EuropeanIrish.com News Stories

More Irish people head to Europe, than to UK or USA

Cork Ireland, January 23rd 2008

A recent report by the CSO indicates that between the years 2006 and 2007, at least 25% of all Irish Emigrants settled in Continental Europe (CSO Population/ Migration Report December 07).
This is greater than those travelling to the UK 23.9%, and more than 3 times greater than the percentage travelling to the USA, both the traditional destinations for Irish emigrants.
It is estimated that approximately 300,000 Irish people have made their homes across Europe, and with 3.5 million trips by Irish residents to the Continent in 2006, Ireland’s relationship with her European neighbours has deepened considerably.
The Irish emigrants have settled in their new countries, raised families, and have sown the roots of future generations. As in the past, they have brought with them the wealth of culture that is unique to the Irish, a tradition long since enjoyed in both England and the States. A testament to this is the increasing number of Irish Clubs and Societies that have grown up across Europe, catering for both the Irish and native Europeans all of whom have a shared love of Irish Culture, Sport and Music.
For those interested in the Irish Scene across Europe, there is one unique central point – EuropeanIrish.com.
The brainchild of well travelled Irishman, Siasy Collins, this website is the focal point for all the information one needs to enjoy the Irish scene across Europe.
For the past 5 years the site has been managed on a part-time basis. Since May 2007, however, the emphasis has been on upgrading the existing site, to provide Irish in Europe with the opportunity to connect with other Irish in Europe, and with similar interests.
Siasy Collins, Editor & Publisher, EuropeanIrish, having been based in Europe himself, and involved in the local Irish scene there, explained that Irish people in Europe - want to find where to watch the All-Ireland or Heineken Cup, and where to find Irish Dancing Schools, Bands, Festivals, Irish Sports & Social Clubs, The Irish Embassy, and a choice of more than 2200 Irish Pubs across the Continent, when any local Irish Entertainment or Sport Events are on, and European Irish News.
“The new look Europeanirish.com has a lot of new benefits for visitors. The website is easy to use & navigate. You can build your profile and meet others through M I N E, which is My Irish Network in Europe. You can also chat with others, create a personal story and add events, items or news”, Siasy added.
Irish in Europe can always feel close to home, with the short and lower cost flights, and now through this website one can tune-in live online to over 50 Irish Radio stations, and download free music, supplied by Irish bands based at home and in Europe.

With thousands visiting the website daily, EuropeanIrish.com has something added for everybody, whether you’re an Irish person living in Europe or planning travel to Europe, or whether you’re from Continental Europe, enjoying Irish music, culture, sports or pubs.
Do you know any Irish person in Europe? Let them know today.
Are you planning a trip there for a vacation, on business, to study or to live?
The Next step is simple – just click on www.EuropeanIrish.com, browse the site, stay a while and enjoy it.
– Ends –

The first ever survey about Irish people in Europe is being conducted.

If You are Irish and are based in or moving to Continental Europe -

This short survey is for you!

Please forward this email to every Irish person you know living in Europe. 
It is really important for the Irish in Europe.
Please answer just a few short questions in 90 seconds or less Click the Link and answer the questions, thanks.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=c_2bbUKK6N36zUdjY5Fx1FKA_3d_3d

What are the best and hardest things about living in Europe ?
Why might you stay, why might you return?

This survey is specifically about you - Irish people living in Continental Europe.

If you know of any Irish person living anywhere in Continental Europe , please send this survey to him or her today.
If you know many Irish People living in Europe, please send this to them all. This very important survey about you and for you,  and is finishing this week. If you are Irish in Europe - now you can get your say. Click Here to take survey - Have You taken the survey yet? 

Thanks in Advance
Siasy Collins

Ministers have spoken in Irish 22 times at EU meetings since the language became an official one last January, while MEPs have used it about twice as often.

http://www.irishclub.be/display_news.php?ID=17

The European Commission Irish language website is up and running, however efforts to recruit at least 30 Irish language translators and interpreters at an annual cost of about E3.5 million have proven difficult.

There have been teething problems introducing the language to the European Union institutions over the last 10 months, Multi-lingualism Commissioner Leonard Orban is expected to tell representatives from a number of language organisations when they meet in Brussels today.
The meeting aims to assess how the integration of Irish as a working language is progressing within the different EU institutions and has been organised by MEP Sean O Neachtain, who is a native Irish speaker.

He said they would focus in particular on how recruitment of Irish interpreters, translators and jurist-linguists is proceeding.

There have been delays recruiting staff as few, if any, had the necessary qualifications to become a recognised EU translator of texts or interpreter of the spoken word.

This has been followed by a slow take-up of posts as some offered jobs did not want to move to Brussels while others just came for a short time on secondment.

There are also problems filling the posts of legal experts fluent in Irish who are required to translate complex text into Irish.

As a result, only those which are seen as essential texts are being translated.

A number of MEPs use Irish regularly including Jim Higgins, Proinsias De Rossa, Marian Harkin and Liam Aylward and Bairbre de Brun, a Sinn Féin MEP for Northern Ireland.

The Commission’s Irish language site is available at: http://europa.eu/index_ga.htm 

www.examiner.ie

ILBA / German-Irish Lawyers and Business Assocation
————————————————–

New trilingual website:
www.german-irish-lawyers.org

A network of lawyers, tax consultants, accountants and businesses
active in both Ireland and Germany

GILBA organises events regarding business and law in the EU throughout
the year

Next event
———-

7th of Dec:
Lunch-time lecture with EU Commisioner Charlie McCreevy in the
Law Society of Ireland, Blackhall Place, Dublin 7

EP News Plenary Session ( Strasbourg ) 12-15 November 2007

In its key debate next week, the European Parliament will discuss a paper on “The European interest: succeeding in the age of globalisation“, which was presented to EU Heads of State and Government at the Lisbon summit last month.  The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, will set out the Commission’s views on this issue before the MEPs will discuss and vote on a resolution on this topic.

Irish MEPs on this issue: Mary Lou McDonald (SF - Dublin ); Proinsias De Rossa (Labour - Dublin ); Kathy Sinnott (Ind. - South)

 http://www.europeanirish.com/Living/mep.htm

http://www.europeanirish.com/Living/mep.htm

EP News Plenary Session ( Strasbourg ) 12-15 November 2007
continued…

Soil Protection

Two reports on soil protection will be discussed in a joint debate in the European Parliament on Monday evening. Spanish MEP Cristina Gutiérrez-Cortines will present a report on the first EU directive on soil protection and Italian MEP Vittorio Prodi will emphasise the need for a strategy on soil protection to combat floods, landslides, desertification and climate change in the EU.

At the moment, provisions relating to the EU’s policy on soil are divided between laws on waste, pesticides and nature protection.  The new law would combine all provisions relating to soil.  It would include the requirement to establish national inventories of contaminated sites, which would have to be updated at least every five years.  MEPs point to the additional potential benefit of regional inventories.  The law will also require that Member States put together strategies to improve the condition of such sites and identify key priorities for work in this area.  MEPs in the Parliament’s Environment Committee point to the need to ensure synergy between existing EU laws on ground water, nitrates, sewage sludge, waste and other areas.

Irish MEPs on this issue: Mairéad McGuinness (FG - East); Kathy Sinnott (Ind. - South); Avril Doyle (FG - East)

Stocktaking on Social Reality in the EU

On Thursday morning, British MEP Elizabeth Lynne will present a report on behalf of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee which calls on EU Member States and on the European Commission to pursue “an ambitious objective of reducing poverty, especially among working people.”  In this report, MEPs point out that EU Member States should increase their efforts to reduce poverty and social exclusion. The report highlights the issues of disabled workers and those on the minimum wage, it calls for the prevention of exploitation of illegal workers, child poverty and points to the importance of education in tackling poverty and of the rehabilitation of prisoners.  MEPs also state that EU Member States should end asylum seekers’ dependence on benefits by allowing them to work.

16% of the EU’s workforce is disabled; 78 million EU citizens live in poverty and 8% of EU citizens are suffering from in-work poverty.  In general terms, the gap between rich and poor in the EU is increasing.

Irish MEPs on this issue: Proinsias De Rossa (Labour - Dublin ); Mary Lou McDonald (SF - Dublin ); Kathy Sinnott (Ind. - South); Marian Harkin ( Ind - North West );

EP News Plenary Session ( Strasbourg ) 12-15 November 2007

An EU strategy for the Bali conference on Climate Change

On Wednesday afternoon, Italian MEP Guido Sacconi will question the European Commission and the Council of the European Union on behalf of the Parliament’s Temporary Committee on Climate change about their strategies for the Bali Conference on Climate Change. This Conference (3-14 December) will mark the first step in building a post-2012 (post-Kyoto) framework to tackle climate change on a global level. During the debate which will follow, MEPs will call on the Commission and the Council to confirm Europe ’s leading role in climate protection.

On Thursday, MEPs will also vote on the European Parliament’s resolution for this Conference.  This resolution states that the long-term goals should centre on limiting average global temperature increase to below 2°C, which would mean that that by 2050, global greenhouse gases would have to be reduced by at least 50% compared to the 1990 level. The Parliament’s Committee on Climate Change insists that industrialised countries should commit themselves to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30% by 2030 and by at least 80% by 2050 compared to the emission levels of 1990. To achieve these goals MEPs propose to install a global “cap and trade” system, to set binding targets for all industrialised counties and to include emerging economies through fair and proportionate targets.  The Parliament’s resolution also emphasises that an agreement should be reached by 2009 at the latest.  The European Parliament will be sending a delegation to the Bali Conference.

Irish MEPs on this issue: Avril Doyle (FG - East); Proinsias De Rossa (Labour - Dublin ); Kathy Sinnott ( Ind - South); Bairbre De Brún (SF - Northern Ireland )
 

EP News Plenary Session ( Strasbourg ) 12-15 November 2007 :

Include aviation sector in greenhouse gas emission trading scheme

On Monday evening, German MEP Peter Liese will present a report on behalf of the Parliament’s Environment Committee supporting the European Commission’s proposal to include aviation in the EU’s Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), but calling for tougher CO2 emission limits and a stipulation that the ETS should include not just intra-EU flights, but also flights between the EU and third countries by 2010.

The greenhouse gases emitted by the European aviation industry increased by 87% in 2004 compared to 1990 levels. This increase is in stark contrast to the EU’s overall greenhouse gas reduction target under the Kyoto Protocol - 8%.  MEPs are arguing that ETS allowances for CO2 emissions should be limited to 75% of aircraft operators’ average annual emissions during 2004-2006 and not 100% as proposed by the European Commission.  MEPs propose that 50% of the emission permits should be allocated to aviation operators free of charge and that 50 % should be traded in the ETS in the initial stage. 

Irish MEPs on this issue: Avril Doyle (FG - East); Marian Harkin ( Ind - North West ); Bairbre De Brún (SF - Northern Ireland )

http://www.europeanirish.com/Living/mep.htm

EP News Plenary Session ( Strasbourg ) 12-15 November 2007 :

More sport in schools to tackle child obesity

On Monday evening, Hungarian MEP Pál Schmitt and ex-olympic fencer will present a report on behalf of the European Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee which points to the importance of sport in schools.  According to the Culture Committee’s study, the average time allocated by primary schools to physical education has fallen from 121 to 109 minutes and the number of children in the EU who are overweight or obese is estimated to be rising by more than 400,000 a year.  300,000 children are obese or overweight in Ireland .

The European Parliament’s report emphasises that physical education should be carried out together with information campaigns aimed at children and their parents on the need to adopt a health lifestyle and on the health risks linked to an unhealthy diet. MEPs also emphasise the need for better sports facilities and recommend using EU structural funds to create sports facilities in disadvantaged areas.

Irish MEPs on this issue: Liam Aylward (FF - East); Kathy Sinnott ( Ind - South); Eoin Ryan (FF - Dublin )

EP News Plenary Session ( Strasbourg ) 12-15 November 2007 :

• More sport in schools to tackle child obesity
  Irish MEPs on this issue: Liam Aylward (FF - East); Kathy Sinnott ( Ind - South); Eoin Ryan (FF - Dublin )
• An EU strategy for the Bali conference on Climate Change

  Irish MEPs on this issue: Avril Doyle (FG - East); Proinsias De Rossa (Labour - Dublin ); Kathy Sinnott ( Ind - South); Bairbre De Brún (SF - Northern Ireland )

• Soil Protection

  Irish MEPs on this issue: Mairéad McGuinness (FG - East); Kathy Sinnott (Ind. - South); Avril Doyle (FG - East)

• Stocktaking on Social Reality in the EU
  Irish MEPs on this issue: Proinsias De Rossa (Labour - Dublin ); Mary Lou McDonald (SF - Dublin ); Kathy Sinnott (Ind. - South); Marian Harkin ( Ind - North West );
• The EU in the age of globalisation
  Irish MEPs on this issue: Mary Lou McDonald (SF - Dublin ); Proinsias De Rossa (Labour - Dublin ); Kathy Sinnott (Ind. - South)
• European Commission’s legislative and work programme for 2008.
  - Brian Crowley (FF - South); Mary Lou McDonald (SF - Dublin ); Mairéad McGuinness (FG - East);
• proposed new law on statistics in the areas of public health and health and safety at work
  - Avril Doyle (FG - East); Kathy Sinnott (Ind. - South)

Individual MEPs:

·         Brian Crowley (FF - South) will speak on the EU-Russia summit; he will also ask about measures to combat youth and long-term unemployment and the success of the new programme to combat drug importations from South America.

·         Jim Higgins (FG - North West ) will speak during the debate on the regional impact of earthquakes; he will ask the Commission about increasing road safety in developing countries and will ask the Council about the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

·         Eoin Ryan (FF - Dublin ) will ask the European Commission about levels of cocaine abuse in the EU and the EU response to the problem; he will also ask if it is not time to increase financial support to Sierra Leone .

·         Mairéad McGuinness (FG - East) will make a one-minute speech on the lack of accredited laboratories for medical testing and on the current crisis regarding misdiagnosis of medical conditions in Ireland; she will ask the Commission about the Economic Partnership Agreements with ACP countries and will ask the Council about the liberalisation of postal services.

·         Colm Burke (FG - South) will ask about the reform agenda in Turkey following the elections there and will speak about the new EU telecoms package; he will also host a visit from a group of his constituents.

·         Liam Aylward (FF - East) will speak about nuclear energy programmes; he will ask the European Commission about participants in the EU peacekeeping mission to Chad; and he will also ask the Council of the EU what structures are being put in place to ensure greater coordination between the EU and the USA in the field of climate change.

·         Kathy Sinnott ( Ind - South) will ask about cross-border collective copyright management.

·         Gay Mitchell (FG - Dublin ) will speak during the debates on accounting standards in the EU and on giving implementing powers to the Commission in the field of Economic and Monetary Affairs; he will also ask the Commission about slums and development and ask the Council about non-EU financial services.

·         Seán Ó Neachtain (FF - North West) will ask the Council of the EU how it will ensure that Research and Development Funds will be available to regions on the EU’s periphery; he will also ask what initiatives are being pursued by the European Commission to promote primary education in the developing world; and he will speak about the issue of digital interactive services.

·         Avril Doyle (FG - East) will ask the Commission about the recognition of horse passports and will ask the Council about the EU nationals’ repatriation fund.

Through chance searching, I found a way to find anyone’s profile on LinkedIn, whether he/she is connected to you or not, and not as a premium member.

Using the “People directory”, Any user can use it - it is listed at the bottom of the page of some user’s profiles -

example - http://www.linkedin.com/in/benguthrie

It takes you to here:
http://www.linkedin.com/find/a-z.html

This seems to list everybody - inside your connections and network and outside.

On google search the Linkedin/find/ site for the search term you want.

site:linkedin.com/find/

then check cache as it will highlight the exact person’s name that you are looking for.

Handy - the next trick is to find a connection - that’s up to you and who you know… but the above tip should get you started.

Duplicate

Through chance searching, I found a way to find anyone’s profile on LinkedIn, whether he/she is connected to you or not, and not as a premium member.

Using the “People directory”, Any user can use it - it is listed at the bottom of the page of some user’s profiles -

example - http://www.linkedin.com/in/benguthrie

It takes you to here:
http://www.linkedin.com/find/a-z.html

This seems to list everybody - inside your connections and network and outside.

On google search the Linkedin/find/ site for the search term you want.

site:linkedin.com/find/

then check cache as it will highlight the exact person’s name that you are looking for.

Handy - the next trick is to find a connection - that’s up to you and who you know… but the above tip should get you started.

Recently Yahoo ID made a change to their registration form, - for a new Yahoo ID - whereby a postal code had to be used as a method for verifying the user.

During Registration for a New Yahoo account,

You selected the country “you live in” -
and then you input the postal code for your country -
and it checks that your input postal code is in the correct format and that it even exists-

As Irish people in Ireland are aware - there is no Postal code system in operation here - yet.

When registering a new account, when you selected Ireland - it insisted on filling a Postal code field - and no matter what you inserted - (almost), it returned the error message:
This postal code is not located in the country you selected

You could not leave it blank - it returned an error -
You could not use your area telephone code 061 or 01 or 0000, or 9999, or various other defaults - thay all did not work.
Each time it returned that it was not correct for your country.

What effect did this have ?
All new users from Ireland were blocked from opening Yahoo accounts.
This lasted for quite a number of weeks 
There were no new Irish Yahoo users to any Yahoo groups, and no new Irish email accounts while this was blocked.

The good news is that this is now rectified.

I had sent many requests to Yahoo about opening a new account - asking exactly what code was being accepted for Ireland - but had failed to get a working reliable response or resolution.

The good news is - Yahoo has now rectified this, and for Irish registration, you no longer have to fill in a Postal code.

The ironic thing is - I had found the one entry that did work for the postal code for Ireland- a full stop “.”

http://www.europeanirish.com/PubsShops/businesses.htm

06-09 Nov Trade Mission to Bucharest and Sofia Bucharest, Sofia, Bulgaria & Romania
13-16 Nov Productronica 2007 Munich, Germany
14-Nov   Insight into Telephonica Workshop, Spain
16-18 Nov Germany Enterprise Ireland Trade Events:  ComPaMed 2007 Duesseldorf
3/Oct- 3 Nov Russia Enterprise Ireland Trade Events:  Education Fair to Russia & Kazakhstan Moscow & Almaty
27-28 Nov Slovakia Enterprise Ireland Trade Events:  Trade Mission to Slovakia
22-26 Nov Machinery Technology Study Visit Northern Italy & Austria

Sofia & Bucharest Trade Mission
Enterprise Ireland will host an outward mission to Bucharest and Sofia. The mission will provide an excellent opportunity for lead generation and market development in Romania. Key buyers and partners will target relevant clients in software, environment, consultancy and electronics sub-supply

Productronica 2007 Munich
The Electronics Division will host a study visit to Productronica Trade Fair for clients operating in this sector. Productronica provides a comprehensive, consolidated and transparent look at the market for electronics production and the special technologies used in micro-manufacturing. It examines the industry’s entire value-added chain – from development to services – with unique depth and completeness. Participants will discover the latest innovations in electronics, Research & Development and production equipment. The visit will also provide an opportunity to network with potential new customers.

Machinery Technology Study Visit Northern Italy & Austria
Description:   Enterprise Ireland clients operating in the furniture machinery sector are invited on a study visit to Northern Europe. Participants will gain an understanding of current and future innovations in the sector via factory visits. This in turn will help them to develop business strategies which are based on new technologies enabling them to develop products which have higher added value and improve productivity. For further information please email contact below.
Details

http://www.enterprise-ireland.com/

A warm welcome will greet you when you arrive at Villa Fiona, a lovingly restored farmhouse, which was tastefully refurbished in the last year by owners Maggie, from Ireland and Giacomo from Sicily.
Hence you are guaranteed sunshine -  Mediteranean sunshine and a great cup of tea!
Perfectly placed for touring, Villa Fiona is only 20 mins from Pisa airport and The Leaning Tower of Pisa, direct connection with Ryan Air.
- 30 mins from Lucca a beautiful medieval city of Tuscany, not to mention the art-capital of Florence which is less than an hours drive away.
Situated in the enchanting countryside of Tuscany, Villa Fiona is only 5 mins from the local medieval village of Vicopisano, which, according to the owners of this B&B, is a well-kept little secret of Tuscany!

This Irish run Tuscany B&B has been the best kept secret - until now -
Checkout their website, You will not be dissappointed.
Tell Maggie that EuropeanIrish sent you.

Villa Fiona - Le risaie:
a Bed & Breakfast in Tuscany, Italy

 
Tel +39 050 796160
via delle risaie, 1.
GPS: via argine 1 VICOPISANO

http://www.villafiona.it/english/

The European Parliament Information Office in Ireland reports that Mary Lou McDonald (SF - Dublin) and Kathy Sinnott (Ind. - South) have been nominated for the annual MEP Awards which are organised by The Parliament Magazine in Brussels. 
read more here:
http://www.europarl.ie

Mary Lou McDonald MEP has been nominated in the Employment category and Kathy Sinnott MEP has been nominated for the award of Campaigning MEP of the Year.

16-18 year olds throughout Ireland (32 counties) are being given the opportunity to win a trip for their class to visit the European Parliament in Strasbourg. 

The EP Information Office in Ireland, together with its co-sponsors, the Irish Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Department of the Environment of Northern Ireland, on 10th September launched a photo competition on the issue of climate change. 

Students are being asked to submit up to three digital photos on the theme of ‘Climate change and my area: causes/impact/solutions.’  The closing date for receipt of entries is 31 October.

Details at the website of European Parliament Information Office in Ireland - link available at

http://www.europeanirish.com/Living/mep.htm

Staff from the European Parliment and European Commission were at hand to answer questions and provide information on EU activities - this week.

It attracted alot of interest, and many issues were addressed this week.

 http://www.europeanirish.com/Living/mep.htm