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100 Engineers Being Recruited By Kentz

Kentz, the Clonmel, Co Tipperary based Engineering Company is set to recruit more than 100 engineers as part of its recent expansion in Australia.

Kentz is a global engineering specialist solutions provider with over 10,000 employees operating in 26 countries worldwide. It provides specialist Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) services, Construction, and Technical Support Services to clients in the energy and resources sectors.

Kentz is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange (symbol: KENZ).

The company is looking to fill more than 100 positions for experienced electricians and instrument technicians to work on its $400 million Australian dollars contracts in oil and gas projects procured in Australia over the past 18 months.

Kentz are looking for electricians with industrial experience from a construction background. Those with high voltage switching and commissioning experience in industrial plants are of particular interest. Instrument technicians experienced in loop checking and calibrating instruments in industrial facilities, together with electricians and instrument technicians with oil and gas experience are of particular interest.

Posts will be long term contracts, offered on a rotational basic – that is 12 weeks on, two weeks off with flights back home included.

A company spokesperson said that domestic or commercial type experience may not be relevant for these roles.

Interviews will be held in the Kentz, Clonmel office at Gurtnafleur, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, during the third week of September and personnel recruited can expect to begin work by the end of October 2010.

Those suitably qualified and interested in applying, can click here to apply on line.

Kelly’s of Fantane – 100 Jobs To Go.

Kellys of Fantane at work on the N7 motorway

It has now been confirmed that up to 100 jobs are to go in the concrete manufacturer plant at Kellys of Fantane over the coming months. The company’s headquarters which are located at Fantane Quarry halfway between Nenagh and Thurles, Co.Tipperary, currently supply a range of quality materials, products and services to local and national customers from quarries located at Latteragh and Inchirourke.

It is understood that the workers will be made redundant over the coming months, as current road project contracts come to an end.

The company previously had benefited from three national road projects since 2006, including most recently the N7 motorway, but says it has no major infrastructural projects in the pipeline, which would ensure continued employment for its current 140 highly skilled and motivated employees.

This news will come as a complete shock to the nearby village of Borrisoleigh.

The company, Kellys of Fantane, had become a household name, nationally, since it began it’s operations in the late 1940’s. Over this period the company had built a very successful business relationships with their clients through their professionalism in providing a high quality product, bound together by an excellent customer service and a recognised consistency down the years. The company had also make a significant contribution to Ireland’s infrastructure through their involvement in some of the Country’s major road projects.

This is the second jobs loss announcement for North Tipperary in just one week, following on from the announcement last weekend of the closure of the Liam Carroll Transport Group in here in Thurles.

Government Directive Drives Up Cost Of ESB Again

Households in Tipperary and nationally will soon be paying more than €500 a year in ‘Green Taxes’, and in a double blow, households who are already facing a 5% hike in electricity charges, due to an environmental levy, could soon be hit by a second price rise as early as September next.

These revelations come as hard-pressed families face a series of future Green Taxes on top of those already introduced by the present Coalition Government and despite the ESB recording profits of some €580million last year.

North Tipperary Deputy Noel Coonan has sharply criticised the recently announced 5% hike in electricity costs as “Another assault on the most hard-pressed in North Tipperary and nationwide“.

The local Fine Gael TD empathised with numerous lobby groups who have strongly voiced their resistance to this hike and to the news that Energy Minister Eamon Ryan is to review electricity prices in September on top of October’s review.

Deputy Coonan said:

On the ground in North Tipperary, this environmental levy means domestic users will pay a flat fee of €32.76 and small businesses will pay €99. Larger businesses will face a 5% rise on overall usage. The levy, known as a Public Servant Obligation (PSO) will be introduced in October. The flat fee will severely impact on elderly people who depend on their electric heater to keep them warm during the winter.Businesses are already struggling to stay open, farmers incomes continue to fall and hard-pressed families are continuously hit with a fall in take-home pay and social protection assistance. We already have the third highest electricity prices in the Eurozone and I don’t know how this Government, and those who support it in North Tipperary, can justify the latest hike. The Government has lost touch with people on the ground and this is clear in their failure to alert the public that there would be a 5% increase.”

Electricity bills also face a double whammy as a separate price review is due in September on top of the €156 million levy due to be imposed in October to subsidise peat and renewable energy generators. These measures come on top of carbon taxes on petrol, diesel and home heating oil.

Deputy Coonan has called on the Government to postpone this increase as a matter of urgency, pending a full review of the levy. Numerous businesses have warned the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) that further job losses will be imminent in the wake of any such levy being implemented.

However, a Commission for Energy Regulation spokesperson has said that it was obliged by legislation to introduce the PSO levy regardless of warnings about job losses, but that if the Government ask them to change the directive, then they will change it.

It is expected the PSO levy will raise about €160m a year and will be used by power firms to buy renewable energy.

“It is now solely within the remit of the present Government to give tax payers a break and postpone this latest measure which will contribute to a long, cold winter for North Tipperary people,” stated the Deputy

Bite Me – If Tipperary Dentists Are Not Suing The HSE

Bite Me Please!

The High Court was told on Thursday last that Dentists whose practices were heavily dependent on medical card patient treatments face closure before the end of this year.
Ms Justice Mary Irvine is to decide next week if the court can restrain the HSE from applying major cutbacks  to the Dental Treatment Services Scheme, which currently provides free dental treatment to Medical Card holders.

The Tipperary dentists involved in these court proceedings are Dr Michael O’Sullivan, Dr Liam Tuohy, Dr Corinne Dwyer and Dr Donald Daly, who, according to recent press reports, each earn somewhere between €127,00 and €205,000 each, annually, from the Dental Treatment Services Scheme, on top of other earned dental income from their ordinary private practises.

In total, fifty-six dentists are suing the HSE for breach of contract. Eileen Barrington, acting for the dentists, informed the court that twenty five of those bringing this case, claim they will be forced out of business and are seeking interlocutory injunctions. Two dentists, have already been granted court injunctions and their cases are expected be heard next December.

Mark Connaughton SC, representing the HSE, stated that while it was regrettable some dentists may be forced out of business between now and the December trial, their losses were capable of being measured in damages. He further stated no interlocutory restraints were required.

The court was told in an affidavit on behalf of all of the dentists that some members faced significant staff lay-offs, possible closure or even emigration.

A spokesperson for the HSE’s Primary Care Reimbursement Service, stated that it was likely hundreds of further applications could be made by the 1,400 plus dentists participating in this scheme.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, the cost of getting teeth fixed here in Ireland has created a small boom in dental tourism abroad, for those who cannot afford  the present Irish high charges. Companies are now offering attractive travel packages that include flights, transport, top hotel accommodation and top class dental work at,  in some cases, 70% savings over Irish dental prices.

With this in mind, one can’t help but ask the question to where are these dentists going to emigrate?

Maybe, my dentist friends, it is time to reduce your monopolistic prices.  The next thing we will be informed is that dentists are fighting for the rights of medical card holders.

Bite me please.

Aldi Co-Founder Theo Albrecht Dies Aged 88

Theodor Paul Albrecht (28 March 1922 – 24 July 2010)

Theo Albrecht, the joint founder of the popular budget supermarket giant Aldi, last seen in public after his release from kidnap 39 years ago, has died aged 88. The company said he died on Saturday in his home city of Essen, but gave no cause of death.

The Albrecht brothers, Karl and Theo, co-founders of Aldi, were amongst the two wealthiest people in Germany, with fortunes in excess of €17.35bn and €16.75bn respectively.

Little is known about the two reclusive brother billionaires, with Theo’s last public appearance being in 1971, shortly after his release, after 17 days captivity, by kidnappers who were reportedly paid a $4.67 million ransom.

One rare photo of Theo Albrecht, from the 1980s, shows a nondescript looking man with grey hair and glasses who apparently devoted his spare time to collecting old typewriters, growing orchids and to playing golf on his own private greens.

The first Aldi stores – an acronym standing for “Albrecht Discount” – opened in the early 1960s under the motto: “Concentrating on the basics: a limited selection of goods for daily needs.” The stores began sprouted up all over Germany and are now to be found in nearly 20 countries since their conception.

The Aldi group presently operates about 8,210 individual stores worldwide. A new store opens every week in Britain alone, and the company operates approximately 70 outlets here in Ireland with one popular outlet here in Thurles, Co.Tipperary.

Theo Paul Albrecht was renowned as a hard working man who was always decent with his business partners and employees and who always treated people with the greatest respect.

Mr Albrecht and his elder brother both served as German soldiers in the Second World War, before returning home to Essen and taking over a grocery store their parents owned. They flourished as the German economy, then in shambles after the war, came back to life in what is often referred too as the “Economic Miracle”.  If you think Ireland has severe financial problems presently, remember Germany, according to the Potsdam Conference held between July 17 and August 2, 1945, had to pay the Allies $20 billion mainly in machinery, and manufacturing plants.  In addition, in accordance with the agreed policy of de-industrialisation and pastoralization, large numbers of civilian factories were dismantled for transport to France and the UK, or simply destroyed.  Germany paid Israel 450 million DM in Holocaust reparations, and paid 3 billion DM to the World Jewish Congress to compensate survivors in other countries.

When Forbes featured the brothers in 1992 as two of the world’s richest men, the magazine had to uses silhouettes rather than photographs to illustrate the article since no pictures of them had been published in many years.

The German Retail Federation said that Germany had lost one of its greatest entrepreneurs. “There are only a few people who have stamped their mark on an entire business sector of the economy. Theo Albrecht achieved just that,” the Federation’s managing director, Stefan Genth, said in a statement.

Aldi now has more than 4,000 outlets in Germany alone, where it is known for its no-frills quality shopping environment, streamlined processes and a limited range of discount products.

The brothers retired as CEOs in 1993 and gave most of their wealth to foundations. The Aldi group operates about 8,210 individual stores worldwide, with a new store opening every week in Britain alone.

Go ndéana Dia trócaire ar a anam dílis.

EU Grant Aid Decision Could Help Boost Employment

Ireland's Mid West Region

A significant investment boost for the Mid West Region comes on foot of a decision by the European Commission to allow grant aid to help boost employment. Such aid had been phased out two years ago.

This revised European Commission decision on Regional Investment rules could help create employment opportunities in the mid-western region.

The recent decision means that a large company locating to the mid-western region, which covers Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary, will now be able to get grant aid of up to ten per cent of the value of their intended investment, and thus help enterprise agencies to create and attract jobs in the area.

Certainly Grant aid acts as a strong incentive when companies are thinking about locating to an area and this together with language, education, low corporation tax rates, skills, physical and digital infrastructure, does determine a firms investment decisions, when they sit to consider and compare rival locations.

Property Options To Interested Companies In Thurles

Tipperary Technology Park is a fully serviced park with a Business Incubation Centre and quality manufacturing and office accommodation options. Thurles is readily accessible by road, rail and air. It is located on the main Dublin – Cork railway line and just 6km from the main Dublin – Cork motorway. Shannon International Airport has daily direct flights to the US, UK and Europe. International companies in Thurles and the surrounding area include Taro Pharmaceuticals and Procter & Gamble. The town is also well served with a robust broadband telecoms network where a choice of carriers ensure competitive prices and high quality service for all users. Thurles is home to two 3rd level colleges, St Patricks College and the Tipperary Institute, latter a college with an enrolment of over 700 students, with two of the Institutes departments being Business Development and Information / Communications Technologies.

For further information please contact: Brian Keating, Development Manager
Address:Tipperary Technology Park, Thurles, Co Tipperary, Ireland
Tel.: +353 (0) 504 29300 Fax.: +353 (0) 504 29305.

The decision to restore regional aid to the whole mid-west region goes beyond the recommendation in the Report of the Mid-Western Task force which sought aid for a number of business parks in the region.

This decision now puts the much neglected mid-western region in the same position as the south-eastern region, which covers Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Waterford and South Tipperary, where State aid for large investment projects is already allowed.

Infrastructure Investment – And The Award Goes To Dublin

Taoiseach Brian Cowen has stated, with not so much as a blush, that the Government’s revised €39bn Capital Investment Programme will lead to 270,000 jobs being provided between now and 2016. However, overall spending on infrastructure is being cut by up to 40%, when compared to the 2007 National Development Plan.

Announcing his plan, the Taoiseach confirmed that Metro North and the €2.5bn Dart Underground will go ahead in Dublin.
Nice one Dublin, and whilst we accept that investment of this kind is welcome, using current estimates, we must keep in mind that it costs €200,000 to construct a simple bus stop.

We continue to over developed and over balance our east coast, while neglecting most of the rest of Ireland. It seems that despite the country being in ruins, Dublin must continue to be nurtured, and rural Ireland must “Eat the crumbs which fall from the masters table“, (Matthew 15:27). In rural parts of Ireland you can damaging your car by taking a short drive on our roads, but we are told there is no money to repair them. In Dublin there is a Railway service, there is the Luas, there is a Bus service, there are Taxi’s, but now they require an Underground as well. Dublin does not need an Underground, Thurles does need a ring road, but it would appear that Fianna Fail are borrowing to buy the next election and the gullible Irish electorate will fall for it again, if there are three successive declines in the unemployment figures in late 2011 and early 2012.

There will, we are informed, be more capital investment in Water Services which really means “lets get those water metres in place, and get our €350 minimum from every household, in water charges, to prop up the City of Dublin, County and Local Councils“. This whole plan fails to realise that people can only spend money if they have it. Soon 80% of all incomes will disappear in stealth taxes before each taxpayer is allowed to pay the “candle maker” and the “shoe maker”.

Continue reading Infrastructure Investment – And The Award Goes To Dublin

Drilling Targets Identified South Of Lisheen Mine

Connemara Mining plc, a company presently exploring successfully for zinc in Stonepark, Co Limerick, is considering adding a number of additional drilling rig targets close to the Lisheen zinc mine near Moyne, Co.Tipperary, the Companies chairman, Mr John Teeling told shareholders in Dublin yesterday.

The company owns three blocks near the village of Moyne, near Thurles and four near Nenagh, both in Co.Tipperary and are understood to has identified drill targets approximately five kilometres south of the present Lisheen Zinc Mine site.

Connemara Mining Company plc was established in 2006 by veterans of the Irish zinc industry to exploit zinc opportunities in Ireland. They currently holds the following 38 prospecting licences in respect of properties throughout Ireland:

* Monaster Block – six contiguous licences in Limerick.
* Newcastle West Block – ten contiguous licences in Limerick, close to Monaster.
* Lough Sheelin Block – five contiguous licences located in counties Cavan and Meath.
* Castlemaine – a single licence located in County Kerry.
* Thurles Block – three contiguous licences in County Tipperary.
* Nenagh Block – four contiguous licences in County Tipperary.
* Moate Block – four non contiguous licences in County Westmeath.
* Mine River Block – four contiguous licences in Counties Waterford and Wicklow.
* Kildare Block – a single licence in County Kildare.

57,516 Irish Passport Applications Await Processing

Passport Scandal

Figures released show that there are 57,516 passport applications waiting to be processed in Dublin and Cork passport offices, but a new service has been introduced to prioritise applications for people with immediate travel plans within three days. The cost of this new service to the taxpayer however has not been disclosed.

North Tipperary Fine Gael TD, Deputy Noel Coonan stated:
“Passport applications with ‘absolute proof of travel’ are now guaranteed to be processed within three working days. Applicants should make contact with the passport service and provide proof where applicable. While the backlog is still hugely excessive at 57,516 as of July 6th, and the Government is still struggling to alleviate the problem, at least a new fast turnaround time has been introduced. Additional temporary staff  have commenced work in the passport service in the last few weeks to clear the backlog and while this is welcome news, I’m disappointed that the Government did not appoint extra staff before an enormous backlog had formed and the problem had already snowballed. Until now, the fastest turnaround time was open only to applicants who needed to travel for urgent humanitarian reasons but this new service will  prioritise applications for people with immediate travel plans.”

Information released by the Foreign Affairs Minister also revealed that it is taking eight weeks to process applications received through the ordinary post channels. Passport demand is now running at 14% higher than this time in 2009. Unfortunately, the Minister was unable to confirm how many North Tipperary people are waiting for their passports to be processed.

Of the 57,516 applications waiting to be processed, 12,400 of these were received by the Passport Office in Cork.  Applications submitted via the Passport Express service (Swiftpost in the Republic and NIPX in the North), available through local post offices, are being processed within 20 working days.  This 20 working day guarantee is kept under review. There appears to be no difference in waiting times for a Passport Renewal or First Time Applications.

But wait for it – Yes, you have guessed correctly, an additional fee to those seeking passports, may apply in respect of such new prioritised applications.

Garda Recruitment Embargo Still In Place

A total of 263 Gardaí, comprising 151 men and 112 women, graduated from the Garda College in Templemore, Co Tipperary on Thursday last and will now be posted to various Garda stations around the country.

Thursday’s passing out ceremony will be followed by a further graduation in October. From October next, the college will remain empty because no new recruits from existing panels have been offered posts over the past two years, as a direct result of the Garda recruitment embargo currently in place.

Minister for Justice Equality and Law Reform Dermot Ahern stated, “Plans were already in place to begin recruitment again. The timing however of the next recruitment drive and the numbers to be hired had not yet been determined. While the country is in a challenging economic position, the Government is committed to maintaining Garda numbers as high as possible.”

At Thursday’s ceremony, the “Commissioner’s Medal“, presented to a student Garda who achieves the highest academic scores during Garda training, was awarded to Garda Majella O’Sullivan, who is a native of Clonmel, in Co Tipperary and who will be stationed at Tallaght Garda Station.

The “Templemore Town Council Medal”, awarded for outstanding achievement and appreciation in the area of Social Science Studies, was presented to Garda Cathal Murphy, a native of Bishopstown, Co Cork, who will be stationed at a Garda Station, in Co Meath.

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