On today’s edition of Morning Focus John Cooke spoke with Clare Labour TD Michael McNamara and Independent Councillor James Breen. Deputy McNamara has welcomed the commitment given by Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan T.D that he will contact Returning Officers next week in order to encourage the recruitment of polling clerks from the Live Register for the November 10th referendum.

The current Junior Certificate Examination process is to be phased out over the next eight years
It will be replaced with continuous assessments and a test carried out by individual schools - rather than a State exam
The radical shake-up of the system - announced by the Education Minister Ruairí Quinn this afternoon - was drawn up by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment
Minister Quinn says the introduction of the new junior cycle programme will begin in September 2014

United Airlines has pledged its commitment to expanding its services at Shannon Airport with the announcement of a new Chicago service
Non stop daily flights from Shannon to Chicago will commence in June 2013 and operate on a seasonal basis until the end of August in what's being welcomed as a significant development of transatlantic services from Ireland's Mid-West
As plans progress for a new independent management structure at Shannon, the Transport Minister Leo Varadkar says the news from United is a real vote of confidence

It is just three weeks to the day until the digital switchover- Ireland’s old analogue TV network is switching off on Wednesday, 24th October

On wednesday's Morning Focus John Cooke spoke with Saorivew Digital Reception Manager Brian Geraghty 

Clare's Government TDS and Senators failed to appear before a special meeting in Ennis yesterday afternoon to explain while funding of a quarter of a million euro has been cut from Clare County Council
The Mayor of Clare had invited all Oireacthas members to today's meeting to question why frontline services may be cut even though the county has achieved compliance levels for the household charge
However Fianna Fail's Timmy Dooley is the only TD present after the other government representatives sent apologies

A cut of €40 a month to child benefit payments for middle and high-income families is being looked at by the Government
But ministers appear to be cool on the idea of a lower rate of benefit, which was proposed by a group working for Social Welfare Minister Joan Burton
The internal advisory group in the Department of Social Welfare recommended a two-tiered system, with a flat rate of €100 a month for everybody and a top up payment for low-income families

A man's appeared in court in Australia, charged with the rape and murder of Jill Meagher
The 29-year-old disappeared after a night out in Melbourne last weekend, and her body was recovered from a shallow grave about 30 miles outside the city yesterday
41-year-old Adrian Ernest Bayley, with an address in the Coburg area, appeared before Melbourne Magistrates Court this morning
He's due to appear in court again in January

Labour Party Chairman Colm Keaveney has said that former Junior Minister Roisin Shortall enjoyed the full support of Labour leader and Tanaiste Eamonn Gilmore
Ms Shortall resigned last night as minister and also from the Labour Party whip because of what she said was a lack of support for the health reforms outlined in the Programme for Government
The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny and the Tanaiste have both said they are disappointed at her decision.
Minister for Health Dr James Reilly admitted last night he had no advance notice of Ms Shortall's resignation

Over 17,000 Clare residents have yet to register their septic tanks, three days before the charge for doing so rises considerably
As of this Friday, the registration fee rises from five to fifty euro, yet despite this, the take-up rate in Clare and across the country remains low

The rule dictating that the 'Yes' and 'No' sides must be given equal airtime in a referendum could be a problem in the children's right campaign, leading Yes campaigners said yesterday
All major political parties and the majority of civil society groups are calling for a Yes in the November 10 poll, but under the McKenna judgment, broadcasters must give equal coverage to each side
The launch of 'Yes to Children' - a national campaign backed by Barnardos, the Children's Rights Alliance, the ISPCC and Campaign for Children