The Community Employment Scheme.

The Sliabh Luachra community employment scheme, was set up in 1994. 

The aim of the scheme is to employ participants who have been unemployed and want to return to the workforce. The scheme provides the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and avail of training courses and further education.

Each community employment scheme is different and work in different areas. This particular scheme is mainly office based and the following are the projects we run:-

Tourist Information Point – a sub office based at the Island Centre, Castleisland. The point provides all the services of a main office with the exception of booking accommodation.

Full secretarial service - including faxing, photocopying, typing of  C.V’s and other documents.

Newsletter Production and Distribution – researching and production of quarterly Sliabh Luachra Community Development News.

Caring for sick and elderly – three participants care for elderly and sick people in their homes.

Childcare – working with local groups on childcare initiatives and strategy.

Website Development – developing a website for the whole of the Sliabh Luachra area, administering and monitoring information for the website.

Administration and Accounts – providing an opportunity for participants to learn about office administration systems and computerised and manual accounts systems.

Environmental Issues – undertaking a considerably large survey of all the illegal dumpsites in the Sliabh Luachra area. Promotion of ‘worm farm composting’ systems.

Art - In the Schools.

Also we hope to have links to other relevant sites in the area and on the worlds internet.

We already have had many visitors to our site, but we would really want more public input about events, information, opinion, stories and every thing of importance about Sliabh Luachra area.

Our C.E.Scheme  projects,

Our contribution to the Kerry county council for the new Draft Waste Management Plan 2000. 

A survey was undertaken in  Sliabh Luachra, to map  illegal dump site.   A submission was presented to the Kerry county council description and location of 80 illegal dumpsites. The vital necessity of a clean up of the country site, and the easy availability of local facilities to take awkward refuse, was stressed.

For the future maximum recycling is a priority. The amount of refuse going to the landfill must be reduced. Newspaper, compostable waste, glass, plastics and metals can be reclaimed and form the basis of small local businesses. All over Europe there are big recycling systems in progress, with enough good track record to look at.

Illegal Dumpsite Survey

The idea behind the worm-composting programme is based on the big problem of today's waste. Recycling is a big factor in resolving this problem. In the communities around the country there are many people who want to help our environment, but don't have facilities offered to them for recycling. The worm bin is an easy solution for food wastes other wise brought to the landfill, were it attracts rats and creates more bulk. 

The worms will consume and leave garden compost as the result.

The worm composting school project

A Worm Farm in a Bin, at:       

Kilmurry N S, Cordal 

A project aimed at recycling much of the student’s and school compostable waste. Worm composting is a natural way of recycling all those lunch scraps and  the used paper.                      

  What can I put in my worm compost?

What is worm composting? (vermicomposting)

A system for turning food waste into potting soil with the help of worms.

What do I need?

  What do I do? Bury your organic kitchen waste in the worm bin. Bacteria and other organisms break it down and worms eat the food waste, bedding, and bacteria. They turn it all into humus--nutrient-rich food for growing healthy plants

How long before I have worm castings to feed my plants? Plan on about six months from the time you set up your bin. You will bury garbage every week. As the worms process the garbage and bedding, the contents of the bin will turn dark brown. You can then harvest the vermicompost (compost produced through the action of worms) in a variety of ways to use on your plants and in your garden.

Do I have to keep buying new worms? If you treat them right they will reproduce. You will find cocoons in your bin from which baby worms will hatch. After several months, you may have twice as many worms. You can use them to go fishing, or help a neighbour set up a bin, or just leave them in your bin. Overpopulation will not be a problem.

  Why have worms at home or in the classroom? 

For  more information  contact  kerryworms@eircom.net  

The Worm Project.

The perfect bait

The serious decline in cod stock means we’re looking closely at fish farming again. But it’s a costly option, and fishmeal-traditionally a major ingredient I fish food-will inevitably decline in quality and quantity as stocks become scarcer.

Enter the earthworm. Earthworms are nutritionally superior to fishmeal and are now produced cheaply and in large amounts. Ad they have other benefits. The worms consume waste vegetable material such as carrots discarded from markets and even shredded cardboard, so the problems of organic waste disposal are solved. They are also raised on farms in special beds isolated from the soil, so there is no risk of BSE.

Castleisland Community College

night courses 2001