On today’s edition of The Afternoon Show Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance joined Clare FM’s Gavin Grace to discuss a new ‘report card’, which has found the government isn’t doing enough to help children, suffering from child poverty. The report by the Children’s Rights Alliance – a coalition of more than 100 organisations – gave the government an F grade – and say the problem is getting worse. The Alliance says the worst performing areas were child poverty and health, because of the delay in the Children’s Hospital and primary health care centres.
Dan Griffin is a Journalist with The Irish Times and attended a special climate change conference which took place in Clare over the weekend. The protection of the home, mobilising against an undefined enemy, and the environmental role of the arts were some of the subjects raised at the Climate Gathering in Ballyvaughan over the weekend. Some 60 participants from the United States and Europe descended on the Burren village to discuss ways of rousing society to action on climate change.
Edwina Shanahan from Visafirst.com was also a guest on The Afternoon Show and spoke about new figures show more men than women looked to leave Irish shores in 2012. As live register figures hit 10,083 in Clare, experts say the age profile of those leaving Ireland in search of work is increasing. Visafirst.com are holding free migration road shows throughout the country over the next couple of weeks to inform people of their options when it comes to working abroad – particularly in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S. This road show will come to the following at 7pm on each date – 26th February at the Galway Radisson and the 27th February at the Limerick Clarion.
Also on today’s show was a new feature entitled “Calling Home” – today Gavin spoke with Seosamh O’Loughlin from Ennis in the first of a series of interviews with the Clare Diaspora to celebrate the year of The Gathering. Seosamh and his partner Geraldine Moloney, also from Ennis, have been living in Perth in Australia for the past year. He spoke to Gavin about why he made the move to Australia, how life is down under, and his hopes for the future.
We want to hear your stories – if you or a loved one is abroad and would like to tell us how life is treating them in their new home please contact Clare FM on 065 682 8888 or email gathering@clare.fm
Michael Neylon also joined the show to let listeners know about the annual “Pride of Place” competition. Clare County Council is inviting local communities, projects and housing estates to participate in this year’s’ competition. Proposals are currently being invited from groups who wish to seek nomination to the annual all-island competition, which is run by Co-operation Ireland in conjunction with local authorities north and south of the border. See www.prideofplace.cooperationireland.org. or call the council on 065 6846428. Closing date is 4.00pm on Thursday, 28th March.
To contact the show please email afternoon@clare.fm
