Image via Wikipedia The Anna Lindh Foundation Forum 2010 takes place in Barcelona from the 4th of March to the 7th of March. The Forum aims to give new momentum to the cooperation among civil society organizations committed to intercultural dialogue in the Union for the Mediterranean region and to enrich the activities of the forty-three National Networks of the Anna Lindh Foundation The Forum is being organised by the Anna Lindh Foundation in partnership with the European Institute...
Image via Wikipedia Remember the complaints about the Home Choice Loans and possible infringements of state aid and that? Well the EC has responded to the complaints. Here is the response I received: Brussels, 08/01/10*D/5031 COMP F3/BS/JVG/lc A(2009)21897 / D(2010)1 Subject: State aid complaint CP 300/2008 – Ireland Home Choice Loan Dear Madam/Sir, I am writing to you because you sent a complaint to the Commission concerning the granting of alleged state aid through the above measure. The Commission...
Image via Wikipedia The Red Cross have issued some First Aid and Safety Advice for the weather conditions that are affected most of the country. Cork City saw snow last night for the first time and the weather is not set to get better. In fact it is set to worsen at the weekend, with snow and icey weather forecasted for the entire country! Here is the Red Cross advice: Snow and Ice: First Aid Tips Treating strains and...
Image via Wikipedia People often wonder why I show interest in UK Politics. I find it really interesting and absorbing. The following letter from two fromer Ministers really sums up why I find it more interesting! Dear Colleague, As we move towards a General Election it remains the case that the Parliamentary Labour Party is deeply divided over the question of the leadership. Many colleagues have expressed their frustration at the way in which this question is affecting our...
Image via Wikipedia Next week the hearings for the New European Commission will get under way. They will start on Monday 11th and continue until the Tuesday 19th. Each commissioner will be questioned for three hours by a committee responsible for the area they are nominated. Each committee will then vote on the nomination, before the Parliament as a whole does. The line up is as follows (Committees also listed, main committee in bold if more then one in...
Image via Wikipedia Bryan highlighted this story on the BBC News website to me. The Russians seem to be taking the issue that the asteroid “Apophis” could hit the Earth. The asteroid is 2.7 × 1010 kg in mass and is 450 metres in length. It is set to pass near Earth and hence a possible collision around 2036 or 2037. NASA has said there is a one-in-250,000 chance of it hitting in 2036 and a 1 in 12.3 million chance of it...
Image by birdfarm via Flickr So 2010 swings around. The EU Presidency is taken over by Spain, and I give the site a bit of a lick of paint! I decided to change the style a bit and make it a bit like newspaper. (one that isn’t updated very often!) So what do you make of it? Its a change, one I’m getting used to! Don’t forget to check out the Spanish Presidency’s website and best of luck for...
I got this recently on facebook. Defamation Act 2009 (Commencement) Order 2009 (SI No 517 of 2009) I, Dermot Ahern, Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 1(2) of the Defamation Act 2009 (No 31 of 2009), hereby order as follows: 1. This Order may be cited as the Defamation Act 2009 (Commencement) Order 2009. 2. The 1st day of January 2010 is appointed as the day on which...
Road Deaths: 240
Image by Getty Images via Daylife 2009 saw 240 people killed on Irish Roads. This is down (a record!!) 39 on last year. It is still a high figure. Among those killed were: 40 pedestrians, 7 cyclists, 128 were drivers 38 passengers 27 bikers. Road deaths can effect anyone. They leave devastation behind. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those killed this. Here’s hoping that there will be less this year. So buckle up,...
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