The date of the general election will be decided this morning, but it may not be called until tomorrow. Enda Kenny and Joan Burton will agree on a date before cabinet this morning. However, the Dail might not be dissolved today. Having mooted the idea of polling on Thursday the 25th, the exact anniversary of the last election, the two are set to agree on polling on the following day, Friday the 25th, a more traditional day of the week for voting. Mick Clifford from the Irish Examiner joined Gavin on the line this morning to discuss.
January has been one of the busiest on record for Clare’s doctors, according to independent election candidate and GP, Dr Michael Harty. But while doctor’s surgeries have never been busier, concerns are being raised that government support for primary care has never been lower. Dr Harty, who spoke on the show this morning, says that while funding for rural GPs has been cut by 40 per cent, no GP is giving a 40 per cent reduction in services. And, in the context of the ongoing crisis in hospital overcrowding in the Midwestern region, Dr Harty says the best international advice suggests that, for 1 extra GP per 10,000 patients, ED attendances can be reduced by 10 per cent.
Members of the IFA in Clare say they’re disappointed that the practice of below cost selling by large supermarket groups has not been ended. Yesterday (Monday, February 1st), Minister Richard Bruton signed into law a new set of grocery goods regulations. Andrew Dundas, the Clare IFA Chairman, spoke to Gavin about the rules which ban the practice of charging suppliers for shelf-space, a move that farmers are welcoming. However, the practice of below-cost selling, which farming organisations have lobbied intensively against, remains unaffected.
A scientist, formerly employed by the ESB, has hit out at the agency over the impact of its management of water levels in the Lower Shannon. Dr William O’Connor, owner and MD of Ecofact Environmental Consultants Limerick, spoke to Gavin this morning about the lower Shannon, which he calls a ‘sick river.’ Dr O’Connor called for a review of water management following flooding in the city in 2014, but says that nothing was done and that further severe flooding has resulted. Dr O’Connor believes the river is not able to cope with recent variation in flow from the Parteen Weir. He feels that if the Shannon had been managed more sustainably last November the levels in Lough Derg would have been lower and this could, potentially, have assisted with flood management in December. He’s advocating the restoration of the lower Shannon to a more natural state, with the reduction of siltation and vegetation.
Fr Iggy McCormack, Killaloe Diocesan Vocations Director, spoke to Morning Focus today about a Vocations Workshop being organised for the Munster Dioceses which takes place this Friday and Saturday (February 5th and 6th) in Thurles. Figures published by the Catholic Church in June 2014 disclosed that the number of Catholic diocesan priests in Ireland dropped 13 per cent in the decade between 2002 and 2012.
Peter Houlihan, Ger Sweeney, and Professor John Crown joined Gavin in studio this morning to talk Cancer Clinical Research Trust (CCRT). Clare will be at the centre of a cancer research fundraising drive to assist one of Ireland’s most advanced research facilities with a celebratory concert to support the launch of a new CD. The advances made by CCRT have benefited Clare based cancer patients for years and the organisation will benefit from the gig being held at the Auburn Lodge Hotel in Ennis on Friday next (February 5th). The evening will be introduced by leading oncologist, Professor John Crown. Peter Houlihan is from Ennis and is a patient of John Crown’s for over seven years. Peter has benefited from the research programmes at CCRT every step of the way.
Magic Mayan was the original creation of Matthew Norrish. Being a type one diabetic and frustrated with the poor quality of available sweet options, he invented his own. Last year, chocolatier Darren O’Connor and his wife Sinead, based in Ennis, took over the business. Magic Mayan Chocolate provides 14 different organically sourced, deeply dark, dairy-, gluten-, and soya free raw chocolate bars to health stores and raw chocolate fans.
Pat Murphy, boat historian and round-the-world yachtsman, spoke to Gavin about the famous yacht The Asgard. Pat will be giving a lecture on the topic tonight (Tuesday, February 2nd) for the Killaloe Sailing Club as it opens its Spring Lecture Series. Pat will outline the role of the Asgard in the Howth gun-running in 1914, when Erskine Childers made the channel crossing with a hold full of rifles from Germany to arm the Irish Volunteers. The talk will be held at the Lakeside Hotel, Killaloe, at 8pm tonight. Admission is 5 euro and money raised will go towards the Club House Funds.
