News from Ireland - news from around the 32 counties

On the same night, two batteries were taken from a mechanical digger at Cappalaheen, between Kilkishen and Broadford. Almost 200 liters of diesel was also taken from the Hyundai track machine.

\“In the second case the digger was parked two fields in and wasn’t visible from the road,” Councillor Ryan pointed out.
(Source: The Clare Champion)

Cork

Ninety per cent of Cork plasterers are unemployed, while just eight per cent of plasterers working in the county hail from Cork.

These are the stark figures revealed to the Cork Independent by the plasterer's union this week. The new Operative Plasterers and Allied Trades Society of Ireland (OPATSI) representative in Cork said that external contracts are continuing to erode local employment opportunities, while Government schemes to boost employment are not being policed.

Barry Murphy, who was appointed to the position in August, criticised a Sustainable Energy Ireland scheme which was launched to reduce carbon emissions and create much-needed employment in the building sector.

“This money is not going to the local economy or the Irish unemployed construction workers, it needs to be policed. The money is going to contractors that are not compliant with the Registered Employment Agreements, as set out by the Labour Court," he said.

“Only eight per cent of guys working as plasterers in Cork are local lads, or even Irish. I’m not racist, that’s not what this is about. It’s about the Government creating schemes to boost the economy and local employment but workers are coming in and destroying workers’ standards. The majority of working plasterers in Cork are not from Ireland," he continued.
Source: (Cork Independent)

Derry

Three female mental health sufferers in Inishowen have urged people to look at them and not to think they are nutters.

Part of Get together Inishowen (GTI), Michelle Hannah, Helen Rees Doherty and Sharon Quinn, who have all suffered some form of mental health issues, say the worst part is the stigma and shame attached to their disorders.

“You’re constantly worried what people think.

“Even when you go to she the psychiatric nurse you’re thinking people’ll be saying ‘There she is, she’s mad’, or something like that,” explained Helen.

“It’s the simple things that can sometimes be the hardest to do.”

Facilitated by the Worklink centre in Carndonagh, GTI was set up in 2005 to attempt to defeat social isolation. It now has around 50 members who meet on a monthly basis for outings and other social events, which include trips to the theatre, the Old Lamass Fair and even a gruelling climb up Scalp mountain.

“The group has been a huge help in my life,” said Michelle. “It gives you something to look forward to and get excited about. Before I came here I hadn’t left the house in four years, depression had completely taken over. The psychiatric nurse I had been seeing suggested I came and since I haven’t looked back.

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Nster.com