Search Results for 'Department of Finance'

THE worst kept secret in local politics was confirmed on Wednesday afternoon when Kilkenny TD Phil Hogan landed the plum job of Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.

IFA environment and rural affairs chairman Pat Farrell has accused the Department of Environment of hoarding more than €1 billion and diverting it away from rural roads, at a time when many regional and secondary roads are in a dreadful condition.

A €72 million expansion plan for University and Merlin Park Hospitals will transform both facilities, improving capacity, updating theatres and easing the pressure on UHG’s emergency department.

Income Tax

Gaeltacht based companies have been seriously affected by the national and global economic downturn and as a result, net employment in Údarás na Gaeltachta supported companies fell by 771 - or 8.8 per cent last year. According to the Údarás Annual Report just released, total employment in client companies now stands at 7,472, with just 710 of these created as new jobs throughout 2009.

More than 2,000 students from NUI Galway and GMIT and their supporters are expected to descend on Spanish Arch at lunchtime today to protest against proposed Government plans to increase registration fees and impose cuts to the student maintenance grant.

Government ministers have deliberately under spent their allocation from last December’s budget in order to maintain a slush fund for year end announcements.

Two hundred students from the Castlebar campus of GMIT travelled to Dublin this week to take part in a national protest against third level college fees but were not involved in the ugly clashes that followed with members of An Garda Síochána.

Mary White, Green Party TD for Carlow/Kilkenny, has supported Minister John Gormley’s call for national consensus on the public finances for the next four years.

The board of Údarás na Gaeltachta has expressed concern this week about the future of the authority, and also that of the Department of Community, Equality, and Gaeltacht Affairs, following revelations of a substantial funding drop in next year’s budget. Gaeltacht areas in Mayo supported by the authority are located in north Mayo, Achill, and Tourmakeady.