The number of people seeking help over being evicted from their homes has increased by a third in just one year. John McGrath, of the Phoenix Group, spoke to Gavin this morning. The Phoenix Project’s Annual Report shows more than 5,400 reached out for help during 2015, a rise of more than 1,300 calls. Nearly 50,000 family homes face repossession orders in the next two years, which could make more than 122,000 people homeless.
Councillor Johnny Flynn spoke on the show this morning about the so-called ‘road to nowhere’. Works are being carried out at a technology park in Ennis in a bid to make it more attractive to potential employers. Clare County Council says both it and Shannon Commercial Properties will look to finish a long-delayed entrance from the Gort Road to the multi-million euro Ennis Information Age Park. When it opened in 2007, it was predicted that the park could facilitate the creation of 3,500 high value jobs, but this potential has never been fully realised and 3.7 million euro was spent on an unfinished road into the site. It’s this route which will now be completed, and Ennis Fine Gael Councillor Johnny Flynn hopes it will lead to big developments.
A member of Fianna Fail, who lost his legal challenge to the law on gender quotas, is planning to appeal the decision. Brian Mohan claimed it’s “political discrimination” and denied him the chance to be picked as an election candidate for Dublin Central. He argued the law was unconstitutional and said the Oireachtas was acting outside its powers by using State funding to influence an election. However, Mr. Justice Brian Keane rejected his arguments and found he had no legal standing to take the case in the first place. Brian Mohan says he will be appealing the ruling. Dr Jane Suiter, the Director of the Institute for Future Media and Journalism & Senior Lecturer in Politics, Media and Society at DCU, spoke to Gavin about the issue of gender quotas.
Also on the show this morning was Dr Simon Berrow, Project Manager with the Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation. Dr Berrrow spoke about a pollution threat to dolphins in the Shannon Estuary. New research suggests that while our dolphin population are among the healthiest in Europe, pollution is posing a threat to them. Dr Berrow also spoke about another project he’s involved in; a documentary entitled The Humpback Whales of Cape Verde. The film follows Dr Simon Berrow and an international team of marine scientists on an adventure to prove humpback whales from both the northern and southern hemispheres use the Cape Verde archipelago as a breeding ground. Canola Pictures in association with The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group will screen the documentary in the Culturlann Sweeney Kilkee next Wednesday, February 10th at 6.30pm.
James Doorly, the NYCI Deputy Director, spoke on the show this morning about young people registering to vote. The 1,647 young people in Clare who turned 18 over last year are being reminded that they’re now entitled to vote, but they may need to register in order to do that. The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) is advising young people that the deadline for inclusion on the supplementary register could be as early as next Monday, February 8th. The best way to register is to fill out the RFA2 form at www.checktheregister.ie
Ennis Civic Trust Ltd., in conjunction with Clare County Council, has completed the restoration of the landmark mill water wheel at the Mill Road, Ennis at a cost of 110,000 euro. The wood and iron waterwheel, which is a protected structure and a recorded national monument, is the last remaining component of Ennis Corn Mill (later Whiting Mill) which was constructed on the River Fergus during the 1830s and demolished in 1983. The completed restoration project means that the wheel can now be safely operated and presented as an active heritage project, with the wheel rotating, with due regard for safety and environmental considerations.
Ennis pupils devise a pedal-powered phone charger. Three pupils from CBS Primary in Ennis have developed a charging system using a dynamo on a bike; it just needs pedal-power. The invention saw Lee Tierney, Cillian Moroney, and Cormac Warren, along with their teacher Donna Lyttle, commended in the Intel Junior Scientist Competition at the end of last month. Clare FM’s Siofra Mulqueen went to meet the boys and find out more about their novel invention.
Gavin spoke to Nina Teicholz, author of The Big Fat Surprise. The book focuses on the importance of eating the right fats in the right amounts. A conference is being held in Limerick and Nina will be one of the speakers in attendance. The conference will take place in the Thomond Park Conference Centre this Saturday and Sunday, February 6th and 7th.
The Dublin and Shannon gospel choirs have come together with a concert that is not to be missed. They’ve been working together since 2009, and next Saturday night (February 6th) they’ll sing together live at the Lime Tree Theatre. Derek Barrett from the Shannon Gospel Choir and John Crofton, MD of the Dublin Gospel Choir spoke to Gavin about the concert.
