Boss will not pay holiday pay

Fri, Jan 21, 2011

Dear Sir/Madam,
I’m writing in regard to the article you printed last week about hotel staff not taking their holidays due to them. I work in a large hotel in the west of Ireland with no union to guide us.

Grand reunion of FCA/PDF members on Easter Sunday

Fri, Jan 21, 2011

Dear Editor,

The Cowen era comes to a close

Fri, Jan 21, 2011

Ireland’s political landscape is about to enter a new era. Political change is coming fast, and at last the people of Ireland know when they can finally have their say on which political party or parties are best served to lead this country through these tough economic times.

Private health insurance should not be necessary in the first place

Fri, Jan 14, 2011

Probably the worst aspect of the outrageous VHI premium hikes up to 45 per cent as announced this month is the fact that, with so many millions pumped into the public health service over the years, people in this country need to have private health insurance at all. Not so long ago — a mere six months ago actually — the outgoing chief executive of the HSE - Professor Brendan Drumm, suggested that improvements in the HSE were so progressive it would make complete sense for everyone to use the public health service. He consequently foresaw a day where people simply would not have a need to take out private health insurance at all.

Get motivated, excited, inspired, and confident as New Year 2011 begins to unfold

Fri, Jan 07, 2011

We return to work this week, only to find that no, we have not returned to work at all. People are still on holidays, for goodness sake, on top of all the time off — served up with lashings of extras — over Christmas.

Shopping, christmas parties, nativity plays and stocking up for winter hibernation make for busy times

Fri, Dec 17, 2010

It’s now or never for the retail industry as we approach Christmas 2010 and the busiest time of the year for sales. Hit by the bad weather in recent weeks which is tipped to return again over the weekend, those determined to succeed are already staking their claim for survival through to 2011 by announcing that doors will reopen immediately after festivities for St Stephen’s Day and also on New Year’s Day.

Budget 2011 adds to testing times but also opens our eyes to problem cultures

Fri, Dec 10, 2010

If you are not reading this from A&E and have managed to survive the enduring cold snap without breaking a limb, give yourself a pat on the back. Now, as for surviving the budget - well that may prove a little more difficult. Indeed, some among us may well be wishing that we were tucked up in a hospital bed having our wounds tended to and our meals served up. That way we would not have to worry about cutting corners or going hungry for a few days at least.

Time to draw up our own personal four year ‘recovery plan’

Fri, Dec 03, 2010

Now that the Government has handed our collective fate to poverty-pushing outsiders for the next four years, it is time we hatched a retaliatory four-year plan of our own. Let’s call it the ‘four-year I ain’t gonna go down without a fight plan’ — a bit of a mouthful, yes, but at least it’s plain English we can all make sense of.

General election will at least provide a welcome distraction to our woes

Thu, Nov 25, 2010

As the entire house of cards collapses around our very ears the masks are finally beginning to slip. It’s the little things that catch you out and so it is that a select few improper utterances this week, from those who should know better have proved extremely revealing — showing that not only is the national bailout causing us to unravel entirely but that the bamboozling four-year austerity plan (the so-called National Recovery Plan) simply has us stumped.

Even if you've got it still - be careful how you flaunt it

Fri, Nov 19, 2010

With talks rife on the bank/Government EU bailout and mere weeks to go to the budget from hell which has already paralysed the movements of shoppers, spenders, investors, savers, and anyone with a cautious streak in their nature, it is clear that Irish society is starting to turn in on itself. This is already manifest in people's behaviour in regard to general day-to-day living, where shopping for basics such as family groceries and the amount of fuel you put in your car at service stations is currently being monitored by watchful eyes.

Newport man wins international award

Fri, Nov 19, 2010

A Co Mayo man has just won three gold medals at the Violin Society of America bow-making competition in Cleveland, Ohio.

Knock visitor traffic and business opportunities work both ways

Fri, Nov 12, 2010

Speaking to the Mayo Advertiser recently a local tourism operator happened to mention that unless the powers-that-be do what they can to promote and support the growth of Knock Airport, it will cease to be.

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