Morning Focus opened with a look at the political stalemate now that Fianna Fáil has rejected an offer from Fine Gael to join a 'partnership' government.
FF leader Micheál Martin said last night (Thurs. April 7) that "the best interests of the Irish people would not be served by a Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael government".
The Taoiseach's hit back accusing FIanna Fáíl of putting narrow party interests rather than the public interest after rejecting the offer of a equal partnership Government.
In a statement the Acting Taoiseach says this is a serious mistake.
Meanwhile, Independents taking part in negotiations with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have criticised the failure of the parties to end the political deadlock and reach some arrangement to form a government.
Pat spoke to Dep Timmy Dooley, FF and to Dep Pat Breen, FG. He was later joined on the same issue by Dr Michael Harty TD, who said Independents might decide to vote against the FF and FG candidates for Taoiseach, if the parties didn't show they could cooperate.
The great work of the Community Games is hard to over-state. It's touched families the length and breadth of Ireland. But here in Ennis, it almost seemed as if the local organisation would have to wind down after more than 4 decades serving the community.
At the start of the year, Ennis Community Games took on a new chair and secretary (Mark Nestor and Angela Coll, repectively) and they're making a special plea for volunteers if the games are to be saved. Pat was joined in studio by Angela Coll, Secretary of Ennis St Johns Community Games.
Research conducted with 500 SMEs across the country and will be shared with the SME community in Clare next Wednesday (April 13). Mark Kellett, CEO of Magnet, will present the annual Magnet Regional Business Barometer (MRBB) – among the largest studies of small and medium enterprises in Ireland – at a Regional Outlook for SMEs at a Midwest Business Breakfast event at the Inn at Dromoland. He joined Pat in studio.
Four Clare student have scooped the top honours in an international competition organised the US space agency, NASA. The boys came top in their category in the Space Settlement Design Contest, with proposals for a human settlement in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. They will now go on to present their project in front of an audience of leading scientists and those in the space industry at a major conference in Puerto Rico next month (May).
Pat was joined in studio by pupils Sean Donnelly, Kieran Maher, Jason Herbert, Eoghan Keane and John Conneely of the Science Dept. St Flannan's College, Ennis
Pat was then joined by John Crummey to hear how the famous Rose of Tralee festival is seeking rosebuds. Girls aged 6-10 from all over Ireland are being invited to enter the selection process to find 67 Rose Buds for this year’s Rose of Tralee International Festival which will take place from 17-23 August.
Pat was then joined in studio by Clare County Arts Officer, Siobhan Mulcahy.
The Friday Panel was Pat Kelly, Manager, Skycourt Shopping Centre, Shannon; Dr Kevin Haugh, Author and by William Cahir
of Cahir & Company Solicitors, Ennis.
Morning Focus finished with live music from Eoin O’Neill and Bríd O’Gorman ahead of the start of their Saturday afternoon session in glór’s café.
Drop in to the open trad seisiún, led by Eoin and Brid. Young people who can play a tune on the fiddle, bodhrán, harp, concertina, or any instrument at all, (even non-traditional instruments) are welcome to come along and discover what it is like to play in a real session with other musicians. Families are invited to come, watch and enjoy. glor say that children aged 7 to 12, and young people 13+, are particularly welcome.
