The Irish Psychiatric Nurses Association says that Clare staff have been advised that all Community Nursing Services will cease from Monday next due to the HSE decision to discontinue agency and overtime as a means of staffing residential facilities
The PNA last evening met with Minister Kathleen Lynch and Minister Roisin Shorthall to outline our concerns re the continuing undermining of Mental Health Services due to Government Policy and HSE mismanagement
It was a broad ranging presentation but in relation to service in County Clare the PNA say that around 40 nurses all nursing services are being withdrawn from next Monday
Des Kavanagh, General Secretary of the PNA, spoke with John Cooke on Wednesday’s Morning Focus
The Dublin Airport Authority currently has ultimate control of Dublin Cork and Shannon Airports – although the later two do have their own boards and some degree of autonomy
The Transport Minister earlier this year asked the three airport authorities for their views on possible separation
However reports in today’s Irish Times claim that in its confidential submission to Leo Varadker, the DAA couldn’t confirm if separation would be financially viable in the current economic circumstances
It is understood the authority maintained if the proposals for full autonomy were further stalled or scrapped altogether then it believed then the rationale for the existence of the Shannon and Cork boards would cease to exist
Last weekend, it emerged that the Shannon Airport Authority submitted a proposal to the transport minister to have the mid west facility leased out to a private company for 15 to 35 years but its understood that some board members are unhappy with the submission
Senator Tony Mulcahy and Independent Clare County Councillor Patricia McCarthy discussed this.
The Ennis All Stars side created history this week when they claimed the SARI (Sport Against Racism Ireland) Soccer Fest Cup 2011 beating Team Dracula 1-0 in the final thanks to a Marvin Lunga goal
The Clare outfit who draw players from South Africa, Nigeria, Poland Lithuania and other countries played ten games over the weekend and became the first side ever outside of Dublin to win the tournament
Ennis All Stars Manager John Kulamar, Tee Jay Ajiomo, Captain Ennis All Stars and Orla NiEile of the Clare Immigrant Support Centre joined John.
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Over 20 years ago, Aer Rianta (now DAA) used to hold great concerts in Shannon’s arrivals hall, with great artists and great crowds. Padraig Cleary, as mentioned below, a director of a Shannon company – May Day Marketing – is a keen musician and used to attend.
Dr Victor Afanasenko, then working at NUI Maynooth on a European Space Project had just completed his work at Maynooth and was flying home to Russia from Shannon
As his flight was very early morning, he planned on staying over in the airport and not in a hotel
He found himself in an arrivals hall with great music so he stayed and listened and met Padraig
They got chatting and Padraig invited Victor to stay with himself and his wife that night rather than waiting around an airport
The invitation was accepted and a new friendship began
They kept in touch over the years on a personal level and now, as Victor is now director of the Chamber of Commerce of Pushkin and Pavlovsk, about business opportunities between Russia and Ireland.and Victor has now reignited his connection with Ireland, is coming back for a week to meet various organisations and to attend this conference in Shannon where he will be keynote speaker
The Shannon Conference takes place today between 2-5pm and includes presentations by academics, industry and financial experts
Dr Victor Alansenko, Director of the Chamber of Commerce of Pushkin and Pavlovsk and Padraig Cleary of May Day Marketing in Shannon joined John in studio to tell the story of how they met and the personal and business ties that resulted in their meeting. For more information call 087 258 3325.
Post Polio Support Group Ireland Chairperson John McFarlane visits Clare this evening for a meeting at 8pm in the Templegate Hotel, Ennis
According to the groups research many people are living with the effects and aftermath of polio and are doing little about it
Encouraging people to come along
For more information www.ppsg.ie or call Edwin Bailey of the Clare branch on 087 798 8464. Call their Dublin office at 01 8898920.
Paul Wolfe of the Clare Citizens’ Information Service joined John in studio to answer listeners’ social welfare, employment and consumer law queries.
If you have a story, comment or query for the Morning Focus team email [email protected]
