The Lowry Team, spearheaded by Councillor Evelyn Nevin, aided by Town Clerk Michael Ryan and the Tipperary Centre for Independent Living, is undertaking a new project to make Thurles Swimming Pool accessible to all people regardless of physical disability or lack of mobility.

The recently renovated Thurles Swimming Pool currently has a hoist that caters to those who are wheelchair bound but unfortunately it is not adequate for those with more significant physical impairment, such as stroke victims, the elderly, and those with substantial physical disabilities. The Lowry team is therefore committed to raising the €40,000 that is approximated as being required to extend the state of the art facilities at Thurles Swimming Pool to include a state of the art hoist that can be used by all. Also included in the plans is a specialist changing area for people with disabilities, new toilets and showering area and minor alterations to increase accessibility.  

However in order to make this project become a reality a considerable sum must be raised. Councillor Nevin has called on people of all ages to get involved and to partake in the Moyne Mini-Marathon to help with this cause.

“We are calling on people of all ages to join with us to help raise funds for this worthwhile cause. We have already received unbelievable support at this early stage. Both myself and a team of supporters will be undertaking to walk or run the Moyne Mini Marathon on the 6^th of June in aid of this project. A group of 70 students from the Ursuline Convent, Thurles have also agreed to partake in this event to raise funds for the new hoist. Anybody who wishes to get involved should contact Michael Lowry’s constituency office on (0504)22022 for entry forms and sponsorship cards or to give a donation. By giving just a few hours of your time over the bank holiday weekend we can make a huge difference.” 

“The current facilities at Thurles Swimming Pool are at an incredibly high standard and I commend all those involved in renovating the pool. It has been a huge asset to our community. We are now seeking to ensure that everyone in our community is free to enjoy and share this incredible facility on our doorstep. Swimming is known to be a huge benefit to those suffering with a physical disability. It is both therapeutic and has huge health benefits. It is a great source of exercise and physiotherapy. We have had expert advice from Ms. Kate Ryan an occupational therapist who has advised us on the many benefits of swimming and the best way to alter the pools current facilities to increase accessibility.”  

“I’d like to thank all those who have so far been instrumental in driving the project to the stage it is currently at. We literally would not have gotten this far without the help and expertise of countless people, from occupational therapists, to the pool manager and staff to architects and beyond.”

Deputy Lowry added

“This is a very exciting and worthwhile project and one that I am delighted to be involved in. This service will be a huge benefit to the people of Thurles and the surrounding areas. A new hoist and changing facilities will make our pool accessible to all. I would like to commend all those lending their expertise to this project, most especially Councillor Nevin for her continued dedication to our community, and specifically to those with special needs.”

“The importance of such a hoist cannot be underestimated and I am delighted to confirm that project is processing quickly and work is due to commence this weekend”.

Shortlisted entrepreneurs leading the way to economic recovery

Announcement of the shortlist for the 2011 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Programme 

24 of Ireland’s premier business leaders have been shortlisted for the coveted Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® award 2011.  A record 140 nominations were received for this year’s awards. Speaking at the announcement of this year’s shortlist, Frank O’Keeffe, Ernst & Young Partner-in-Charge of the Entrepreneur Of The Year® Programme spoke of the unprecedented level of interest for this year’s awards and acknowledged the unique contribution made by Ireland’s entrepreneurial community.

“As Ireland continues on the path to economic recovery, we need to look towards the future and celebrate our entrepreneurs and their businesses. The record number of nominations received this year is a testament to the resilience and ambition of these exceptional individuals and the teams supporting them. The entrepreneurial business community continues to prove that businesses in Ireland can and do still succeed in extremely challenging business conditions, both domestically and globally. The unyielding ambition and drive demonstrated by these finalists should inspire us all and will be vital to help ensure the next generation of economic success across the island”.

Padraig O’Ceidigh, Chairman of Aer Arann and winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® award in 2002, is once-again Chair of the 11-strong panel of judges.

The 24 businesses that have made it to the final stages have a combined turnover close to €600 million and employ a staggering 11,000 individuals. Eight companies have been selected in each of three categories – Emerging; Industry; and International – representing a diverse array of business sectors ranging from insurance, food production, engineering to online services. Winners from each of these three categories, in addition to the recipient of the overall Entrepreneur Of The Year® award, will be announced at a televised Gala Awards Ceremony to be held in October.

This year’s finalists will be joined by members of the programme’s extended entrepreneurial community at the annual CEO Retreat, which will take place in India in June. During the week-long trip, participants will engage in a number of workshops and leadership strategy sessions, meet with key Indian industry leaders, and develop a wide network of contacts, all of which will assist the Entrepreneur Of The Year® community to develop and build on their own winning strategies.

The 24 finalists are:

Emerging        
Annadale Technologies – Denis McCarthy
Blue Insurances Ltd/ Multitrip.com- Ciaran Mulligan & Rowan Devereux
Bubblebum UK Ltd - Grainne Kelly
Joule – Ronan Ginnell & Ian Barrett
Crospon – John O’Dea
Crowley Carbon Ltd – Norman Crowley
The Now Factory – Tom Morrisroe
Dublin Aerospace – Conor McCarthy

Industry        
Homecare Independent Living – Mairead Mackle
PFH Technology Group Limited – Paul Hourican
Itsabagel Ltd – Domini & Peaches Kemp
Largo Food Exports – Raymond Coyle
Noonan – John O’Donoghue
Argento - Peter Boyle
Centre For English Studies – Justin Quinn
Version 1 – Justin Keatinge

International        
Openet – Joe Hogan & Niall Norton
Telestack Limited – Adrian McCutcheon
Texthelp Systems Limited – Mark McCusker
MJM Group – Brian McConville
Munster Simms Eng Ltd (Whale Water Systems) – Patrick Hurst
XSP – Brendan Farrell
Intune Networks Ltd – John Dunne
Sammon Contracting Group Ltd – Miceal Sammon

The 24 finalists will be profiled in the Irish Times over the next six weeks, and each finalist will also feature in a four part series to be televised on RTE in September and October.

Brian Conlon, founder and Chief Executive of First Derivatives Plc, was named as the 2010 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® and will represent Ireland at the World Entrepreneur of the Year® Awards in Monte Carlo later this year, where he will compete for the global title.

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® is part of a global recognition programme, to identify, acclaim and support entrepreneurs and is currently run in over 50 countries, across six continents. The Irish programme, now in its 14th year, continues to go from strength-to-strength, championing the spirit of enterprise and creating a new era of opportunities for participants.

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year programme is supported by The Irish Times, RTE, Enterprise Ireland, Invest NI, Intertrade Ireland and Newstalk.

I am today calling for urgent legislative action from the Government to ease the huge pressure and strain being exerted on those indebted to the banks and other financial institutions.

This follows a controversial statement made last week by the Master of the High Court, Mr. Ed Honohan, who stated that he has personally seen many cases where borrowers are driven to taking their own lives due to the pressure of huge debt on their shoulders.

Our courts system is failing those who are saddled with debt.

It is quite clear that the Bankruptcy Act of 1988 is simply inadequate in tacking the intricacies and difficulties of modern bankruptcy. Our courts system provides no reprieve and no way out for those struggling with rising debts. Instead of being guided and helped they are being punished. They are branded as a debtor for life. This is different from other legal systems which allow for some level of debt forgiveness once the debtor co-operates and fully discloses the extent of his debts and any remaining assets. In our system all the power is in the hands of the lender. It is time to provide some support to those in debt.

In fact the Law Reform Commission has already undertaken the lion’s share of the investigative work on this issue and has proposed some valuable reforms and steps to equalize our system. Proposals include preventative measures to address personal indebtedness at an early stage and interventions to resolve debt problems in an efficient way. It also tackles the need to bring debt enforcement processes into line with international best standards and questions the utility of imprisonment as a means of enforcement.

While I welcome the announcement by the Government that they intend to introduce interim measures to help struggling borrowers and mortgage holders it must be said that the time for promises is past. Both An Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore and the Minister for Justice Alan Shatter have strongly affirmed their dedication to change, yet neither could provide any substantive information as to the form this change might take. Now is a time for action and for concrete legislation to be brought before the Houses of the Oireachtas.

 This was a key election promise made by both Labour and Fine Gael and now the time has come to make this promise a reality.