MORNING FOCUS TUESDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER
The 83rd National Ploughing Championships gets under way this morning at Ratheniska near Stradbally, Co Laois. More than 200,000 people are expected to attend the three day event which will feature around 1,400 exhibitors. It is Europe's largest outdoor Exhibition and Agricultural Trade Show. This is the second consecutive year that the National Ploughing Championships have been held in Ratheniska.Every aspect of Irish life is covered, and with 1,400 trade stands and 800 acres in the entire site. Pat Quinn PRO Clare Ploughing Association and Walter Moroney who’s competing in the championship spoke to John from Ratheneska
Ireland has just half the number of speech and language therapists it needs, with 3,000 children waiting more than a year for therapy and another 2,000 children waiting the same period of time for an assessment. The findings are included in a working paper on speech and language therapy to be published today and indicate a system that “cannot cope with demand”. Paddy Connolly CEO Social Inclusion Ireland highlighted the problem with John.
Proposals drawn up for the Government also call for judges to be forced to give written explanations for sending someone to jail. The recommendations have been welcomed by Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, who said they would help shape the future of sentencing.” I am determined that serious offenders and serial offenders must continue to be imprisoned," she said.’ Society expects and demands nothing less. But while prisons must remain part of the answer, prison must not be the only answer.” A group of civil servants, judges, top gardai, lawyers and prison chiefs were ordered to draw up a report on how to revamp the sentencing system. The so-called Strategic Review of Penal Policy visited prisons and spoke with inmates, staff as well as victims before coming to its findings. Deirdre Malone of the Irish Penal Reform Trust discussed the controversial proposals with John.
The Restaurant of Association has said there is now a crisis in the hospitality sector due to the lack of chefs and want to see the issues tackled in budget 2015.
RAI CEO Adrian Cummins says "there is now a crisis in the shortage of chefs in the country, and an investment in training is needed. An immediate training fund needs to be made available to employers so that the huge demand for chefs of all grades can be met.” Adrian Cummings CEO , Restaurants Association of Ireland and Joe Mulcahy
Course director culinary arts course LIT spoke to John about the countries chefing crisis.
The Money Doctor John Lowe joined John for our bi-weekly personal finance slot, amongst the topics John discussed were, the thousands of Irish Standard Life shareholders due a windfall of €1,000, The cost of kitting out kids for school, Michael Noonan’s €1.5bn deal ‘will have real and positive impact for the Irish taxpayer’ but what does it mean in practical terms, We’re still earning less than we did in 2007 (except in IT sector!) and the mystery Lotto Euro Millions winner
Finally as always on a Tuesday Clare Dog Warden Frankie Coote joined John for his regular slot with advice on proper animal care and animal owners' legal responsibilities. Contact Clare Animal Shelter on 065 6820393.
