On The Afternoon Show today – the international perception of how corrupt our public sector is. Clare FM’s Máire Moynahan spoke with John Devitt – the Chief Executive of Transparency International Ireland. A global index measuring perceptions of corruption in 176 countries gives Ireland its worst ever ranking and suggests that corruption is a bigger problem here than in some developing nations including Uruguay and the Bahamas. Ireland is now ranked in 25th place in the Corruption Perceptions Index conducted annually by Transparency International (TI). The worst performing countries are Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia. Denmark, Finland and New Zealand are perceived to be the least corrupt countries of those surveyed. Transparency International (TI) Ireland is the Irish chapter of the worldwide movement against corruption (defined as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain).
This weekend will see the vast majority of Christmas trees will be bought and decorated in homes across the county – Clare FM’s Doireann Wilde has been asking you on the street which you prefer – real or artificial Christmas trees?
Daraine Mulvihill was also a guest on today’s show. Daráine Mulvihill is the daughter of Liam Mulvihill, the former director general of the GAA. A survivor of Meningitis she lost both her legs due to the illness when she was 16. She was so ill she was not expected to live and was given last rites. She has been a winner of The Irish People of the Year Award because of her personal story and attitude. ACT for Meningitis is the only Irish Meningitis Awareness charity solely focusing on Awareness and Support. They are launching their Meningitis Awareness Card in the G Hotel in Galway tonight – Wednesday 5th of December at 8 pm.
Alphonse Basogomba from the Clare Intercultural Network and Elaine D’Alton from the Clare Women’s Network also joined Gavin Grace in studio to talk about the IDEC’s third conference in their Humanising Rights and Responsibilities Series on 10th December in Ennis. The conference will address the question ‘How is the education system responding to diversity’? It will build on last year’s conference ‘I’m OK, You’re OK and That’s OK: Listening to Young People’s Voices’ and will present feedback from exciting new research with young people on their experience of living and learning diversity in the Irish education system. The research was carried out by University of Limerick and Mary Immaculate College.
Joe Russell from The Lodge at Doonbeg and photographer Alan Soutar were also in studio ahead of this weekend’s Christmas markets to discuss the range of locally made crafts and food that will be on offer. There will be over 70 stalls showcasing all kinds of everything all weekend.
If you’d like to get in touch with The Afternoon Show please email afternoon@clare.fm
