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Oasis faces court prosecution The Connaught Telegraph this week.
The Oasis factory in Ballina - where a 26-year-old employee lost his life in horrific circumstances last year - is to be prosecuted by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA).
Summonses have been issued by the HSA and the hearing is fixed for Ballina District Court on July 24th. The nature of James Collins' death following an accident in the water-cooler plant at Bunree Road, Ballina on June 6th 2000 has already received massive publicity.
Mr. Collins, a single man, who lived at Fotish, Crossmolina, became trapped in a machine for grinding plastic containers after he tried to release a blockage. He wasn't freed until hours later after his trapped leg was amputated with the use of a hydraulic cutter. Question marks about safety standards at Oasis have been raised by the tragic death and details of the emergency which emerged at the inquest last week. A colleague of the dead man described the rotar-grinding machine unit in which Mr. Collins became entrapped as "a fearsome machine" and said workers "always dreaded it."
Evidence was given to the inquest that sometimes the machine would get blocked twice a day depending on how sharp the blades were. The inquest into the death of Mr. Collins lasted two days. It was conducted by the Coroner for south Mayo, Mr. John O' Dwyer. The seven-person jury returned a verdict of "misadventure."
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Erris wants health services put in the picture The Connaught Telegraph this week.
An angry county councillor is 'reeling' over plans to bring a cinemobile - a state-of-the-art mobile cinema - into North Mayo where health services are virtually non-existent. The 100-seater National Millennium Committee sponsored articulated vehicle is due to visit Belmullet on July 26 and 27, but local Fine Gael representative Gerry Coyle has described the move as "the final insult to the people of Erris."
He said it would be far better if the £531,000 provided for the project by the National Millennium Committee was spent in upgrading urgently needed health services at Belmullet Hospital and in the regional generally. The cinemobile is a large articulated vehicle which, on arrival at each venue, hydraulically unfolds to three times its width revealing a wheel chair accessible cinema with full projection facilities. The cinemobile was officially launched in June by Millennium Minister Seamus Brennan and will be on the road for 48 weeks of the year, with three daily screenings in each location.
But councillor Coyle protested: "It would be more in line if the Government were to provide orthodontic treatment for the children of Erris who have to travel the two-hundred miles round trip to Galway for treatment. Such expenditure would pay for the basing of an orthodontist in Belmullet for several months of the year instead of bringing the children to Galway."
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Westport insomniac Golfers are all heartThe Connaught Telegraph this week.
A group of insomniac golfers will tee off this weekend for charity - at four o' clock in the morning. They hope to create ' bed-lam' when they venture out on the 18-hole Westport Championship course at daybreak on Saturday, along with invited guests. The cash raised from the dawn duel will go to Croí, the West of Ireland Cardiology Foundation for cardiac research at University College Hospital, Galway. The Westport golf club captains Pat Kearns and Ann Duffy got into the swing of things when they donned night clothes and posed at the first tee in a double bed (sponsored by Martin O' Grady) which will be one of the prizes on offer on Saturday morning.
The insomniac competition is open to non-members - details from the golf club on 098 - 28262. It will be a shotgun start with all players starting together on a different hole allowing them to finish together. Entries must be with the organisers by Thursday.
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£8 million N.U.I.G. campus for Kiltimagh The Mayo News this week.
An £8 million project is to be established in Kiltimagh by the National University of Ireland, Galway, to help rural communities combat the challenges of isolation, decline and disadvantage.
Already the outreach campus has been given a £250,000 boost by Kiltimagh native, multi-millionaire Tom Flatley, who owns several hotels, shopping centres and nursing homes in the USA. Mr. Joe Kelly of Kiltimagh IRD described the town's partnership project with the University as "arguably the best thing that ever happened to Kiltimagh." Dr. Iognaid Ó Muircheartaigh, President of NUIG, said the initiative was a two-way process with local communities to generate and disseminate knowledge and support in order to improve the quality of life for all.
"What is unique about the new approach and why it will succeed is that it will bring mutual benefits to the University and to Kiltimagh. Both will gain through Experiential Learning Programmes, as students and staff engage voluntarily with communities, business and the public sector," he said.
"Internationally, there was widespread concern with a breakdown in community values in developed countries and unacceptable levels of isolation, loneliness and social disintegration to which Ireland was not immune. The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern had recently stressed the importance of building social capital and putting communities at the centre of our debates."
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Westport has solid base for tourism growth - report The Mayo News.
Westport is one of a number of Western visitor destinations which has a solid base to build on for the further development of tourism. That's according to a major study carried out by economic consultant, Mr. Jim Fitzpatrick, for ITIC, the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation.
Mayo, however, is not included in the top five counties for visitor numbers. These are Dublin, Cork, Kerry, Clare and Galway. In terms of future development, Westport is included in the report as a "second-tier" tourism centre, along with towns like Bundoran, Clonakilty and Waterford. Towns designated as "third-tier" tourism centres include Kilkenny, Wexford, Lahinch, Courtown, Dingle, Rosslare and Sligo.
The report recommended that those towns that already had a good base be targeted for development as key tourism centres and given funding for infrastructure. It was in this context that Westport was selected as a good base to build on, together with towns like Sligo and Bundoran.
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£8.3 million funding for N5 route The Mayo News this week.
A sum of £8.3 million has been allocated by the National Roads Authority to local authorities in respect of projects on the N5 road route in counties Longford, Mayo and Roscommon. More than £5 million of this will go towards a new 6.5 km of road between Strokestown and Longford, another £1.5 million is for schemes that are only at the planning and design stage and the balance of just under £2 million is for minor strengthening works and more traffic calming measures along the N5 route.
The funding was welcomed by Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr. Frank Fahey, shortly before a go-slow protest drive, organised by the Western Roads Action Committee and the Roscommon Roads Action Committee, took place on Sunday last. The 'go slow' had the support of the Irish Hauliers Association.
The minister said the objective of this funding was to ensure that the N5 would be developed to a standard of road that will accommodate projected traffic growth for the next 20 years.
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'Arrogant' EEI refuses Erris debate invitation The Western People this week.
The organisers of a major seminar on environmental concerns has accused the Corrib Gas development company, Enterprise Energy Ireland, of being "foolhardy, arrogant or insulting" in refusing an invitation to be part of a debate on "The Corrib Gas Field - Great Gas for whom?"
The seminar is being held in Teach Iorrais, Geesala this weekend, opening on Friday evening with the Ken Saro-Wiwa Memorial seminar which is to be chaired by Ms Majella McCarron of the Justice and Development Desk of the Irish Missionary Union and the guest speaker is Komene Famaa, a member of the Ogoni tribe now living in Dublin. Ken Saro-Wiwa led opposition to the oil company, Royal Dutch Shell, which was accused of causing environmental damage to lands claimed by the Ogoni tribe in a Delta in Nigeria. Saro Wiwa was hanged by the Nigerian regime. The Geesala Saro Wiwa memorial seminar is the fourth to be organised in Ireland, two having previously been held in Dublin and one in Derry. The seminars highlight the impact multi-national companies have on local communities and environments. "They provide space to think out the consequences of multi-national involvement in small communities," said Ms McCarron.
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Strike notice served on TescoThe Western People this Tuesday.
Unions representing workers at the Tesco stores countrywide have announced two one-day stoppages as part of their strike action in relation to wage claims. Mandate and SIPTU have both served strike notice on the company. The stoppages will take place at Tesco's 75 retail outlets on 29th June and 5th July. John Carty, Mandate's local official, said that if progress is not made in resolving the pay problem at Tesco, further stoppages will take place, He said the Unions had decided to give 18 days notice of industrial action to minimize inconvenience to the public. "The staff at Tesco have been greatly encouraged by the support for their campaign against low pay which they have received from the company's customers."
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Something for everybody in Ballina programme The Western People this week.
Once again the organisers of the Ballina Street Festival and Arts Week have come up trumps with a terrific line of events which this year will include major attractions and entertainment during two weekends in the festival from 6th to 15th July.
The programme for the event, revived ten years ago, and now one of the premier events in the country, was officially launched at a reception in the magnificently restored Kennedy Glasgow Shed at the Quay, Ballina. Gerry Mulligan, Festival PRO, recalled that this year will be the tenth anniversary of the festival since its re-birth. "The festival has gone from strength to strength and is now the third largest festival in Ireland and the largest family oriented festival in the country," he said.
He acknowledged the ongoing contribution of FAS to the festival and said that without their participation the festival would not take place. "We owe them a great debt of gratitude," he said. Tony Kieran, Snr. Community Development Officer, FAS, said in the course of ten years FAS has spent about £1.5m on the festival. Cllr. Padraig Moore, Cathaoirleach Ballina UDC, said the festival showed what could be achieved when people were united and positive in their outlook. The festival brought £3m to the town in one week. This year they had all seen how vulnerable they were when Foot and Mouth knocked the bottom out of the tourist season.
The programme includes: Jazz Jamboree on Friday 6th July; Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th July, Pony & Horse Show; Rock the Square on Saturday 7th July; Revelling on the River, Sunday 8th July; International Evening, Sunday 8th July; Rag Night, Monday 9th July; Steam Night, Tuesday 10th July; Heritage Day, Wednesday 11th July; It's a Knockout, Thursday 12th July; Feile na Gaeilge, Friday 13 July; Mardi Gras, 14th July and an extensive programme of children's events.
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