29th November, 2001
Notice
Board
KNOW
YOUR RIGHTS
Question My
daughter started work six months ago. Now that she has reached 18
her employer is still not giving her the full minimum wage. Is
this right?
Answer Under the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 from 1st July
2001 people under 18 must receive at least £3.29 per working
hour. Once the employee is aged 18 they must receive at least £3.76
per working hour for the first year they work,. then they must
receive at least £4.23 per working hour for the second year they
work.
As your daughter started working when she was 17, she must
receive at least £3.76 per working hour from her 18th birthday
until she is 19, and then £4.23 per working hour until she is 20.
After this 2 year period she will be entitled to the full minimum
wage, currently £4.70 per working hour. If she changes jobs
within the two year period her new employer can pay her the
reduced minimum wage only for the remaining unexpired part of the
two year period, and once she has completed the 2 year period she
is entitled to the full minimum wage even if she changes employer.
Further information is available from the Department of
Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Lo-Call 1890220222, or from
Cobh Citizens Information Centre, Parish Centre, Roches Row,
Cobh, Tel 4814422.
THE HISTORY OF DOUGLAS
by Con Foley
Part 66 - THE FINGER POST
Hop Island
After crossing the bridge at Rochestown Cross and then passing
the houses of St. Gerard's Place on the Passage Road, one comes
to a tongue of land jutting out to the water. This tongue of land
bears the curious name of 'Hop Island.' "Close to Douglas is
a delightful spot known as Hop Island. This picturesque place was
formerly the property and residence of Mr. Boland, a dancing
master, who in the language of Moore,
'Told us for heaven or for money's sake
What steps we were through life to take.'
Be this however as it may, it appears that the island took its
name from this gentleman's profession."
The Irish name is Illane Roe or Red Island. "It is so called
(1748) because it belongs to a dancing master of Cork (Mr. Boland),
who has contrived a fishery between him and the opposite shore
that yields much profit. Upon a French chart of Cork Harbour
circa 1690, it is called Red Island (Illane Roe in Irish). After
Mr. Boland's death, Hop Island became the residence of Mr. De La
Maine and subsequently of Anthony Edwards the printer, who
published various interesting local works, 'Orange Songs,' 'New
Edition of the Cork Remembrancer."
Speaking of the same place, Windele, the antiquarian, had this to
say; "Little tufted Red Island now almost better known by
the name of Hop Island, from having at one time been in the
possession of a family of the Delamains, members of which
formerly taught dandng at Cork. In the Sarsfield papers of 1529,
it is mentioned that John Roche annually paid to Philip Roche of
Barryk six pennies for Insula Roffam juxta Rochestown." The
Delamains were another Huguenot family who fled from France.
The 'Drydeen'
'Drydeen' is a corruption of the Irish word droichidin, which
means a little bridge. The name 'drydeen' is given to what is now
the first laybye on the Rochestown Road after leaving Douglas,
where the County Council straightened out a dangerous bend. As
the road dips to this spot from both sides there is very often a
certain amount of flooding there, in heavy rain. The 'drydeen'
itself was a type of water culvert.
"The Unknown Soldier"
On the grass verge outside Fort William House there is a
gravelike mound. Up to some years ago, it was covered with
stones, like a low elongated cairn, but now it is completely
overgrown. It is claimed locally that this mound marks the grave
of an unknown soldier who was wounded at the Battle of Kinsale, I
6()1 and who succumbed to his woi]nds at this spot. His comrades
buried him there and covered the grave with stones. The local
people who know this spot, never walk on the mound. They will go
further and say that, even the cattle being driven along the
road, avoid it!
ACUPUNCTURE IN IRELAND & CHINA
Continuing with Kenneth O’Connor ( Lic.AC,
AC, C. Ac. China, M.A.I.Ac.) on his visit to China
Being a foreigner in Nanjing is a novelty, which soon wears off
and you end up feeling like a monkey in a zoo at times. Everyone
stares at you, even if they are driving a car, on a motorbike or
bicycle. It's a wonder how they don't crash. The children and
students just can't wait to practice their English with you. Step
into a McDonald's and everyone points and watches your every move.
This is where I met Andy. He is studying IT in university and is
known by every English-speaking foreigner in the hospital. Andy
starts his conversation by listing famous actors and every film
they appeared in and asking do I know them. After about ten
minutes of this he then moves onto music, but rather than just
naming the bands and their songs he starts to sing them. So there
I am, sitting in the middle of McDonald's in China, everyone is
staring in my direction and Andy is opposite me singing Hotel
California and wants me to join in. What can one do? Join in . -
not likely, thankfully lunch was over and it was time to get back
to work. We became good friends and he was very helpful to my
group when trying to communicate with the locals.
Nanjing is a large city with a population between 4.5 and 6
million depending on whom you ask. It's a bustling city of wide
streets and tall buildings and lots of people. I remember my
father telling me stories of his childhood in Cork 65 years ago.
In particular, about one man in Greenmount. He used to keep and
slaughter pigs in his back yard and had to bring the pigs through
his front door, hallway and kitchen to get to the backyard.
Picture in your minds eye what life in Cork was like 65 years ago
and the difference between then and present day Ireland. Nanjing
is a combination of both. It's a city of skyscrapers and
motorways, roads six lanes wide that go on forever. It's
extremely clean, except for the rivers, has "manicured"
gardens and parks. There are countless department stores bigger
than Merchants Quay and eight storeys high. Buick and Lexus cars
abound, 5 star hotels with 20 storey towers and of course "Dannys"
Irish Bar, which is as Irish as Mickey Mouse. They have a row of
cobbled paving slabs along each footpath to cater for the blind.
Each set of traffic lights have a monitor attached displaying a
countdown of how long the drivers or pedestrians have to wait for
either red or green. The public transport is very cheap and you
can buy prepaid bus fares just like phone cards, which you swipe
each time you take the bus. The trains are extremely punctual and
when they say they depart at 13.01 they mean it. At the same time
just around the corner from the 5 star hotels you find the local
people and their markets. There you can get anything from
groceries and clothes to recycled electrical power tools. The
local butcher will be sitting on a chair plucking the feathers
out of the chicken he just killed in front of you. It's a city
where past. present and indeed future live in harmony.
BRAIN TEAZER
Congratulations to all those who came up with the right answer.
Last Week’s Answer. The flat tyre was in the spare
This Weeks Teazer: A train crossing from France into Germany
suffered a terrible accident exactly at the border. According to
international law in which country should the survivors be buried
?
DEIRDRE CLUNE WRITES ...
Health strategy noes nothing to tackle breast
cancer. Three out of four women want breast screening yet the new
National Health. Strategy barely mentions the issue. Here we are
finally with what is called a Health Strategy and yet women will
still not be allowed to avail of the most effective form of
diagnosis for the disease, even though the vast majority of us
would.
Breast cancer affects thousands of Irish families yet it merits
just two paragraphs in the so-called National Health Strategy.
The latest figures show that 199 women contracted the disease in
Cork in 1997 yet to date there is no screening programme in the
area. It is a life-saving service that should be a right for all
women in the country.
Early detection hugely increases the chances of successful.
treatment yet women are being left on their own to check for our
biggest cancer killer.
And what do we get from the Minister - the promise of more "consultation'
and a "revised implementation cancer plan" to yet again
examine the problem.
We know the problem and the Minister himself acknowledges that
one in five lives could be saved if screening was available to
all. Yet there arc no plans to screen women under the age of 50
in the Health Strategy.
The latest Irish Cancer Society survey showed again that we want
this service with an overwhelming 77 per cent of women over 25
saying they would avail of it. The Government says the Health
Strategy was all about consultation. Women obviously didn’t
come into that process.
Once more people's lives are being put at risk. The Government
only last month launched yet another consultation process, this
time on a plan for women and equality. Well it doesn't take a
genius to work out that denial of a basic medical right is about
as discriminatory as you can get.
Free mammograms should be available to all women of all ages.
Deidre Clune T.D.
THE CIVILIAN
They came into my garden
And killed my pretty flowers,
They poisoned them with evil
And then gloated there for hours.
I wanted to do something,
But somehow I was afraid,
Afraid of all the murder
And the mayhem they had made.
And so I stood a coward
In my corner of the room,
Crying in my sorrow
And hating all the gloom.
But then I spy the calendar
That’s hanging on the wall
And though my mind is in a daze,
I understand it all,
For after winter every year
Along comes spring and then
All my pretty flowers
Will grow and bloom again.
Ronnie McGinn
NOTICES
Christmas Fun Night
On Tuesday 4th December at Our lady of Lourdes N.S. at 7.30PM.
Featuring; Jan hegenar, giving a demonstration on the art of
making Christmas Finger food and Punch. Clare of ‘All that
Blooms’ , Ballinlough will be giving tips on decorating our
homes for the Christmas season – christmas Wreaths / Swags
etc. Admission is £5 including a Prize draw for a magnificent
John Rocha Vase. All welcome.
Carers Awareness Day
A large number of family carers in Cork provide a very high level
of care at home for children with severe disabilities, frail
older people or those who are terminally ill. They need to be
constantly available because of the high levels of social and
health care needed, most care 24 hours a day 7days a week and
receive little or no recognition for the work they do The carers
life centres around the person requiring the care, and many
carers them selves are in poor health arising from the physical
and emotional effects of long term high level care. By providing
this care family carers saves the state billions of pounds every
year.
A group of carers in conjunction with The Carers Association (Cork
branch) and the Cork City Partnership have been working as a sub
Committee to represent Cork Carers. The group was set up to
establish and put together a day long seminar on Dec 3rd at
Shandon Court Hotel, to highlight the issues and promote
awareness around the role of family carers, and the problems they
encounter on a daily basis in caring for their loved ones.
The carers feel very strongly about the lack of awareness
surrounding family carers. In particular on this unique event
when carers feel it is their time to do the talking. Should you
be interested in helping us?
You can contact The Carers Association resource Centre. Penrose
wharf Tel 4503581/4550030 or Alison Leo community Development
Worker, Cork City
Partnership Tel 4302310 or indeed any member of the working group.
Chernobyl Childrens Project (Adi Roche)
Cork Outreach Group Race Night on tonight Thurs 29th November in
the Dougcloyne Hotel at 8.30PM . Admission is free, all proceeds
to go towards bringing 50 children to Cork next summer for one
month. Doctors estimate that this four week holiday can boost a
child’s immune system for up to two years.
These children will come from Gomel and surrounding areas. Gomel
is the most highly contaminated area in the world, having
suffered 90% of the fallout from the Chernobyl Accident in April
1986
Want to walk
But need encouragement / have no walking partners??? Feel like
going for a walk?
If you are interested in going walking on a daily basis and could
do with a bit of company Why not call this number. I'm new to
Douglas and would love to team up with keen walkers for a brisk
evening stroll. Phone Maire at 087 9948157
Christmas Pagent
The Scoil Niocláis Christmas Pagent will be held in the Church
of the Incarnation, Grange / Frankfield this year on Saturday ,
15th December at the 7.00PM Mass. The name of this year’s
pagent is “The Smallest Angels”.
All are welcome
Scoil Niocla'is Annual Book Fair 2001
Scoil Niocla'is Parents. Association(SNPA) will be holding its
Annual Book Fair in the crying room of the Church of the
Incarnation, Frankfield / Grange on Saturday 8th December after 7
p.m. evening mass. The Book Fair will also be on display after
all Masses on Sunday 9th December. It will continue in the school
from Monday to Thursday, 10th , 11th, 12th, and 13th December
between 12.30p.m. and 1.30p.m. Its an ideal time to buy presents!
All are welcome!
DEIRDRE FORDE WRITES ...
Readers will be glad to note that at the recent
Estimates meeting a provision of £300,000 was made for the
commencement of the implementation of the Douglas Traffic Plan.
This will be spent in areas of Douglas West and Rochestown Road.
I will have more specific details at our next Area road Meeting
on the 17 December I am glad that at last work will begin,
however have stated to the County Manager that I consider this
sum to be totally inadequate. He has agreed and stated that he
would like to have been in a position to allocate more funds but
because of the tightening up on the flow of funding he was
somewhat constrained. I pointed out to him that Douglas has been
the Goose that has laid the Golden Egg for many years for
Councils coffers and this should not be forgotten. He has given a
firm commitment to continuing with the Plan next year and
subsequent years.
Deirdre Forde Cllr.
DEAN OF CORK ELECTED BISHOP OF CLOGHER
The House of Bishops of the Church of Ireland has
elected the Very Revd Dr Michael Jackson, Dean of Cork and Rector
of St Finbarre's Cathedral, as Bishop of Clogher, returning him
to County Fermanagh where he grew up.
Dean Jackson, a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin and St John's
College, Cambridge, has been Dean of Cork since 1997 and, over
his four years in Cork, has with lay people developed the
outreach of St Finbarre's into the community of Cork City and
Diocese and has also been hugely involved in the St Finbarre's
Beyond 2000 project.
Michael Jackson was ordained Deacon in 1986 and Priest in 1987.
He served as Curate-assistant in Zion Parish, Dublin (1986-89)
and as Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Theology, TCD (1987-89).
He was College Chaplain, Christ Church Oxford from1989-97 Dean
Jackson is C of I Chaplain of The Cork University Hospital, The
Bon Secours Hospital, The Mercy Hospital, The Erinville Hospital,
Cork Institute of Technology and UCC. He is also a member of
innumerable Church Boards and is deeply committed to the
integration of young people into the church and to listening to
their faith- stories. Dean Jackson is married to Inez, who is a
doctor, and they have a daughter Camilla.
Bishop Paul Colton, speaking on his own behalf and on behalf of
all in the United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, expressed
delight at the news but added that Cork would be sad at the loss
of such a very fine priest and dean.
CHAMBER SLAMS RATES INCREASE
Criticising the Commercial Rates increase of 6%
for 2002 agreed by the Corporation, the President of Cork Chamber
stated that once again the business sector will incur charges
well in excess of inflation.
Pointing out that commercial rates at 35% (£31.2m) constitute
the largest source of the Corporation's income, Mr Cashell stated
“this unacceptable position is due to the hypocracy of
Government which announced a rates cap of 7.5% while contributing
only 3% to the Local Government Fund. In addition the Government
preaches the need for on-going competitiveness in our economy and
then proposes a rates cap at almost double the rate of inflation.
The end result being that business costs will increase and thus
add to inflation”.
Mr Cashell said “business is willing to pay it's fair share
of the cost of local government but it cannot tolerate a
continual structure where there is one standard for the public
sector and one for the private sector”. He is calling on the
Government to address the issue of adequate Local Government
funding and consistency in it's budgeting.
HARD TIMES AHEAD?
By Josephine O’Herlihy Solicitor.
In the current economic climate it is unfortunate but necessary
that employers have to make employees redundant. The terms and
conditions relating to redundancy are governed by the Redundancy
Payments Acts 1966 to 1991.
Most people are aware that redundancy arises where an employee’s
job ceases to exist because the Firm or Company does not have
enough work for that employee. It goes without saying that the
employee cannot be replaced and before an employee is entitled to
redundancy payment (which is paid by way of lump sum) that
employee must have been in the employment of that employer for at
least two years continuously and must be between the ages of 16
years and 66 years and have worked for more than 8 hours per week.
The lump sum redundancy payment (usually called “Statutory
Redundancy”) is calculated as follows:
A half weeks pay for each year of employment if the employee is
between the ages of 16 and 41.
One weeks full pay for each year of employment over the age of 41.
An additional one weeks pay irrespective of service.
It is important however to note that the definition of a weeks
pay is subject to a maximum of IR£400.00 per week and this
maximum has been effective from the 1st of April, 2001.
It is not generally known but employers are entitled to a 60%
rebate of redundancy payments provided the employer gives two
weeks notice of the redundancy to the Department of Enterprise,
Trade & Employment.
The Protection of Employment Act 1977 imposes obligations on
employers who are planning collective redundancies failing which,
penalties are imposed. The main obligation is that an employer
must furnish both the employees representatives and the Minister
for Enterprise, Trade & Employment with 30 days written
notice in advance of the first redundancy. The purpose is to
ensure that every avenue has been addressed to try and prevent
the redundancy.
Collective Redundancy can mean as little as 5 persons being made
redundant over a period of 30 consecutive days so employers
should ensure they are complying with this legislation.
Let’s hope that there will not be too many redundancies in
the coming weeks and that the forthcoming Budget and the New Year
will inject renewed confidence into the Economy.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DISABLED PERSONS
To celebrate International day of disabled persons on Monday
December 3, the Citizens Information Call Centre is launching an
awareness campaign promoting access to employment for people with
disabilities.
Any one interested in finding out more can contact the Citizens
Information Call Centre on 1890 777121 or by e-mail
citizensinformation@eircom.net Information can also be sent out
in Braille or on audio tape.
