News from Ireland - news from around the 32 counties

Stating house sales are now back to similar levels as when he started selling properties about 30 years ago, Mr McMahon doesn’t expect to see a further dramatic drop in prices the year.


Looking back on 2011, he recalled the autumn was relatively busy compared to recent years and felt Clare sellers are becoming much more realistic in terms of asking prices, which helped to explain why the drop was so high in the county last year.
(Source: The Clare Champion)

Cork

The group occupying Stapleton House on Oliver Plunkett Street plans to "squat legally" in the building and has set up a limited company in order to achieve this, according to a spokesperson.

Despite a visit last Tuesday from a representative of the building's owner along with the Gardaí, resulting in a confrontation with members of the group, they will remain in situ.

A number of Occupy Cork protesters are among the group squatting in the six-storey 2,300sqm building. They plan to turn it into a community resource centre, says spokesperson Liam Mullaney, who said he hoped it would be "an example to the rest of the country".

However, they may be removed from the property if the owner of the building seeks a court order.
Other members of the original Occupy Cork movement remain at Grand Parade / South Mall and are not part of the new group.

A representative of the owner visited the property last Tuesday accompanied by gardaí, according to Mr Mullaney, who said he acted in “a very rude and aggressive manner”. Gardaí did not attempt to remove the squatters, who say they did not use force to enter the building.

“It’s a crying shame that that they had to get the guards down to this,” he added.
Source: (Cork Independent)

Derry

Derry call centre HML has created 39 new jobs since September, it’s been announced.

The financial outsourcer, which is based at Springtown’s Ulster Science and Technology Park, provides mortgage administration services for a range of lenders in the UK and Ireland. The firm says it has taken on staff in its credit management, mortgage administration and euro client arrears support departments to cope with increased workloads.

The new recruits have joined HML from both sides of the border.

The move was welcomed in Derry, especially in light of the fact that in March of last year HML has shed around 40 workers in Derry while in April the ‘Journal’ reported that some workers were fearful the company could soon pull out of the city.

Commenting on the new posts Mel Smith, HML’s Operations Director said: “It feels good to be recruiting again. These new employees will help us deal with an influx of new accounts which have come about through new business wins and because of our restructure in 2011.

“The Derry office is central to HML’s growth strategy and I’m optimistic that continued new business success will result in further jobs being created.”
(Source: Derry Journal)

Donegal

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Nster.com