Meath Jobs, Fine Gael, Labour

Radical changes to the way the government and business interact with each other, resulting in a major boost to the country's workforce within the next eight years, have been pledged by the government through its new Action Plan on Jobs announced with much fanfare this week.

Among the changes envisaged are the restructuring the country's enterprise agencies, assisting small companies to win significant contracts, providing credit to small and medium-sized firms, improving competitiveness and attracting more international investment to Ireland.

The plan contains over 270 actions which the government said will be implemented this year, and the programme envisages the creation of 100,000 jobs by 2016 and 200,000 by 2020. It is nothing if not ambitious. Critics have declared that the proposals offer little new. The small firms association, ISME, said there was very little that was new or innovative and it believed the plan would have a minimal effect on immediate job creation.

The biggest shake-up is to the county and city enterprise boards which are to be dissolved and amalgamated into a new unit operated by Enterprise Ireland which will be given the job of providing advice to local authorities. The enterprise boards will be replaced with local offices operating from council headquarters. Merging the country's 35 boards with the councils is expected to save between €500,000 and €2m a year and these new Local Enterprise Offices (or LEOs) will serve as 'one-stop shops', helping small businesses.

Those tasked with enterprise will also face quarterly report cards as part of the government's plans. Each of the 15 government departments and 36 State agencies involved will be subject to regular reviews to identify failings and will have to work to quickly resolve them, the Taoiseach said.

At the heart of the plan is the inherent wish of Irish people to work for a living and make a contribution to wider society. "A job can transform a life," said Mr Kenny. "It can restore missing self-respect and dignity. It can provide hope and direction to so many young people looking to make their mark. It's about people's innate desire to work for their living, to look after their families, and to contribute to their country."

It's certainly a noble aspiration and one that will touch a deep chord with so many of the 14.2 per cent of Ireland's workforce who find themselves unemployed. There is also no denying the enthusiasm of Mr Kenny for the job at hand and to be the Taoiseach who leads Ireland back to economic sovereignty and out of the clutches of the troika within the next few years. But what most people - particularly the large number of under-25s without a job and those who will be leaving colleges and universities in the next two to three years - will want to know is: can it really work?

The country relies increasingly on the strengths of its exports as its growth engine but the eurozone crisis, in particular, is weighing on the previously stellar performance of this sector. The concern for most Irish businesses and their employees who depend on the domestic economy for their livelihood is what can this ambitious new plan for jobs do to help struggling SMEs and can it help revive flagging consumer demand which is crucial to our country's recovery? That will be the real acid test of this blueprint.

Increased mentoring of SMEs by business leaders and multinationals, getting more small companies involved in research and development and incentivising members of the diaspora and other from oversas to come and create jobs in Ireland all sounds great on paper, but can it truly deliver extra jobs in the numbers the government expects?

It should be remembered that while foreign direct investment (FDI) is a crucially important part of the bedrock of Ireland's present and future economic strategy, it should not be forgotten that over 70 per cent of Ireland's workforce is employed is in small and medium-sized enterprises in towns and villages the length and breadth of the country. And many of these companies are struggling to keep their heads above water in this recession, while many others are among the thousands which have been forced to close since the recession began to bite in 2008.

Growing the economy while being pegged back by a painful austerity programme to a point where employment levels are back at the two million level by 2020 looks like a big ask. There is no significant budget attached to the plan and there are no stated penalties for ministers who fail to deliver on their pledges, despite promises to be accountable. But the proposals are at least aimed in the right direction - to create the conditions that will allow businesses to develop and grow.

Meath GAA, Meath v Westmeath, NFL Div2

Meath manager Seamus McEnaney has made one change to his starting team ahead of next Sunday's NFL Div 2 clash with neighbours Westmeath at Mullingar, 2.30 with Skryne's Ciaran Lenehan replacing Blackhall Gaels' Donncha Tobin in the half-forward line.

Lenehan had started Meath's first game of the season against Wexford, but a disappointing performance saw him drop to the substitutes bench. However, the Skryne player featured in last week's win over Monaghan and did enough to earn a recall with Tobin dropping to the bench.

There was also good news for McEnaney with his captain Seamus Kenny shrugging off a calf injury to retain his place in the starting line-up.

Kenny was forced off in the second-half against Monagahn and was rated doubtful for the game against Westmeath. There is still no place in the starting team for Joe Sheridan, Kevin Reilly or Graham Geraghty although all three are expected to feature against Westmeath.

Westmeath, who will be without their Garrycastle contingent, will stick with the same 15 that lost by 1-6 to 0-12 to Louth in their NFL Div 2 opener.

Meath - David Gallagher (St Peter's Dunboyne); Mickey Burke (Longwood), Bryan Menton (Donaghmore/Ashbourne), Gary O'Brien (Navan O'Mahonys); Chris O Connor (Ballinabrackey),. Shane Mc Anarney (Clann na nGael), Cormac McGuinness (Navan O'Mahonys); Brian Meade (Rathkenny), Mark Ward (Navan O' Mahonys); Seamus Kenny (Simonstown Gaels), Graham Reilly (St Colmcille's), Ciaran Lenehan (Skryne); Paddy Gilsenan (Oldcastle), Stephen Bray (Navan O'Mahonys), Cian Ward (Wolfe Tones).

Westmeath - Gary Connaughton; Michael Curley, Kieran Gavin, Daniel McDermott; Ronan Foley, Michael Ennis, Kevin Maguire; Trevor English, Aidan Finnan; Kieran Martin, Alan Giles, Philip Sheridan; Paul Sharry, Denis Glennon, Callum McCormack.

Peadar Tobin TD, Sinn Fein, No to Thatcher's Poll Tax

Sinn Fein TD for Meath West, Peadar Tóibín, has declared that he will not be paying the new household charge, but will instead donate the money to the St Vincent De Paul Society (SVP).

As he prepares to hold a series of meetings across the constiuency in protest agains government cuts and additional taxes, he said there is a build-up of enormous pressure on struggling families.

"In solidarity with these people, I will refuse to pay the household charge. I will instead donate the amount to the St Vincent De Paul," he said this week.

He said he has thought "long and hard" before making the decision.

"The household charge is a grossly unfair tax. Henry Mountcharles will be charged as much as a person in a three-bedroom semi-detached who is up to their neck in negative equity," he added.

"This money will not be invested in our local authorities - it will instead be handed over to the promissory note-holders and the bondholders of Anglo Irish Bank."

Deputy Toibín said he wanted to be clear that he was not advising others not to pay it. "That decision is up to each individual. I have seen other campaigns advise mass non-payment in years gone by and when the campaigns come to an end, many struggling citizens are left behind to pay massive arrears.

"It is irresponsible for politicians to tell people not to pay and then leave citizens with big bills to pay. If people decide themselves not to pay, they must understand what will be the consequences of their decision." he said.

The Sinn Fein TD said the household charge, along with other cuts and charges, were just the start of the policy of the government to transfer money out of our communities into the hands of the ECB and private bondholders.

"Ireland is being transformed into a massive debt repayment agency where lower and middle income earners are being hit hardest. On top of this, the government is doing all they can to deny the Irish people a referendum of the upcoming EU austerity treaty. An alternative growth and stimulus strategy is available to the state if the Labour/Fine Gael government would just stand up to the Troika in interests of the Irish people," he said.

Deputy Tóibin is also organising a series of Community Against Cuts meetings, the first of which will be held in Collinstown Community Hall in Co Westmeath tomorrow (Thursday) followed by Bohermeen Community Centre next Wednesday, 1st February, and the Newgrange Hotel, Navan, on Thursday 2nd February. A meeting also will take place in Ballivor Community Centre on the 9th February.

He urged people who would be directly affected by the household charge, the septic tank charges, broadcast charges or water charges to attend.

He also is asking those affected by cuts to DEIS schools, small schools, guidance councillors, CE schemes, hospital and nursing homes and services, such as the Women's Refuge, and cuts to rural Garda stations, to attend.

"Irish people have been far too passive for far too long. Nearly half a million people are unemployed and 70,000 people emigrated last year. The future of this State is being sold off in its billions and its time we stopped giving out about it and made a stand," the TD added

Missing Person, Tony Mcloughlin, Navan Gardai, Gardai Navan

Dont Forget Your Meath Chronicle this Week

Daughter's emotional appeal for information on Navan father-of-two

Missing Navan resident Tony McLoughlin.

The distraught family of a missing Navan resident have issued a desperate appealing for information on his whereabouts.

Tony McLoughlin, a 57-year-old married man and father-of-two, was last seen on Monday 16th January at 1.15pm near Johnstown Shopping Centre.

His daughter, Lisa, said that his disappearance is "totally out of character" and that Tony, who works in catering in the Dublin area and lives at Athlumney Abbey, had been on antibiotics for a respiratory condition at the time he went missing and had been due to visit a specialist about it.

Mr McLoughlin had recently collapsed on holiday and had pneumonia and his daughter said the medication he was on made him groggy and sometimes disorientated.

"He got quite groggy and confused about (his daughter) Sophia's birthday, which was the day after he was last seen. I've never seen him confused like that before - he's a young man," said Lisa.

Mr McLoughlin is a keen dog-walker and would often walk the banks of the Boyne, at the Ramparts and near the IDA business park in Johnstown.

"Sophia's 30th was the day after. He would never let that go by without saying 'happy birthday', at least. It's just very, very out of character for someone so dependable and reliable.

"The last few days before (he was last seen), his breathing was very bad but he must have gotten a burst of adrenalin and gone for a walk," she added.

"He was frustrated at being cooped up and wanted to go outside. When there was no sign of him, we started to worry and mum got in the car and went one direction and my aunt got in hers and went in the other direction and we rang around.

"One of mum's friend's daughters saw him at 1.15pm at the shopping centre and they noticed each other but she said he was walking slowly and was hunched," recalled Lisa.

On Monday 23rd January, Gardaí set up checkpoints in the Johnstown area to ask motorists around Johnstown Shopping Centre about Tony's disappearance in the hope that they might be regularly in the area on a Monday lunchtime.

The story appeared on TV3's Breakfast Show that morning and gardaí received a few calls as a result - one of which suggested that the missing man had been seen on a bus going from Navan to Kells.

Unfortunately, the person who contacted gardaí proved to be mistaken as, when gardaí stopped the bus, they found a man only with similar features to Mr McLoughlin.

The missing man is described as 5'6" in height, of slim build with grey hair.

When last seen, he was wearing blue jeans, a blue shirt and a brown, waist-length jacket.

Leaflet appeals have been made in various locations - Navan, Dunboyne, Clonee, Tallaght, Dundalk and Drogheda - for any information relating to his disappearance.

"We're just trying to keep positive and keep hopeful," added Lisa.

So far, Meath River Rescue, Meath Civil Defence, the Boyne Fishermens Rescue and Recovery Service and local gardaí all have been involved in searches along the Boyne - from Old Kilcarn Bridge towards The Ramparts in Navan.

Tony McLoughlin's family have expressed their gratitude to all groups so far involved in the search.

Gardaí say they are concerned for Mr McLoughlin's safety and anyone with information is asked to contact Navan Garda Station on (046) 907 9930 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (046) 907 9930      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any garda station.

Missing Person, Monica Riordan, Navan Gardai, Gardai Navan

Missing Person Alert, Monica Riordan

 

Monica Riordan was last seen in Holles Street area on 20 December

 

Gardai have issued an appeal to trace a 39-year-old woman who has been missing since Tuesday, 20 December.

Monica Riordan, from Navan in Co Meath was last seen in the Holles Street area of Dublin at around 11am.


She is described as being of average height, thin build and with shoulder length blonde hair.


When last seen, Monica was wearing a long grey coat, dark jeans and grey or white trainers.


Anyone with information is asked to contact to contact Pearse St Garda Station 01-6669000 the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.