produce and educate the consumer about Irish growing seasons and fresh produce. A new ‘Homegrown in Ireland’ label will be introduced to Tesco fresh own-lines to denote fresh, Irish, produce.

Shane Flaherty, Galway store manager, said the event is a great chance for Galway shoppers to sample excellent Irish produce.

“This is a great opportunity for Galway shoppers to come down to our stores to taste the best in fresh Irish foods. All Tesco fresh Irish produce, including our fresh beef, fresh pork, and fresh lamb, as well as Irish milk and eggs will now be branded under the ‘Homegrown in Ireland’ banner, which will mean they are guaranteed seasonal, fresh, Irish foods,” he said.

Suppliers that will feature at the Galway stores include O’Hara’s Bakery, Dawn Meats, Arrabawn Milk, Magnetti Foods, and Brogan’s Bakery.

Tesco recently announced that it will work in partnership with Bord Bia to help food and drinks companies to develop their skills. The supermarket chain is now worth €2.7bn a year to the Irish economy. Exports to Tesco outlets abroad now account for nine per cent of overall food and drink exports from Ireland, according to a recent report by Indecon.

The Homegrown in Ireland event will take place in Galway Tesco today, Thursday May 31, from 4pm to 8pm. The event at the Oranmore store takes place tomorrow, Friday June 1, between 4pm and 8pm, and on Saturday June 2 between 2pm and 6pm at the Ballinasloe branch.

Donie's Tuesday all Ireland news Blog

Eggs thrown at Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s car in Milford Donegal

  

The windscreen of a car carrying Taoiseach Enda Kenny is spattered with an egg thrown by a protester from the group pictured right on Mr Kenny’s arrival at Loreto Community College in Milford, Co Donegal, yesterday afternoon. Another egg, thrown as he left an hour later, missed the car.

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny had eggs thrown at his car when he visited a school in Co Donegal yesterday.

The Fine Gael leader was met by a group of more than 60 anti-austerity protesters outside Loreto Community College in Milford.

Mr Kenny was visiting the school to present €150,000 worth of computers to pupils who won them in a national competition.

One of the eggs struck Mr Kenny’s car as he arrived at the school. Another was thrown at his car but missed as he left an hour later.

The incident was condemned by staff at the school, but no official comment was made.

One staff member said it was “disgraceful” that the Donegal Action Against Austerity had chosen to protest outside a school on what should have been a day of celebration.

However, the leader of the protest group, Micheal Mc Giolla Easpaig, defended the decision to carry out the protest. He said: “It was our duty to be here, and it is our duty to tell Enda Kenny that the people of Donegal will not be silenced.

“Mr Kenny is pushing through cuts and it will be the young people of this country who will end up paying for them for generations to come,” he said.

Despite the protests, most of the noise was made by several hundred pupils, who gave Mr Kenny a warm welcome. All first-year pupils at the school will now get laptop computers after an entry by 5th year pupil Shaun Sweeney won the SmartClass competition, organised by Intel, the Education Company of Ireland and Steljes.

Nobody was arrested in relation to the egg-throwing and the Garda refused to comment on the matter.

Earlier, Mr Kenny had refused to meet the protesters, saying Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar and Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald had met the group recently. “I couldn’t meet them today because of the schedule and I’m sorry I couldn’t but they have met two Ministers and there may be a chance to meet these people in the future,” he said.

Donegal austerity group say visiting Taoiseach “is running scared”  from them?

The campaigning group Donegal Action Against Austerity accused Taoiseach Enda Kenny, TD, of “running scared”

 ? 

After receiving no response to their request to meet with him during his Donegal visit yesterday (Monday).

The group had a list of issues to raise with the taoiseach, including the future of Letterkenny General Hospital, the reduction in ancillary healthcare services around the county, Donegal’s high rate of unemployment and problems of family debt and fuel costs.

“We have a real concern about the future of our local health services, and the slow death of the health infrastructure of this county,” said Betty Holmes of Donegal Action for Cancer Care (DACC), a member of Donegal Action Against Austerity (DAAA).

She said that at a public meeting in Buncrana on Thursday on the European Fiscal Compact Treaty, Pat Cox referred to the country as “being in intensive care, the sick patient of the EU.

“It was a strange comparison,” she said. “Donegal is the ‘sick patient’ in this country, and we are being denied the medicine to cure our ills.”

Mrs. Holmes said DACC had considered the meeting with the taoiseach to be vital. “We have had great difficulty over the last year in getting answers to our questions and concerns at national level, both from the government and department of health,” she said.

She said the group had been led to believe on Thursday night that a meeting with the taoiseach was a possibility. But there was no further word from Joe McHugh, Fine Gael TD, who had been asked to arrange the meeting.

Ryan Stewart of Donegal Action Against Austerity said it was “extremely disappointing that the taoiseach would ignore the concerns of ordinary people in Donegal”, and added, “The only time the government seem to show their faces in Donegal, is to gain some political capital.”

He said, “It’s no surprise, given the push for the ‘yes’ vote in the upcoming referendum, that important issues are pushed to the side once again. This is an agenda to impose further cuts and austerity on to ordinary people, to pay for the sins of the elite.”

“We hope people will see through this photo-op, where leading politicians take the people of Donegal for fools,” Mr. Stewart said.

38 jobs axed at Largo Foods in Co Donegal

38 full time equivalent jobs are to be lost at the Largo Foods plant in Gweedore, Co Donegal Largo Foods to lay off 38 people in Co Donegal

The company, which produces snacks such as Tayto and Hunky Dorys crisps is automating its packing operation in Donegal.

Managing director Raymond Coyle said the move, which involves a €3.7m investment in research and development and machinery, is part of a wider plan to ensure the future of the plant.

The HSE re-hired staff who retired prior to new pension law changes

   

Some 40 health service personnel who retired before pension changes came into effect at the end of February have been rehired by the Health Service Executive.

The HSE said it was not its policy to take back staff who had retired but that this may be necessary in exceptional circumstances on a short-term basis to meet critical service needs. Nearly 20 of those rehired were nurses, while 11 were hospital consultants.

In the HSE’s Dublin North East region, one administrator who had retired was rehired for a six-month period to deal with a “critical risk issue”.

In a letter to Labour TD Gerald Nash in response to a parliamentary question, the HSE said that three hospital consultants had been re-engaged in the west to meet critical frontline service needs as had seven nursing staff.

It said in the Dublin/Mid-Leinster region one consultant was acting as his own locum until June to allow time for the recruitment of a successor. It said one director of nursing had been rehired as “there are no appropriate candidates internally in the hospital to ensure continuity of service”.

The HSE said two anaesthetists and one gastroenterologist in the region had been taken back on as they had “developed a range of unique skills not readily available through locum or agency”.

The HSE said in Dublin/North East eight nurses, one administrator and one specialist radiographer had been rehired. In the South the HSE said among those rehired was a senior orthoptist.

The HSE said an assistant director of nursing had been taken back until the end of May to assist with the orderly closure of a home and to look after the welfare of residents during the move. It said one medical officer had been rehired to satisfy Hiqa requirements to ensure residents in a community hospital were reviewed regularly.

The HSE also said a consultant gastroenterologist, a consultant nephrologist and a consultant general surgeon had been rehired for 16½ hours per week.

People snoring heavily ‘can raise their chance of cancer risk by 500%’

Being a heavy snorer can increase a persons risk of cancer five-fold, according to recent research.

   

Snoring and other types of ‘sleep disordered breathing’, as it is known, can deprive the body of enough oxygen for hours at a time.

Scientists now believe having low blood oxygen levels can trigger the development of cancerous tumours, by promoting the growth of the vessels that feed them.

They say in future doctors could help people fight the disease by stopping them snoring.

Researchers in the US looked at cancer rates in more than 1,500 people, in a study of sleep problems that has been going for 22 years.

They found those with severe sleep disordered breathing (SDB) were 4.8 times more likely to develop cancer than those who had no such problems.

Those with moderate SDB were at double the risk, while those with only a slight problem had a 10 per cent increased chance, according to the group, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

By far the most common type of sleep disordered breathing problem is obstructive sleep apnoea.

In this, the airway frequently collapses during the breathing cycle, leaving the sleeper struggling for breath. Typically this produces snoring and repeated forced waking.

Sleep apnoea is already known to be associated with other health problems including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes.

As being overweight can cause cancer, it could simply have been the case that snoring had no active role in promoting cancer, and was simply a proxy for obesity.

However, the researchers took into account whether participants were a healthy weight or not, as well as a range of other confounding factors, such as age, sex, and smoking status.

The link between SDB and cancer held true even after these were adjusted for. In fact, the association was stronger for those of a healthy weight than the obese.

The researchers concluded this meant that sleep disordered breathing could itself raise the risk of cancer, rather than just being a general sign of poor health.

Laboratory studies have also shown that intermittent hypoxia – or low oxygen levels – promotes tumour growth in mice with skin cancer. Lack of oxygen stimulates the generation of blood vessels that nourish tumours, a process known as angiogenesis.

Dr Javier Nieto, who led the study, said: “The consistency of the evidence from the animal experiments and this new epidemiologic evidence in humans is highly compelling.”

Laboratory and animal studies “suggest that intermittent hypoxia promotes angiogenesis and tumour growth”.

He continued: “Ours is the first study to show an association between SDB and an elevated risk of cancer mortality in a population-based sample.”

He said further research was needed to prove the link beyond doubt, but said if the relationship was firmy established, “the diagnosis and treatment of SDB in patients with cancer might be indicated to prolong survival”.

The results were presented on Sunday at the annual conference of the American Thoracic Society in San Francisco. They will also be published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.