MORNING FOCUS TUESDAY 7TH OCTOBER
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul urges that Budget 2015 must address energy poverty. Focus should also be on improved energy efficiency in private rented accommodation. Research to be published shortly by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVP) will show that a combination of energy efficiency and increased incomes are required to enable struggling households afford their minimum energy needs. Speaking at the Energy Action Conference in Dublin today, SVP Head of Social Justice and Policy, John Mark McCafferty said that while energy efficiency improvements in homes is vital, social welfare dependent households tended to remain in energy poverty and all faced inadequate income. John-Mark McCafferty SVP Head of Social Justice and Policy Ireland outlined St Vincent De Pauls policy to John.
At today’s meeting of the Ennis Municipal authority Cllr Johnny Flynn is proposing that the Senate relocate out of Dublin to Ennis. Cllr Flynn has put forward the motion that “That Ennis Municipal District Committee request Clare County Council to call on the Government to urgently initiate similar meaningful measures of Reform of Central Government by starting with the relocation of Seanad Éireann out of Dublin, Ireland’s Commercial and Political Capital to the Provincial location of Ennis , the county-town of Clare. Cllr Flynn joined John to speak about his noval proposal.
Loneliness doubles the risk of death among older people, and with 35% of Irish people over the age of 65 and living in their own homes reporting feelings of loneliness, more must be done to address the issue, according to Age Friendly Ireland.1Previous studies have shown that older people experiencing high levels of loneliness are almost twice as likely to die within six years compared to those who are not lonely.2 In people aged between 65 and 84 years of age, loneliness has been shown to take the lives of as many people as cancer.The organisation is calling for increased awareness of the issue, and Mr O’Connor said that incorporating relatively simple, low-cost initiatives into existing support services could make a real difference. Hugh O Connor, CEO Age Friendly Ireland spoke to John about this increasingly important issue.
John Lowe joined John for his bi-weekly personal finance slot. John spoke about a variety of issues including Mortgage caps, why Irish Water won’t seek proof of illness when capping bills. How Rents in the capital continue to rise but still off peak.Motorists face hikes to insurance premiums as firms hit by losses and why unwed grieving partners are to face tax pain.
Nurture offers supports to women & families surrounding pregnancy and childbirth. They are the only charity in Ireland with no wait lists offering timely supports in areas such as: post natal depression, post traumatic stress disorder, miscarriage, loss of a baby and much more. This is a hugely stigmatised area of mental health and women even in 2014 are afraid if they have post natal depression their baby will be taken off them women simply won't talk about how they truly feel. The service has just become available in Ennis and Irene Lowry CEO of Nurture joined John for a chat. You can find out more about nurture services here;http://nurturepnd.org/
Fracking Free Clare is inviting the public to a Screening of GASLAND 2 on Thursday 9th Oct in the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis at 7.30pm and a brief update on the current fracking situation in Ireland at the moment. A new Irish short film about fracking by Roisin Ní Gháirbhith will also be shown on the night. This film may be of interest to those living in Clare who wants to find out more about fracking and its possible impact on the local area. County Clare is one of many areas on the island of Ireland that has been targeted for fracking. Rosin Garvey who produced the documentary and Mark Wilson of Fracking Free Clare spoke to John ahead of Thursday night’s screening.
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
If you have a story, comment or query for Morning Focus email Focus@clare.fm or write to us – Morning Focus, Clare FM, Francis Street, Ennis, Co. Clare.
