On todays Morning Focus with Marian Egan . . .
Yesterday the Health Minister published a new bill which will provide a legal minimum price for alcohol and regulate drinks advertising.The Bill calls for health warnings on labels, as well as calorie information, and it also requires supermarkets and shops to sell alcohol in separate areas. In addition – The Irish Vintners Association wants retailers to build separate off-licence units within their stores. We asked some members of the public about their thoughts on the ban. We then heard from Alcohol Action Ireland CEO Suzanne Costello and Retail Excellence Ireland Deputy Chief Sean Murphy about what this ban means for the customer and retailer of alcohol.
A modest increase in funding for works on Clare's local and regional roads has been announced. The Department of Transport has allocated 13.1 million euro in funding for improvement, rehabilitation and maintenance works here in 2015. Part of the money will be spent on over a dozen bridges, with more going on low-cost safety improvement works in Parteen, Miltown, Doolin, Quin, Bodyke and Ennistymon. The allocation contains nearly half a million euro for roads damaged during last winter's storms, and when this is removed Clare County Council says there has been a like-for-like increase of just over 250 thousand euro. We heard from Senior Engineer with the Council Tom Tiernan who spoke with Clare FM’s Gavin Grace. Then Marian was joined by Councillor Michael Begley and Councillor Christy Curtin with their reaction to the increased funding.
In our Morning Focus Health Matters slot we speak with Dr Maire Finn from the Ennis Family Medical Centre. Today she answered a range of your queries from treating sport injuries to contraception advice. Doctor Finn will be joining us again next Thursday for more medical advice.You can always send us your thoughts and queries by email [email protected], but if you have concerns or queries about your own health right now please contact your local GP.
The Minister of State for Equality, New Communities and Culture, Aodhan O Riordain is in Clare today to visit the county's Direct Provision Centre. Minister O Riordain has previously stated he can't stand over the system of housing asylum seekers in centres like Knocklisheen near Meelick for a number of years while their applications are processed. Today he'll assess the conditions residents are living in – in Knocklisheen.The Minister with responsibility for Equality spoke with Clare FM's Aisling O' Rourke on this and the upcoming Same Sex Marraige Referendum:
The Government has approved draft legislation aimed at addressing concerns around data protection in the new post code system. Liam Duggan Business Development Director for Capita Ireland and Director of Eircode told Marian all about the pending introduction of postcodes to our addresses and what they would entail / look like. The postcodes will be introduced later this year.
For our weekend events we heard from Micheal Cassidy Treasurer of Labasheeda Community Centre ahead of the Patricia Corbett Memorial Walk/Run Labasheeda this Sunday; regristration is at 12.30pm. Mike O Meara joined us to speak about the upcoming Poker Classic in aid of Fighting Blindness taking place in Meelick Tavern this Saturday night at 9.30PM. Mike also emphasis the importance of this charity Fighting Blindness and how he and his family have benefitted from their support.
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