Waterford Today | Waterford's free weekly newspaper

In response to media queries arising from the Cork Institute of Technology submission seeking university designation under Section 9 of the Universities Act, Waterford Institute of Technology has said it is primarily a matter between the Cork Institute and Government.

A Waterford Institute of Technology spokesman said, "It is not a matter for us to comment on the ambitions of any other higher education institution and this obviously also applies in the current instance."

The spokesman added, "The Waterford application made to Government over two years ago after a 24-month period of preparation responds to very specific regional needs and was only submitted after a supportive audit review conducted by Prof Robin Farquhar (Canada) in 2005. Indeed, Prof Farquhar's findings were echoed more recently by Dr Jim Port's evaluation for the Department of Education & Science in 2007.

"We continue to engage with

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Waterford's high profile farmer Michael Flynn is calling for a sex conference to take place in Ireland he said there is so many issues around sex that we don't have answers to. Issues like are young boy/men treating young girls with enough respect. If men need more sex than women, how do they satisfy themselves without abusing women.

Do we need a system agreed by men and women together on how to protect children from sexual abuse in the home, maybe even a phone line to deal with such. How do we stop men from fathering multiple children from many different women. Is the law doing enough to protect women from the over dominant male. Are a man and woman meant to be together for life, can we discuss issues to make this happen.

Should it be taught to young

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More people in Waterford are now visiting their GP free of charge thanks to an easing of the means test for medical cards and GP visit cards according to local Fianna Fail T.D. Brendan Kenneally.

‘In November 2004 the Government began to increase funding for medical cards and easing the means test for medical cards and the new GP Visit Card."

‘In Waterford, in the period from 1 January 2006 to 1 December 2007, 3,540 new people qualified for medical cards thanks to the easing of the means test. In addition to this 2,185 new people qualified for a GP visit card that allows them to attend their GP for free."

‘This increase of just over 5,700 people seeing their GP for free comes at a time when incomes have risen and unemployment has dropped."

"The move from an ‘all

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Speaking in Strasbourg, Brian Crowley MEP and President of the UEN group in the European Parliament said that he fully supports the annual policy strategy of the European Commission for the year 2009.

" It is a programme that seeks to promote strong economic and political initiatives at a European level.

It is a policy programme that does move Europe forward and it puts the interests of the European citizens first. I support the fact that the very first policy in this programme is the promotion of jobs and growth within the European Union.

As we move into the year of the ratification of the Treaty, we who support the ratification of this Treaty by referendum in Ireland are hammering home the point of view that Europe must become more efficient, that it is essential that we recognise that the Treaties that were

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The coming weekend brings with it the start of an extended holiday period. This weekend is a long weekend with St. Patrick's Day falling on Monday. The following weekend is the Easter Holiday period. Over the next two weeks therefore many people will set out on long journeys. All road users are asked to be vigilant and to take all necessary steps to ensure their safety and the safety of other road users.

Significant extra Garda resources will be deployed over these periods aimed of increasing compliance amongst drivers, with the objective of improving road safety.

Inappropriate speed is the single greatest contributory factor to road deaths and serious injuries. Over the St. Patrick's Day holiday period in 2007 there were 1,990 speeding detections and over the Easter Holiday period 2,644 detections.

Drivers are urged to slow down and remember that as a

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The Equality Authority will be holding its regional meetings in Waterford City next month in order to discuss the upcoming Strategic Plan with South business, trade union and NGO officials while canvassing the area for submissions on the near future of their work.

The meetings, taking place on the 3rd and 4th of April, will be at the Tower Hotel and the Equality Authority informed the media that the Waterford Chamber of Commerce and the Waterford Area Partnership would be participants.

When asked if he believed if there would be regional differences of opinion on the Strategic Plan, Niall Crowley, CEO of the Equality Authority, said that there could very well be but he would also be looking out for ‘common strands' of similarity of opinion among the regions also.

The Strategic Plan, which will be the fourth in the

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The Financial Regulator last week published Consultation Paper 33 (CP33) seeking views on a draft statutory Consumer Protection Code for Licensed Moneylenders.

In 2007, the Financial Regulator published a report on the licensed moneylending industry which is available on www.financialregulator.ie . One of the commitments given in the report was that the Financial Regulator would review the current interim statutory Code of Practice for Moneylenders, with a specific emphasis on increasing transparency, helping consumers make informed decisions and enhancing the consumer protection framework.

The Strategic Plan for 2008 - 2010 commits to having an updated code of conduct in place for moneylenders by December 2008.The Financial Regulator welcomes submissions from all interested parties on the draft Consumer Protection Code for licensed moneylenders.

Copies of CP33 are available at www.financialregulator.ie.

Please make your submissions in writing and marked Consumer Protection

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IFA National Dairy Committee Chairman Richard Kennedy has welcomed the announcement by Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan that cross-checking by Department Inspectors of milk testing by co-ops would start from April 1st.

This is in line with the Government's Partnership commitment to IFA. This protocol of verification will cover the testing of all constituents used for payment, audit of lab procedures, check calibration of machinery, and verify the results sent back to farmers. Results of the cross-checks will be published by the Department.

Mr Kennedy said while this new protocol was welcome, it was only the first step in raising the standards of Irish milk testing to international best practice, paving the way for full accreditation of central, independent milk testing laboratories.

"I believe this move will help focus the minds of all in the dairy industry on the importance of proper standards

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Summary results of the new all-island business sentiment indicator: ‘Overall Business Sentiment Positive but Construction Slows Across the Island'

In the third quarter of 2007 (October – December) just over one third (34%) of all-island businesses experienced turnover growth but that growth is slowing across the island compared to the figures for Q1 (40%) and for Q2 (36%).

While business sentiment for the current quarter (January – March) remains high at 41% there has been a visible downturn in the construction sector in the figures for the final quarter of 2007, with just 25% of construction companies recording an increase in turnover.

Financial expectations for the current quarter vary slightly between the Republic and Northern Ireland with businesses in the Republic of Ireland expecting a 37% business turnover increase compared to a 44% increase in the North.

One in three (30%)

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The business of recording early and late dates for the arrival and departure of summer migrant birds in Britain and Ireland was formally established in the Witherby ‘Handbook of British Birds (1938-1941). That there remains as much interest as ever in this kind of record is soon evident from a perusal of contemporary bird reports including the premier journal of BirdWatch Ireland, ‘Irish Birds'. While this is the stuff of specialist quizzes on aspects of natural history such as Master Mind, the source of the information is from ordinary people who keep their eyes open and record what they see by passing it on to the recording authorities.

St. Patrick's Day is a magic day in Ireland for early birds as one rule of thumb dictates that any migrant seen before it is a record and anything after it is not.

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The public campaign on whether or not to support the Lisbon Treaty is the most low key of similar type campaigns to-date. The Lisbon Treaty which will go before the electorate in early June has not galvanised the public imagination as other referenda held in this country. A challenge from the main No lobby group, Libertas, to the Referendum Commission and the Government to send a copy of the Lisbon Treaty to every household in Ireland with a summary of the Yes and No arguments has received to-date a lukewarm reception in official circles. Perhaps the fact that all the political parties in Dail Eireann with the exception of Sinn Fein, are supportive of the Yes vote to the Lisbon Treaty could be a factor in this mindset. However, complacency on the Referendum could be a dangerous thing for the

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My dear People of Waterford and Lismore,

As I am sure you are aware, the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore had in the past a strong tradition of vocations to the priesthood and religious life. We not only supplied the needs of our own diocese, but sent many priests, sisters and brothers abroad. In more recent times, like other dioceses throughout Ireland, we have had fewer vocations.

This is once again a year in which, sadly, we in this diocese will be having no ordinations to the priesthood. Shortly there will be a number of parishes which will not have a priest of their own but will be sharing with other parishes. This gives some idea of how the diminishing number of priests is beginning to affect us. And this ongoing shortage of priests is my reason for writing to you

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Dear Sir,

I am amazed at some of the reaction which has followed the announcement by Dr. Ian Paisley that he is retiring as First Minister of the Stormont Assembly and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

I and my party, the Workers' Party, will remember Dr. Paisley as nothing more than a firebrand and a troublemaker who opposed every single initiative towards reform, political accommodation of all views and reconciliation on this island.

Paisley stood in the way of every single attempt to move forward in Northern Ireland. Back in the late 1960s Paisley personally led the sectarian gangs that attacked peaceful civil rights marchers, including the 1969 march in Armagh which led to Mr. Paisley being jailed for a short time.

The self-styled Doctor Paisley was a cheerleader for the UDA's sectarian strike to bring down the Sunningdale agreement in the

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The Annual General meeting of the Waterford Branch of Siptu was held in Connolly Hall Waterford on Tuesday 11th March 2008.The General President of Siptu Jack O Connor was in attendance and addressed the large membership in the hall after which he took a question and answer session.

The Waterford Branch President of Siptu, Tony Cunningham during his outgoing address to the members called on all Siptu members to support any upcoming battles that may have to take place to gain University Status for the Waterford Institute of Technology. He went on to quote Jack O Connor who said the following during the Michael O Brien Memorial Lecture at the Waterford Institute of Technology on 1st February 2007; and I quote;

A properly structured university will be able to integrate existing colleges and site new facilities where they are most needed. Indeed

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Waterford book fans are being encouraged to get voting for the Galaxy

Popular Fiction Book of the year in this year's Irish Book Awards. This year the shortlisted books in the Galaxy Popular Fiction Category are:- This Champagne Mojito is the Last Thing I Own – Ross O'Carroll Kelly- Take A Look At Me Now – Anita Notaro- Bad Behaviour – Sheila O'Flanagan- The Last to Know – Melissa Hill- Secret Diary of a Demented Housewife – Niamh Greene- Ship of Dreams – Martina Devlin

This is the third year of the Irish Book Awards which were established to acknowledge the wealth of talent in Irish literature. The awards incorporate the entire book trade in Ireland, making it the only industry wide event of its kind in the Irish book sector. Waterford readers who would like

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