Editorial
Wednesday, 19th June 2013
Not so GR8 G8
With world attention on Fermanagh as the meeting place of the latest G8 Summit it is no wonder that locals are basking in the reflected spotlight. We have all been told, if we haven't already experienced at first hand, the beauty of the location. We know about the exclusiveness of the hotels that the various leaders are going to be staying as well as some of their security detail. We know about the menus from which they will be choosing from. There is little about summit meeting that the media doesn't think we would like to know about. Of course it is welcome publicity for the region and it is a very beautiful part of the country but to be honest what is of most interest is what these leaders of the richest countries will talk about
Editorial
Tuesday, 11th June 2013
Making Hay while the Sun Shines
Naturally, by the time that you read this editorial the weather will have changed majorly several times and we will have experienced lashing rain, snow, gale force winds and hailstones but the thing is that for about the first time this year we have experienced some really good weather that lasted for more than the usual 20 minutes to half an hour. As a nation we are obsessed by the weather and its entirely understandable. It is so variable and in such a constant flux that it is really impossible to predict what the weather might be like from one week to the next. Of course we have weather forecasts that should really take care of all of that but we are all a little too experienced to fully take the weather forecast at face
Applauding Waterford
Tuesday, 11th June 2013
Institute of Technology
As President of St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York, I wish to extend my sincere and hearty congratulations to Waterford Institute of Technology and President Ruaidhrí Neavyn on the recent and welcomed news regarding the Institute's pending technological university status. Just as Waterford and Rochester enjoy the status of Sister Cities, so too SJFC and WIT have had a mutually beneficial relationship over the years.
Since my first visit to Waterford in 2008, we have established a strong working partnership that has considerably enriched our institutions and our communities. In November 2011 while visiting Waterford, Acting WIT President Tony McFeely and I signed a 'Memorandum of Understanding' to work together to establish education initiatives that include programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels; curriculum development projects; online delivery pilot programs; joint conferences; faculty/student exchange programs; specialized
Editorial
Tuesday, 4th June 2013
Everything comes
The news that Waterford Institute of Technology, in conjunction with the Institute of Technology Carlow, has been 'signed off' for technological university status by the Government must come as very welcome news for everyone who has campaigned for this over many long and hard years. Of course the proviso must be added that until everything is signed on the dotted line and the ink is dry on the documents awarding this new status no one can really breathe a complete sigh of relief. There have been too many false dawns in relation to a lot of things promised by various Governments not to be a little wary when it comes to this issue.
To say that it is one of the most important issues facing Waterford would not be to overplay it's seriousness. University status for Waterford, even if it
Editorial
Tuesday, 28th May 2013
Creche Questions
The news that three creches investigated by RTE's Primetime programme undercover and where they discovered serious failing must have been agonising for the parents of the children involved. Of course the programme has yet to air but already the three creches that were investigated have already suspended some of their staff and instituted reports into the allegations already. Most of the parents whose children attended those creches have said that they have welcomed the nature of the undercover reporting but others have been vocal about the fact that they did not give their permission for filming of their children. The latter attitude is a bit hard to understand considering what was found out about the running of these creches and given the fact that in all likelihood all the faces of the children will be disguised by blurring once
Editorial
Tuesday, 21st May 2013
Google Alert
When a company which has it's European Headquarters here in Ireland is called 'evil' and 'immoral' by M.P.s in The House of Commons you tend to sit up and take notice. The particular company that was being referred to was Google and the reason it had enraged M.P.s in London was because even though it has a big operation there and conducts a lot of business there it pays no corporate tax. It does this by having all of its financial transactions finished here in Ireland. And the company here is charged at our level of corporation tax which is 12.5%, far lower than Britain's rate which is nearly double at 23%. Of course what it is doing is entirely legal but its the kind of legal that gets people's backs up and understandably so. It is not the
A Government Success
Wednesday, 15th May 2013
Once in a blue moon. As rare as hen's teeth. A Government success. Each of those three sentences are as unusual and as rare as each other. But the last one seems to be about to take place. The Government has announced that it plans to give each child in the State a second year of free pre-school. It might not sound like earth shattering news but if it does happen then it could be one of the most significant things that this Government has done since it took office. Any money that is given over to education is a good thing but in terms of a child's development pre-school learning is vital and it is estimated that for every 1 Euro spent on pre-school learning that 7 Euro can be reaped in benefit to the child. In the same
Labour Councillor calls for talks to resolve
Wednesday, 15th May 2013
Mount Congreve impasse
Cllr. Jack Walsh, The Labour Party, has requested Mr. Brian Hayes, T.D., Minister of State with Responsibility for the Office of Public Works to use the influence of his office with the parties involved with the Mount Congreve gardens with a view to having the gardens re-opened to the public as soon as possible.
These Gardens will pass on to the State by Ambrose Congreve as part of a tax deal with the State after a period of 21 years. The gardens will be managed by the Mount Congreve Trust until then. Mount Congreve is famous for being the home of one of "the great gardens of the World"
The gardens are closed to the public at present due to negotiations between the Mount Congreve Garden Trust and the OPW.
The Gardens have huge potential as part of the overall visitor
Avoid summer "horrordays" with a little advance preparation
Wednesday, 15th May 2013
Whether you' re jetting off for the adventure of a lifetime or just to lounge in the sun this summer, a little bit of forward-planning could save you hours, days, or even weeks of frustrated tooth-gnashing.
"With the help of travel-writer Fionn Davenport, drinkaware.ie put together a free Holiday Survival Guide to get you through all the ups and downs of planning a trip abroad. How to organise yourself, what to bring, what to do in an emergency – it' s all covered. Download your own copy at http://www.drinkaware.ie , and read on for some of the most essential pieces of travel advice that it has to offer", commented Fionnuala Sheehan, drinkaware.ie Chief Executive.
Passport Panic
Step one is to figure out where you left it after last year' s holiday. Step two is to make sure that it' s still
DARE2BDRINKAWARE Awards Ceremony
Wednesday, 15th May 2013
Waterford student amongst attendees at DARE2BDRINKAWARE.ie Awards Ceremony
A Waterford IT student was amongst those who attended the DARE2BDRINKAWARE.ie awards ceremony, held in Dublin recently. DARE2BDRINKAWARE.ie – now in its sixth year – is a film competition for third-level students, organised by the alcohol social-responsibility organisation, drinkaware.ie. This year, the competition challenged students to creatively explore Irish people' s relationship with drinking through the theme of ' Pacing our Drinking' .
Waterford IT student Colm O' Connor, from Clondalkin, Dublin 22, was among the 10 shortlisted teams in attendance at the gala awards ceremony. Although Colm was not an outright winner on the night, he was presented with a certificate of achievement from CEO of drinkaware.ie, Fionnuala Sheehan for his short animation, which made the shortlist.
Students nominated for awards rubbed shoulders with well-known personalities
WATERFORD-TODAY.IE Partners
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Not so GR8 G8With world attention on Fermanagh as the meeting place of the latest G8 Summit it is no wonder that locals are basking in the reflected spotlight. We have all been told, if we haven't already experienced at first hand, the beauty of the location. We know about the exclusiveness of the hotels that the various leaders are going to be staying as well as some of their security detail. We know about the menus from which they will be choosing from. There is little about summit meeting that the …
