Leaders must shout STOP

147,000 per year as president of a volunteer non governmental organisation! A salary of €295,000, a pension contribution of €150,000, a €60,000 bonus and €30,000 director’s fee total €535,000 for a general secretary signed off by the leader of that non governmental...

European projects: Understanding their Long Term Purpose

I am taking the opportunity of this blog post to reflect on what I have learned from my involvement in European projects. I have been active in a number of European projects. Presently I am active in a five partner two year project DIMA (Cyprus, Ireland, Slovenia,...

Addressing Future Demands

Last week’s budget announcement from Minister Howlin and Noonan offers little comfort to people living alone in isolated rural areas especially the elderly. We seen very modest increases to the old age pension, fuel allowance and the 75% increase to the...

Rural Visions

Visions. The modern ones relating to rural Ireland  started with Éamon de Valera, when in  1943 in a St Patrick’s day radio address he asserted in what’s known as the ‘Comely Maidens speech’ (wildly miss-quoted) that,  “The Ireland that we dream of, would be the home...