Latest news with #JerryButtimer
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Boost for 148 Leitrim community projects as over €110,000 allocated to help with running costs
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Jerry Buttimer TD, have) announced the successful projects under the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) 2025. The funding aims to provide capital supports essential for the many small community groups and organisations, particularly those who serve disadvantaged areas in rural and urban areas. The funding will support local groups with ongoing running costs. Cathaoirleach of Leitirm County Council Councillor Paddy O'Rourke said the funding will greatly benefit the groups across the county. 'I would like to thank the Minister and the Dept of Rural and Community Development and Gaeltacht for this significant funding allocation of more than €110,000 towards 148 community projects across County Leitrim through the Local Enhancement Programme 2025. "I would also like to warmly congratulate all of the community groups that were successful in securing funding and to thank them for the vital work that they continue to do,' said Cllr O'Rourke. Chief Executive of Leitrim of County Council, Joseph Gilhooly also welcomed the funding. "I welcome this allocation of funding to the county by the Dept .of Rural and Community Development and Gaeltacht. "This funding will provide much needed financial support to 148 community projects throughout the County. "Community groups are both key contributors and a valued partner in developing our county and enriching the social fabric and the lives of those who live within our county,' said Mr Gilhooly. The Local Enhancement Programme 2025 was launched in November 2024. The funding provides capital supports essential for the many small community groups and organisations, particularly those who serve disadvantaged areas in rural and urban areas and also current funding to support local groups with ongoing running costs. The Department of Rural and Community Development and Gaeltacht's Local Enhancement Programme 2025 is administered by the Leitrim Local Community Development Committees, with support from Leitrim County Council.
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
TDs and senators question if €7m Dáil broadcasting contract is value for money
A cross-party group of 125 TDs and senators, including a Government Minister, has called for a review of the estimated €7 million contract for audio and video coverage of Oireachtas proceedings, with questions around its value for money. In a letter to the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission, which runs Leinster House, the public representatives, including Minister of State Jerry Buttimer , said there is a 'compelling case' for the commission to directly employ the 10 full-time and 20 part-time professional broadcast workers providing the coverage, 'given the extremely concerning working conditions and pay issues'. They allege 'precarious and uncertain working hours, withdrawal of pay during Oireachtas recess periods – including Christmas – lack of pension entitlements, pay that is significantly below the industry norm, lack of any retainer payment and a culture of criticism from management'. 'These workers are left to rely on social welfare for periods when the Oireachtas is not in session.' READ MORE The letter also says 'it is difficult to see what a contract with a private company adds to the services they provide given that all the skilled work is carried out by these workers and their equipment is provided by the Oireachtas itself'. The first five-year contract was issued in 2011 for €7 million. TDs and senators are attempting to establish the current value of the contract 'and how this money is spent'. Pi Communications, the current contractor, which provides a similar service to the Northern Ireland Assembly , has said the contract operates on a 'pay per public minute model'. Based on the 2011 contract, this meant €250 an hour for each hour of broadcast, as well as an overall contract fee. The employees broadcast the live feeds of the Dáil, Seanad and committees. They also oversee the archiving of all feeds. The company said the workers have a guaranteed fixed amount of work 'each full sitting week', with 'certainty of income for their contracted work'. However, one employee, who did not want to be named, said most of the employees are on 'casual part-time contracts' with 'only one day a week guaranteed, which is very precarious'. Some workers have no guaranteed days and are only brought in occasionally, the employee said. In response, Pi Communications said: 'We are surprised and disappointed that some who have commented on our operations did not first fact-check the accuracy and veracity of ill-founded claims.' The company said the employees earn substantially more than the national living wage, with attractive bonus arrangements and receive paid leave and sick leave. Employees 'are free to work on other projects or for other employers, as is the norm in our industry'. It said salaries are regularly benchmarked and commensurate with roles, skills, experience and responsibilities. Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide, who co-ordinated the TDs. and senators' letter, said public representatives question 'the value for money' the contract provides. They believe it would be cheaper for the Oireachtas to pay the workers directly. He said the 'only overheads in the contract would seem to be the employees' pay', as the equipment is supplied by the Oireachtas. The issue has been referred to the Public Accounts Committee and to the Oireachtas Media Committee. The letter says the contract is due for renewal this year. It adds that any review should include an in-depth investigation into the issues raised by the broadcast workers, which they have previously attempted to resolve through industrial relations mechanisms. Included in the group of 125 calling for the review is Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, Labour leader Ivana Bacik, Social Democrats acting leader Cian O'Callaghan, and former journalists Evanne Ní Chuilinn (Fine Gael) and Alison Comyn (Fianna Fáil), both of whom are senators. The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission has said the workers and Pi Communications are in dialogue at the Workplace Relations Commission and it would not be appropriate 'to undermine the industrial relations process'.
Agriland
10-06-2025
- Business
- Agriland
New MTU butchery programme launched in ‘step forward for the craft'
A new butchery academic programme aiming to 'bridge the gap' between agriculture, culinary arts, business, and sustainability has been launched at Munster Technological University (MTU). According to the university, the Bachelor of Arts in Sustainable Butchery and Gastronomy programme is the result of over two years of engagement between industry and academia, with a shared mission to cultivate future leaders in the butchery and gastronomy sectors. The programme emphasises sustainable practices, ethical considerations, and a connection to agriculture and nature, with a curriculum that integrates leadership development, culinary arts, animal science, and ethical business practices. The two-year programme will be delivered through hybrid learning and could suit those who are interested in or are already working in supervisory and management roles within the meat and other related industries, who wish to elevate their knowledge and skills to become a leader within their organisation. Strong butchery skills On launching the programme, Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development with responsibility for rural and community development, charities and transport Jerry Buttimer said it will help in supporting a 'sustainable future for our food industry, while nurturing the next generation of industry leaders'. 'Through my role I see first-hand every day the vital role the agri-food sector plays in rural communities, from the small artisan to the large scale producers, who share a deep sense of passion and pride in what they do. 'They are the backbone of our communities. 'I'm excited to watch how this new programme supports the food industry with innovative skills and knowledge and continues to establish the Irish brand of passionate food leaders at home and abroad, with the support of our valued international industry partners,' Minister Buttimer said. According to Dr. Noel Murray, head of Department of Tourism and Hospitality at MTU, Ireland is fortunate to have 'strong and globally-respected butchery and gastronomy knowledge and skills'. The BA – which is the first degree of its kind in Ireland and described as a major step forward for the craft – will see James Whelan Butchers collaborating with MTU on the programme. CEO of James Whelan Butchers, Pat Whelan said it will 'build on the existing great programmes and apprenticeships that have been the backbone of the industry for generations'. 'I believe this BA programme is a significant step to support Ireland's ability to nurture a new generation of global culinary leaders which will in turn allow Ireland's food industry to solidify its efforts to forge new international networks for learning.' In addition to the butchery programme launch, a Letter of Intent was signed between the University of Buenos Aires and MTU to allow for closer academic links between Argentina and Ireland, two leaders in the beef industry. Attending from Buenos Aires in Argentina was Luis Barcos, founder of the ICOCA, The Science of Meat Institute, and Dr. Alejo Perez Carrera, dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires. The Buenos Aires team developed a world's first Meat Sommelier Programme. Both universities now look forward to collaborating, sharing knowledge and expertise to bring those skills to the Irish market. Keynote speaker was Leandro Gentini of the International Meat Sommelier Association, a well-known figure in the world of Wagyu. Originally from Argentina, he relocated to Japan to master the art of Wagyu, delving into the complexities of this premium beef. Related Stories: French and Brazilian leaders disagree on Mercosur after meeting
Irish Examiner
09-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Is more congestion in Cork City an inevitability?
The Department of Transport recently reported that the cost of traffic congestion in Cork is likely to increase by almost 70% by the year 2040, even if the various plans for public transport and active travel infrastructure are delivered. This scenario is presented as an inevitable outcome of population increase and economic growth, which will increase demand for transport. But how did we get here, and is it really unavoidable? On one level perhaps it's not surprising — the National Planning Framework published in 2018 reported that 'cities and major urban areas are too heavily dependent on road and private, mainly car-based, transport with the result that our roads are becoming more and more congested'. Since then, the Government has invested €215m upgrading the Dunkettle Interchange and has recently committed to spending a further €456m to upgrade the N28 Ringaskiddy Road to a motorway. Trying to solve congestion on the approaches to the city by building bigger roads is like trying to get more milk into a pint bottle by using a bigger funnel. You're only going to create a bigger mess. The Government has also committed to significant upgrades to the N20 and the N25, as well as a new Northern Distributor Road. The combined cost of these roads projects is an estimated €3.16bn, and that's before we consider the proposed North Ring Road, which has recently been rebranded the 'Cork City Northern Transport Project'. The congestion report acknowledges that 'while the expansion and improvement of road and sustainable transport infrastructure can temporarily alleviate congestion, demand will gradually increase in response to the increased supply'. So why then are we continuing to invest so heavily in new roads projects that we know will only increase congestion? The maps accompanying the congestion cost report show increased congestion throughout the city by 2040, but with two notable hotspots at the Dunkettle Interchange and the junction of the N28 Ringaskiddy Road and the South Ring Road. Surely this can't be right? After all that investment? Barely a year after the opening of the interchange we have begun to hear calls for additional measures to ease the congestion, with some even suggesting widening the tunnel bore. Picture: Eddie O'Hare All this money is being spent, it is said, to reduce journey times for private car traffic, but it is increasing congestion at the destination for that traffic. In announcing the go-ahead for the M28 just two months ago, Minister of State and TD for Cork South Central Jerry Buttimer said it would reduce journey times for those on their daily commute. Perhaps it will, for a time, but it is clear from the congestion report that that relief will be short-lived. Trying to solve congestion on the approaches to the city by building bigger roads is like trying to get more milk into a pint bottle by using a bigger funnel. You're only going to create a bigger mess. The Dunkettle Interchange has been celebrated as a triumph of engineering, and it certainly is impressive on a technical level — 15 hectares of a complex interlacing of roads, bridges, and embankments constructed with 58,000 tonnes of concrete and 72,000 tonnes of asphalt on a land that up to about a century ago was mostly mud flats. A preliminary analysis of traffic suggests peak journey times have improved but it also reports the volume of traffic going through the junction is now higher than it was pre-covid. This has inevitably put pressure on other road infrastructure in the area, with commuters coming from east Cork complaining of long delays trying to access the Jack Lynch Tunnel. Barely a year after the opening of the interchange we have begun to hear calls for additional measures to ease the congestion, with some even suggesting widening the tunnel bore. Perhaps this experience should inform the upgrade of the N20 to a motorway. An M20 motorway may reduce journey times between Dooradoyle and Blackpool, but you're then delivering a higher volume of traffic, more quickly, into the cities at either end, with an inevitable increase in congestion in those cities. Again, this is reflected in the congestion report, with significant congestion predicted in the Blackpool area of the city. If you really want to improve journey times from Limerick to Cork, look to the train. The All-Island Strategic Rail Review published last year calls for direct trains between Limerick and Cork at least every two hours. There's nothing to stop that from happening straight away at very little cost. Another €100-€200m would provide a rail link on to Shannon Airport and a few hundred million more investment would provide increased train speeds on the route. The Rail Review also looks at the opportunity for rail freight, and points to Ireland's very low use of the railway system for freight — it is in fact the lowest mode share in all of Europe. It sets out a series of proposals for how this could be improved to reduce our reliance on road freight and identifies Marino Point as a location which has good access to the rail network. There is a direct correlation over the last 15 years between the number of cars on the road and the number of deaths and serious injuries. This begs the question, why are we choosing to redevelop Ringaskiddy Port which requires a €500m road investment, and which will add to the existing traffic on the South Ring Road and the Jack Lynch Tunnel, when there is another option which could limit the impact on the road network? Road safety concerns are often touted as a justification for new roads, and it's hard to argue against that when you look at any project in isolation. However, if there is one certainty about road safety trends it is that more cars equals more deaths and serious injuries. There is a direct correlation over the last 15 years between the number of cars on the road and the number of deaths and serious injuries. This has been acknowledged by the Road Safety Authority on several occasions, and a reduction in car dependency as a means of improving road safety features as an objective in the Road Safety Strategy. We also know that more roads bring more cars. At some point, we are going to need to acknowledge the link between the two and decide which is more important — continuing to facilitate ever increasing car use or reducing the death and injury toll on our roads. There are, of course, plans for public transport in and around Cork which will undoubtedly improve the situation: the recently announced Cork Luas project, the BusConnects network, the Cork Area Commuter Rail plan, and various active travel infrastructure projects, but these will only mitigate the worst impacts of congestion as long as we continue to prioritise road building over public transport. The Cork Luas project is still at a very early stage of development, with a public consultation currently under way on the initial plans. BusConnects was launched three years ago this month but has yet to be submitted to An Bord Pleanála for planning permission. The Commuter Rail plan has made some progress with an upgrade of Kent Station completed earlier this year, and works under way on twin-tracking the Glounthaune to Midleton line, and upgrading signalling and communication, but there is no clear timeline for the next phase of works which would add commuter rail stations. It's clear there is not the same political urgency or will to develop public transport solutions as there is with roads. And even if all these projects are delivered by 2030 as assumed by the congestion cost report (and that seems incredibly optimistic right now), they will still not be enough to offset the induced demand created by the investment in road infrastructure. The report predicts an increase in public transport use from 8% to just 10% and a reduction in car use from 68% to 63%. This seems incredibly unambitious. Compare with the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands, a city with a slightly larger population than Cork, which recently published an updated transport plan for 2040 that aims for 23% of trips to be by public transport, 39% by cycling and 37% by car. If the congestion report has taught us anything, it is that we need a lot more ambition and a greater sense of urgency in the delivery of public transport and active travel infrastructure. We need to plan for the future we want, not just mitigate against the future we might have. And this future is ultimately is in the hands of the Department of Transport. Ciarán Ferrie is an architect and transport planner
Irish Independent
31-05-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Good news for Cork book lovers in three key towns as library open hours expand to year-round service
The My Open Library service enables registered users to access a library from 8 am to 10 pm, 365 days a year, even when it's not staffed. The service was already available at Bandon and Fermoy libraries and Cork County Council has now rolled it out to three more locations with plans to add Mallow later in the year. Funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) and Cork County Council, the My Open Library installation at Carrigaline, Kinsale, and Mallow Libraries has generated a 145% increase in the number of available service hours to the community at each location, rising from 40 hours to 98 hours per week. Speaking at the launch, Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities and with responsibility for Rural Transport, Jerry Buttimer TD, said: 'It is fantastic to see that the service is currently available in 23 of our 30 library authorities and I must praise our library authorities and library staff for being so progressive in meeting the needs of their communities. Our public libraries are a home-from-home for our elderly, our young people, and our new communities and now they will be able to avail of those services every day of the year, from morning till night.' Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Moira Murrell, said: "The expansion is a strategic ambition for Cork County Council's Library & Arts Service which aims to improve access, use and visibility of the library as a community hub, and as a focal point for community and cultural development. The success of My Open Library is in the flexibility that it offers communities to visit their local library at a time that works for them. More than 50,000 visits have been made to Bandon and Fermoy libraries outside of regular library opening hours since 2022 with increased usage by students, remote workers, families, older adults and community groups.' The launch of the My Open Library service coincided with the opening of the newly refurbished Carrigaline Library. The upgrades include a young adult zone with relaxed seating, a remodelled children's area with more books and children's worktables for homework, crafts and games, and comfortable seating in the windows for reading and watching the world go by. The multifunction community meeting room can be booked for use during the day and in the evening during My Open Library hours. Bike racks have also been installed outside to facilitate sustainable travel. 'Libraries are at the heart of our towns and villages, providing so much more than books,' Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Joe Carroll said, adding: 'They are community hubs and safe spaces to study, learn and work. The newly refurbished Carrigaline Library is a bright, welcoming, modern, high-tech space that has a place for everyone." Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
