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Bernard Allen
FINE Gael TD for Cork North Central, Bernard Allen has warned that the proposed Cork to Limerick motorway is still nowhere near construction despite the efforts of Fianna Fáil to give the impression that building of the new road is imminent.
Deputy Allen said, “I welcome the fact that this scheme is moving forward to the CPO stage and the submission of plans to An Bord Pleanála. That said, this does not indicate that this scheme is anywhere near construction.
EAST Cork Fine Gael Deputy David Stanton and West Waterford Fine Gael Deputy John Deasy have jointly called for a different approach to marketing and promoting the Blackwater River as a tourist destination. The East Cork and West Waterford TDs, who between them represent both sides of the Blackwater river boundary, are in the process of coordinating an initiative to market the river as a single entity.
Deputy Stanton said, “We’ve been hearing for some time that individuals involved in tourism on both sides of the river feel slightly marginalized as they are the very edge of the two relevant tourism board areas. It’s not necessarily a criticism of the tourism boards, it’s probably just a case of being slightly distant from the decision makers in the industry and being somewhat peripheral in geographical terms.”
Gearoid Buckley
LABOUR Party Town Councillor for Bandon, Cllr Gearóid Buckley has expressed concern that the Government may follow through on the recommendation of the McCarthy Report (Bord Snip) to abolish Vocational Education Committees (VECs) throughout the country.
“At present VECs offer a wide range of educational services such as adult and community education, night classes, school transport, sports grants and early school leaver programmes. These are all vitally important services to communities up and down the Country.
Billy Kelleher
THE Minister of State for Trade and Commerce, Billy Kelleher has launched Cork Enterprise Month.
The initiative, organized by the 4 Enterprise Boards in Cork City and County, showcases the ongoing programmes of advice and information offered by the Enterprise Boards, to qualifying start-up and expanding small businesses in Cork City and County.
Ciarán Lynch
SPEAKING in the Dáil today, Labour TD Ciarán Lynch asked to Tánaiste to introduce as a matter of extreme urgency, further legislation to place a ban on all upward-only retail rent reviews.
“Retail property owners are trying to squeeze their tenants dry, and as a result, jobs in the sector are now at risk.
“We have seen recently cases like that of the Car Phone Warehouse outlet in Wilton, Cork that now faces a demand for a 426 per cent increase in rent. Justice Minister Dermot Ahern pushed through legislation late last year to make provision for a ban limited ban, but it had no retrospective power and so applies to a very small number of agreements. That Act was cold comfort to people like Car Phone Warehouse.
