On Mondays Morning Focus John began by speaking to Cathy Mannion – Director of the CER's Energy Water division. The Commission for Energy Regulation announced the allocation was to be 21 thousand litres per year for each child. Last May, the Department of the Environment had said each child's allocation would be 38 thousand litres. Cathy went through the pricing with John and also answered some listener's questions. Cathy will be making another appearance on the show this moth to answer more queries.
The Child and Family Agency has confirmed shortages in the number of social workers allocated to children in care in the Mid-West and County Clare. Tusla figures seen by Clare FM reveal insufficient resources to support children in foster care and their families, while 10 Clare children in care have no allocated social worker. Following recent reports of social worker shortages nationwide, Clare FM contacted Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, set up by the Minister for Children, to establish the situation faced by children in care in this county. Tusla responded to say that 162 Clare children are in care, and 94% of them have been assigned to a social worker – 10 of these children have not – and the Child and Family Agency says these are generally "low priority" cases like children in long term stable placements.
Tusla has also confirmed that a vacancy exists for a Link worker – who's job it is to provide support to foster carers in Clare – The county has 4.6 such positions, and where a gap exists, social workers are called on to fill in. All of the 162 Clare children in care have been assigned to an aftercare worker, who deals with an average case load of 25. John spoke to John Smyth – Service director with Tusla for the West region about these figures.
Over eight hundred tourists were the victims of crime while visiting Ireland last year. The 442 separate incidents represent the third highest number since records began twenty years ago. The most common cases against tourists involved theft from people or theft from cars. The figures have been published by the Irish Tourist Assistance Service. John spoke to Lisa Kennedy – Chief Executive of ITAS about the figures and the response from tourists.
Sergeant Joe Downey, Crime Prevention Officer with the Clare Garda Division appealed for the public's assistance with information on crimes committed in the county over the past seven days
Contact Ennis Garda Station on 065 68 48 100.
Around 45 thousand rural broadband customers are about to be hit with a price hike of 180 euro. The counties most affected are Galway, Mayo, Cork and Kerry. Irish Rural Link is calling on the Government to extend the National Broadband Scheme. The State funded programme – used by around 45 thousand households and businesses in rural areas – will come to an end this month. Three Ireland is to impose price hikes of up to 180 euro – as a result – while the minimum speed guarantee will also disappear.
Galway, Mayo, Cork, Kerry and parts of Donegal, Clare, Tipperary and Limerick will be affected. John spoke to Dave Brocklebank from Cappamore, Kinvara. His Burren based business – Burren Yoga is on the Galway/Clare border He started The Burren Broadband Initiative. He is horrified about the lack of broadband and is told John that we are mad to think businesses will want to develop in the Midwest if we have no internet for them.
John was then joined by Prof. Jim Lucey – Head of St Patrick's Mental Health Services at St Patrick's Hospital and Professor of Psychiatry in TCD; author of the very popular 'In My Room', The Recovery Journey as Encountered by a Psychiatrist. Jim will give a very Interesting opening address for The Merriman Summer School on Wednesday night in Glór.
The Merriman Summer School details are as follows
Dates
13th to 17th August
(Wednesday to Sunday).
Theme
Emotional Life in Ireland.
An tAnam Mothála in Éirinn.
Director
Professor Patricia Coughlan
Finally John Murphy, wildlife expert and Chairperson of the Clare branch of Birdwatch Ireland joined John in studio to answer listeners' bird and wildlife queries.
If you have a story, comment or query for Morning Focus email [email protected] or write to us – Morning Focus, Clare FM, Francis Street, Ennis, Co. Clare.
