On Thursday’s Morning Focus Denise Charlton, the Chief Executive of the Immigrant Council spoke with John Cooke
She said at any given time there are 10 women for sale in Clare according to the Turn Off the Red Light campaign who are seeking swift action against sex crime gangs
Clare TDs and Senators are being asked to speed up a review of the laws on prostitution by members of the ICA, Macra Na Feirme, many trade unions, Chambers Ireland and the Immigrant Council of Ireland – this comes as hearings by the Dáil Justice Committee on the issue come to an end
See www.turnofftheredlight.ie to show your support and lobby your local representatives to take action.
Fr Harry Bohan, Sixmilebridge Parish Priest had a word ahead of their series of Lenten Talks that begin this Tuesday at 8pm
The first talk is about identifying depression and finding out what it is with psychotherapist Dr Terry Lynch
Meanwhile,
Benedict the Sixteenth is spending his final hours as Pope
The 85-year-old steps down later – the first pontiff to do so in centuries
On his last day as the spiritual leader of 1-point-2 billion Catholics – he’ll meet cardinals from around the world
He’ll leave the Vatican by helicopter this afternoon before blessing a crowd at the Papal retreat Castel Gandolfo tonight
John Morgan in Kilfenora said it’s a boast for their community that the pope is their parish priest
The Burren centre in Kilfenora wrote to Pope John Paul after his visit here– got a letter back with an apostolic blessing for the community.
Yesterday Sixmilebridge Councillor and shop owner John Crowe spoke about the struggles of rural business and the amount of small shops that have closed in the county this year alone – he asked for more support from central government to ensure rural shop survival
John spoke with the Minister of State for Small Business John Perry TD to get his take on support for rural business.
Minister Perry will officially open Caring for Carers Ireland national conference in Westport this Friday
The conference theme: "Caring Together" – Realising the Objectives of The Carers Strategy
Rural Resettlement Ireland- the voluntary housing group will ask Clare County Council to take on 21 of its properties amid warnings that the imposition of the property tax will lead to "a domino effect" as other organisations will be forced to follow suit.
Jim Connolly spoke with John and said they never signed up to become tax collectors- his role is a voluntary director of a company limited by guarantee and thereby not allowed to make a profit
They had an emergency board meeting on Tuesday evening and decided to make a formal request to Clare County Council to transfer 21 houses over to them
Irish council of social housing still in negotiation with environment department- still fighting to make it exempt because of support services that they give.
For over a decade Kilkee native Peadar King has worked as an independent documentary film maker in over thirty countries
His films are solely focused on human rights and how the current model of globalisation impacts on the poor, oppressed and disfavoured people across the world
He is launching his second book What in the World? Political Travels in Africa, Asia and The Americas this weekend at the Ennis Book Club Festival- Peadar spoke with John.
The Burren Players 2013 Production "No dinner for Sinners" a comedy by Edward Taylor opens tonight at the Royal Spa Hotel and running until 3rd March – nightly at 8pm
Players Andy Grimrod and Nadine Walshe play husband and wife in the production- they joined John in studio to give listeners a taste of what to expect in North Clare tonight.
John Underhill of Burren Vets joined John in studio to answer your animal health queries.
If you have a story for the Morning Focus team email Focus@clare.fm
