Morning Focus began with a look at the Clare Social Housing Waiting List. The latest figures show there are 2,314 approved applicants for social housing support in Clare. In correspondence seen by Morning Focus, it's revealed that a further 110 applicants are going through the assessment process at present, and are either awaiting an assessment interview or the housing applicants have yet to submit required information. The local authority says that a significant number of applicants on the housing waiting list are either existing Council tenants who are approved for transfer or they have an existing long term tenancy through the Rental Accommodation Scheme or Social Leasing Scheme. It also notes that a number of applicants are only on the housing list in order to access Rent Allowance or the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). A housing assessment process recently conducted at the request of government has lead to an undisclosed number of applicants being taken off the waiting list. Gavin was joined on the line by Cllr Gerry Flynn, Independent TD and Cllr Paul Murphy, FG TD both are Clare County Council Housing SPC.
Gavin then spoke about a new charity organisation that has been launched with the aim to restore public trust in the sector. Several organisations have faced a significant drop in donations following a number of scandals in recent months. 'Charities Institute Ireland' represents more than 180 of the country's top charities including the Irish Cancer Society, Society of St Vincent de Paul and Concern Worldwide. Its CEO Lucy Masterson joined Gavin on the line.
200-thousand secondary students won't be going to school today because of industrial action by teachers. Their union, the ASTI, is in a dispute with the Department of Education over supervision and substitution. The Minister Richard Bruton has dismissed the row as just one hour a week of extra duties. Gavin spoke with Peter Quinn, Teacher at St Flannan’s College, Ennis, & ASTI regional rep for Clare, Limerick and Nenagh.
We then had our weekly Garda Focus.
As you may have heard on our news service doctors and other experts have been asked to give scientific advice on the medical use of cannabis to the Government. The review was ordered after the mother of a six-year-old girl with epilepsy began a walk from Cork to Dublin in a bid to get Health Minister Simon Harris to take action. Vera Twomey, mother of Ava, claims an oil derived from the cannabis plant, and available in a hemp shop, is helping to ease the hundreds of seizures Ava suffers from with the rare drug-resistant Dravet syndrome. Vera from Aghabullogue in Cork, launched an online petition to raise awareness about CBD oil which contains none or only trace levels of the THC ingredients traditionally associated with using cannabis to get high. She called off her walk after speaking to the minister by phone and agreeing to meet him later this week. Gavin was joined on the line by Niamh O’Brien from Legalise Cannabis Clare.
The issue of growing old in Ireland, and how we can make that a positive experience, is the subject of a new report. The study – the first of its kind here – was launched by the Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Helen McEntee. It recommends promoting lifelong learning, physical activity and better social opportunities for older people. Kay Murphy, Active Retirement Ireland Midwest, joined Gavin on the line.
We then had our weekly sports panel with Clare FM’s Derrick Lynch and Syl O’Connor, Clare FM Hurling Analyst.
We then had an interview with the last remaining ‘Tunnel Tiger’, Tommy Harvey, who helped build the Victoria Line in London’s underground.
To finish off the show we took a look at beer. Craft beer from a Kilmaley-based brewery will be featured at the second annual Bite Food Festival in the RDS between November 18-20. Western Herd Brewing Company was started a year ago by Maeve Sheridan and her brother Michael Eustace on their family’s eighth generation farm, after they noticed there was no craft beer being brewed in the county. Western Herd’s Back Beat Wit Bier and Blue Jumper IPA both took silver in the recent Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards awards, and Bite 2016 will be featuring a large collection of winners from the biggest competition for quality Irish produce. Bite 2016 is a major food festival, showcasing the best of Ireland’s artisan food and drink producers to huge audiences in the run-up to the Christmas season. Gavin was joined live in studio by Maeve Sheridan and Michael Eustace from Western Herd Brewery.
