Donie's news Ireland daily BLOG

B.O.I. chief Richie Boucher says debt forgiveness is not the bank’s policy

 

Committee hears 11,774 mortgages in default, and 3,103 are in legal or resolution process

Bank of Ireland chief executive Richie Boucher arriving at Leinster Housetoday.

Bank of Ireland has attempted to defend its dealings with distressed mortgage holders saying it cannot do special deals as it has to remain profitable.

Speaking at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, Bank of Ireland chief executive Richie Boucher said the institution was offering deals to customers that it was confident would help to keep them in their homes.

Mr Boucher said debt forgiveness was “not a policy of the bank” as it had responsibilities to a wide range of stakeholders – including the Irish State and taxpayer, which has been repaid some €3.9 billion of the €4.8 billion invested in Bank of Ireland.

He said that if the bank is not profitable, it cannot lend money into the economy and repay the State which could well mean that citizens would face higher taxes or diminished services.

Asked about forbearance by committee chairman Ciarán Lynch , Mr Boucher said any loss arising from a deal a with customer was “a cost to the bank”.

“Unless there are exceptional circumstances, we don’t believe that a restructure is possible unless the customer can meet the full interest on the mortgage.”

The bank was criticised during the hearing, which set out toCentral Bank targets for sustainable solutions to mortgage distress, for failing to provide detailed figures and over the nature of its split-mortgage offering, which does not freeze interest charges on the warehoused element.

Independent TD Stephen Donnelly told Mr Boucher that almost all of the bank’s restructuring deals resulted in mortgage holders paying back a higher amount of capital.

Mr Boucher said that restructuring mortgages and loans cost the bank money and that these additional costs had to be met.

Mr Donnelly said 90 per cent at least of these restructuring deals increased the indebtedness of households, and that banks were profiting from mistakes people made in the past but also their own mistakes in lending money.

More broadly, Mr Boucher said the number of Bank of Ireland customers in early arrears fell in “June, July and August”.

He told the committee that 11,774 mortgages were in default at the end of March and that by the end of June some 3,103 of those were in a legal or resolution processand 3,164 had been restructured or cured.

At 53 per cent of cases, this was far above the Central Bank’s target of finding a sustainable solution in 20 per cent of cases.

“Our arrears reflect economic and affordability issues. We continue to monitor our portfolios and we do not believe negative equity is a driver of default. it is primarily where customers have income issues,” he said.

On the subject of Priory Hall, Mr Boucher said up to eight former residents of the apartment complex had owner occupier mortgages with the bank.

The majority of these had nominated a third party to engage with the bank, he said, and discussions were ongoing.

He said he could not give any specific commitment with regard to Priory Hall, which has been vacated for some time as a result of safety concerns, but that he would be keeping an eye on how other banks approached mortgage holders.

Water bill fears ease for larger Irish families

 

The larger the family, the greater the free water allowance, Environment Minister Phil Hogan has proposed.

Mr Hogan said he favours a certain allowance for families that will take into account the numbers living under one roof.

He said that there will also be some illnesses and “extenuating circumstances” that require people to use a lot more water.

Irish Water has been directed by the Environment Minister that the number of people in the house will have to be taken into account in applying charges.

Water charges are coming into effect from October next year, but the first bills will not land until January 2015.

Supply

Homeowners will have to pay a standing charge for the metering system and will receive a free allowance of water to give them a very basic supply. Any useabove that amount will be charged at a rate yet to be determined.

There has been ongoing debate over whether the amount of free water allocated should be based simply on the size of the house, or on the number of people living there.

The system that had been favoured by the operator was one solely based on the size of the house.

However, this led to claims that large families with children faced being discriminated against under the new water-charging regime.

The energy regulator will decide by Christmas how the system will operate.

Mr Hogan said he has given a commitment that there will be a free allowance for all families, he said.

He said that there will be affordability measures which will take into account ill health, or disability, or “large families on low incomes”.

Positive Irish economic data fuel hopes of an economic recovery

 

Unemployment rate drops again as services sector growth hits six-year high

Unemployment fell again last month and the country’s services sector grew at its fastest rate in six years, underpinning hopes the economy may be finally turning a corner.

Optimism was further fuelled by a series of positive business surveys from Europe and China, pointing to an upswing in the global economy.

For the fourth month in a row, the number of people claiming unemployment benefit in the Republic fell.

The latest Live Register figures indicated the numbers signing on the dole dropped by 3,400 in August, giving rise to a standardised unemployment rate of 13.4 per cent, down from 13.5 per cent in July.

On an unadjusted basis, there were 435,280 people on the register last month, representing an annual decrease of 20,976 or 4.6 per cent.

The figures suggested 45% of those on the register have been out of work for at least one year, the lowest rate since mid-2009.

Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton said the figures provided concrete proof that the Government “was making progress in getting people back to work”.

However, the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed claimed the numbers masked the high levels of emigration and the limited period people were able to sign on.

The Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (Isme) claimed the “dysfunctional and over generous social welfare system” was acting as a disincentive for employees to work, and that employers were unable to match “the over-generous State handouts”.

Separate figures from the Central Statistics Office on “job churning”, suggested the number of positions created during 2011 outpaced the number of job losses for the first time since 2007.

The positive employment data coincided with figures suggesting the country’s services sector – which accounts for about 70 per cent of the economy – grew at its fastest rate in six years last month.

The latest Investec Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) of services sector activity rose to 61.6 in August from 57.6 the previous month.

This was the highest reading recorded since February 2007, and comfortably above the all-important 50 mark, which denotes an expansion in activity.

“The principal cause of rising activity in August was the spell of unusually good weather in Ireland and the consequent boost to the tourism sector,” said Investec’s chief economist Philip O’Sullivan.

Investec’s sub-index for new business recorded it fastest rate of growth since March 2007, with respondents citing “increased new business from both domestic and export markets”.

New export orders expanded for a 25th successive month while companies also increased their staffing levels on the back of “greater workloads”.

At the same time, euro zone businesses had their best month in over two years in August as orders increased for the first time since mid-2011.

Markit’s Eurozone Composite Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) rose to 51.5 last month from 50.5 in July.

It was the highest headline figure since June 2011, albeit revised down a tad from an initial flash reading of 51.7.

The forward-looking new orders index rose to 51.0, the first time above the 50 mark dividing growth and contraction since July 2011, which will come as welcome news to European Central Bank policymakers meeting this week.

In Britain, a rush of new business last month drove the fastest growth in the services sector for more than six years.

The Markit/CIPS UK services purchasing managers index (PMI) rose to 60.5 in August from 60.2 in July, its highest level since December 2006, holding well above the 50 growth threshold for the eighth consecutive month.

Growth in China’s services sector hit a five-month high in August, providing more evidence that the world’s second-largest economy may have avoided a sharp slowdown.

Too much sugar can wreak havoc on your cholesterol levels

  

It is a well-known fact that the war is on against sugar. Many people don’t realize that sugar and other carbohydrate consumption can also contribute to cholesterol problems.

In fact, sugar — in the form of table sugar (sucrose) or high-fructose corn syrup, ? can be a greater contributor to heart disease than the consumption of saturated fat, long regarded as the main contributor to this condition. Most Americans consume far too much sugar on a daily basis.Why? There are a multitude of reasons.

For example, many of us are unaware that processed foods are loaded with hidden sugars to enhance flavor. In addition to all the fructose added,Americans consume an average of 22 teaspoons of sugar a day and even more from carbohydrates (which the body breaks down into sugar) from pasta, rice, bread, corn and potatoes.

  For the last 30 years, our dietary focus has been to reduce fats in our diets.As a result, there has been an increase in carbohydrate consumption resulting in an epidemic of pre-diabetes and diabetes along with a new type of cholesterol problem.

Cholesterol reduction requires a one-on-one treatment regime 

As a physician and lipidologist (a doctor specializing in cholesterol management), I work with people on an individual basis to help them lower their cholesterol based upon their unique lifestyle and personal healthcare needs. This is extremely important because “one size does not fit all” when it comes to managing cholesterol. Every patient’s blood work, medical history, age and overall health should be taken into account when determining the best treatments for lowering cardiovascular disease.

Sugar consumption negatively affects “good and bad” cholesterol 

Standard cholesterol measurement reveals your total cholesterol level broken down by LDL (bad cholesterol), HDL (good cholesterol) and triglycerides. LDL elevation, which is linked in part to saturated fat intake, is only one type of cholesterol problem. How is sugar a major culprit in cholesterol problems? Eating sugar and other carbohydrates raises triglycerides and lowers HDL. It also causes dysfunctional alterations in LDL molecules. LDL levels may seem normal, but this dysfunctional LDL can cause rapid clogging of arteries and increased risk for thrombosis.

Reducing sugar intake offers big rewards 

  Generally speaking, the goal for many people is to reduce daily sugar intake and realize that carbohydrates must also be reduced to impact your cholesterol problems.Avoid high fructose corn syrup.The brain cannot sense this form of sugar like it does regular table sugar and this will cause you to eat more before feeling full.After about five days of living on fewer carbohydrates, my patients report feeling much more energy, less stress and even craving healthier food choices.

So give your body a gift that will keep on giving. Dump the sugar and reduce the carbs.Your cholesterol, heart, mind and body will thank you for it. CentraState Medical Center in Freehold offers an extensive roster of boardcertified physicians and medical specialists throughout the region.To find a family or internal medicine physician near you, call 866-CENTRA7 (866-236- 8727), or visit the Physician Finder at centrastate.com/physicians.

In addition, CentraState’s Star and Barry Tobias Health Awareness Center (HAC) offers more than 200 health education and lifestyle management programs to help patients achieve their health and wellness goals.A dedicated team of registered nurses, registered dietitians, lifestyle management experts and integrative therapy practitioners help participants to lose weight, get fit, eat healthy and lower disease risk. For more information about all of the programs offered at the HAC, call 732-308- 0570 or visit centrastate.com/healthprograms.

Pacific leaders lay down climate challenge at summit

    

(L to R) Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna, Marshall Islands President Christopher Loeak and Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga are pictured above left.

Pacific leaders whose nations are threatened by climate change on Tuesday opened a regional summit in the Marshall Islands with a challenge to the rest of the world to take action.

Leaders of the 15-nation Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) arrived at the summit in the capital Majuro on a flotilla of outrigger canoes and were greeted by warriors in grass skirts performing traditional stick dances.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna said the theme of this year’s meeting, “marshalling a Pacific response to the climate challenge”, reflected the concerns of a region where some nations face being inundated by rising seas.

He said the people of the Pacific felt abandoned by the rest of the world even though they were bearing the brunt of an environmental crisis they had not created.

“(It) speaks partly to the frustrations we all felt in the past of being overlooked, ignore and undervalued,” Puna said.

“Years of inaction on the part of those most capable of enacting effective mitigation actions have understandably left us absolutely disappointed and dissatisfied.”

The Pacific Islands Forum consists mostly of small islands states, along with resource-rich Papua New Guinea and regional powers Australia and New Zealand.

Some of the countries, including host the Marshall Islands, are made up of atolls that barely rise one metre (three feet) above sea level.

Marshall Islands President Christopher Loeak said climate change was already affecting his country, which is in the grip of severe drought and was hit by storm surges in June which washed away parts of Majuro’s sea wall, forcing its airport to temporarily close.

While there has been some discussion about potential relocation of “climate change refugees” in the face of the advancing seas, Loeak was defiant, saying his people will always remain in their homeland.

“To all Marshallese and all the people of the Pacific, my land is my home, my heritage and my identity in ways the English language cannot capture,” he said.

“This is my country and I will always stay here. If water comes, it comes.”

Loeak hopes to use the summit to revive stalled global efforts to tackle global warming.

He wants the PIF nations to agree on a “Majuro Declaration”, which involves adopting concrete measures on issues such as reducing emissions and adopting renewable energy.

The plan is to then present the declaration to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the General Assembly meeting in New York at the end of September and push the rest of the world to follow its example.

While climate change is the central theme of the four-day summit, a raft of other issues will be discussed by the island leaders and dialogue partners attending the event, including diplomats from the United States, China, the European Union, India and Russia.

These include sustainable development, increasing islanders’ control of the $4.0 billion a year Pacific tuna industry, and whether to re-admit Fiji, which was expelled in 2009 in the wake of a military coup.

donie's Ireland news Blog Friday

Hiqa raises concerns over the running of another Galway nursing home 

  

Health information and Quality Authority inspectors have raised serious concerns about the running of another private nursing home in Oranmore Co Galway.

In a report, the inspectors said they were very concerned about the inadequate response of Oranmore Nursing Home to allegations of abuse and its failure to take suitable and sufficient measures to protect one of the residents. Details of the allegations are not contained in the authority’s five inspection reports on the home.

Earlier this week it published inspection reports that found some residents at Owen Riff nursing home in Oughterard, Co Galway, had not had a bath or shower for a month. The Health Service Executive has taken over the running of this home.

While Oranmore Nursing Home has retained its registration, Hiqa inspectors criticised a lack of progress on improvements ordered in their previous reports.

They also expressed grave concern about an inadequate response to a serious medication error and measures to protect the safety of residents, and the provider was instructed to take immediate action on these issues, the third time it had received such a warning since last December.

The inspectors found that while progress had been made on some of the actions required on foot of previous reports, this was insufficient to allay their concerns or to meet the official regulations.

They said risk-managements systems were inadequate and identified a number of risks to residents that were not being managed. New staff had not received mandatory fire training or training in manual handling, and fire exits continued to be obstructed.

Some progress was noted in the management of restraint, patient falls and nutritional care but further improvements were required. Improvements were also required in arrangements to ensure staff were suitable to work in the centre and were trained properly.

In its response the home said all staff had been reminded to be extra vigilant for the possibility of abuse, and the director of care was undertaking additional supervision to protect residents from abuse. Staff had also been provided with fire training.

Meanwhile, a threat to deregister the Stella Maris Nursing Home in Athlone has been lifted after the owners made significant improvements to the premises and its operations. Last year Hiqa inspectors expressed serious concerns about the safety of residents at the home. They demanded the appointment of additional staff to meet concerns over fire safety, instructed the person in charge to improve her focus on management and stated that residents did not always receive timely access to healthcare.

However, in a report published yesterday, they said five out of six actions required by the authority had been carried out. The centre was described as warm and its staff as friendly and welcoming.

A separate report on Leopardstown Park Hospital in south Dublin was also positive. The operator was praised for delivering strong leadership and a high-quality service to residents, though the “institutional nature” of the building was criticised.

Eleven nursing homes have been closed on foot of inspections by Hiqa over the past two years.

Over one in five of Ireland’s mortgage holders in difficulty

        

Just over one in five 20%+ home loans was in some form of financial difficulty at the end of June, according to new figures on mortgage arrears from the Central Bank.

The figures include for the first time mortgages where borrowers have missed repayments for fewer than 90 days in addition to regularly reported figures on mortgage arrears of 90 days or more.

There were 168,637 owner-occupier mortgages, or just over 22 per cent of the 761,533 home loans in the State, either in arrears or which had been modified to help borrowers make some form of repayment at the end of June.

This was up from 162,572 or 21.3 per cent three months earlier.

In terms of the value of the debt, €30.5 billion or 27.2 per cent of the €112 billion outstanding in owner-occupier mortgages at banks in Ireland was in arrears or had been restructured, compared with €29.5 billion or 26 per cent in March.

The number of borrowers falling into arrears slowed in the second quarter, with arrears of 90 days or less falling to 45,165 mortgages at the end of June, down from 46,284 mortgages in March.

The Irish Banking Federation said the high rate of arrears reflected “the difficult economic circumstances in which an increasing number of customers find themselves” but noted that there had been a slowdown in the rate at which new customers were falling into arrears over a number of successive quarters.

“This easing in the pace at which new arrears cases are arising is welcome and we will look to future quarters for confirmation of the sustainability of this trend over time,” said the group.

Stockbroking firm Davy said the figures showed that the rate at which early-stage arrears converted into longer-stage arrears fell for the first time.

The percentage of mortgages in arrears of 90 days or more increased to 10.9 per cent, or 83,251 mortgages at June, compared with 10.2 per cent or 77,630 mortgages at the end of March.

Mortgages in arrears of 90 days or more or which had been restructured rose to 16.2 per cent, or 123,472 mortgages, at the end of June from 116,288 mortgages or 15.2 per cent three months earlier.

By value, the amount of mortgage debt in arrears of 90 days or more totalled €16.5 billion or 14.7 per cent of total owner-occupier mortgage debt, compared with €15.4 billion or 13.7 per cent of mortgages three months earlier.

Fianna Fáil finance spokesman Michael McGrath accused the Government and banks of failing to tackle the crisis in a meaningful way, saying they seemed “paralysed” by the scale of the problem.

The figures were “dismal”, a “personal crisis” for thousands of families and an economic crisis for the State, said Mr McGrath.

The Central Bank said it was continuing to monitor the progress of lenders on the roll-out of “new forbearance and loan modification techniques to provide longer-term and more sustainable solutions for customers in financial difficulty” before the year end.

Further details on these measures would be published early next year, the Central Bank said.

The number of properties in possession remained unchanged at 961 in June over the three-month period. The Central Bank said legal proceedings were issued to enforce on debt or security on a mortgage in 345 cases during the second quarter of the year.

Court proceedings concluded in 193 cases during the period and in 97 of these cases the courts granted orders for possession or sale of the property. During the three months, lenders took possession of 146 properties, 44 of which were repossessed on foot of a court order, while the remaining 102 properties were voluntarily surrendered or abandoned. There were 142 properties disposed of, leaving lenders in possession of 961 properties at the end of June.

Close ties with friends boost men’s mental health

  

Middle-age adults who have regular contact with a group of friends are psychologically better off than those who don’t, but when it comes to having close ties with many family members, men benefit more than women, a new study from England says.

The results of psychological tests show that people who had regular contact with 10 or more friends at age 45 had higher levels of well-being at age 50 than those with five or fewer friends. This was the case even when education levels, employment status and previous mental health issues were taken into account.

When the researchers looked at people’s relationships with family members (outside their own household), they found that men who had regular contact with fewer than 10 relatives had worse mental health than men with at least 10 close relatives. But in women, there was no link between psychological well-being and the number of family members a woman saw regularly.

While the reason women didn’t seem to benefit from a greater number of close family members is not entirely clear, it may be related to the negative effects of certain family relationships, the researchers said.

Among people of both genders, those who were in a relationship with a partner had higher numbers of relatives that people saw regularly. “It is possible that negative social exchanges within women’s social ties might have reduced any positive effects from [family relationships] built upon their partnership, as these have been found to be related to depression,” the researchers wrote in their article, published yesterday (Aug. 22) in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

The researchers looked at information from 6,500 people in England who were born in 1958, gathered as part of the National Child Development Study. Participants were asked how many friends and relatives they met up with at least once a month. They also answered questions about their education, job and partnership status, and took a psychological well-being test that scored their mental health on a scale from 14 to 70.

Results also showed that study participants tended to have more friends than family members that they saw regularly. While nearly 19 percent of men and 16 percent of women reported having no family members that they saw regularly, only 11 percent of participants reported having no friends.

People’s employment status did not affect the size of their social networks, but education did. Men with more education tended to have smaller groups of both friends and family members that they were close to; women with more education tended to have regular contact with fewer family members, but had more friends.

Among participants who reported having no close friends, women’s mental health suffered more than men’s. However, men’s well-being was also affected if they had no close relatives, whereas for women, a lack of close relatives had no effect, the researches said.

Diageo drink sales fall by 5% in 2011 as market declines

   

 Drinks company Diageo saw its sales fall by 5 per cent in Ireland last year, as consumers opted to drink less of the black stuff.

According to the London-headquartered group, while Guinness Draught and Smithwick’s grew their share of the on-trade, or pubs market, and Harp in the off-trade, “the beer market remains in decline” in Ireland.

This led to a 5 per cent decline in net sales in the year to the end of June, in comparison with an 8 per cent rise in global sales and an outperformance by emerging markets, where sales jumped 15 per cent.

These regions now account for almost 40 per cent of Diageo’s business.

A growing African taste for spirits plus demand for scotch in Latin America and Asia, particularly de-luxe brands in southeast Asia and China, boosted Diageo’s sales, while the company said performance in its established north American and western European markets improved from 2011.

“Europe’s performance improved in the year despite the macro backdrop. We’re achieving what we set out to achieve in Europe. I wouldn’t declare victory – I think it’s still going to remain to be a challenging environment,” chief financial officer Deirdre Mahlan said.

Pre-tax profits jumped 32 per cent to £3.1 billion (€3.9 billion) for the group, and, following its strong performance, Diageo is now set to raise its full-year dividend by 8 per cent to 43.5 pence per share.

Irish whiskey continues to sell well in Russia and eastern Europe, and Diageo noted that Bushmills saw growth of more than 30 per cent in the year. While Baileys saw “weak” sales in Europe, sales of the liquor jumped 26 per cent in Africa.

Back in Ireland, Diageo reported “strong double-digit top-line growth” in Ireland for its rum product, Captain Morgan.

In 2011 the group announced a significant restructuring of its Irish brewing operations, with the loss of 70 jobs. In 2012 this restructuring resulted in costs of £11 million, up from £10 million in 2011.

Diageo currently employs about 1,500 people in Ireland.

The group is believed to be eyeing the acquisition of a minority stake in Mexican tequila maker Jose Cuervo from its owners, the Beckmann family. Its long-term distribution deal with the brand ends in June 2013, and analysts estimate that the world’s best-selling tequila brand could be worth about $3.4 billion.

“We are continuing discussions with the Beckmann family given the end period for our distribution arrangement,

Galway has third highest public order offence list in Ireland

   

Gardaí on duty in Galway city. “I think in Galway a lot of the public order issues that happen come to our attention, but in other parts of the country that are harder to police more things would happen under the radar so they wouldn’t be in the crime figures,” says a senior Garda source

Geography, emigration, drug and alcohol consumption, and reduced Garda resources all play a part in the number of recorded public order offences

Quay Street in Galway city at the height of summer, there is little evidence that the recession has battered people’s disposable incomes or that the tourism sector is struggling.

The pubs are full to overflowing on a recent warm August Saturday night, and people are spilling on to the streets to enjoy their drinks. Tourists mingle with locals and the droves of hen and stag parties that have descended on the packed pubs.

Gardaí patrol the narrow city streets on foot and in Garda vans and cars.

Most pubs have hired security staff, manning the doorways to check who’s coming and going. The bouncers are watching to ensure people taking drinks outside have availed of the offer of a plastic glass from the bar.

Groups of younger men and women have clearly been on the go since earlier in the day, with more than a couple of drinkers the worse for wear by early in the evening.

But, overwhelmingly, the atmosphere is jovial, with little to indicate that Galway has one of the biggest public order crime rates in the State.

Crime figures broken down to Garda station level by the Central Statistics Office and the All-Island Research Institute at NUI, Maynooth, show that Galway recorded 4,363 criminal offences last year, making it the seventh busiest station nationwide in terms of recorded crime.

The figures do not offer a per capita breakdown.

Given the large size of the area policed by Galway, not to mention its city centre nature, it is perhaps not surprising that the main Garda station in the west is in the top 10 busiest in the State.

Of the total crimes recorded last year in Galway, 1,559 were classified as public order offences. That figure puts Galway third on the public order list, behind only the Dublin inner Garda stations of Pearse Street (2,237 public order offences) and Store Street (1,654), both of which police the busiest retail and nightlife districts in the State.

Nationally, public order crimes have fallen by 21 per cent since a peak of 61,822 offences in 2008. Assaults have fallen by 12 per cent since peaking in 2008, while criminal damage has tumbled by 21 per cent.

In Galway, some 36 per cent of all offences recorded last year were public order offences.

Gardaí say that part of the reason Galway records more public order offences than most other parts of the country is that the compact nature of the city centre means it is relatively easy to police for public order offences.

“The city itself is compact and it means you can cover a lot of it very well with a relatively small number [of gardaí],” said one senior source.

“I think in Galway a lot of the public order issues that happen come to our attention, but in other parts of the country that are harder to police more things would happen under the radar so they wouldn’t be in the crime figures.”

Other Garda sources and experts on crime point to the fact that the rate of public order crimes recorded by gardaí depends heavily on the extent to which gardaí prioritise the issue in local policing plans.

As one garda says: “If I’m in the square in Thurles and two guys have a fight and I arrest them, then that’s two crimes recorded. If I’m not there then I don’t make the arrests and that fight never happened.”

A reduction of two-thirds in the Garda’s overtime budget – from €155.5 million in 2007 to €54 million in the current year – and a drop in Garda numbers from 14,400 in early 2010 to 13,567 as of June 30th suggests there are fewer gardaí “in the square in Thurles” and that more public order crime is going undetected.

Demographics and emigration are also playing a part.

With young men the most likely group to become involved in public order offences, it seems certain that the reduction of 15 per cent in the male population aged 16-30 reflected in the latest census is feeding into the reduction in public order offences.

However, every Garda source who spoke to The Irish Times on the issue cited the same two factors as main drivers of public order crime: drink and drugs.

With the recession affecting young people’s budgets for socialising, drug crime has fallen 23 per cent since its peak in 2008. And the specific offence of possessing drugs for personal use has declined by 30 per cent in the same period.

According to figures compiled by the Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland, the consumption of alcohol has also fallen: from 14.4 litres per adult per year in 2001 to 13.5 by 2005 and 12 litres last year.

Says one Garda source: “There are definitely fewer people absolutely out of their brains and not knowing what they’re doing.”

Children born to older women have a better start in life, claims new study

 

• Nine-month-old had 9.5% risk of having accident if mother was 20 and 6.1% risk if mother was 40
• Children also more likely to have vital immunisation if mother was older
  • Children born to older mothers appear to have a healthier start in life as they are less likely to be admitted to hospital and more likely to have vital immunisation jabs, say researchers.
  • The study also found children with older mothers experienced faster language development and suffered fewer social and emotional difficulties before the age of five.
  • Researchers from University College London analysed data from more than 78,000 children born in England between 2000 and 2002. The mothers were between 13 and 57 years of age.

In developed countries, there has been a strong trend towards later childbearing. In England and Wales, the number of births to women 40 and over trebled from 1989 to 2009 to almost 27,000.

Although there has been substantial research on young mothers and childhood development, there is little evidence of any effects of older mothers.

So the team looked at outcomes including child weight, accidents, hospital admissions and language development.

Rates were adjusted for several factors, including child’s sex, age, birth weight, father’s age, family income and social class.

Results showed that both the risk of accidents and hospital admissions decreased with increasing maternal age.

The risk of a nine-month-old child with a 20-year-old mother having an accident was 9.5 per cent. This fell to 6.1% for a mother of 40 and the decline continued for three and five-year-olds.

Similarly, at nine months, the risk of a child with a 20 year old mother being hospitalised was 16 % which fell to 10.7% for a mother of 40.

Babies were also 98.1% likely to have had their immunisations if their mother was 40 compared to 94.6% if their mother was half that age.

The authors say that older mothers tend to be more educated, have higher incomes and be married – all factors which are associated with greater child well-being.

They concluded that the ‘findings are noteworthy given the continuing increase in average age at maternity’.