Be prepared for increases in cab fares from midnight tonight.
New fare rates announced by the Taxi Regulator will see fares start at €4.10 as opposed to the €3.80 they start at currently.
On Sundays, Bank Holidays and on Christmas Day fares will start at €4.45
Full details on fares can be found here.
“Removing the song from YouTube now would remove all the links [to the video] that people are forwarding. For whatever reason, the song has tapped into a vein that is actually becoming a vibrant political movement amongst white Irish folks who may have found it difficult to vote for a black man. Forty six million people in the United States say they are ‘Irish’ and the song has made it easier to identify Obama as actually being Irish. Like JFK. I have been told that this song is the cause of a paradigm shift that could actually tip the balance in swing states in the election.” – Shay Black, Singer
An unsavory row has erupted following the posting of a video by the brother of well known singer Mary Black.
Shay Black performed the song “There’s Noone as Irish As Barack Obama” in a local public house in the United States, and it has received over a quarter of a million hits on YouTube.
Those involved in the Hardy Drew felt that they were not being properly credited for the song, and asked Mr. Black to insert text into the video stating that additional verses were added with their permission.
However, now that numerous websites, including the official Obama campaign site, have linked to the Black version, and made no reference to Hardy Drew and the Nancy Boys, there have been calls for the video to be removed.
Black has however agreed to remove the video after November 4th. He has also added credits to the group on his own website.
Here is the black version
See the original version here
County Council budget slashed by €1.75m
Some dramatic cutbacks are being sought by Limerick County Council after it emerged that there will be a €1.75 million cut in their budget next year.
The chairman of the Council is quoted in the Limerick Leader that the cuts are the equivelent to 50 full time jobs.
All councils are being asked to cut by half the amount of money they spend on consultants in all areas except infrastructure and housing, the article states.
Education cuts motion defeated
A Labour Party motion against education cuts announced following the budget has been defeated in the Dail this afternoon. The motion was defeated by 80 votes to 74.
In a statement prior to the motion, Limerick Labour front-bencher, Jan O’Sullivan stated “The cuts are savage in that they don’t spare any children. Larger classes will have the greatest effect on those who find it hardest to learn. On top of that, the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act is put on hold, book, library and equipment grants are cut for disadvantaged children and, those who have benefited least from Education, traveller children, are losing their capitation grants.”
In a meeting with Secondary School Teachers union, the ASTI, Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe stated that there would be no going back on planned cuts.
13,000 people turned out last night to protest against the cuts outside Government Buildings in Dublin ahead of this afternoon’s vote.
Departure tax concerns for Shannon
Concerns continue to mount for the future of Shannon following the announcement that flights longer than 300 km are to be hit with a €10 departure levy.
While Labour’s Jan O’Sullivan has called for this levy to be added to the growing list of roll backs by the Government on the budget, and is urging the Competition Authority to investigate the advantage this levy gives to Dublin Airport, Sinn Fein local election candidate Maurice Quinlivan has railed against Fianna Fail for Shannon’s current predicament, stating that the Government allowed the Shannon-Heathrow link to be lost, leaving Shannon now dependent on Ryanair.
He has express concern at how Shannon is now at the mercy of Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair.
It is claimed that Shannon has lost 60,000 passengers to Cork as a result of the loss of the Heathrow link
Disability Allowance cut backs reversed
It was announced today by Social Welfare minister Mary Hannifin that cuts to the Disability Allowance are not going to take place as announced in the budget.
It was announced previously that the elegibility age for the allowance would be increased from 16 to 18. This now will not take place.
Builder Bailout to be investigated by EU
A scheme announced in the Budget which would benefit developers with unsold properties is to be investigated by the EU commission following an online campaign.
Developers would have benefited from the “Home Choice Loans” scheme to the tune of €1.65 billion, although some believe this could rise to as much as €6b. More details can be found here.
Four women and two men are being detained by Gardai investigating the murder of 19 year old Jeffrey Hannon last year.
Mr. Hannon’s body was found near his home in O’Malley Park after he died from head injuries.
Mr. Hannon’s first anniversary will be on 23 November.
The four being questioned are being detained at Garda stations throughout the City and County.
When it was initially incorporated, The Limerick Regeneration Agency was expected to have a life of five years, however, following yesterday’s release of the regeneration masterplan, it now appears that the 3.1 Billion euro project will take ten years.
Here is a brief summary of what is contained within the plan
Moyross:
Public funding required: €727.7m
Private funding required €467.7m
Total: €1395.4m
Southill/Ballinacurra Weston
Public funding required €647.5m
Private funding required €506.7m
Total €1154.2m
St. Mary’s Park
Public funding required €299.6m
Private funding required €425.8m
Total 725.4m
The demolition of derelict houses in these areas has already begun, however it is unlikely that construction work will begin before 2010.
We’re not looking at taking business away from Dublin Airport but we’re looking at the way international practice is developing now where major airports would need a relief airport,” he told the Irish Independent
Someone’s bursting mad to build an airport in Brian Cowen’s stomping ground. One would have thought that there were enough airports in the country. The way things are going there will be more airports than HSE centres of excellence in the country.
With the creation of 1,000 jobs, the people behind this are not thinking about building something like Weston airfield.
Full story can be found in the indo.
Don’t forget that the clocks go back tonight.
Winter time officially begins at 0200 hrs BST (0100 GMT), giving an extra hour in bed.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has warned of “tumbleweed on the runway of Shannon” next winter due to the introduction of a €10 on every airline ticket.
The airline is now set to enter discussions on it’s future in Shannon.
The new tax, introduced in the budget, applies to all aircraft with 21 or more seats, travelling a distance of 300 km or greater.
The warning comes just days after Ryanair shut it’s base in Valencia, Spain due to disagreements with the local authority there. The closure of the Spannish base, after just 12 months, affected 70 weekly flights from Valencia.
Schools are now being forced to institute cutbacks as a result of cuts in the 2009 budget, which was announced earlier this month.
The Limerick Leader reports that one school, Castletroy College, has had to scrap plans for overseas trips for students.
I the budget, there were sweeping cut backs which will result in the increase in class sizes, the withdrawal of substitution cover for non certified sickleave and for teachers away on school business.
Childcare subsidies for working mothers has also been reduced from children up to six years to children under five and a half years.
Meanwhile, a protest at cuts to the universal medical card for the over 70s is scheduled to take place in the city centre today. The meeting point is the Jesuit Church on O’Connell Avenue at 1400 hrs.
Upwards of 30 people held protests outside the Northside Regeneration office in Moyross over the seizure of horses by Limerick City Council.
Officials from the City Council, backed up by Gardai, seized a number of horses which it is claimed were wandering the estate.
The resulting venting of anger by 30 individuals resulted in the Regeneration office to close early, with some staff going home and others moving to the office of the South Side regeneration office in Roxboro.
Whether or not Regeneration Offices will stay in Moyross is now being called into question.
From the Leader
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