Tag: news

  • Dublin prepares to light up for Christmas

    Dublin prepares to light up for Christmas

    Dublin City Council and Dublin Town are currently preparing for this year’s Christmas lights display in the city centre.

    Every year the city of Dublin is beautifully lit with Christmas lights bringing joy to all that witness them.

    The council have announced the lights will be turned on this year on 19th November. This event sees the streets of Dublin flooded with people wanting to be part of the magical annual ceremony.

    In the coming weeks, Dublin City Council and Dublin Town will work together to illuminate the city for the festive season.

    Thirty streets in Dublin will be decorated, with approximately one million light bulbs and fixtures being tested in the coming weeks.

    Speaking about the work that goes into such an event, a spokesperson for the Dublin City Council estimates that a team of about twenty people work through the day and night for about 200 hours over four weeks to erect the lights around the city.

    There will be approximately 47,350 light bulbs on Grafton Street alone. Ten thousand light bulbs will be on Liffey Street and 150,000 light bulbs are set to decorate the festive curtains on Wicklow Street, Johnson Court and Andrew Street.

    The organisers of the event are keeping quiet about any further details on the event, insisting that it is going to be different to anything they have done before and that they will be changing the way the lights will be switched on.

    Larger crowds than anticipated took to the streets of Dublin last year to see the Christmas lights be turned on.  This led to Dublin Town having to cut the ceremony short for health and safety reasons.

    DublinTown’s Director of Marketing and Communication Clyde Carroll said: “Having fully analysed what happened last year, we are completely changing how the lights
    will be switched on in the city to accommodate more people and make it a more comfortable experience for all, especially young children.

    “We have spent the past few months working on the plan with all city stakeholders and our partners on Dublin At Christmas, Dublin City Council.

    “We cannot announce full details just yet as the plan is in final planning approval but I am very excited to share it in a couple of weeks.

    “All I can say now is, with our partners, we plan to light up the whole city, all streets in one day and that magical day will be Sunday 19th of November.”

    By Nicole McNelis

  • 10.5% percent of SUSI grants refused in 2017

    10.5% percent of SUSI grants refused in 2017

    Just over 90,000 students received a college grant between January 2017 and September 2017 according to figures released by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI).

    Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that between January 2017 and September 2017, 100,955 students applied for the grant. A total of 10,623 applicants were refused. These applications include two separate academic terms; including the academic year ending 2016/17 and the academic year that has just begun.

    SUSI offers funding to eligible students in approved full-time third level education in Ireland.  In some cases, they can also provide funding for students studying outside the state.

    Students are assessed on either their parent/guardian’s income if they are living at home and under 23 years of age or their own income if they are over 23 years of age and living alone.

    Nineteen-year old Olivia McGrath was one of the 10,623 students who was refused the grant in the last number of months.

    Currently in her second year of Communication and Creative Media in Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT), Olivia received the SUSI grant in first year to pay for her college fees.  She did not receive a maintenance grant which helps students pay for extras such as supplies and transport.

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    DKIT. Source: Chris Kelly


    “Both my parents work but nothing fancy,” she said.  “One is a cashier and the other works in a pub. If I want to do something it’s up to me to get it done.”

    Olivia was refused the grant in second year as her parents’ gross income was slightly higher than the previous year. She also believes living within 45 kilometres of DKIT made her less likely to receive it.

    The college could offer little help and Olivia was at the point where she was considering deferring for a year to work and save money when she found help from an unlikely source.

    Her grandmother encouraged her to contact the college chaplain Fr. Allen. After her first meeting, they had agreed on a flexible arrangement where she would receive small amounts of money as she needed it which could be paid back over a “reasonable amount of time” at a very low interstate rate.

    “It’s not a widely broadcast service,” she said.  “They aren’t a banking service and can’t give students large amounts of money, but for someone like me who was just on the edge and didn’t want the debt of a large loan it was perfect.”

    In cases where grants are refused, Olivia believes that there should be more engagement between the applicant and the grant authority and that cases should be reviewed on an individual basis.  

    “There are some things you can’t put on paper and they don’t take that into account. Everyone’s situation is different and I know I’m luckier than some people.”

    By Cara Croke and Chris Kelly

     

     

  • Ireland’s population boom set to put a strain on health services

    Ireland’s population boom set to put a strain on health services

    Ireland’s population is set to rise by nearly a quarter by 2030 according to a new report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

    According to findings in Projections of Demand for Healthcare in Ireland, 2015-2030, Ireland’s population of people aged 80 and over is set to rise by almost 94 percent. This, alongside an increase in the general population, will have a significant impact on Ireland’s health service.

    The report states that demand across all health and social care sectors will “increase significantly” for all years up to 2030. This report used population information from the census of 2016, alongside statistics from the past twelve months regarding the use of a range of healthcare services, including public and private hospital inpatient care, emergency department use, and GP services.

    In a breakdown of the impact on health services, the report states that the demand for home help and residential care will skyrocket by up to 54 percent, with the demand on inpatient beds in public hospitals set to rise by 37 percent. Also, the demand for local GP visits will also increase by up to 27 percent.

    The report also remarks that Ireland’s population over the past twenty years has increased by 31 percent. This boom in population was significantly higher than the EU average, which was only 6 percent.

    Minister for Health Simon Harris has responded to the publication of the report, stating that he has “long been of the view that we need to increase capacity in our health services, but that this must be done in an evidence-based manner.”

    The Minister added that he welcomes “the publication of this report and the development of the underlying projection model upon which the analysis and findings are based”.

    By Sean Meehan

     

  • Is the sugar tax the answer to Ireland’s obesity issue?

    Is the sugar tax the answer to Ireland’s obesity issue?

    Ireland’s sugar tax on fizzy drinks may cost the State €22m per year in lost revenue from cross-border shopping and the black market, said Colm Jordan, Director of the Irish Beverage Council.

    Mr Jordan’s comments come after the Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe announced during the 2018 Budget that a sugar tax will be introduced on fizzy drinks from April of next year.

    “We are forecasting that 11% of sugar-sweetened drink sales will be lost to cross-border shopping and the unofficial grey market,” said Mr Jordan.

    “That amounts to a €22 million loss to our economy in a full operating year of the sugar tax.

    “This must be seen in context; the soft drink tax will only raise €40 million,” said Mr Jordan.

    The Irish Beverage Council (IBC) represents companies that produce, distribute and market soft drinks, fruit juices, bottled waters, sports and energy drinks throughout Ireland. 

    From April onwards, a 30 cent tax will apply on drinks with over 8g of sugar per 100ml.  A 20 cent tax will be added to drinks with between 5g and 8g of sugar per 100ml.

    The Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe said on Budget Day that he hopes that the measure will reduce obesity by reducing consumption of sugary drinks.

    The HSE’s National Lead for Healthy Eating, Sarah O’Brien, is not too concerned about the possible revenue loss as the British Government is set to introduce a similar sugar tax.

    “In relation to cross-border trade concerns, the UK Government intend to implement a similar levy from April 2018, with the levy in Ireland expected to come into force at the same time,” said Ms O’Brien.

    It remains to be seen whether the government will lose revenue as a result of the sugar tax.

    In 2012, the Department of Health commissioned the Institute of Public Health Ireland to carry out a report based on the health impacts of a sugar tax. The foreword of the report said that there’s no evidence that a sugar tax will reduce obesity.

    “Certainly, there is no conclusive evidence that a specific tax on sugar-sweetened drinks will impact on population weight,” said the report.

    In October 2016, the Department of Health introduced a new report outlining the reasons behind introducing a soft drink tax in Ireland.

    “The association between SSD (sugar-sweetened drink) consumption and weight gain has been found to be stronger than for any other food or beverage,” said the report.

    The Director of IBC believes that taxing soft drinks to reduce consumption is a weak argument however.

    “The overly simplistic idea that taxing soft drinks impacts consumption ignores the hard evidence,” said Mr Jordan.

    “If demand was based on price, ‘own brand’ soft drinks would be market leaders; they are not. Taste is a more significant factor in consumer choice than price,” added Mr Jordan.

    The HSE have defended their stance on the sugar tax by saying that research shows that drinking sugar-sweetened drinks is associated with increases in many medical issues for adults and children.

    “A growing body of research indicates that an increase in the consumption of [sugar sweetened drinks] is associated with increases in calorie intake, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, obesity and dental cavities, and that the consumption of [sugar sweetened drinks] may influence the development of obesity in children, adolescents and adults,” said Ms O’Brien.

    As well as medical issues, the HSE have said that sugar-sweetened drinks are cheap and have no nutritional benefit to a balanced diet.

    “Sugar-sweetened drinks are inexpensive, readily available, high in calories and are a source of energy with little or no other nutrient contribution to the diet.

    “They are strongly associated with weight gain and are heavily marketed, especially to children,” added Ms O’ Brien.

    IBC’s Director, Colm Jordan believes that the sugar tax still has faults associated with it.

    “Taxing one ingredient in some sugary drinks, but not all sugary drinks, will not combat the complex challenge of obesity,” said Mr Jordan.

    Sugar tax in other countries

    Sugar taxes have been introduced in a number of countries and, Colm Jordan argues these taxes have very little effect on national obesity rates.

    “Obesity is a complex societal issue. Where similar taxes were introduced, obesity rates increased,” he said.

    In 2012 in France, the government introduced a 72 cent per litre tax on sugar-sweetened drinks and artificially sweetened drinks. This measure proved ineffective in reducing incidences of obesity.

    Figures from NCD-RisC show that in 2012, 21.1% of French men were obese, as well as 21.2% of women. In 2013, those figures rose to 21.5% for males and 21.5% for females.

    In 2014, obesity rates rose again to 22% for males and 21.9% for females, even with the tax in force. These are the latest figures from the NCD-RisC database.

    Denmark had a sugar tax on fizzy drinks for decades. This tax amounted to about 22 cent per litre of a sweetened drink. The tax was reduced to 11c per litre in July of 2013 and was abolished in 2014.

    NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, (NCD-RisC) is a network of health scientists around the world that provides data on non-communicable diseases for all the world’s countries.

    In 2008, NCD-RisC released figures showing that obesity rates in Denmark were at 18.7% for males and 15.6% for females.

    When the sugar tax was abolished in 2014, obesity rates for men and women had risen to 20.7% and 17.4% respectively, showing that the sugar tax had little to no effect on obesity rates.

    In August 2017, a 1 cent per litre fizzy drink tax was introduced in Chicago. The Washington Post reports that by October 11th, the Cook County Board of Commissioners voted 15-1 to quash the tax, citing reasons such as future declines in fizzy drink sales for businesses.

    In Ireland, obesity has increased in recent decades, with a high proportion of adults and children being overweight, according to the HSE.

    “The prevalence of obesity in Ireland has increased significantly in recent decades. Currently, six in ten adults and one in four children are overweight or obese,” said Sarah O’Brien.

    The success of a sugar tax depends on how the soft drinks industry responds to the measure, with marketing companies also needing to get behind the initiative, according to the HSE’s National Lead for Healthy Eating.

    “The impact of the sugar-sweetened drinks tax on health outcomes is dependent on how industry responds to the measure; potential responses include product reformulation, changes in marketing practices, smaller portion sizes or increases in price to consumers.

    “The current evidence indicates that substantial product reformulation by industry to remove sugar would maximise potential health benefits,” said Ms O’Brien.

    The IBC’s Director believes that reformulation of sugary products would lower costs for shopping as well as benefit people’s health.

    “Reformulation, rather than price hikes, will have a greater impact on consumer behaviour and calorie intake with no increase in the cost of our weekly shop.

    “We are committed to working with government on solutions that deliver real public health benefits,” added Mr Jordan.

    Efforts were made to contact the Department of Health for a comment on the sugar tax measure but no comment was received prior to publication.

    By Leanne Salmon

  • CSO figures reveal increasing Muslim population

    CSO figures reveal increasing Muslim population

    With the CSO revealing that the Muslim population is growing year on year, Hajar Akl looks at how multiple generations of Muslim people are integrating into Irish culture and making Ireland their home.

    The Muslim population is the youngest religious group in Ireland, new Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures have revealed.

    The figures, released by the CSO last week, show that the Muslim population has also increased by 28.9 percent since 2011, bringing the total number of Muslim people in Ireland to 63,443 people.

    Sheikh Yahya Alhussein, Imam of Dublin Mosque on South Circular Road, said the fact that Muslims are the youngest religious group in Ireland is “an indication that Muslims are going to be here for a long time”.

    DSC_0239
    A young Muslim child celebrating Eid. Credit: Hajar Akl

    Sheikh Alhussein has been in Ireland since 1983. He said the presence of Muslims in different workplaces is much more evident today than it was back then.

    “If you go to the city centre, or other places, you’ll find Muslims everywhere,” he said.

    He said the country has changed since he has come here and has become more inclusive by providing a range of services to the “growing community, like halal restaurants and shops and, of course, mosques in different areas of Dublin and around the country.”

    Sheikh Alhussein said there was only one mosque in Dublin until 1996. “There are now over 50 places for prayer around the country today.”

    Mudafar Al Tawash has been the administrator of the Islamic Foundation of Ireland for the last ten years. He has been living in Ireland for the past 40 years and has noticed things change significantly when it comes to the Muslim population.

    He said when they first came to Ireland, they set up the Muslim National School. Students of the school have since graduated and now their children are attending the school.

    “We are starting to see the second generation,” Mr Al Tawash said.

    “We are very pleased to see them because the second generation live as Irish and grew up in the Irish society and will play an important role in society. They will, inshaAllah [God willing], try to get rid of the stigma surrounding Islam,” he said.

    Mr Al Tawash said: “The numbers are great. It’s great to see the young people are in good number because they will play a good role in the Irish society and will serve the country in a proper way.

    “I think the future is very bright for Muslims here in Ireland because we have these younger people.”

    Mr Al Tawash said the increase in the number of Muslims has helped Irish people to know more about Islam than ever before.

    “People are spreading around Dublin and Ireland and are integrated very well and we are very lucky here in Ireland, unlike communities in different parts of Europe,” he said.

    “I see a lot of Muslim women here in law, in the media, medicine, science, engineering and other fields,” he said.

    He said he has high expectation for the new generation of Muslims growing up in Ireland.

    “We are trying to encourage the youth, Islamic societies in colleges, and we’re trying to invest in younger generations,” he said.

    Sheikh Hussein Halawa, Imam of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland, said the Muslim population in Ireland is relatively new.

    Having a younger age group “is good because this means they will be better integrated into Irish society than older generations,” he said.

    “Ireland has a promising future when it comes to multi-faith and cultural tolerance and integration,” he said. “The world is not as isolated as it used to be. It’s not even like a village, it’s even smaller. What happens anywhere reaches the other end of the world. So the presence of different cultures in this country is like gathering the whole world in one place.”

    Sheikh Halawa has been in Ireland for 21 years. Today, he sees a “huge difference” to how things were in the past.

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    Sheikh Hussein Halawa, Imam of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland, with Cormac Devlin, former Cathaoirleach of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, and President Michael D. Higgins. Credit: Hajar Akl

    “Ireland has gotten to know a new culture and religion. When the population was small, there wasn’t that much awareness, but now there is,” he said.

    “A lot of Muslims in Ireland are very educated. This indicates the intellect of this group of people,” he said.

    “My hope is that this open communication between cultures [will] become the norm in the whole world. There are those who scare people of Islam and call for conflict. Those are the enemies of humanity. Islam is a religion of peace. My hope is for the world to understand that,” he said.

    Hiba Aburwein, secretary of the Muslim Association of Ireland also reiterated the thought that Muslims in Ireland are very educated.

    “The [Muslim] generations that are here really encourage their children to better their education. Most, if not all of them, are moderate Muslims who are helping to better the Irish economy and helping in improving the Irish community,” said Ms Aburwein.

    She said it’s “very encouraging” to see the numbers about the young Muslim demographic because “young ages are the ones that build society”.

    On the increasing numbers of Muslims in Ireland, she said: “We shouldn’t ignore that they are a growing community and part of society. If there are any policies that seek to alienate them, it will have a negative reaction. Muslims need to feel part of the Irish society.

    “We should try to push the wheel towards treating Muslims as part of society, not treating them as strangers. All organisations should work towards this,” she said.

    She said a large portion of Irish Muslims were born in Ireland.

    “We hope that Irish people will accept them as Irish citizens because we feel that Ireland is our home. Muslim doesn’t mean immigrant. There are a lot of Irish Muslims and different generations. Society needs to accept that this is our home,” Ms Aburwein concluded.

  • Protesters gather at Scientology headquarters

    Protesters gather at Scientology headquarters

    Protesters gathered outside the Victory Centre in Firhouse, Dublin on Saturday, October 14th, to oppose the Church of Scientology’s grand opening of their new headquarters there.

    It was widely reported that the religious movement had purchased the building earlier this year in order to establish a European base of operations. Controversial leader of the Church of Scientology, David Miscavige, had been flown in from the U.S to cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony.

    The road leading to the newly-refurbished centre was cordoned off for approximately 100 metres, closing off a bus stop along the way. A lollipop man who appeared to be employed by the centre’s new residents, occasionally stopped traffic to allow visitors to cross the street.

    IMG_6444[1]
    Protesters gathered in protest of the new Scientology centre
     A mix of both local and international protesters held signs and formed a picket-line across the main entrance to the building. Signs were emblazoned with witty slogans and graphic images of supposed ex-members.

    Anne-Marie, a resident of the Firhouse area, believes that the group may only view Ireland as a “soft touch” and is being used as a stepping stone in order to gain further entry into Europe.

    Another protester from North Dublin, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed that he lost a number of close friends to Scientology a few years ago.

    “I know a few people who are in the Church, people who were my friends, who were taken by the Church and now they can’t communicate with me anymore. I’ve joined in these protests because I think what they stand for is absolutely unbelievable,” said the young protester.

    Throughout the afternoon, visitors could be seen leaving the centre in small groups. None of these visitors wished to comment.

    IMG_6516[1]
    Visitors leaving the victory centre did not speak to the media
    William Drummond, a man who claimed to be a member of the Church of Scientology for over 50 years, led the protest over the course of the day. Drummond, who claimed that he was indoctrinated into the Church as a child in South Africa, said that he came to Firhouse to deliver a warning to Irish citizens.

    “The end result here is to send a message to the Irish people that this is a dangerous cult. We want to know why these people are allowed to get away with this, to practise here in Ireland,” explained Drummond.

    The opening of the new Scientology centre comes as the latest census revealed that only 87 people identify as Scientologists in Ireland. However, the Victory Centre boasts an impressive total capacity of 1,200.

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.

    The Church of Scientology includes some of the world’s biggest stars in its membership, including Tom Cruise, John Travolta and folk superstar Beck.

    By: Conor Shields

  • The Saudi opposition group born in Dublin

    The Saudi opposition group born in Dublin

    A Saudi human rights group has been launched in Dublin two weeks ago, making it the first Saudi human rights group abroad.

    The launch of the group, Citizens Without Chains (CWC),  took place on Friday the 29th of September at the Wood Quay Venue in Dublin.

    The group’s founder, Abdulaziz Almoayyad, is a businessman who has been living in Ireland for the past three years. He lives in Roscommon with his wife and three year old son.

    Mr Almoayyad said the conditions in Saudi Arabia in the last few years have become “increasingly complicated”, as a wave of arrests took place in the country over the past few months.

    He has a digital marketing company in Saudi Arabia and said he fears the Saudi government could freeze his assets as a result of his activism.

    “I don’t think opposing the Saudi government will be a walk in the park,” he said. “But if a person is aware enough he has a responsibility to do something about it, he has to.”

    Saudi opposition story
    Abdulaziz Almoayyad is the founder of Citizens Without Chains, an opposition group to Saudi Arabia.

    Mr Almoayyad said life in Ireland has inspired him to take on a more active stance in human rights and politics, as he saw “liberalism and equality” in operation.

    His father, who passed away a few years ago, was the General Manager of the Ministry of Finance in Saudi Arabia. He said his wife and family, some of whom hold positions of authority in the Saudi government, are supporters of the government and are not happy with his actions.

    “They don’t like what I’m doing. My mother said ‘why are you doing this Abdulaziz?’ I told her I have to be true to myself,” he said.

    He said his family are aware of the risk he is taking by speaking about his views publicly, but he said: “It’s a responsibility because the nation needs someone to speak out.”

    Mr Almoayyad said he fears that his three year old son would grow up to be “an intellect and free thinker”, something that could risk his freedom in Saudi Arabia, he said.

    He said people have been fearful of being part of groups that criticise Saudi Arabia. As a result, he thought creating “a public opposition group” would lessen people’s suspicions and fears, as everything will be “open and anyone can join”.

    “We found a lot of support from Saudi people and intellectuals abroad,” he said. “At the end of the day, we want to unite people. We don’t speak about ideology. We believe that the Saudi nation deserves freedom of thought and speech. We have different ideologies but are joined by a common interest [in Saudi human rights].”

    The group defines their aims in a statement, which says: “To reform the legislative framework of Saudi Arabia, to allow for the true civic participation and emancipation of all citizens. We aim to establish a system which allows for free and fair elections, and to open the civic space for free speech, and the emancipation of socio-political thought.

    “The movement, with the support and consent of its members, will aim to create a society which is built on the sharing of knowledge, ideas and culture, and which is protected by the rule of law to celebrate the diversity and freedom of these.”

    Andrew O’Brien, Trade Union Coordinator for Labour Youth, was present at the launch of CWC.

    “It’s the case of Citizens Without Chains highlighting the human rights abuses in their home country with a desire of instituting human rights and democratising the country,” he said.

    Mr O’Brien said CWC “highlights humans rights abuses by the Saudi regime” and “challenges the status quo in Saudi Arabia”.

    He said although there was an “exhilaration” recently when the Saudi government allowed women to drive, the human rights situation in the country “reeks of the kind of totalitarianism” imposed by authoritarian states.

    By Hajar Akl

  • Bus Éireann service woes continue

    Bus Éireann service woes continue

    Bus Éireann services connecting East Meath towns to Dublin are still facing major disruptions causing headaches for commuters in the area.

    Bus routes 103, 111 and 109, which cater to those in Ratoath, Athboy, Dunshaughlin and Navan, are scheduled to run every twenty minutes. However, this hasn’t been the case for almost a month now with Bus Éireann blaming high absenteeism rates among drivers for the problem. Unions representing drivers have said however, that there simply aren’t enough drivers to cover the routes.

    Locals, who use this service to get to work, school and college have been inconvenienced on several occasions due to buses not arriving on time or, in some cases, not arriving at all. Some bus schedules were also cancelled abruptly for an indefinite period of time.

    This issue was raised in the Dáil on the 4th October by Thomas Byrne TD.  Speaking on the issue, Byrne said: “Perhaps we need to ask Dublin Bus to do some of the routes particularly close to Dublin because there are huge difficulties at the moment. People are being left stranded, particularly students who cannot use the private bus services at certain times of the day.”

    Taoiseach Leo Varadkar responded saying “as it is an industrial relations matter, it is a matter between the unions and the company”.

    Fine Gael’s Regina Doherty TD met with CEO of Bus Éireann, Ray Hernan, in late September to also address the matters at hand.

    “We discussed the decline in service that many bus users in Meath have been experiencing. I will be in regular contact with Ray about this,” said Doherty.

    Doherty also posted on her Facebook page asking bus users to report late or no show buses in the comment section, to which she has received an overwhelming response with 200 complaints since the 29th September.

    A community meeting, organised by local Peace Commissioner Andrew Ralph, will take place in Ratoath on 12th October at 8pm, in hopes to gather a detailed record of all passenger problems to present to the National Transport Authority (NTA).

    By Megan Walsh

     

  • Budget 2018 Roundup

    Budget 2018 Roundup

    The 2018 budget has reduced taxes for earners right across the board as Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Finance, has delivered the first Fine Gael budget under the regime of Leo Varadkar.

    Budget 2018 sees the two Universal Social Charge (USC) rates decrease.  The 2.5% rate of USC will decrease to 2%, with the ceiling for this level raised from €18,772 to €19,372.  The higher 5% rate will decrease to 4.75%.

    The rate at which taxpayers pay the higher rate of income tax of 40% will rise from €33,800 to €34,500.

    Self-employed people will also reap tax benefits as the Earned Income Credit will increase by €200 to €1,150 a year.

    During his campaign to become Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar vowed to transform Fine Gael into a party for “people who get up early in the morning”.  While these changes to tax will favour low income earners and the so-called “squeezed middle”, there are other changes announced in Budget 2018 which will benefit those receiving social welfare.

    All social welfare payments are set to increase €5 a month from the end of March.

    The One Parent Family Payment and Job Seekers Transitional Scheme will both increase by €20 per week.

    People receiving social welfare long term will also receive an 85% Christmas bonus again this year.

    Housing

    In an effort to combat the housing crisis, Minister Paschal Donohoe has allocated €1.83 billion to housing in Budget 2018.  This should, the Minister says, lead to an extra 3,800 social housing units being built by local authorities and approved housing bodies next year.

    The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme was increased by €149 million.  It is estimated this will help an additional 17,000 families next year.

    Funding for the homeless services will increase to €166 million, up €18 million from last year.

    Health

    Minister Donohoe is increasing the budget for the Department of Health to €15.3 billion for next year, a change of €685 million.

    Medical card holders over 70 will now pay just €2 for prescriptions, down from €2.50.  The monthly cap on prescriptions will decrease from €25 to €20.   

    There will also be an additional 1,800 staff hired in the health sector.  These roles will be created in services across mental health, disability, primary care, and community care sectors.

    Recruitment

    The Department of Education is set to recruit 1,300 teachers next year.  This will mean there will be 1 teacher per 26 children in every classroom.

    1,000 Special Needs Assistants positions are to be created before September 2018 as €1.7 billion will be invested in Special Needs Education.

    An additional 800 Gardaí will also be recruited.

    Budget 2018 is not, however, all give and no take.

    A new “sugar tax” will be introduced from April 2018.  A tax of 30c will be applied to drinks with eight grams of sugar or more per 100 millilitres.   There are for instance 10.6 grams of sugar per 100 millilitres of Coca-Cola.

    An added tax of 20c will be added to mineral drinks with between five and eight grams of sugar per 100 millilitres.

    Cigarette prices are set to rise by 50c from midnight on Wednesday 11th October, making the main brands like John Player, Marlboro and Silk Cut €12 a packet.

    Smokers on the streets of Bray were not impressed with the hike in prices.

    “I’ve been smoking for thirty odd years now and I remember when you could get 10 [cigarettes] for about €2 or €3,” says Vicky Byrne, 52.

    “I think it’s mental now that you’ll be paying almost €16 for a pack of 28 John Player Blue. It will probably make a lot of people consider those electric cigarettes. I don’t think many people around will last paying those prices.”

    “I think it’s ridiculous at this stage,” vents Shane Petrassi, 42 from Greystones.  “They’ve hiked up the cost of smokes every year for as long as I can remember.”

    Taoiseach Leo Varadkar described the budget as a “good budget” with “no fireworks, no big bonanza”.  It was also announced in Budget 2018 that Varadkar’s “Strategic Communications Unit” will cost €5 million in 2018.  The unit was set up when Varadkar succeeded Enda Kenny as Taoiseach and aims to communicate government messages to the general public.  The unit has been labelled a “spin machine” by many opposition TDs, including the Fianna Fáil spokesperson for housing, Barry Cowen.

     

    By Louise Burne and Andrew Barnes

  • Does Che Guevara belong on an Irish stamp?

    Does Che Guevara belong on an Irish stamp?

    An Post released a new €1 stamp to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the revolutionary, Ché Guevara’s death.

    The stamp in question depicts the iconic work of Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick.  The image in question is of course Fitzpatrick’s famous two-tone painting of a photograph of Guevara by Cuban photographer Alberto Korda.

    The image itself sparks controversy where some see it as a symbol of freedom and rebellion, others merely see a reminder of a hate figure and a murderous regime.

    Che Guevara
    Ché Guevara is now on the €1 Irish stamp. Source: Pixabay.com

    The decision however, has come under fire and been met with backlash, particularly from Ninoska Perez Castellón, a Cuban-American radio host who is a prominent member of the Cuban exile community in Miami.  Castellón was a guest on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland and was perplexed as to why Ireland would “celebrate a man who slaughtered so many people”.

    She informed Morning Ireland that she had many Cubans contact her radio show who were distraught at the “offensive” stamp. “It doesn’t matter that it’s an image created by an artist, it’s the image of a murderer.”

    She was clearly outraged by Ireland’s decision and sees no honour in Che Guevara or any of his actions. “To me it’s really shameful that Ireland would put the image of someone who was a foreigner, went to Cuba to kill… was a failure in everything he did. So, I don’t know what’s there to honour about Che Guevara.”

    The radio host went on to discuss how pop culture has made him a symbol that he is not, how it has glossed over the brutal killings and harsh government with commercial t-shirts and other merchandise branded with the image.

    “Every time that I see someone with a t-shirt or that I see a country put his face on a stamp, I think what did he do to deserve this? What have been his achievements?” asked Ms Perez Castellón.

    Jim Fitzpatrick however, seems to have opposing views.  He feels that freedom always comes with a price and that unfortunately liberation and rebellion can often lead to unfortunate deaths.  He draws comparisons to Irish history and in particular Michael Collins.  Speaking to TheJournal.ie, he said: “Incidentally a lot of the criticism [the stamp is] getting is from people like Lucinda Creighton. She was in Fine Gael, started by Michael Collins – who I’m a great admirer of by the way, because he wiped out the Cairo Gang – and that wasn’t done with oranges and potatoes or melons, that was done with bullets.”

    Fitzpatrick has an interesting take and comparison.  Whereas Collins is met in Ireland with celebration and a great sense of national pride, Che Guevara is met by some in his own country and around the world as a controversial figure.  Both are known for revolution, rebellion and guerrilla warfare, yet Collins is a hero, Guevara, a rebel and a murderous villain.

    Fitzpatrick is still very proud of his painting and finds it a great honour that his work is being commemorated on a stamp. “I think any Irish artist who’s put on his own country’s postage stamp, you swell with pride when you see it.”  He has also come to accept the controversy surrounding his iconic image.

    One gripe he does have is with the use of the picture.  Fitzpatrick famously kept the image copyright-free so that it may be used by anybody in times of protest.  However this has led to many companies and fashion trends exploiting the image and putting it on anything from t-shirts to cigarette packets.  He wants to reclaim Ché saying: “I don’t care about people using it on t-shirts or sticking posters up on a wall that they print out themselves. But big business exploiting this image annoys me intensely.”

     

    So why has the Irish Government and An Post made the decision to honour a man who has been labelled a ‘murderer’ and ‘racist’?  For starters, Ché Guevara has Irish roots and his father even said once of his son: “The first thing to note is that in my son’s veins flowed the blood of the Irish rebels.”  However, only three weeks ago Aer Lingus had to remove advertisements at Miami International airport featuring Ché Guevara among figures of Irish descent.  But, the Department of Communications told RTÉ that the “subject matter for stamp designs are presented to government in advance. This particular subject matter was submitted and approved in December 2015 as per normal procedures.”

     

    The work is a recognised symbol around the world and was painted very proudly by an Irish native.  Although controversial, the image has come to transcend the man himself and become a symbol of freedom and rebellion.  For a country entrenched in those words, and with an Irish man the artist behind the symbol, is it worth looking past his atrocities to commemorate Guevara and what he stood for?

    By: Lee Shields