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Cashel Community School, a County Tipperary school based at Dualla Road in Cashel is named among a list of 78 post-primary schools across the country to receive High-Speed Broadband as part of a new Government initiative. The 100 mpbs Post Primary Schools Project, will deliver high-speed broadband connectivity to second level schools across the country.
Green Party Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan, speaking at the launch of this project, at the Digital Hub Learning Studio, stated:
 “Today we are laying the foundations of Ireland‘s new Knowledge Society. Providing our schools with high-speed wireless connectivity opens up a whole new world of learning for our children and our students will be connected to every corner of the globe. We are taking online learning out of the confines of the computer room. In classrooms and corridors, students and teachers will potentially be able to carry out interactive chemistry experiments and access demonstrations and exhibitions from all over the world. A class learning French in Dublin could talk in real time with a class in France. A leaving Cert Physics student will be able to take part in Ivy League lectures and experiments. With this level of connectivity, the opportunities for interaction and collaboration are unlimited. We must equip our students with the skills and creativity they need to thrive in the new digital world we are entering. There is no surer way of preparing them than by bringing the Internet right into their place of learning and allowing them to experiment and interact online. Today’s announcement opens a door to them, to take part in Ireland’s digital future.”
Under the existing Schools Broadband Programme, primary and post-primary schools in Ireland can access a basic level of broadband connectivity. The 100 mpbs Post Primary Schools Project marks the next phase in the Government’s ambition to develop our schools as world-class centres of e-learning and to educate the next generation of knowledge workers and digital entrepreneurs.
Schools have been selected against various criteria including geographical location, and an adequate mix of schools to ensure broad social inclusion. The speeds available are similar to those that are being offered to high-end national and multinational companies that operate in Ireland. They allow for the quick upload and download of material, instant connection to websites, and the increased and varied use of online applications.
This project is the result of co-operation between the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Department of Education and Science, the Higher Education Authority, HEAnet and the National Centre for Technology in Education.
The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has begun a tender process for broadband service providers. It is expected that numerous service providers will be involved. The tender will be accessible at: www.e-tenders.gov.ie
The now long awaited multi-storey car park has finally been approved for Clonmel, Co.Tipperary.
An Bord Pleanala has upheld planning permission granted by Clonmel Borough Council for the development of the former Clonmel Arms Hotel site.
The plans, by BORC Partnership, had been appealed by both An Taisce and the Departmentof the Environment due to the impact on the Main Guard heritage site.
The permission, which includes mixed development, has been welcomed by the majority of Clonmel’s local population.
The Council had granted planning permission to the BORC Partnership to build a 500-space car park over nine levels, a 2770 sq m shopping centre and an 80-bedroom hotel on the one-acre site in the town centre, currently occupied by the old Clonmel Arms Hotel.
The hotel was a listed Georgian building and the proposed development would have involved its partial demolition. Councillors in Clonmel, Co Tipperary had already removed this Georgian building from the Record of Protected Structures (RPS) in order to allow the development of this multi-storey car park, hotel and shopping centre, which was refused by An Bord Pleanála. An Bord Pleanála had upheld appeals by the Department of the Environment and An Taisce against the then controversial €40 million development, which had been approved by Clonmel Borough Council.
An Bord Pleanála had originally objected to the development on the grounds of excessive scale and height of the development in the historic town centre and that there were no exceptional circumstances that would permit the demolition of a protected structure. In its earlier ruling the board had stated that the development would have an adverse impact on a nearby national monument, the restored 17th century customs house, the Main Guard, and was contrary to council’s own development plan for the town.
Then, Bord Pleanála inspector Graham Carlisle had stated:
“The monolithic nature and scale of the proposed development would be out of keeping with its surroundings and would significantly detract from the historic centre of Clonmel in general, and the setting of a national monument,”
The town had been devastated by An Bord Pleanála’s decision, which had been prompted by the unnecessary interference by the Department of the Environment and An Taisce.
It is understood that some changes to the original plans have now been agreed with this new approval.
Small businesses throughout North Tipperary will save around €50,000 each under a new 18 point plan proposed by Fine Gael. Deputy Noel Coonan believes small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of North Tipperary’s economy but the current Government is failing to support this vital sector.
“SMEs across the constituency are having an increasingly tough time due to rising costs imposed by this Government. Fianna Fáil, the Greens and Independents have hiked up the VAT rate which has driven customers North of the border. Small businesses have had to lower prices to compete and they have witnessed a fall in demand for their services. However, Fine Gael represents the light at the end of tunnel for businesses with ‘A Fresh Start for Jobs in Small Business’,” said Deputy Coonan.
Fine Gael’s proposals will save the average small business owner in the region of €50,000 per year in costs by cutting energy costs, cutting regulatory red tape and making savings driven by VAT reductions.
Combined with the Rebuilding Ireland stimulus package launched earlier this year Fine Gael’s plans will deliver 100,000 new jobs and protect 80,000 existing jobs in small businesses.
“We need to support businesses in North Tipperary in order to save jobs. That is Fine Gael’s plan. I believe that we can not tax our way out of recession and we need to keep a low-tax economy to increase consumer spending. While big multinationals like Dell in Raheen get the headlines, North Tipperary’s SME sector is also constantly hemorrhaging jobs. We desperately need to stop this flow of unemployment because North Tipperary’s economy simply cannot sustain it,” said Deputy Coonan.
Fine Gael’s proposals include:
1. PRSI exemption for staff employed over the next two years, or an alternative of a €6,000 wage subsidy per employee over the same period
2. Reduce energy costs
3. Freeze local authority rates and government charges
4. Reduce VAT rates
5. Ensure prompt payments to businesses from Government and creditors
6. Make it easier for SMEs to win public tenders
 Local firefighters have referred their ongoing wages dispute with the North Tipperary County Council to the Labour Relations Commission and could yet resort to strike action.
Local representatives this week informed a meeting of North Tipperary Co Council of their concern that the dispute, which first began last year, had not as yet been resolved. The real dispute is understood to centre around disagreements over changes in work practices. County Manager Mr.Terry Ó Niadh said the matter is unresolved simply because North Tipperary’s firefighters are refusing to enter into direct discussions with his Councils representatives.
Mr Ó Niadh stated:-
“The remedy lies in the hands of the firefighters themselves, We would be more than happy at this stage to sit down with all concerned.”
However, the firefighters have referred the matter to the Labour Relations Commission, which is expected to hear their case next month. Mr Ó Niadh said the council is prepared to go to the commission with the firefighters.
Last September a group of firemen staged a protest here in Thurles over changes to their agreed work practice. Those involved complained about the introduction of new rostering, or staffing arrangements and claimed that pay entitlements, due to them, were being withheld because of this matter.
At the time, North Tipperary Co Council said it had been introducing a number of workplace changes and that staff affected were asked to nominate representatives to sit on a working group to consider certain implementation issues. North Tipperary Co Council said the firefighters would not cooperate with the working group, and the council duly informed the Performance Verification Group that North Tipperary’s firefighters were in breach of agreements outlined by Social Partnership and signed off in the ‘Towards 2016 Agreement’ document.
The Performance Verification Group replied by not sanctioning a wage increase that was due to the firefighters in March of last year.
 All primary and post-primary schools in Co Tipperary are expected to benefit from the welcome return this year of the Summer Works Scheme.
Indeed over 1,180 small and medium-scale building works are expected to get under way in 967 primary and post-primary schools across the country this Summer as part of an €80 million Government scheme announced today by the Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe TD.
The Summer Works Scheme, which returns this year after a 12-month deferral period, covers school projects such as gas, electrical and mechanical works, roof replacements and repairs, window replacement, toilet upgrades, structural improvements and access works.
The Summer Works Scheme had been deferred for one year to allow the Department’s Planning and Building Unit to focus on larger-scale building projects.
Since 2004, over 3,000 summer works projects have been carried out in primary and post-primary schools at a cost of almost €300 million.
This year, Minister O’Keeffe will invest €610 million on the school building programme – the highest spend on school buildings in the history of the Irish State.
Announcing the fund, Minister O’Keeffe said:
“The €80 million fund will finance over 1,180 small to medium-scale capital projects in these schools over the Summer months so that disruption is minimised. The fund will dramatically improve structural, mechanical, electrical, gas and other works in schools right across the country.The investment in our schools will also create much-needed jobs in the construction sector. The capacity of schools to take responsibility for delivering small and medium-scale projects is a key component of the Summer Works Scheme and I’m pleased to be in a position to make funding available once again. I’d ask schools to ensure that they get best value for money on prices for jobs in the more competitive construction market.”
The Planning and Building Unit will shortly contact all schools approved for grant aid under this year’s Summer Works Scheme with further details and instructions on how to proceed.
Minister O’Keeffe said he’ll announce over the coming days details of a new energy efficiency scheme to improve roof and cavity wall insulation levels in schools but meanwhile schools are invited to log onto www.energyeducation.ie for further information.
Later this year, Minister O’Keeffe is expected to invite applications for the 2010 Summer Works Scheme.
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