Thursday, February 10, 2011

What's Your Vision for Cork South West?

What's Your Vision for Cork South West?
PUBLIC MEETING
 General Election Candidates attending
Chairman: Rob Heyland
Your Views - Your Questions - Your Constituency!
West Cork Hotel, Skibbereen
Friday 18th February at 9pm
Admission free - All voters and future voters welcome
please send your questions for the candidates

Thursday, February 3, 2011

A New Ireland

Dear Editor,
We are blaming the wrong people for this financial mess Ireland is in! It is the National and International Financial gangsters who have caused this crisis. Our politicians are the scapegoats. These are the people we recently elected from our communities to represent us. We all enjoyed the benefits of the Celtic Tiger. Many are delighted with the fantastic road network developed, the generous social welfare we receive, and the general improvement in the standard of living, cars, foreign holidays etc. The crazy international financial pyramid scheme, moving large amounts of non-existent money around is coming to an end. The bubble is likely to burst.

Ireland is a wonderful nation, with a wonderful workforce, and a very solid education system. The frontline teams in our hospitals, factories and farms are second to none.

Did we ask our public representatives to slow the tiger, reduce the availability of credit, so that we could not buy better houses, cars, and other luxuries? Some commentators did try to warn people that it could not continue, but were silenced.

We are entering a new age. The transition will be difficult, and will last for some years. There will be hunger, riots, enormous change.
It is coinciding with the reduction in the supply of cheap oil, that ‘black stuff’ that was around for 100 years. A whole new plan, new vision is now needed, as we develop new ways of growing food and producing energy. Ireland must now concentrate on National Food and Energy Security.

Here in West Cork we probably have approximately 6 days food supply, other than milk, meat, and fish. So Nationally we probably have about 4 days food reserves. And we have about a few weeks fuel supply, other than some scarce gas reserves. In round terms we import about €5 billion of food and €10 billion of energy annually. The latter is over 90% of what we consume. This is not sustainable. When these imports get scarcer and more expensive Ireland will be in a very vulnerable position. Or, we could prepare in order to avoid this eventuality!

Ireland can produce all of the energy and food it needs (see The BioPower Report, library section www.localcampus.com ), and we can import some exotic food. We now need to go ‘bald-headed’ towards developing renewable energy infrastructure and sustainable food production. However we must learn from past over-engineered mistakes, and be clever about driving these industries forward.

Major Governmental changes are now necessary to make real change happen. Retraining will be necessary, as micro-generation of energy will be more important that macro-generation. We need to get away from the perceived need for massive infrastructure for energy and water conveyance. Long delays to grid connection and planning permission must be sorted, while still giving people adequate time to have their say. We need to toughen up to the EU somewhat, and become decision makers, not decision takers. We need to be able to act and react fast and efficiently within National Government, Civil Service, and Local Government.

Ireland must now prepare for a sudden absence of international finance, be that induced or imposed. If any country in the world can become virtually self-sufficient in energy and food Ireland can. We have all the elements needed to make this happen. Let’s take away any obstacles. More than 80,000 jobs can be created in the renewable energy industry alone, and tens of thousands of jobs will be created developing our food production industry. This can be done, it must be done!

Blaming our politicians is blaming ourselves. Let’s now change, work together, develop sensible sustainable secure industries. Let’s stop trusting the International financial gamblers, and let’s stop bailing them out. Let’s feed our children, not theirs!

Yours sincerely,
Walter Ryan-Purcell,
Goleen,
Co. Cork.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Business Start Programme 2011


BUSINESS START PROGRAMME 2011

This is a new Business Development Programme for self employed persons. The West Cork Enterprise Board, Cork County Council and Skibbereen Credit Union are managing and co-ordinating this programme as a joint initiative.  The objective is to work with a group of 15 people who wish to establish their own business in West Cork. The aim is to provide hands on support to enable clients to more easily create and develop their own business in West Cork.


A programme co-ordinator will assist in providing training mentoring, advice, contacts and general support to the 15 new businesses over the course of a six month period commencing in late February 2011. The Programme will assist with several areas of the business including business planning, marketing, sales and finance.


Participants will be able to avail of a free usage of either a Hot desk Facility in Bantry or a space at the Skibbereen Credit Union building. It is envisaged that by the end of the programme, participants will have their businesses up and running.


Details of the Programme:
·         Starting in late February 2011 and running until late August 2011
·         Up to a maximum of 15 West Cork participants will be recruited for the programme.
·         The programme is for those with a very specific business idea who may have already completed a Start Your Own Business Programme.
·         It is aimed at those who can fully commit to a 6 month programme.
·         Open to service & manufacturing type businesses from all sectors.  
·         Open to West Cork clients (those based within Bandon and the Beara Peninsula catchment areas).

It provides:
·         A FREE desk facility at either Skibbereen Credit Union or in a Cork County Council unit in Bantry which will be available during a 6 month period to each participant (depending on which location suits the participant, note telephone and photocopying services only will be charged to the participant).
·         A programme co-ordinator will be appointed to manage the programme’s delivery including and number of training workshops, one to one mentoring and overall support to the participants.  
·         The programme will entail 8 half day (during first 2 months) and 4 full day training workshops (during the following 4 months).
·         A number of mentoring hours will be allocated to each participant depending on his/her needs.
·         A marketing grant to encourage you to develop your marketing material during the programme (worth €250 to your business)


Fee:
·         A fee of €180 will apply to each participant on the programme, this can be made payable in standing order payments over a 6 month period @ €30 per month.


Interested in applying for this Programme?
·         Deadline date for receipt of applications is Monday 7th February 2011
·         Interviews to ascertain interested applicants suitability for the programme will take place on Friday 18th February 2011.

Please give me a call or send me an email if you have any queries on this programme.

Kind regards,

Christine Heffernan
Training Co-Ordinator/Business Adviser
West Cork Enterprise Board
Kent Street, Clonakilty, Co. Cork
T: 023 - 8834700 F: 023 - 8834702
E: christine@wceb.ie W: www.wceb.ie
Co.Registration No.: 223808

County & City Enterprise Boards are Funded under Ireland's EU Structural Funds Programme 2007-2013 with funding from the Exchequer and the European Regional Development Fund.

On-line booking now available from our website to book your place on our training programmes and seminars.

Enibas Sale

Whilst we are busy uploading new collections to our site you can go shopping with up to 40% discount on selected pieces in our enibas SALE. These offers are also available in our shops, so pop in and treat yourself (till stock lasts).

February opening hours are as follows  (last week open every day):


Schull :                    Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sat                                        11am - 5.30pm

Kinsale :                  Mon, Tues, Fri, Sat                                          10am - 5.30pm



                                                                                 go shopping


                                                       (Sale ends Monday, 21st February, 12 midnight)