Work & Life - Issue 1

work &life THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

ISSUE 1

SUMMER 2008

THE NEW OIL Why water scarcity will hit you and your family

BRINGING HOME THE BACON SAY NO TO STRESS FIXED TERM BREAKTHROUGH TWIN WHEELED REVOLUTION THE WOMAN BEHIND YOUR SCHOOL’S SUCCESS

PLUS YOUR MONEY. GAA. INDIANA JONES. FLORIDA. CAREER. MUSIC. BOOKS. COMPETITIONS. GARDENS.

AND LOTS MORE… www.impact.ie

What’s inside Summer 2008 Issue COVER FEATURES

REGULARS

NEWS

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COOL CLEAR WATER BERNARD HARBOR says water is getting scarce and it’s going to affect all our lives.

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Is there such a thing as the perfect CV?

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LETTERS Win €50

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GARDENS

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Summer’s calling.

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FIXED TERM BREAKTHROUGH

STRESS TEST

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40 41

AT THE MOVIES

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SAVE OUR HEALTH SERVICES IMPACT BIENNIAL REPORT PUBLIC SERVANTS HIGHLY RATED €50,000 COMMUNITY BOOST LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES IMPROVE PAY WARNING OLYMPICS ARE HARD WORK FOR SOME DECENTRALISATION DENOUNCED

BOOKS IMPACT member JULIA KELLY has been declared best literacy newcomer.

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PIGS MIGHT FRY!

MUSIC RAYMOND CONNOLLY’s guide to the best summer shows.

KAREN WARD says better time management can help you beat stress.

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CAREERS

Indiana Jones returns at last.

Fixed term workers’ rights have been clarified after IMPACT won an important case in Europe.

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FREE WHEELING There’s a bike-based commuter revolution underway according to our ‘spokes’ man NIALL SHANAHAN.

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Meet IMPACT’s charity cyclists.

THE BEATING HEART OF YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL The whole community depends on the school secretary, the woman beind a school’s success.

PROFILE

TRAVEL There’s never been a better time to try Florida, says MARTINA O’LEARY.

MARGARET HANNIGAN is bringing home the bacon.

Literally.

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YOUR MONEY It can cost €30k to put your kid through school. COLM RAPPLE advises.

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SPORT Will we see three in a row winners in hurling and football?

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Win a weekend break.

Crossword and Sodoku.

Win €50.

Win €100.

Win a trip to Liverpool.

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members 3

That was then

From catwalk to picketline SEXUAL HARRASSMENT, overwork and exploitation of vulnerable young girls all add up to widespread exploitation of top models. Away from the glamour of the catwalk, modelling life can be tough on young hopefuls and seasoned pros alike.

Now a campaign led by models Victoria Keon-Cohen and Dunja Knezevic, along with actors’ trade union Equity, aims to stamp out exploitation in the business.

Do not adjust your set YOU’RE DOING something that’s never been done before.

You’re reading a union publication that’s about your life inside and outside of work - rather than meetings, pay claims, committees and disputes.

People told us the old IMPACT News wasn’t doing the communications job our members expected. They said they wanted more about their working lives and less about union business.

And the union’s workplace representatives told us they wanted something different too. That’s why we’ve already established a monthly e-bulletin, with loads of hard information about union business and industrial relations. All IMPACT members can sign up for this through our website, www.impact.ie.

Work & Life is something different. We hope you like this first edition, and we hope you’ll write or email your views so that we can make the second issue (due in July) even better. Don’t forget, we pay €50 for the best letter published and €30 for the others!

Enjoy Work & Life. And tell your colleagues to get on the mailing list.

Work & Life is produced by IMPACT trade union’s Communications Unit and edited by Bernard Harbor.

Front cover model Aisling Healy.

Photography by Conor Healy.

Contact IMPACT at: Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1.

Phone: 01-817-1500.

Email: rnolan@impact.ie.

Designed by: O’Brien Design & Print Management Phone: 01-864-1920 Email: nikiobrien@eircom.net.

Printed by Boylan Print Group.

Advertising sales: Frank Bambrick Phone: 01-453-4011.

Unless otherwise stated, the views contained in Work & Life do not necessarily reflect the policy of IMPACT trade union.

Work & Life is printed on environmentally friendly paper, certified by the European Eco Label.

This magazine is 100% recyclable.

All suppliers to Work & Life recognise ICTU-affiliated trade unions.

IMPACT trade union IMPACT is Ireland’s fastest growing trade union with over 58,000 members in the public services and elsewhere. We represent staff in the health services, local authorities, education, the civil service, the community sector, aviation, telecommunications and commercial and non-commercial semi-state organisations.

A new models’ committee in the union says many models including underage girls are pressurised into having sex with clients, doing nude photo shoots, and staying dangerously thin.

“For such a long time this industry has acted as if it’s crazy, wild and glamorous, and as if commonplace laws don’t apply to it. We’ve had enough and we’re determined to change things for the general safety of the models, especially the young girls,” says Bosnianborn Knezevic, who’s appeared in campaigns for Topshop, Levis, Vogue, House of Frazier and Marks and Spencer.

Australian Keon Cohen, who’s worked for Versace and Armani, says globalisation of the industry has increased exploitation. “Models lack the simple right to a single break in a 12-hour day,” she says.

Equity, the first union in the world to represent models, says it’s excited at the prospect for change. “For too long models have been badly treated by fashion houses and agents, without a trade union to stand up for them,” said union vice president Jean Rogers.

10 years ago The Good Friday Agreement is endorsed in a referendum by people north and south of the border on 22nd May 1988.

Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky gets immunity in exchange for testimony about her relationship with President Bill Clinton.

50 years ago Minister for Industry and Commerce Seán Lemass fixes the maximum retail price for bottled milk in Dublin at 5½d a pint. Meanwhile, education minister Jack Lynch announces that the requirement for women teachers to retire on marriage is to be revoked.

Across the pond, Orson Welles’ film ‘Touch of Evil’ is released. After years in the Hollywood wilderness it is widely rated as his finest work.

100 years ago Work begins on a monument to Charles Stewart Parnell in Dublin’s Upper Sackville Street, now O’Connell Street.

Abroad, the Middle East’s first major commercial oil discovery is made in south west Persia. The rights are quickly acquired by Britain.

200 years ago Irish composer Michael Balfe is born in 1808. He later writes the famous operetta, The Bohemian Girl.

Elsewhere, the importation of slaves into the United States is banned and Beethoven composes his fifth and sixth symphonies.

Find out more about IMPACT on www.impact.ie.

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WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

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IMPACT people

What inspires you when the going gets tough?

Dessie: My rubber duck.

Before now, what has been your most embarrassing experience?

Eamonn: Mine was on our first night’s training, and Dessie lent me his mountain bike. By the time we were finished my posture was a bit like Steve Martin as Ruprect the monkey boy in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Dessie: Mine was when Eamonn took the stabilizers off my bike.

Who would you most like to have a beer with when you reach Kilkenny?

Dessie: That would have to be Eamonn.

Eamonn: We can get back on the proper beer, none of this low-fat nonsense.

Dessie: If we’re too tired to lift the glass, we might arrange to have it intravenously.

Photo: Conor Healy

Conference peddlers

Have you planned an interesting project or event for the autumn?

Tell us about it.

Contact moleary@impact.ie.

Apart from immediate family, what’s the greatest love of your life?

Dessie: Apart from my rubber duck? I suppose it would have to be football. Manchester United and St Pats.

Eamonn: I prefer football. Arsenal and Bohs.

Tell us a bit about the charities you’re supporting.

Dessie: We’re giving donations to a few suicide prevention groups who don’t have ready access to steady funding.

Ossory Youth Lifeline is a 24 hour helpline service for young people in crisis. There’s a young people’s group in Community Action against Suicide (CAS) in Clondalkin, and the other is called SOS (Suicide or Survive).

Eamonn: We’re also supporting the Rape Crisis Centre training network, which is run throughout the 26 counties.

What’s the best thing about being an IMPACT official?

Eamonn: Our inimitable sense of humour.

Eamonn and Dessie won’t be using a tandem.

TWO IMPACT officials have taken on the challenge of cycling from Dublin to the union’s biennial conference in Kilkenny this year. Eamonn Donnelly and Dessie Robinson, who both represent IMPACT members in the health services, are raising cash for suicide prevention awareness and the Rape Crisis Network.

The lads plan to do the 80-mile trip in one day, though they’ve decided against using a tandem. They’ve spent the last few weeks dividing their time between training and fundraising, while attending to the demands of their union work. Support has also come from Paul McQuaid at Phoenix Park Bike Hire, who very generously supplied the bikes for the trip.

We caught up with the boys stocking up on energy bars, lycra shorts and spare inner tubes.

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What preparations have you made for this epic journey?

Dessie: I bought a new bike.

Eamonn: We’ve done proper training two nights a week and we’re taking a lot of ‘Preparation H’.

Are you fit?

Dessie: No doubt. I’ve boxed, I’ve played football, and I’ve a black belt in Ludo.

Eamonn: And I still play a lot of football.

But the nearest we get to being proper athletes is athletes’ foot.

What dietary changes have you made?

Dessie: I’m down from seven to three pints.

Eamonn: And only in the pub Tuesdays, Wednesdays Thursdays and Fridays!

Dessie: And sometimes on a Saturday and Sunday.

Eamonn: The dieticians we represent told us that banana sandwiches and

pasta for a few days beforehand is the way to go.

What will be the biggest challenge?

Dessie: Probably the weather on the day.

Eamonn: We’re coming into the summer so the weather could be a very big problem.

What’s the worst thing about being a union official?

Both: Our inimitable sense of humour.

What would you most like to be remembered for?

Dessie: Arriving in Kilkenny in one piece sounds good.

Eamonn: I once had hair. I’d really like to be remembered for that.

YOU CAN HELP If you want to support Eamonn and Dessie’s cycle appeal, you can send cheques, made out to ‘IMPACT Conference Charity Cycle’ to Carol Foster, IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1. Or email your pledge to cfoster@impact.ie.

Whose idea was this anyway?

Dessie: We both had plans to do separate fundraising events during the summer, and then we thought it might be a good idea to do something together around conference time.

Eamonn: It obviously helped that the conference wasn’t taking place in Bundoran.

What item can you not leave home without?

Dessie: My rubber duck.

Eamonn: My copy of Work & Life.

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

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Water feature

Water, water everywhere?

Water supplies are under threat and the number of parched throats is growing. But is H2O set to become just another big business?

BERNARD HARBOR writes.

In the developing world, the burden of gathering fresh water forces girls out of education and into a life of hard physical graft and poverty.

AN EIGHT year old Tanzanian girl is forced to give up school. A Green Party candidate in Galway loses the race for a Dáil seat. State troops in El Salvador suspend a trade unionist from a flying helicopter. American cola giants slug it out for market share in the world’s fastest growing food and beverage market.

They tell us globalisation links everything nowadays, and these developments are no exception. One thing connects them. A resource that most of us consume every hour of every day, without thinking. A substance in such growing demand that some are calling it the “new oil.”

Each of us needs two litres a day to live. Over half a billion people have no access to it at all. And, as it becomes scarcer, supplying the substance has emerged as one of the fastest growing industries on the planet. The substance is fresh water.

The new oil? Litre-for-litre this precious resource now costs more than the black gold.

borne diseases. Householders, taxpayers and businesses face growing water bills. Water workers are reorganising their jobs to prevent privatisation.

A lot of bottle Demand for this scarce resource is rising fast. We have no more fresh water today than we did a million years ago, but now there are six billion people looking for a glass.

The world’s population has doubled since 1950 and water consumption has trebled. Meanwhile burgeoning industries and growing prosperity in China, India and elsewhere will see demand soar, while global warming drastically reduces supply.

Only 3% of the world’s water is fit to drink and, for the time being at least, two-thirds of that is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps. That means just 1% is available for consumption. And the growing conflicts over this seemingly simple substance are rippling into health, politics, jobs and big business. It’s about life and death.

A looming global crisis has forced water and sanitation to the top of the UN list of poverty reduction targets, which require 800 million more people to be connected to a water supply by 2015. And big business is never far away when demand for a vital product is on the rise. The global water industry is now growing faster than the software business.

There’s a lot of money to be made.

Global trade union federation Public Services International (PSI) cites the burden of gathering fresh water as one of the biggest factors forcing girls out of education and into a life of hard physical graft and poverty. Half the world’s expensive hospital beds are filled with victims of water-

Take bottled water. Over 150 billion litres of bottled water were drunk in 2004, a figure that’s growing by about 12% a year. Except in parts of the developing world, bottled water is rarely healthier than tap water, but it can cost 1,000 times more to produce, package and distribute.

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And that’s before you count the environmental cost.

Sustainability engineer Pablo Päster has calculated the cost of bringing a litre bottle of water from Fiji to America, the world’s largest consumer. He reckons it takes almost seven gallons of water and a staggering 26 gallons of fuel to produce, package and transport one small bottle.

Is it safe?

The ‘The ‘water is the new oil’ maxim comes not from activists anxious about the human or environmental costs of water shortages, but from Wall Street brokers advising clients to grab a slice of the billion-dollar action. It can be a dirty business. Last year two Salvadorian trade unionists were dangled from a flying helicopter for daring to organise a public protest over water privatisation.

A few months earlier, Galway’s water crisis saw 20 people hospitalised from among the 240-plus confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis caused by contaminated water. Some

Photo: dreamstime.com

90,000 households had to boil their drinking water for weeks, while the council spent thousands subsidising bottled water in an attempt to stop profiteering. Even Easter’s holy water had to be sourced from outside the county.

Unhappily for Green Party mayor Niall Ó Brolcháin, the fiasco was played out on the eve of a general election and many believe voters punished him on the water quality issue. Ó Brolcháin wasn’t responsible for the staff shortages or delayed investment, but he lost the blame game just the same.

The Galway story caused a lot of us to question whether it’s really safe to drink the tap stuff. E-Coli outbreaks in Clonmel and Dublin, and a recent Environmental Protection Agency report that detected the bug in 36% of group water schemes didn’t reassure. But for most of us, most of the time, tap water is as safe – and much cheaper – than the bottled variety.

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

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Water feature

of investment in public water provision between 1980 and 1990 had reduced the percentage of people living without safe water from 56% to 31%. But in the 15 years that followed, public investment dried up and private water operators connected just 600,000 new households to piped water.

Even some of the ultra-orthodox international financial institutions have apparently curbed their enthusiasm for privatisation. In recent years, both the World Bank and the IMF have questioned the assumption that private water operators are more efficient than the public sector.

Pooling solutions

Photo: Conor Healy

PSI official David Boys says this is good news. But it presents a challenge to unions and their members too.

“Unions have been very good at criticising the failed privatisation model, which has let down the world’s poor.

Now there’s an alternative and workers have to show that they have something positive to bring to the sector. There are some risks, but the potential for saving millions of lives by keeping water public is worth the risk,” he says.

Emma and Ava O’Dowd with Luke Shanahan

“For most of us, most of the time, tap water is as safe, and much cheaper than the bottled variety.”

The real emerging issue, in Ireland as elsewhere, is water scarcity. For centuries it has fuelled conflicts from the Middle East to Africa. It’s now likely to be a growing source of tension here too.

sources and suggestions that it has its eye on the Shannon have already provoked a fierce backlash. Water fights are likely to be as much a feature of Irish life as planning battles are today.

Water fight

The buck stops here

The European Environment Agency predicts that climate change will create Irish water shortages while a recent report from the Irish Climate Analysis and Research Unit predicts acute water shortages for Dublin within the next 12 years as the population grows and global warming brings higher temperatures and less rain.

Dublin City Council is now looking for alternative water

As supplies dry up and infrastructure costs run into trillions, big business is gambling that cash-strapped Governments will increasingly turn to privatisation. But outside the corporate world, many say the private sector can’t be trusted to guarantee high quality water for more and more people.

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A recent report by London-based experts found that a decade

IMPACT is taking up the challenge in Dublin, where the union has been involved in ‘interest-based’ bargaining with Dublin City council in an attempt to prevent privatisation of waste and water services. Negotiators accept that staff will have to adopt new flexibility measures as part of the process, which aims to improve services and protect jobs by keeping direct labour competitive, modern and userfocussed.

IMPACT national secretary Tom Brady says it’s vital for the unions to be involved. “Managing change is too important to be left to managers. It’s in the interests of our members to improve productivity and upskill staff through the partnership process. We need to guarantee excellent services to beat privatisation,” he says.

Ireland’s would-be privateers need to adopt a similarly realistic approach if Ireland is to meet the demands of the coming decades, and contribute to the global challenge of giving everyone the human right to safe drinking water.

It’s time to start valuing, and investing in, public water ●

Page title

School secretaries

Enjoy a two night break at The Water’s Edge Hotel, Rathmullan!

THE WATER’s Edge Hotel, Rathmullan – the most recent addition to the Blaney Group of hotels and a member of the hospitality collection Private Ireland is offering a lucky reader the chance to win a fabulous break away!

Upon arrival, guests will receive a warm Donegal welcome. You can bask in the serene and truly spectacular landscape that provides the backdrop for this boutique hotel. For those seeking peace and solitude there is no location as idyllic as The Waters Edge where you can gaze out on beautiful Lough Swilly or even drift off into a peaceful sleep with the sound of waters lapping outside their room and awaken, refreshed, to a spectacular Ocean sun rise.

The hotel restaurant and adjoining bar, is set on the shoreline of Lough Swilly, making it the perfect location for a romantic meal. The menu offers a range of dishes divided evenly between meat and fish (Donegal sirloin steak or roast tail of monkfish), with something imaginative for vegetarians. The restaurants’ specialty, of course, lies in the wide variety of local fish and seafood caught fresh every day. A well-balanced wine list offers great value to diners and guest alike.

For golf enthusiasts there are four golf courses nearby to Rathmullan, including Portsalon, Dunfanaghy, Rosapenna and a 9-hole course in Rathmullan itself For those who love an adrenalin rush or simply the great outdoors, there are many activities available nearby to ensure you are exhilarated after your stay, including Pony- Trekking Quad Safari-ing, indoor Karting, clay pigeon shooting and paintball shooting.

Simply answer the following question and return your answer to Roisin Nolan, Donegal Competition, IMPACT Work & LIfe, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1. Entries must be received no later than 15th June 2008. Prize: Enjoy a 2 night B & B stay for two people with one evening meal on the evening of your choice.

Question: Where is the Water’s Edge Hotel?

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Photo: Conor Healy

COMPETITION

The beating heart of your child’s school As their new IMPACT branch takes to the road with a campaign for better pay and conditions, NIALL SHANAHAN examines the essential behind-the-scenes role of the school secretary.

IT’S A cold, crisp morning. The sun, barely up, casts long shadows across the open fields around Kildare town, turning the thick layer of frost into a low hanging mist. The early morning commuters are already making their way into the city while, on the outskirts of town, the classrooms of Scoil Bhride Naofa are still empty.

The school building is eerily silent too, like an empty stage waiting for the actors to arrive. But in the expectant silence, one person has already started work. Just inside the entrance a bustle of activity reveals the beating heart of this micro community.

Margaret Keane has been school secretary here for 27 years. And, like every morning, she’s among the first to arrive. “There’s a lot on, so I have my list of things to do from the previous day with all the tasks that need to be completed before the first of the pupils arrive. It all needs to be done before

It’s eerily silent, like an empty stage waiting for the actors to arrive. But in the expectant silence, one person has already started work.

8.30, because that’s when the phone starts ringing,” she laughs. “And it often doesn’t stop until lunch time.” while Margaret handles the parents’ enquiries and notes about sick children, she also takes calls from suppliers, local authorities and the education department.

AND

Meanwhile, she manages the teacher and student traffic in and out of her office, while trying to make time to meet the principal to discuss the pressing issues of the day.

In between she is typing correspondence and reports, sorting the post, printing and photocopying, greeting visitors, passing on messages, updating clerical and electronic records, producing statistical returns and reports, ordering equipment and stationery, paying invoices, banking cash and looking after the kid who Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members 13

School secretaries and multi-tasked role, most school secretaries have little job security and few promotional prospects.

There’s a two-tier pay system where school secretaries employed before in 1990 are on standardised scales, paid directly by the education department.

The rest are funded from grants paid to school boards, which have to stretch

She also takes on social and educational jobs like arranging school trips and, increasingly, takes a central role in fundraising. to many other school expenses. They have no standard rate of pay and some barely make the minimum wage.

Union official Johnny Fox says he’s been inundated with membership requests since IMPACT established a dedicated school secretaries’ branch last year. “School secretaries play a critical role within the education system but they get little recognition.

That’s why we are raising their public profile and working to win pay, job security and working conditions that reflect their crucial contribution,” he says.

looks a bit pale and needs some comforting words and a phone call to mum or dad.

And while Margaret does most of this by herself, she is not alone in the routine hustle and bustle of her working day. In nearly 4,000 schools across the country, a similar number of school secretaries are doing the same important work.

“As crazy as it is some days, I do love my job and I’m always aware that there are lots of people doing the same

work, some of whom are struggling to survive,” she says.

In most schools, the secretary is a communications centre, the first port of call for parents and the community.

She’s aware of pretty much everything that happens; an excellent source of information for parents, staff and students alike. She also takes on social and educational jobs like arranging school trips and, increasingly, takes a central role in fundraising.

But despite this central, multi-skilled

It’s your union Find out more about your IMPACT entitlements.

www.impact.ie • 01-817-1500 14

SUMMER 2008

Johnny says they feel their time has come. “We’ve been on the road, holding a series of regional meetings to recruit new members and listen to what they have to say. We have learned of instances where school secretaries have been made redundant with no chance of redeployment when new vacancies arise. We even found one school secretary earning well below the minimum wage,” he says.

Following a stall in negotiations with the education department, the branch has balloted members for a national day of protest. It is also making a submission to the Oireachtas Committee for Education and Science in June. Fine Gael has also put down a Dáil motion highlighting school secretaries’ pay inequalities.

Despite her hectic schedule, Margaret has taken an active role in IMPACT’s campaign, including a busy round of radio interviews to support the branch’s regional meetings. “There’s a great feeling that school secretaries are facing a huge challenge and we must raise our voices now. It’s never really been done before, so it’s an exciting time to be involved.”

You’ve got a friend IMPACT is Ireland’s fastest growing trade union representing over 58,000 people in the public service and elsewhere.

IMPACT membership gives you: The best possible pay and working conditions – negotiated for you Information and advice about your rights at work A strong and skilful friend when things go wrong at work Membership of a campaigning organisation that stands up for public services and the people who deliver them Lots of discounts!

www.impact.ie DUBLIN Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1. Tel: 01-817-1500. Email: info@impact.ie CORK Father Matthew Quay, Cork. Tel: 021-425-5210. Email: impactcork@impact.ie GALWAY Unit 23, Sean Mulvoy Business Park, Sean Mulvoy Road, Galway. Tel: 091-778-031. Email: impactgalway@impact.ie SLIGO 51 John Street, Sligo. Tel: 071-914-2400. Email: impactsligo@impact.ie

Your career BERNARD HARBOR says there’s no such thing as the perfect CV. But there is a right way to go about it.

EMPLOYERS AREN’T on the lookout for the perfect CV. Come to think of it, which of us wants to work for the pedant that is? Your CV is simply a communications tool to convince your potential boss to shortlist you for an interview, where you’ll get your chance to elaborate and shine.

As with any effective communications, your first job is to prepare. That means looking at the advert, job description and any other available information, so that you can relate your experience precisely to what they’re looking for. If you’re applying for an external post, get some information about the organisation as this will help you frame your pitch.

While preparing, write down all the job requirements in one column and list your relevant experience next to them.

Make sure your CV emphasises the skills and experience that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for.

You should never stretch the truth. An experienced recruiter will spot a spoofer a mile off. But you should draw on your previous work experience to demonstrate that you tick all – or most – of the boxes.

Think in terms of skills rather than job descriptions. You may have been in your job for a long time, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t acquired lots of experiences that prospective employers want. And there’s nothing wrong with drawing on your experiences outside work. As secretary of the GAA club, or PR for a local drama group, you’ll have developed many skills that employers value.

Don’t just declare that you have what they want – demonstrate it. Rather than saying: “I am a good team worker,” say: “during my time in Beaumont hospital’s medical records department I worked as part of a multi-disciplinary team.”

Avoid jargon. I’m not sure that I’m ready to employ a “dedicated selfstarter” who’s able to “step up to the plate, going forward.” In fact, I’m not sure I know what one is.

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Photo: dreamstime.com

CV shortlist

Standing out for the right reasons Bad grammar and lazy spelling will speed your CV into the interviewers’ bin. You don’t have to be Roddy Doyle, but carelessness on these basics just sends the message that you don’t really want the job or, worse, would be slap-dash if you got it.

Avoid flashy designs and complicated lay-out. Lots of bold, italics and underlining just makes it look messy and difficult to follow. Stick to a simple, consistent style that makes it easy for the potential employers to track your career, and check it against their requirements. Oh, and reserve capital letters for proper nouns!

Make sure you pitch it at the right level, particularly if you’re going for a promotion or a career step-up. By definition, this means you won’t have operated at that level before. Be honest about your experience, but demonstrate that you understand the demands of the job and have the ability and determination to take it on successfully.

Keep it short, particularly if it’s a job that lots of people are likely to apply for. But don’t sell yourself short. Some say the ‘perfect’ CV should be no more than two sides of A4. That may be true if you’ve just left school or college, but it’s not a hard and fast rule particularly for more senior posts. Say your piece

in as few words as you can, but don’t leave out important information just to meet an ‘ideal’ pagination.

There are plenty of websites with hints on laying out your CV. Some recommend a ‘birth-school-work’ chronological approach. Others favour a functional approach that focuses on skills, experience and attributes.

Either way, the reader should be able to recognise you as a potential interviewee very quickly. So make sure you’re hitting the essential buttons early on. And, whether you follow a chronological style or not, any decent employer will spot blanks. Much better to explain that you spent a year in Australia with your mates, or took time out to care for a sick relative.

A decent and short covering letter that summarises the skills, experience and enthusiasm that you’d bring to the job – perhaps with one or two examples that highlight key posts or responsibilities you’ve held in the past – will help the shortlister spot your talent.

Finally, get someone who knows you well to read your CV. They will help spot any typos and, just as important, any omissions you may modestly have made.

Do

Be honest and enthusiastic Put your most recent and relevant experience first

Include all relevant experience and skills

Relate to the job requirements Explain any gaps Use simple layout and clear headings

Check your spelling and grammar

Include referees

Don’t

Rush it. It takes time to prepare a good CV

Use a standard CV. They’re grand if you’re writing out on spec. Otherwise your CV should be tailored to the job description

Exaggerate Leave out important skills just because you gained them outside the workplace

Use jargon and buzz words Use lots of bold, italics and underlining

Include salary details Forget to proof-read

Good luck!

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members 17

Getting there

Getting started

The revolution will not be motorised

YOU HAVEN’T been on a bike since you were a nipper, but you fancy tackling the daily trek to the office. So where do you start? A lightweight carbon-fibre road bike may be perfect for Lance Armstrong on Le Tour, while a full suspension mountain bike could tackle the rolling hills and muddy fields of Connemara with ease. But neither is designed to get you to work and, at the top end of the market, they’re well out of reach of most pockets.

NIALL SHANAHAN catches up with Dublin’s two-wheeled commuter revolution.

and reducing our carbon footprint are all very high on our wish lists in these enlightened times. But more people are commuting from greater distances than ever before, and public transport is trying to catch up with the explosion in demand.

Sometimes it seems like a whole generation has been gridlocked into submission as our cities and towns have expanded.

According to the 2002 census, the average commute for urban workers is less than eight miles. Yet in Dublin and its suburbs almost half of us drive to work, a typical figure for urban areas in the state.

And despite shorter commuting distances, city dwellers spend more time in their cars than their rural colleagues, averaging almost half an hour per journey. That’s an average speed of 17 miles per hour if you drive to work in an urban area. That’s pretty slow.

Perhaps that’s why a growing army of people are turning to the humble bicycle for their urban commute. A noble triumph of engineering, it certainly ticks all of the items on that wish list mentioned above.

Obviously, I am one of the converted, and much like a reformed smoker (yes, I’m one of those too) my almost evangelical approach to cycling probably annoys my noncycling friends quite a bit. But I am unrepentant. The joy of cycling in the city is infectious, and talking to other cyclists, it seems I am not alone.

Dublin City Councillor Andrew Montague chairs the council’s

More cyclists were tempted out on to the road the opening of the port tunnel and the ban on fiveaxle vehicles came into effect in February 2007, making the city streets much safer for cyclists. The council conducts an annual count of cyclists each November, tracking the number and frequency of cyclists on the canal bridges within the city limits.

The 2007 figures show an increase 17% from the previous year, and a 44% increase over the last three years.

Photo: dreamstime.com

So how do cyclists feel about riding in the city? Faster journey times, regular exercise and the freedom to weave through the gridlock are just some of the obvious benefits mentioned by those I spoke to. Cyclists are, however, just as unanimous on the downsides, citing the Irish weather, risk of theft, and the constant risk of a collision with motor vehicles. But all agree that the ‘pros’ outweigh the ‘cons’.

John MacMahon, who works in advertising and crosses the city on his bike every day, explains. “The biggest threat is undoubtedly private motorists, as opposed to taxis or buses. Most are pretty aware of cyclists but there are some that are totally oblivious; blocking bike lanes, turning left in front of you, veering wildly across roads while nattering on the phone, it is frustrating.” However, John is undeterred, and loves the freedom and speed the bike offers, “I can cut

Cycle to Work The ‘cycle to work’ scheme was set up by the British government to promote the use of bikes as an alternative mode of transport. The scheme allows employers to buy a bike on behalf of an employee, and provide interest free loans as part of their staff benefits package. The worker gets tax relief on the loan and because the employer is registered for VAT, the employee pays less for the bicycle. This means that the employee can buy a bike for up to 40% less than the retail value. Maybe a scheme like this could be included in Budget 2009?

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There are many hybrid bikes more suitable for a modest daily commute. A hybrid combines the light weight, gearing and speediness of a road bike with the comfort of a tourer and sturdiness of a mountain bike. Brand names to look out for include Specialized, Giant and Trek, all of whom carry a good range of entry level designs. See website details below for stockists.

cycling committee and is a longtime advocate of city cycling. He expects something of a biking boom. “Three per cent of all commuter travel was by bike in 2006. That’s equivalent to 23 million bike journeys per year, which is roughly the same as the number of individual Luas journeys taken in the capital,” he says.

“I can cut across the city in no time”

If you are going to spend some money on a bicycle, you should also invest in some accessories to make your cycling safer and more comfortable. A helmet is essential.

They’re not required by law, but they will prevent you from head injury if you have a fall.

Loose clothing maximizes comfort, while a rain jacket and leggings will get you through all but the worst wet weather.

across the city in no time, and the exercise before and after work really helps clear the head and set you up for the day.”

A good lock (and a safe place to lock your bike) is a worthwhile accessory. If you want to cycle in winter, front and back lights and a high visibility jacket or vest will mean that motorists can always see you.

Some cyclists regard the wonderful Irish weather as a disincentive, though most still cycle through the wet months, and a little investment in the right rainwear is a big help. Paul Keegan from Blanchardstown told me: “It can be tough with the heavy rain and wind blasting the face off you. But it still beats sitting in traffic.”

Stockists: www.cycleways.com www.thebikeshop.ie www.cyclesuperstore.ie www.wheelworxbikes.com

I couldn’t agree more. And of course, motoring isn’t getting any cheaper. The AA calculates that it costs about €132 a week to run a small car, including parking, NCT, licence and insurance. That’s before you put any petrol in it.

Councillor Montague is optimistic that pedal power is proliferating.

“I think the 2007 figures will show that cycling is on the rise. We’ve planned to launch a number of promotional campaigns this year, including a schools safe cycling training programme, aimed at older primary and secondary school pupils. It will take time, but interest is growing.” Amen to that.

dreamstime.com

FASTER COMMUTING times, improved physical fitness,

Your say

R A ST TER T 0 E L €5

Carrots and sticks I like a joke as well as the next person, particularly when they have some current currency.

My present favourite is the one about “the carrot and stick approach,” which refers to the current negotiations on national agreements.

The spin of employers and government in recent times had been: “Things are going well lads. Everybody’s happy, and you don’t want to upset a winning formula by looking for more money. After all, you’d only go and spend it and risk overheating the economy.” The right thing to do?

Low pay rises.

This time out the economy is slowing down (relatively), inflation is higher (factually), and you don’t want to upset the apple cart (figuratively). So, the right thing to do?

Low pay rises.

I’ve been in employment since 1979 and I’m wondering. When is the right time for a pay rise?

The joke, by the way, is that if workers don’t do what the boss wants, he beats them over the head with a stick. If they do what he wants, he beats them over the head with a carrot.

Philip Mullen IMPACT assistant general secretary.

A&E story Last year I had my first experience of attending the A&E department of my local hospital. I had a kidney stone and any reader who’s experienced the same will recall intense pain.

As I waited on the trolley I was able to observe the hustle and bustle of everyday life in our health system. Staff members running to check on the availability of beds, scurrying down to X-ray, and seemingly endless ambulance personnel arriving with the walking and wheel chair wounded.

In the middle of that a professional boxer arrived, having been unsuccessful in his bout and carrying the scars.

Later I had a cup of tea and some toast which was like a Christmas dinner considering I had no food for some time. By night time I had been allocated a bed and my recovery commenced.

That’s my story. I wondered during that time if Mary Harney ever thought of visiting any A&E at a busy time, when lightening decisions have to be made in the interests of patients. More importantly, did it ever cross the minds of Mary Harney or the health department secretary general that literally thousands of people pass through A&E? One last query. Who is the Secretary General of the Department of Health?

Seamus Fitzpatrick, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown branch.

Fancy €50?

Work & Life pays €50 for the best letter published each month and €30 for the rest.

Let us know what you think about the magazine or the issues it’s covered.

Come to think of it, let us know your views on anything at all!

Get out your pen and paper today. And don’t forget to keep it nice and short.

Write to Roisin Nolan, Work & Life, IMPACT Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1.

Or email rnolan@impact.ie.

We only publish signed letters.

Work & Life may edit your letter for size.

A young nursing attendant came to me and enquired, not for the first time, if I was comfortable. I appreciated that.

Work & Life Work & Life is the magazine for members of IMPACT trade union. IMPACT members can have it mailed to them by contacting Work & Life at IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1 or by emailing rnolan@impact.ie. Or call Roisin Nolan on 01-817-1544.

IMPACT also produces a monthly e-bulletin with more detailed information about the union’s activities and campaigns, and developments in your workplace. Sign up via the website on www.impact.ie.

IMPACT is Ireland’s largest public sector union with members in health, local government, the civil service, education, the community sector, semi-state organisations, aviation and telecommunications.

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members 21

Your rights at work

Fixed term FAIRNESS Workers on fixed-term contracts will enjoy stronger workplace protections following a ruling by the European Court of Justice MARTINA O’LEARY reports.

A NEW European legal judgement has confirmed that staff on fixed term contracts are entitled to the same pay and pension rights as comparable colleagues on permanent contracts. It also confirms that they enjoy equal rights to sick leave, training, access to promotion and other conditions of employment.

IMPACT, which won the case, says the State is now likely to have to pay compensation totalling almost €220,000, plus an undisclosed amount of back pay.

The compensation was awarded by an Irish Rights Commissioner in February 2005. The Government then appealed the case to the Labour Court, which referred various legal aspects to the European Court of Justice. The case will now return to the Labour Court for a final ruling, unless the State drops its appeal.

After five and a half years with the Department, Lorraine thought she had some security and was hoping to be made permanent in time. Her bosses’ letter was a bombshell. “The uncertainty of not knowing and the stress it caused was horrendous. It was just before Christmas and I have a mortgage and loans to pay. Not knowing if I was going to be in a job affected me, my husband, and my little girl,” she said.

IMPACT prevented the dismissal and took Lorraine’s case to a Rights Commissioner, who ruled that Lorraine and a colleague had suffered discrimination purely because they were on fixed term contracts. The Rights Commissioner awarded her €40,000 compensation and told her employer to put her on a permanent contract and pay back money for the five years she had spent on the first point of the pay scale.

Over three years later, the compensation still hasn’t been paid because the Department of Finance appealed the case.

IMPACT official Louise O’Donnell (with bubbly) celebrates with some of those who won the case.

“I never knew anything about unions before and I felt pretty vulnerable. But IMPACT took up my case and I was delighted with the representation from the union. Me and my colleague Shane are very happy with the outcome,” she said.

Lorraine has enjoyed the backing of her colleagues too. “They are really supportive, and they’re really happy that we won our full time jobs. My main objective was a secure job. The compensation was a bonus, just the icing on the cake,” she said.

Now Lorraine hopes the Department of Finance will drop its appeal. “I just want an end to it for me and my family,” she said. IMPACT national secretary Louise O’Donnell has also called on the Department of Finance to drop its appeal against the 2005 Rights Commissioner’s ruling.

“These workers have now waited over three years for justice.

Some were threatened with the sack by government departments that were trying to avoid their legal responsibilities. All were denied benefits that permanent colleagues enjoyed including pay increases, contributory pensions and access to sick pay, training and annual leave.

They now deserve a speedy end to this injustice,” she said.

This article is for information only and is not a legal interpretation. Find out more on www.impact.ie 22

SUMMER 2008

THE FACTS

Photo: Conor Healy

Lorraine Scott.

In October 2004, one of the claimants Lorraine Scott received a letter from her employer, the Department of Agriculture. It said she was out of a job. “Initially I thought it was a mistake. I couldn’t believe they could do this to us,” she said.

Photo: Conor Healy

“Not knowing if I was going to be in a job affected me, my husband, and my little girl.”

THE EUROPEAN ruling has clarified that, under EU legislation, fixed term workers are legally entitled to the same pay and working conditions as comparable permanent staff in the same employment, unless the employer can demonstrate "objective grounds" for different pay and conditions.

The Protection of Employees (Fixed Term Work) Act 2003, which came into operation on 14th July 2003, implemented the EU fixed term workers directive in Irish Law. The legislation also prevents employers from keeping staff on an indefinite series of fixed-term contracts. If your employer wants to keep you on after you’ve had two or more fixed term contracts, they have to put you on a permanent contract (called a “contract of indefinite duration” in the legal texts). The total period of fixed-term contracts cannot exceed four years.

(The rules are slightly different for staff employed before 14th July 2003).

Fixed term employees are defined as those whose employment contract is fixed because they arrive at a specific date, are completing a specific task, or are hired to work on a specific event.

The Act covers almost all fixed term employees of any age. There are a few exceptions, including staff placed by employment agencies. You can get more information from www.impact.ie or www.employmentrights.ie.

Legal web WORKERS’ LEGAL entitlements can seem like a minefield, but help is at hand from two great websites which gives lots of advice on employment rights.

IMPACT’s site, which can be found at www.impact.ie, includes a section on your legal rights at work. All IMPACT members can sign up for access to the site.

Unions also campaigned for the establishment of the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA), which was finally set up under the Towards 2016 national agreement. Its website, www.employmentrights.ie, contains lots of information in 13 languages, including Irish, Polish, Latvian and Chinese.

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members 23

Be good to yourself

STRESS affects all of us to varying degrees and at different times. Let’s face it, the stress of going on holiday is not exactly comparable to losing your job or ending a relationship. Karen Ward advises.

Stress management IT’S OFTEN the little things that do get to us, while we sail through the bigger situations life throws our way. Believe it or not, if you are in shape, healthy and have a means to relax that can make a huge difference to your level of well being.

Here are some simple ideas to help through the inevitable stressful times and leave you with a sense of balance in your work and home life.

Your body Did you ever notice that when you feel fit and healthy, life doesn’t really get you down in the same way as when you feel out of condition? Factor into your schedule three one hour, or six half-hour, exercise spots during the week. You can maintain this without too much hassle.

Your mind

Remember your friends, family and colleagues know you, so you should be comfortable letting down your guard now and then.

We often hold in our emotions keeping a stiff upper lip and the ‘show on the road’. This keeps the family routine ticking over, but at what price? Your friends or colleagues will understand if you say something like “I feel a bit low today, I just need to take it easy, and I’ll be fine tomorrow.” You are letting them know that you aren’t feeling great, that you know a little time-out will help and that you will be ok again soon. The last is particularly important for children to know.

And have some favourite treats for when you feel a bit low – not necessarily of the chocolate variety! A long soak in the bath with candles and aromatherapy oils, a massage, a hairdo, a cappuccino with your favourite magazine, the list is endless. Just the knowledge that you have lined up a treat at the weekend will keep you going through a busy and stressful week.

You know when your head feels fit to burst with worries and problems whirring around giving you no peace? Mental stress is the worst of all. It can leave your body feeling drained and your nerves in tatters. A relatively easy way to relieve mental stress is to find a hobby or interest that engrosses you completely.

Watching a film or reading a book is great escapism. But any pursuit that you love, and which leaves you feeling relaxed and refreshed will do.

Eat a good breakfast. Get five portions of fruit and vegetables and drink the equivalent of three small bottles of mineral water a day. Keep wheat intake down to one portion a day (a bowl of pasta or two slices of wholemeal bread) to avoid bloating and clogging your digestive tract.

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1. The magic list Always make a list of what needs to be done in order of priority. Most of us do this at the start of our day taking pleasure striking items off as the day progresses. Factor in breaks.

3.

Meditation is another excellent time-out routine.

Many of us don’t know a lot about it and so feel it’s ‘not for me’. It just means focusing your

Body clock

Some of us are night owls. Others are morning larks. Work out the time of day you are most productive and use it for meetings and vital tasks. Do your filing, dusting or easy phone calls at other times.

4. Family time

mind on one thing to the exclusion of all else.

So you might lie or sit down with your eyes closed and listen to your breathing for five minutes. Every time a thought pops into your head (which it will!) let it drift away and return to the sound of your breath. Or think of a special person you love or a special event you enjoyed. To benefit completely you need to tell whoever you live with that you’re going to take a little time out so you’re not to be disturbed.

Factor in some talk time and play time with friends and family. Schedule these special times rather than spending valuable time and energy thinking about when you can squeeze them into your busy week.

Your feelings The best way to keep yourself emotionally sound is to realise that your emotions are there for a reason. Release tension and feelings to indicate when something is wrong. Don’t be afraid to experience your emotions, whether good and bad.

Time is precious so make your work and home time more effective. A holistic viewpoint makes it so much easier to put into action.

Tackle one of the minor tasks to ‘warm yourself up’. You will finish it quickly and feel good as you strike it off your list. By then your mood will have changed and you will be able to face the top priority tasks.

weekend will keep you going through a very busy week.”

The trick is to maintain an regular and easy level of exercise which, combined with good healthy eating, will sustain you throughout life. What you eat and drink today walks and talks tomorrow.

time management

2. In the mood

“ The knowledge that you’ve lined up a treat for the Pick an exercise you like. Walking is a classic and can be done with a friend or partner for a good chat or alone to chill out. Swimming is very therapeutic. Gym work, whether on weight machines or cardio vascular equipment, can have a soothing rhythmic effect on your system while keeping you trim and toned.

Holistic

Photo: dreamstime.com

There are a myriad of little stress busters to keep your physical, mental and emotional health in good shape. The idea is to keep it simple, enjoyable and regular.

Karen Ward, holistic therapy presenter from RTE’s highly successful programme ‘Health Squad’ is co-author of the best selling book ‘The Health Squad Guide to Health and Fitness’. www.karenwardholistictherapist.com

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

25

From the kitchen

Stepping up to the plate

Pigs might

Ten trotters that rocked the pig world

fry!

When MARGARET HANNIGAN decided to take full control of her family’s food supply, it meant adopting a couple of pigs.

1 Miss Piggy Queen of the Muppets and pioneering pig in space.

2 Pink Floyd’s inflatable pig Graced the cover of the classic Animals before drifting off over Battersea power station.

3 The Pigman Eponymous hero of Paul Zindel’s cult teen-angst classic.

4 The Piglets

“We got on with minding the stock and reading our cookery books on the sly!”

Of course, they soon saw through that, increasing our meat eater’s guilt exponentially. But, inspired by our guru Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (of River Cottage), we decided to give it a try. As Hugh says of his livestock: "Only by caring for them properly when they're alive can we feel okay about eating them when they're dead.” Having secured our herd number from the Department of Agriculture, we got on with minding the stock and reading our cookery books on the sly!

Now if you're keen enough, every single part of the pig, from it's ears to it's

cute curly tail can be eaten. As novices, we ruled out making black pudding and decided we didn't want any offal or unrecognisable innards.

We wavered on the sausage question, but bought a mincer and ordered sausage casings just to be on the safe side. The first batch of sausages had too much breadcrumb and not enough seasoning. And we learned that filling slippery sausage casings from bowlfuls of raw meat is not for the fainthearted.

stoats, and various creepy-crawlies that might swing by.

were quite keen on salami, until we realised that it's made from minced raw meat, poured into a salted cow's intestine and left to air dry for a month or two. Hugh says not to mind the inevitable mould, and he appears on DVD standing under a row of salamis, strung out like Christmas lights on his back porch. I fear if we did that, they would turn to slime in the rain, or become lethal airborne missiles in the next high wind. Not to mention the rats, foxes, badgers, mice,

WE

Apart from the joints, chops and sausage meat that went straight into the freezer, we have managed to make some decent rashers, and cured some ham in a simple brine, though we haven't tasted it yet. Yes, the meat is very good, and it is very satisfying knowing exactly where it came from.

And yes, the guilt has passed.

If rearing pigs is beyond you, look out for speciality butchers shops, and farmers markets, where organic meats

Asian pork salad with sweet chilli dressing Meat: 450g/1lb pork fillet, sliced into 1cm slices Marinade: 2 lemongrass stalks, leaves discarded, chopped finely, 2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped, 4 cloves crushed garlic, 3 shallots, finely chopped, 50g/2oz dark brown sugar, 50ml/2floz fish sauce, 2 tbsp sesame or sunflower oil, 50g/2oz unsalted peanuts.

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SUMMER 2008

Dressing: 75ml/3floz fish sauce, 75ml/3floz lime juice, 2 red chillies sliced thinly in rounds, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 50g/2oz caster sugar.

Salad: 1 head of cos or other crisp lettuce leaves roughly torn, 4 spring onions finely sliced at an angle, 1 cucumber cut in half lengthways, deseeded, and sliced at an angle, and a large handful of coriander and mint leaves.

PLACE THE meat in a bowl with the marinade ingredients and leave in the fridge for at least an hour. Roast the peanuts in a hot oven for five minutes, or toast on a frying pan. Roll in a dry tea towel to remove skins if necessary.

Chop nuts roughly. Put dressing ingredients in a bowl, jug, or screw-top jar and stir or shake hard to combine. Place salad ingredients in a serving dish, and keep cool until

serving. To serve, place a grill pan or frying pan on the heat until hot and smoking, and then add the marinated meat.

Cook for a minute on either side, then add remainder of marinade and cook for a minute or two until slightly sticky. Take off the heat, toss salad in the dressing, then add the pork in the sauce, and toss quickly. Sprinkle nuts on top and serve straightaway.

Photo: dreamstime.com

INGREDIENTS: Serves 6

and salamis are on offer. Support your local producers. The alternatives are simply too cruel, and too unappetising to contemplate. Our pigs lived short, but very contented lives, and the experience has given us a deep respect for meat-producing animals, and a firm conviction that intensive production demeans both the animals it controls and the people it professes to serve.

This year is the Year of the Rat. But, between you and me, I think we'll give that one a miss and just stick with the pigs.

Summer wine Prices accurate at time of writing.

At first there were some awkward questions. We told the kids we weren’t going to eat the new arrivals. They’d go to a farm in the mountains in the autumn, in exchange for some pork chops.

Photo: dreamstime.com

ON A sunny Sunday afternoon last May, the pigs arrived. We were beside ourselves with excitement. 2007, The Year of the Pig, had begun in earnest.

SUMMER WINES tend to be cooler, calmer and lighter than the robust reds and oaky whites of the darker months. It’s a good time to acquaint yourself with French and Italian wines, often neglected if only because it’s harder to understand the labels.

Rose: A good Rose wine is summer in a mouthful. Look for a strong rosy colour, and an enticing aroma of red berries.

Purveyors of classic 1970’s one hit wonder Johnnie Reggae.

Lay it on me!

5 Babe Oscar nominated for best picture, this little pig went a long way.

6 Francie Brady “Pig boy” Brady cut up rough in Patrick McCabe’s The Butcher Boy.

7 Spider Pig Stole the Simpsons’ Movie show.

“They can’t kill him if he’s wearing people’s clothes,” according to Homer.

8 The Gadarene swine When they get the evil spirit in them, they can sure show lemmings a thing or two.

9 The Beatles’ Piggies George Harrison’s anti-capitalist ditty inspired the Charles Manson murders.

10 Napoleon All animals are equal but he was more equal than the others in Orwell’s Animal Farm.

Think strawberries, raspberries, cranberries. Always serve wellchilled, and drink young, that means produced in recent years.

Try Nugan Estate third Generation Shiraz Rose, available in Supervalu and elsewhere at €7.99. Fabulous fuchsia colour and zinging taste.

Red: Villa Antinori, €16-18, most supermarkets. This is a supple, soft easy red wine from Italy. A bit pricey, but lovely if it’s left to warm up for while. I keep

mine on a shelf over the cooker and pretend it’s been warming in Tuscan sunshine.

White: Give Chardonnay a rest and try Sauvignon Blanc, also known as Sancerre in French varieties. Serve chilled, and inhale the fresh scent of pears, melons, gooseberries, and some say, freshly-cut grass. Crisp and refreshing, tastes of holidays.

Try Aresti Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Supervalu, most supermarkets.

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members 27

Green Fingers

look at your garden now to determine where there are winter and spring gaps, and to make notes on how many of each variety you need to buy in the autumn to fill the gaps. I usually plant six bulbs per square yard in the autumn and sprinkle some bulb fertilizer on all the bulbs when they have finished flowering.

Stuck for space...

Summer colour Please don’t be tempted to remove the leaves or tie them up in fancy knots. Bulb leaves should be left on for at least six weeks after flowering, giving them time to build up a food reserve for next year.

LAST SUMMER while visiting friends in New York, was delighted to see gorgeous ripe tomatoes and basil overflowing from their window box on a tenth floor apartment. You could literally stick your head out the window and graze.

The very best plants for adding late summer colour to your

Succession planning

for your garden with Jimi Blake

NOW’S THE perfect time to tackle the gardening jobs you’ve put off over the winter and plan for summer colour.

MAY AND JUNE are my favourite months in the garden, with everything bursting into growth in dazzling shades of fresh green. Even the laziest plants are in leaf as the days lengthen and the soils warm up.

garden are dahlias, and now is the time to plant them.

My first memory and experience of dahlias was in my granny’s garden in Galway where they were always grown to perfection. They were the gaudiest mix of colours you could imagine but utterly show stopping.

It’s the perfect time to make good use of any fine weather to get out into the garden and tackle those jobs that were on the long finger all winter.

I like to start dahlias in pots in the polytunnel in the spring and then plant them out at the end of May when they’re nearly ready to flower and, I hope, large enough to be safe from slugs. If you don’t have the luxury of a polytunnel then plant them straight into the ground. Full sun is very important for these hard-working plants to perform well and provide a long season of interest.

I am a bad winter person, spending every morning with my face glued to a light box to get my dose of vitamin D to keep me smiling. Garden bulbs have the same effect by starting their flowering season in the winter and encouraging me out into the garden. So if you want these little darlings to put a smile on your face, now is the time to start planning.

Dahlias are a bit like me, always hungry while in the garden.

They require lots of well-rotted farm yard manure to make them flower well. I dig large holes for each plant and throw in a bucketful of manure, forking it into the base. The manure releases its richness slowly and helps to retain moisture, making it the ideal soil conditioner for dahlias.

I suggest a succession of bulbs to carry you from the dark days of winter to the balmy days of summer (fingers crossed!). The snowdrops are the first to flower in January and February, followed by daffodils in March, tulips in April and alliums in May.

The only other jobs you’ll have to do are dead head them every few days, which is simply removing the old flower buds as they fade to encourage new flowers, and water if it’s a very dry summer. I will explain what to do with them at the end of the summer in the autumn issue of Work & Life. For now, enjoy these most dramatic flowers through the summer.

The key to creating this succession in your garden is to ▲

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SUMMER 2008

“My first memory of dahlias was in my

granny’s garden in Galway. They were the gaudiest mix of colours you could imagine, but utterly show stopping.

”

My favourite Dahlias to grow are Dahlia ‘David Howard’ which has apricot orange flowers with a dark centre, set off by black tinged foliage. I also like Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ with its bright scarlet petals around a yellow centre and stamens and red foliage, and Dahlia ‘Hillcrest Royal,’ which has brilliant red-purple flowers with incurving petals on strong stems.

Vegetable garden One of the easiest vegetables to grow is the courgette or, to our Italian and American friends, the zucchini. They can be bought as plants in garden centres now and planted out in the garden with lots of manure.

They grow into large plants, needing an area of around one square yard per plant, but can also be grown successfully in pots. As with all vegetables, they need to be planted in full sun.

The secret is to eat them when they are still small, no more than 22cm (9 inches) long. And, believe me, you will have enough to share with your neighbours.

This is a good time to visit gardens open to the public. My own garden, Hunting Brook (www.huntingbrook.com), will be open to the public one weekend a month throughout the summer, or at other times by appointment. Bring your note book, pen and camera and get ideas for your own garden.

Bloom, the largest gardening show of the year, featuring 30 show gardens and all the nurseries from around Ireland selling plants, will be held in Phoenix Park, Dublin, 29th May to 2nd June 2008.

Back to Ireland, and let’s look at growing rocket and lettuce in window boxes or large pots. Fill your container with organic compost which can be found in any good garden centre. Get a packet of rocket seeds or any salad green. Make sure the compost in your container is level, sow seed over the surface and cover with a thin layer of compost and water. You should be picking beautiful, fresh greens within a few weeks and never again will you eat those disgusting pre-packed bags of salad.

Now let’s take salads a step further and grow some edible flowers in your window box or pot as well.

They are often just added for their colour but some, like nasturtiums, rocket and chive flowers, have real flavour. It’s still not too late to sow some nasturtium seeds, which will germinate really quickly and produce gorgeous edible flowers, seeds and leaves.

Other edible flowers worth growing, and which you can buy as plants, are garden pansies or violas, borage flowers and pot marigold. Pick the petals only when you’re ready to make the salad, avoid washing them and sprinkle them over the salad at the last moment, after dressing, as dressing discolours them and make them soggy.

Brown Envelope Seeds in Cork (www.envelopeseeds.com) has a wonderful selection of salad seeds.

Jimi Blake owns Hunting Brook Gardens near Blessington, Co Wicklow and runs 35 weekend courses through the year in gardening, cookery, art, complementary health & craft. www.huntingbrook.com Photography: www.dreamstime.com

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

29

At the movies

THE SUMMER blockbuster season has been overloaded with superheroes for the past few years, with X-Men, Spider Man and Batman dominating screens.

While this year has the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man and Batman (again) among the headliners, perhaps the most eagerly anticipated movie features a more old-fashioned hero. Just one man and a bullwhip.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the fourth in a series that began in the early 1980’s and embodied aspects of that burgeoning blockbuster culture, with its increased focus on the big-budget event movies.

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, whose respective films Jaws (1975) and Star Wars (1977) were key moments in fostering this sea change in cinema culture, were also the principal architects of the Indiana Jones series.

Harrison Ford has dusted down that famous fedora.

I need a

HERO 30

SUMMER 2008

While the films have clear origins in the adventure serials of the 1930’s and 1940’s, Spielberg and Lucas have created a recognisable and influential genus of their own. The image of the roughhousing explorer Indiana, complete with bullwhip and fedora, and his alter ego the mannered archaeologist Dr Jones endures as one of the most iconic characters of modern cinema.

The series was launched with Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), an exotic tale of daring archaeologist Indiana Jones’ race against the Nazis to discover the Ark of the Covenant. The film established the series’ signature of fastpaced action, wry humour and ancient mysticism and proved to be both a commercial and a critical success, even earning best picture and best director nominations at the Academy Awards.

Gloom and Doom The follow-up, The Temple of Doom (1984), was a prequel that featured a much darker tone, with Lucas’ story touching on child slavery and torture.

While the film showcased advanced visual effects, for which it won an Academy Award, suggestions that the film was too sinister and violent prompted something of a volte-face in the third instalment, The Last Crusade (1989).

Pitting ‘Indy’ against Nazi agents once again, this time in pursuit of the Holy Grail, the film was injected with a greater level of humour, particularly through the father-son relationship between Sean Connery and Harrison Ford.

Script from the crypt As one of the most successful movie franchises of all time, perhaps the most surprising aspect has been the near two-decade hiatus since Indy last rode off into the sunset. A major stumbling block was the script, with numerous writers involved in development before David Koepp’s screenplay proved acceptable.

Set in 1957, the film reflects the actual progression of time and features the now older Indiana Jones coming up against Soviet agents, led by Cate Blanchett, in the pursuit of the Crystal Skull, a magical totem with super-

No, more heroes While May sees the release of Iron Man and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull there’s plenty more superhero action to be had over the rest of the summer.

The Incredible Hulk (13th June) This sequel to Ang Lee’s underperforming Hulk (2003) reflects a familiar storyline of the Marvel comic and television series with Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) going on the run to find a cure to his condition.

Hancock (2nd July) Will Smith stars as the titular character in this comedy about an alcoholic superhero who hires a publicist to help restore his public image and proceeds to have an affair with his wife.

Dark Knight (25th July) Christopher Nolan’s sequel to the excellent Batman Begins (2005) sees Batman (Christian Bale) team with Lieutenant Gordon and district attorney Harvey Dent to do battle with the Joker (Heath Ledger).

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (22nd August) After the success of Hellboy, Guillermo del Toro returns to direct a script he wrote with the character’s creator Mike Mignola about Hellboy’s battle against rebellious forces from the mythical world who seek to take over Earth. natural powers. In a further nod toward the period setting, Indy is teamed up with a young greaser (Shia LaBeouf) in what one imagines is an effort to recapture the repartee between Ford and Connery in The Last Crusade, and play upon the aging of the character.

The film will undoubtedly be a success.

Its key selling point is the warm nos-

talgia felt towards the earlier films and you can be assured that it will deviate little from the established template of globetrotting adventuring and goodhumoured comedy.

But whether the film can match the bristling energy and excitement of its forerunners only time will tell.

Are you faster than a speeding bullet?

1.Which planet is Superman from in SUPERMAN THE MOVIE? a Mars b Pluto c Krypton d Jupiter 2. Which Hollywood legend famously charged $3.7m to play Superman's dad in SUPERMAN THE MOVIE? a Henry Fonda b John Wayne c Cary Grant d Marlon Brando 3.Which pop icon starred in and provided music for the movie DICK TRACY? a Madonna b Cher c Kim Wilde d Annie Lennox 4. Which city does BATMAN protect from the forces of darkness? a New York b Chicago c Detroit d Gotham

5. Which actress put in a sexy performance as the PVC wearing Catwoman in BATMAN RETURNS? a Julia Roberts b Michelle Pfeiffer c Alicia Silverstone d Nicole Kidman 6. What special feature does the Batcopter have that saves the day in the Adam West BATMAN movie? a Stinger Missles b The Bat Claw c Bat Shark Repellent d Bat Wings 7. How was the Japanese monster icon GODZILLA created, before heading off to smash up Tokyo? a Nuclear testing b Genetic engineering c A lizard ate Agent-X d In space 8. Which building does the huge ape famously climb, with Fay Wray in tow, at the end of KING KONG?

a Trump Towers b The Empire State Building c The White House d The Chrysler Building 9. THE PHANTOM, starring Billy Zane is a movie version of one of the first comic strip superheroes. In what year did the comic first appear in newspapers? a 1930 b 1935 c 1936 d 1940 10. Who stars as, the greatest ever adventurer, Allan Quatermain in THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN? a Shane West b Stuart Townsend c Jason Flemyng d Sean Connery Answers: 1c 2d 3a 4d 5b 6b 7a 8b 9c 10d

After a gap of two decades, the new Indiana Jones blockbuster is set to be the film hit of the summer. MORGAN O’BRIEN puts the new release in context.

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members 31

Pageittitle Play loud Date May 22/23

Artist Bruce Springsteen

Venue RDS Dublin

Joe Satriani

Vicar Street, Dublin

Westlife/Shayne Ward

Croke Park

June 2

Yazoo

Olympia Theatre, Dublin

June 6

Avril Lavigne

RDS Simmonscourt

June 7

Bon Jovi

Punchestown, Naas

June 7

Rufus Wainwright

Cork Opera House

Radiohead

Malahide Castle

Rufus Wainwright

University Concert Hall,

May 23 June 1

June 6/7 June 8

Limerick June 10

Morcheeba

Dublin Academy

June 13

Leonard Cohen

Kilmainham Hospital

June 14

Neil Diamond

Croke Park

June 16 June 16/17/18

Prince

Croke Park

Crowded House

Olympia Theatre, Dublin

June 17/18

Madness

Dublin Tripod

June 20

Eric Clapton

Marquee, Cork

June 21

Eric Clapton

Malahide Castle

June 20

Cathy Davey

Olympia Theatre, Dublin

June 21

K T Tunstall

Olympia Theatre, Dublin

June 21

Dolly Parton

Marquee Cork

June 22

Dolly Parton

Nowlan Park, Kilkenny

June 23

Lou Reed

Marquee, Cork

June 28

Boyzone

RDS Dublin

June 29

Neil Young

Malahide Castle

June 30

Neil Young

Marquee, Cork

June 29

Meat Loaf

Marquee, Cork

July 1

Massive Attack

Marquee, Cork

July 2

The Bangles

Vicar Street, Dublin

July 3

Paul Simon

Marquee, Cork

July 6

Paul Weller

Marquee, Cork

July 7

Pink

Marquee, Cork

Blondie

Vicar Street, Dublin

July 25

Summer madness RAYMOND CONNOLLY says there are treats for all tastes on this summer’s gig scene.

The Eurovision song contest is staged in Dublin, with a big win for Switzerland and Celine Dion. The show was co-hosted by Pat Kenny and Michelle Rocca. The stage was not the subject of a squatter’s rights wrangle.

May–July 1988 Best selling UK singles included Fairground Attraction’s Perfect, Wet Wet Wet’s With A Little Help From My Friends’ and Glenn Medeiros’ Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You. Must have been something in the water that summer.

Apparently Bono was also a candidate, but the vote went to Chris. All of which leaves our noble sod with a summer free of Messrs De Burgh and Hewson. That being said, there is a grand mixture of treats and threats lying in wait on the gig scene this summer.

June gets off to a hairy start with Westlife selling out Croke Park. Now I’m all in favour of opening up Croker for sporting and social events, but I do have standards. That same bank holiday weekend provides a little nugget when 1980’s favourites Yazoo play Dublin’s Olympia. For those of you who recall the sound of the Rolf Harris-endorsed Stylophone, this concert is a must.

25 Years ago The Now That’s What I Call Music compilation album series hit the shelves for the first time. We’re now at Now 69 and counting.

May 1983 was infamous for the recording of the pathetic Glory Glory Man United FA Cup final song and long since have we suffered.

Bon Jovi pump into Punchestown on 7th June (I wonder what did actually happen to Tommy’s job on the docks) the same weekend of the eagerly awaited Radiohead gigs at Malahide Castle. If Thom Yorke and the lads leave you feeling exhilarated, but slightly depressed, hop across to Kilmainham Hospital where Leonard Cohen will be dispensing some cheer on, you guessed it, Friday the 13th.

30 Years ago May 1978

Mid to late June reads like the M50 for congestion. Nutty boys Madness play two “intimate shows” (always known for their subtlety) at Tripod while less than a mile away, at the Olympia, the once mighty Crowded House vie for top billing. Could be a slight clash of cultures there. In fact, if it were the 1960’s, it would certainly be another instalment of Quadrophenia.

The Knack is formed by EMI. My Sherona? My sweet Jesus more like.

May 1978 Keith Moon (a reserved lad with an occasional eye for high jinks) plays in concert with The Who for the last time. Dear Boy passed away four months later.

For the umpteenth time, Neil Diamond croons Dublin, followed two days later by the artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, now known as Prince. The Purple One is promising his greatest hits at this “farewell” gig.

July 1978 The Dead Kennedys play their first concert in San Francisco. Carnage. A Holiday in Cambodia anyone ?

Then old timers Eric Clapton and Neil Young roll into Dublin and Cork, initiating a frenzy of activity over the following weeks at Cork’s Marquee. I hope dear old Eric doesn’t get a slow hand clap.

Photo: dreamstime.com

The legendary Lou Reed entertains the Marquee on 23rd June and then a frightening cocktail to wind down the month.

Boyzone at the RDS followed by Meat Loaf at the Marquee.

Stop the madness.

Gig it!

32 32

SUMMER 2008

If your sanity maintenance survival kit hasn’t failed you, July has some hopeful prospects too. The brilliant Massive Attack play the Marquee on 1st July. Bristol’s trip-hop experts are sure to put on a top class show. Also at the Marquee that week are Paul Simon and the ever-popular Paul Weller

20 Years Ago April 1988

THE GOOD news this summer is that Chris de Burgh is playing in Iran. That should be a relatively safe distance. Pity the people of Persia.

Our own Cathy Davey plays the Olympia on 20th June, a gig that quite simply should not be missed. KT Tunstall arrives the night after. And if KT isn’t your thing trip down to the Marquee, or indeed Kilkenny’s hurling shrine Nowlan Park, to catch up with America’s answer to Barbara Windsor. None other than Dolly Parton.

Musical memory lane

In case you missed it Slow hand clap.

(this concert could be jammed). Mr Weller turns 50 years young in May, and although his best work was the Jam’s All Mod Cons, the Modfather has remained a popular crowd pleaser as a solo artist.

One could do worse than to end the month on a nostalgic note. The great Deborah Harry and Blondie play Vicar Street on 25th July. Many men now aged between 40 and 50 will recall the visual affect Ms Harry delivered in the late 1970’s.

But that should not overshadow the fact that Blondie was a superb pop act and the band created many wonderful pop moments. Re-live the experience.

Get your ears on The Seldom Seen Kid, which is the fourth studio album by indie rock outfit Elbow, who hail from Bury, near Manchester. They’re the best thing to come out of Bury since the Manchester City Supporters Club (Bury Branch). Released in March, it’s incredible to think that a record as good as this would go unnoticed.

The Fix features the brilliant Richard Hawley on guest vocals. Highly recommended.

Watch out for The forthcoming album from Mullingar outfit The Blizzards, now in the making. We’re in for a high energy treat if the smart pop-rockers’ new record is as good as their debut A Public Display Of Affection.

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members 33

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES Cecilia Ahern (Harper Collins, £12.99).

IN A remarkably short space of time Cecilia Ahern has moved from being a mere best-seller to being one of the chosen few whose name is recognised as a brand. Think Maeve Binchy, JK Rowling, Jackie Collins. She is firmly established in the public eye as guaranteeing a wholesome, whimsical and comforting story. But even die-hard devotees may struggle with this latest book, which reads like the work of a tired writer writing in a hurry.

Photo: Conor Healy

Kelly’s eye IMPACT member JULIA KELLY is on the verge of the literary big time with her award-winning first novel.

JULIA KELLY’S debut novel With My Lazy Eye, has made a deep impression on readers and critics since it was published last November. She’s been judget best Irish newcomer at the Irish Book Awards and has recently signed a UK publishing deal for her next novel.

And her writing has attracted praise from acclaimed Irish novelist John Banville.

Julia also happens to be a member of IMPACT, and works full time at the National Centre for Partnership and Performance in Dublin.

With My Lazy Eye tells the story of a young girl making her journey through adolescence in 1980s Ireland, and her relationship with her distant father. The novel is an intimate and closely observed family snapshot, which draws 34

SUMMER 2008

much inspiration from her own experiences.

It took three years to write, after Julia secured a publication deal on the strength of the first two chapters. “I thought that’s how it worked. You write a couple of chapters, you get a huge advance, and then you give up your job and write the rest of the book,” she laughs. “I was shocked when the publisher called to say how much they liked the two chapters, but where is the rest of it?”

Completing the book was a challenge.

“I had the main thread of the story, but I had to fight the lack of confidence all the time. I use the phrase in the book ‘the salesman with the empty suitcase’. That’s what I felt like trying to write it. I had to keep chipping away at it, trying to get a hold of it, and then finally let it go after 32 revised proofs.”

Julia took periods of unpaid leave to finish the book, and, by her own admission, broke every deadline set by her publisher.

Julia studied English, Sociology and Journalism in Dublin. “Then I escaped to London for the mad, bad years of life.” Her first writing gig was a Sex in the City tyled column for D’Side magazine, which detailed the lives and loves of her time in London.

Returning to Dublin Julia managed to secure some time in the artists retreat at Annamakerrig. “I had very little work to convince them I was a writer, but they gave me a chance. It was a magical two weeks. The book really started there.”

So what kind of writing inspires her? “I like writing that’s funny, poignant and original. I loved Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections, and I adore Raymond Carver. Joan Didion and Dorothy Parker would also be big influences. I love Bill Bryson, he’s laugh-out-loud funny, and informative.”

Julia has some advice for other aspiring writers who are trying to balance the demands of writing and working life. “The first thing is to give up going to creative writing classes. I went to a few myself but I had to stop.

Ultimately I had to sit down and do the hard thing. I confess that I am a bit lazy, so that was a huge thing to get through, but it’s the only way.”

Currently still on the promotional circuit for the book, she is yearning to get back to the solitude of her writing desk. “I have begun fantasising about that quiet time, when I can get back to the writing, that’s what I am working towards right now.”

Here we have sad, lonely Joyce, who’s moved back in with her widower Dad because her life is falling apart. Dad is a cliché ridden old codger who is so over the top he would make Jim Carey blush, while Joyce is quite bland, dithery, and slow to come to rather obvious conclusions. Then there’s Justin, the conclusion at which she eventually arrives, who is just as lost as Joyce. But because he’s a man he’s not as good at it.

They all link up (eventually) because in one of those wild coincidences beloved by writers, Justin donates a pint of his blood in the very same week that Joyce needs a transfusion. Then, wilder again, Joyce realises she has received not just his healthy platelets, but all his memories and university education as well! The book then becomes a series of paper-thin contrivances to bump the two of them together, to acknowledge their mystical bond (Urgh) so cupid can do his thing. You could easily not read this.

Margaret Hannigan

THE YIDDISH POLICEMEN’S UNION Michael Gabon (Harper Perennial, £7.99).

IN SOME ways this is a classic detective story in the Raymond Chandler style.

But it’s unusual on many levels, one being that it is set in Sitka, Alaska.

According to the story, many Russian Jews escaped to Alaska during World War 2, turning this fictional Sitka into a sort of a Jewish homeland. Gabon creates an alternate history as a backdrop to the lives of his characters.

Photo: dreamstime.com

Reviews

From the author

Homicide detective Meyer Landsman has taken to living in a grotty hotel since the break-up of his marriage. He is on hand when another resident is found shot dead in his room. With a large number of open cases in the department, Meyers boss (also his exwife) decides this one can be consigned to the cold case drawer. But something about the dead junkie has struck a chord with Meyer and, with his partner Berko Shemets, they continue their own investigation.

Crime fiction is often synonymous with trashy writing but that is definitely not the case here. Chabon is a writer with huge confidence when it comes to use of language. This challenging book has been nominated for several awards and there is talk of a Coen brothers film.

Kathryn Smith

THREE GIRLS AND THEIR BROTHER Theresa Rebeck (Harper Collins, £12.99).

NOWADAYS, IT appears everyone wants to be famous. There’s no longer any need to actually do anything of importance. Celebrity itself is the goal. This timely novel explores what it would be really like to suddenly achieve fame while being totally unprepared. Amelia, Polly and Daria Heller are three beautiful red-haired New York sisters who happen to be the grand-daughters of Leo Heller, who was once a famous literary critic for the New Yorker.

That magazine publishes a photo of the three teenage girls, which immediately grabs the attention of the public.

Endless requests for modelling work and interviews follow and anything resembling the normal life lived before the photo is gone. Public reaction to an incident involving 14-year-old Amelia and a top actor means they face aggressive journalists everywhere they go.

The story is first told by their brother, Philip, a forgotten observer to all that is happening and then by each of the girls in their own words. With the family disintegrating and each member reacting differently, we watch a world where kindness, honesty and sincerity have no place and the pointless end always justifies the means. Totally absorbing.

Kathryn Smith

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members 35

FLORIDA

sun fun

Photo: dreamstime.com

Travel and trips

Island heaven There’s nothing like sitting on the beach watching the sunset in Sanibel Island or Captiva, both accessible by bridge. If you’re lucky you might glimpse the dolphins.

These Islands have a feel of the Caribbean about them. It’s very laid back and you can hire a bicycle and get around on two wheels. Beautiful sunshine and wonderful beaches.

There are some good places to eat too, like the Bubble Room in Captiva. This magical restaurant, with great food and amazing desserts, is like a toy museum with lots of antique toys including a train that moves from room to room. You drink your water from jam jars. It's all about being a child again, although the food is all grown up with a range of staples, steak, chicken and fish.

If that sounds too childish, the more casual Island Cow in Sanibel is a great place to eat, and also good for families.

A huge menu, friendly and efficient staff, and the muffins – which come with each meal – make you want to go back.

For the younger ones there are lots of shows and gentler rides. This just about pips Sea World as my top theme park.

Theme parks Get rid of the idea that theme parks are strictly for kids, although they are a wonderful place for them. I've been to Disney three times and brought my kids only once. If I'm really honest, I enjoyed it more with adults as you have the freedom to get on the rides you want. Having said that theme parks are a kiddie’s paradise.

Orlando is full of them. Disney World has four, the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, MGM studios and Animal Kingdom, plus many water parks and golf courses. Competing with Disney is Universal Studios and one of my favourites, Sea World.

You’ll find Bush Gardens if you travel south west towards Tampa. It’s really a safari, theme and water park all in one.

For the older kids, aged 10 to 90, you can take a short safari, feed the giraffes, take the cable car, enjoy the roller coasters, and get soaked on the water rides.

Stamina For the uninitiated, you need some stamina. The trick is to go early, particularly if you have young children, as it gets hot, and the queues are busy during high season.

What we did was go every second or third day, as you would be exhausted if you visited any theme park two days in a row. During your rest day you can chill out by the pool or in one of the water parks.

Another trick is to go early. But when it gets too hot, most parks will allow you to get your hand stamped so that you can leave and return later in the day.

Comfortable shoes, lots of sun screen, a packed lunch (the restaurants are pricey) and a camera to capture the fun are all essentials in your theme park survival pack.

Weather alert FLORIDA IS not called the sunshine state for nothing. It has nice mild springs, autumns and winter, but it gets really hot in the summer with temperatures averaging 30-35 degrees in June, July and August.

It can rain a bit too. The wet season starts about late May and can last until early November. Mainly you get a heavy shower and then the sun dries it up. But hurricane season runs from June to November, with the peak activity coming in August and early September.

But don’t let that put you off. I find spring and autumn are great times to visit. Whatever you do, though, make sure you have plenty of sun protection. And apply it often.

With summer approaching and the Euro strong against the dollar it’s as good a time as any to go stateside says MARTINA O’LEARY. FLORIDA IS a great place to visit, where every child's Disney dream will keep young and old entertained for days. Orlando is the home of Disney World and many other theme parks, but there is more to Florida than Mickey Mouse and the strip on the city’s International Drive.

South West Florida, around the Naples area is just beautiful. This fashionable town is a great place to unwind. You can eat near the waterside bay as you

watch the boats go by, or check out the town, which is packed with great restaurants, theatre and lots of craft shops. You can buy some really unusual things in the People's Pottery and they’ll fit into your suitcase.

The town is on the Gulf of Mexico just north of island seclusion or the untamed tropical wilderness of the Everglades. If you don't fancy the Everglades there are lots of smaller islands to visit.

There’s nothing like sitting on the beach watching the sunset in Sanibel Island or Captiva.

If you’re lucky you might glimpse the dolphins.

Shop ’til you drop NO VISIT to the States is complete without a visit to the shops where there are many bargains to be had. But before you get carried away, ask yourself if you really need three Gucci handbags.

My mistake was to buy things that I won’t really use just because they were such good value. A lot of my stateside purchases have hardly seen the light of day since.

Having said that, the fantastic shopping outlet centres are hard to resist, with reduced prices on all the designer labels we pay a fortune for in Ireland. From Polo Ralph Lauren and Coach, to the Gap and Nautica, the list goes on and on.

Many outlet malls and large department stores give visitors discount vouchers, which are great. Just bring your passport.

Orlando Premium Outlets is great, as is my favorite Miromar, which has again been voted the best factory outlet shopping center in south west Florida. You can shop here for hours. Or take a break in one of the lovely restaurants. Sit in the sun, listen to the live music, have a nice glass of wine with your salad. And then tackle the shops again.

Photo: dreamstime.com

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SUMMER 2008

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members 37

union business

HEALTH

NEWS IN BRIEF...

Get your report

IMPACT BRANCHES are currently distributing copies of the union’s 2007-2008 biennial report, which fills you in on the details of union activities and achievements over the last two years. All IMPACT members are entitled to a copy and you can download the report from our website – www.impact.ie – or order an electronic or hard copy from Roisin Nolan, IMPACT, Nerney’s Court Dublin 1. Email rnolan@impact.ie.

Mums overtaxed?

IT’S POSSIBLE that some IMPACT members employed by the HSE have paid too much tax while on maternity leave. Those who got wages directly from their employer, who then recovered maternity benefit from the employee or the Department of Social and Family Affairs, should only have paid tax on the difference between the value of their maternity benefit and the value of their salary. You should contact your salary department if you think you’ve lost out.

Local authority changes mooted

A GREEN paper on local government was published in April. Stronger Local Democracy: Options for Change proposes the introduction of a directly elected mayor for Dublin, who would have powers in planning, housing, waste, water provision and waste water disposal. It also raises the prospect of revised structures for local governance for “key gateways” like Limerick, Waterford and Sligo and unitary authorities, with a single elected major, for county and city councils.

Child care shortage

A NEW report on HSE child care and family support services has highlighted staff shortages and under resourcing. The first report published under the 1991 Child Care Act identified hundreds of cases of children at risk of abuse or neglect. Many social work teams reported long waiting lists of child abuse referrals, and that, contrary to best practice, many children at risk were being dealt with on an emergency basis. The HSE said there had been a 79% increase in family support funding over the last five years.

Find out more on these and other stories from www.impact.ie

Huge support for health action IMPACT IS planning industrial action in the HSE over the health service recruitment freeze and its effect on services and staff. The union’s health service members backed action by 85% to 15% in the largest ever vote of its kind undertaken by the union.

The action will see staff refuse to co-operate with HSE advisors or the HSE ‘transformation programme’ from 21st May. They will also block non-emergency overtime and out-of-hours work and refuse to cover work and posts affected by the recruitment freeze.

The union says the ban on new staff is hitting existing services and delaying promised improvements in areas like primary care, disability services, mental health services and elder care.

IMPACT national secretary Kevin Callinan said the union was seeking an end to the current recruitment restrictions and respect for existing agreements and third party recommendations about staff working conditions.

“The staffing freeze is having a devastating effect on services and staff. The effect of the cuts has so far varied, depending on where vacancies have arisen. But it’s only a matter of time before all services and staff are affected,” he said.

The action aims to minimise effects on patients and services, and maximise the impact on top HSE management.

The union also accused the HSE of undermining a wide range of working conditions including cover for absences, promotions, acting up, career break returns, and access to term-time and other schemes. “Unless the HSE changes its approach, staff will have no guarantee against further imposed changes in their terms and conditions of employment,” said Mr Callinan.

In September 2007, the HSE announced a recruitment embargo in response to spending overruns in hospitals and refunds for drugs and medicines. Although the spending overrun was not caused by staff numbers or pay, the embargo banned any new appointments of staff, temps, locums, relief staff and overtime, as well as promotions, new acting up arrangements and career break returns.

In December, the HSE said the staffing freeze was over. But in early January a new circular banned the filling of most posts that became vacant during the September 2007 embargo, as well as those that were unfilled before the embargo came into force. No vacancy can now be filled unless another post is suppressed.

PHOTO: CONOR HEALY

€50,000 community boost

IMPACT MEMBERS will donate €50,000 worth of small grants to education and intercultural projects in Dublin’s north east inner city this year. The cash comes from the union’s small grants fund, which was established in 2006. IMPACT general secretary Peter McLoone is pictured here with some of the young people who participated in the projects we funded last year.

PUBLIC SERVICE

Irish public servants rated highly THE PUBLIC service is delivering high quality services at a relatively low price, according to a major new report. The study, by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), debunks the myth that public service pay and employment are out of control.

It says that “the public service is doing more with less relative to the size of the overall economy and workforce,” because public spending and employment have not kept up with population and economic growth in the last decade.

“In comparison with other OECD countries, Ireland has a public sector that is relatively small given the size of its economy and labour force,” it says. It added that increased public spending in recent years reflected a need to “play catch up from historically low levels.”

The report says too many arms length agencies have been set up to deliver public services, a trend that “has led to further fragmentation and reduced transparency.” It also warned against the centralization of human resource management, which inhibits “the autonomy of local level management.”

IMPACT general secretary Peter McLoone welcomed the report. “When it was commissioned, IMPACT said public servants had nothing to fear from international comparisons, and that’s turned out to be right. This report shows that, despite all the unfair criticism, Irish public servants are delivering quality services and value for money.”

McLoone called for a change of approach to public service reform, especially in health. “The HSE is the biggest agency of all and its blanket ban on recruitment is the most extreme example of centralization of human resource management. It’s meaningless to talk about reform unless the Government and senior public service managers are prepared to tackle problems like these, which impact on thousands of people every day,” he said.

The report gives cautious backing for more performancerelated pay, saying that “Ireland should continue to take a careful approach.” It also calls for more mobility in recruitment between the civil and public service.

IMPACT has called for a root and branch review of public service pay determination in light of the recent benchmarking report. “The OECD report is right to recommend caution on performance related pay and any changes to public service pay structures and recruitment procedures will have to be negotiated with the unions,” said McLoone.

Read the report on www.impact.ie

Get full details of the action from www.impact.ie.

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SUMMER 2008

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

39

union business

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Sick leave falls as services improve TOP LOCAL authority managers have reported high levels of staff and union co-operation with initiatives to reduce sick leave and absenteeism. This led to a 33% drop in certified sick leave in 2006. A report from the local government Performance Verification Group (PVG) also says local authority staff have shown their willingness to vary duties to meet changing demands, and to provide services outside normal working hours.

The PVG, which verifies staff co-operation with modernisation under Towards 2016, lists examples including extended library opening hours, improved motor tax services, 24hour cover by waterworks caretakers, more fire inspections, and the opening of area offices to bring services closer to communities.

County and city managers told the PVG there was regular movement of staff to relieve workloads, and many local authorities have introduced mobility and transfer policies through their partnership committees. This has included the suppression of some existing posts in order to create new ones that better reflect changing needs and demands.

Other improvements included new recycling services, 247 traffic information on national routes, more customer service desks, lifeguard services on beaches, and a comprehensive countywide arts programme. The report also identified much improved use of IT in local authorities, including better websites and prep work on a new HR and payroll system. But it says some innovations, like facilities for making payments over the phone, have proved too costly for some.

It also said many local authorities were striving to strengthen links with schools, tenant and resident bodies, business groups, disability organisations, sporting and cultural groups and voluntary and community bodies.

IMPACT national secretary Peter Nolan said the report was further evidence that public servants got too much unfair criticism. “This report shows that they are putting the needs of service users at the heart of everything they do. Local authority staff can be proud of the services they provide to their communities,” he said.

The PVG also reported high levels of co-operation with ongoing change, and highlighted the importance of partnership and staff and trade union involvement in modernisation.

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SUMMER 2008

Pay warning IMPACT HAS warned that employers could seek pay cuts from ordinary workers in the absence of a new national pay deal.

The union says a new agreement is the best way to ensure that living standards are protected.

Trade union negotiators entered pay talks in April, following a special ICTU conference. IMPACT leader Peter McLoone said politicians and business leaders would drive down pay if left to their own devices.

Olympic hurdles not cleared SPORTSWEAR BRANDS like Adidas, Nike, Asics, New Balance and Puma are among the products manufactured on the back of excessive hours and poverty wages according to a damning new report from Play Fair, the organisation that campaigns for workers’ rights in the multi-billion dollar sector.

Long factory in China’s Pearl River Delta, which supplies Adidas, Nike, Umbro and Fila, overtime can reach over 230 hours a month while average wages are almost half the legal minimum.

Clearing the Hurdles: Steps to improving working conditions in the global sportswear industry says there’s been no real progress since the last Olympic games in Athens four years ago.

Based on interviews with over 300 sportswear workers in China, India, Thailand and Indonesia, Clearing the Hurdles shows that violations of workers’ rights is still the sportswear industry norm.

The report lifts the lid on Yue Yuen, the little known Hong Kong manufacturer that produces one-sixth of the world’s sports shoes and counts brands like Adidas, Nike and New Balance among its most important clients.

It reveals a pattern of extreme pressure to meet production quotas, excessive, undocumented and unpaid overtime, verbal abuse, threats to health and safety and a failure to provide legally required health and other insurance programs.

One exhausted factory worker said two workers had to glue 120 pairs of shoes every hour. “I am exhausted to death now.

We are working without rest and are always afraid of not working fast enough to supply soles to the next production line. We are tired and dirty,” they said.

“These companies control the sportswear and sports shoe markets. By acting together and really leading the sector on wages and other key issues an end to the misery these workers endure is possible,” said Jeroen Merk of the Clean Clothes Campaign.

“Top earners have filled their own pockets with obscenely large pay increases. Meanwhile, the organisations that represent them demand restraint from ordinary workers, whose families know what it means to be on the wrong end of food and fuel inflation,” he said.

The report also sheds light on the conditions of workers stitching soccer balls in Thailand, India and China. At Joyful

Read the report at www.ituc-csi.org

Read more about the negotiations on www.impact.ie.

Decentralisation denounced

“These people and their organisations want lower wages and fewer protections against exploitation. Social partnership is the only process that will protect living standards in this environment, and only trade unions have the capability and determination to ensure that it delivers for ordinary workers,” he said.

McLoone rounded on business leaders and politicians for their double standards on pay. He said they were out of touch with reality if they expected wage restraint from ordinary workers while top earners got huge pay hikes.

Polish man helped A POLISH man who was viciously attacked in Limerick last January was presented with a cheque for €6,500 after IMPACT members contributed generously to a support fund.

CIVIL SERVICE

IMPACT HAS welcomed recent OECD criticisms of Ireland’s civil service decentralisation and has again called for a fundamental review of the programme.

Mariusz Lata suffered severe burns when he was attacked by thugs, who sprayed his face with flammable liquid and set him alight. Galway-based IMPACT official Denis Rohan organised the collection after members in the west asked the union to help.

The recent OECD report on Irish public services said that so-called decentralisation was really just “administrative relocation” because no real power was being devolved. It also said the programme had hampered workforce planning and service development.

“Mariusz will be unable to work for some time and this money will provide some financial support for his family in this difficult time. It also helps to demonstrate that, as workers and trade unionists, we care for each other in times of need,” he said.

The report shares IMPACT’s view that departments are losing corporate knowledge and experience because most staff are choosing not to move with their departments or offices.

IMPACT national secretary Louise O’Donnell said: “The OECD view comes as no surprise. At a time when the Government is attempting to control spending, decentralisation becomes a folly. The money spent on purchasing fields and empty buildings could be put to better use,” she said.

report says huge cross-organisational transfers of staff, the loss of expertise and corporate memory, and the devotion of staff resources to relocation, reorganisation and retraining is likely to cause “massive disruption to services.”

IMPACT represents about 1,200 civil servants whose posts are earmarked for decentralisation, most of whom work in professional and technical posts. The union has calculated a cost of over €65 million a year to replace specialist civil servants who would remain in Dublin with no obvious role if the programme was implemented is currently planned.

Louise said the Government needed to change tack. “The scale and timetable needs to be radically reviewed to ensure that decentralisation can happen in ways that promote genuine regional and economic development while delivering value for money and quality public services. The approach needs to recognise that the civil service delivers a wide and complex range of services on which service users, taxpayers and communities depend,” she said.

Its 2006 policy document, Why Decentralisation Isn’t Working also identified a large number of organisations where service quality would likely suffer if decentralisation went ahead as currently planned. The

IMPACT members are also dissatisfied at the way staff concerns over jobs and career prospects have been ignored, despite assurances that those who voluntarily remained in Dublin would not be disadvantaged.

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

41

SMALL CHANGE

Your money

Free Education?

It’ll cost you!

IT CAN cost up to €30,000 to finance a child through third

grows by 20% over the subsequent 5 years. Withdrawals are allowed. You can arrange to have your child benefit paid directly into the account.

level education according to a recent survey that confirmed, if confirmation was ever needed, that “free” education is a myth. But while it may be costly, it is well worth while.

Investment funds

Education not only yields a good return in terms of future earning power but it also gives a return in terms of selfdevelopment and an enhanced ability to live a fuller life.

None of these deposit or regular saver accounts are likely to do much more than simply maintain the purchasing power of your saving over the years.

You can hope to do better, but may do worse, by opting for an investment fund. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of funds to choose from.

You need to consider how the money is invested. A fund investing in startup businesses is obviously more risky than one investing solely in blue chip companies.

Given our new found tiger economy wealth, the burden may no longer seem too large and it can be greatly eased by spreading it over a long period. It’s never too early to start saving for a child’s future education.

Deposit accounts The easiest way to save is to put money into a bank, building society, post office or credit union deposit account. You can save as much as you like whenever you like. It’s totally flexible. Just make sure that you are getting the best possible return. It’s currently possible to get less than 1% or more than 5% with the best returns available on internet deposit accounts.

Regular saver accounts A number of banks are currently offering very attractive interest rates on special saver accounts and An Post recently

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SUMMER 2008

Photo: dreamstime.com

If you can afford to put aside the child benefit each month that may well be enough to cover those future costs. The benefit in respect of a first or second child amounts to €1,992 a year or about €36,000 over eighteen years. That’s before taking account of future increases or of the interest or other return earned on the money. If we assume that the return will be at least to keep pace with inflation then whatever sum you have built up will be at least equivalent in spending power to €36,000 today.

It should be possible to do even better if you are willing to take a risk and there is no reason why you shouldn’t since you are taking a long-term view. While stock markets can be volatile they have tended to well outperform saver investment over the longer-term. There is every chance that over the course of eighteen years the “ups” will more than outweigh the “downs”. But there are plenty of options.

It can cost up to €30,000 to put a kid through school.

COLM RAPPLE advises on some savings options.

launched a new issue of its Instalment Savings Scheme. AIB, Anglo Irish Bank, Bank of Ireland, First Active Halifax and the EBS building society all have such accounts offering rates of up to 7.3%.

To qualify you have to save a specified amount each month for at least a year, in some cases two. You can’t put in a lump sum and there are limits to the amount you can save each month ranging from €300 with AIB to €1,000 with Anglo Irish and Bank of Ireland, First Active and EBS. An Post’s Instalment Saving Scheme is not currently competitive although it may become so in the future. It pays an average of 3.37% tax free over six years. That’s equivalent to 4.2% pre-tax. You commit to save between €25 and €1,000 a month for a year. There is no interest paid during that year but the sum accumulated at the end of the twelve months

You also need to check the charges.

They can differ significantly from company to company and from product to product. Ideally you should be charged nothing for a lump sum investment, every cent you invest should go into the fund without any deduction. And there should only be at worst a small extra administrative charge if you opt for regular periodic investments.

There may be penalties for early withdrawal, perhaps within the first five years, but that shouldn’t be a worry if you really intend saving for the longer term. In all cases there will be an annual management fee which ideally shouldn’t be any more than 1%.

There is no need to combine life cover with a regular investments product. You may be encouraged to do so but look on it as a separate although perhaps related decision. Planning for your childrens’ future must take some account of the significant financial implications of the death of either parent, whether wage earning or not. But be clear that you are making two decisions, one to save for the future and the other to take out some life insurance cover.

Change in childcare tax relief A LOOPHOLE that allowed some people to effectively get tax relief on their childcare and crèche costs has been closed off by a provision in the Finance Act. The Revenue are of the view that there never was a loophole but the fact that they saw it necessary to put the matter beyond doubt, suggests that they may not try to recoup the tax revenue lost.

The loophole, if such it was, was made use of by some lucky workers whose employers providing childcare and/or crèche facilities usually on site. In most such cases the facility provided by the employer was not considered a taxable benefit-in-kind by the Revenue. But very often those making use of the facilities had to top up whatever the employer was providing with a contribution towards ongoing day-today costs including perhaps employing carers.

According to the Revenue, such employee contributions should have been made out of after-tax income but some employers stopped the money before the calculation of tax.

The Revenue says that it was never allowable and it certainly isn’t any more.

Store card warning IF YOU are going to borrow to fund a purchase, be very wary of the finance plan offered by the seller. It can seem convenient and immediate, but the cost can be high. For example the mail order company Oxendales charges a whopping 39.6% on its credit sales. That’s twice as much as you’d pay on even the most expensive credit card accounts and at least four times what you would pay on a term loan.

The true interest rate being charged for credit sales has to be shown somewhere in the fine print. Look out for it. And remember that retailers offering interest free instalment payments have already built the cost of finance into the price of whatever goods or services they are selling.

Depositors protected?

IT’S UNLIKELY that any Irish deposit taker is going to collapse. The British Northern Rock Bank ended up with a State guarantee when it got into difficulties and while that shouldn’t be taken as a firm precedent, the Financial Regulator would always be slow to let depositors take a hit, not because of its concern for the depositors themselves but because of the possible knock-on effects on the banking system as a whole.

If you are worried remember that protection under the current compensation scheme is limited to 90% of individual deposits up to a maximum pay out of €20,000.

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

43

Sport

Three times a charm Will this season finally see three-in-a-row winners in football and hurling? KEVIN NOLAN thinks it might.

A third triumph for the Kingdom would bridge a 22-year gap since Mick O’Dwyer managed the green and gold to three successive all-Irelands in 1984, 1985 and 1986. Piece by piece the Kerry jigsaw has been reformed over the course of the national league and they still have several marquee names to fully rejoin their ranks as they set sail with intent for the summer ahead.

The sparkling array of Declan O’Sullivan, Paul Galvin, Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper and Paul Galvin has allowed Kerry to deal comfortably with most of their league campaign. And in true Kerry fashion they have blooded the up-and-coming David Moran and Tommy Walsh to decent effect.

“In Ulster the football championship promises an almighty battle.”

While Kieran Donaghy is central to Kerry’s game plan young Walsh, son of 1970’s hero Seanie, has shown that they could have an able replacement should the towering Tralee man hit a fallow period.

Cork will be driven to exorcise their nightmare all-Ireland day of last September and, following their early season strike, should be a very united force. However, they lack the personnel and depth of options that Kerry possesses to knock their neighbours off their pedestal.

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SUMMER 2008

but look highly unlikely to repeat their heroics of last summer. With Ciaran McDonald likely to return to bolster John O’Mahony’s hand, it could be Mayo to prevail west of the Shannon, particularly with Joe Bergin now sidelined with injury.

Photo: inpho-Cathal Noonan

NEVER IN THE HISTORY of Gaelic games has a three in-a-row of Sam Maguires and Liam MacCarthys been achieved in the same season. This year could see a break in the tradition as Kerry footballers and Kilkenny hurlers look primed to retain their stranglehold of their respective championships.

“In hurling Kilkenny will waltz through Leinster and are unlikely to be tested until the semi-final stage.”

Kilkenny’s Michael Rice passes Tipperary’s James Woodlock.

Dublin can be expected to be to the fore in the chasing pack.

Three Leinsters in a row have underlined the Dubs consistency.

But their many critics won’t be silenced until they land an AllIreland. Could 2008 be the summer when Sam returns to the Hill? I reckon it will be a case of ‘close but no cigar’.

Their dominance of their province echoes the command of the Dublin team of the early 1990s who, after falling short in 1992, 1993 and 1994 eventually arrived at the promised land in 1995. However, that side did reach two All-Ireland finals (in 1992 and 1994) while the current crop have hit the wall in all-Ireland semi-finals.

Their attack has shown the ability to rack up scores capable of winning against any opposition, while the midfield partnership of Ciaran Whelan and Shane Ryan is as good as any and better than most. But it is at the other end of the field that they have failed to find the solutions, most recently when outclassed by Armagh in their NFL game in Crossmaglen.

In Ulster the football championship promises an almighty battle with Monaghan, Derry, Tyrone and Armagh to contest a pulsating duel. While Armagh are not fancied if Ronan Clarke and Stephen McDonnell find their best form, Peter McDonnell’s men can not be discounted. However, with Tyrone’s injury woes lessening there could be one final kick from Mickey Harte’s men with the expectation level in Monaghan likely to weigh down on the men from the Farney County.

In hurling Kilkenny will waltz through Leinster and are unlikely to be tested until the semi-final stage. Ger Loughnane looks to be putting together a Galway team with taking on the Cats in mind. He has a deep pool of talented stickmen, particularly with the prodigious Joe Canning joining the squad after his all-Ireland club winning heroics with Portumna, and their physical prowess should match Brian Cody’s men head-on if the counties collide.

Tipperary fans can be optimistic for this summer. When compared to last season, their defeating Kilkenny in the NHL division one semi-final was significant.

Cork hurlers, like the Rebel footballers, know that if they slip up this summer the critics will be very quickly in with the brickbats following their early season strike and its fallout.

This will make them a potent force. But it looks like the next generation of hurlers are not yet capable of generating the competition for starting places, which is required to land the top prize.

Both Tyrone and Armagh have won all-Irelands in recent times with strong defensive systems acting as one of the foundations of their success. If the Dubs are to end a 13 year famine they will have to take a leaf from the book of their Northern brethren.

But, if Henry Shefflin returns to the black and amber at his best, following his knee surgery, the Cats look well prepared to capture the Liam MacCarthy for the third summer in succession.

In Connacht it looks to be a two-horse race between Mayo and Galway. Sligo will enter the province as reigning holders

SAM MAGUIRE WINNERS: Kerry.

LIAM MacCARTHY WINNERS: Kilkenny.

The luck of the Irish IT’S MORE with hope than expectation that the Irish Olympic team will travel to Beijing this summer. Hammer thrower Eileen O’Keeffe and 20k walker Robert Heffernan will carry Ireland’s outside hopes of a position on the winners’ rostrum in the track and field. It’s a hope that gained some momentum when both athletes finished sixth in their respective disciplines in the last year’s world championships in Osaka.

O’Keeffe won her seventh successive Irish national championship at Morton Stadium last July, when she became the first Irish woman of all time to break through the 70-metre barrier. She then proceeded to underline her improvement and potential in the event by throwing in excess of 70 metres on five occasions at the Santry event.

Heffernan also lodged a very encouraging performance in Osaka when he finished sixth in a time of 1:23.42 with Ecuador’s Jefferson Perez leading the field in 1:22.20. Heffernan’s performance was impressive in its consistency as he placed fifth at both the 5k and 10k markers before falling one place to sixth by the 15k marker.

Heffernan has developed under the authoritarian coaching advice of legendary Polish walker Robert Korzeniowski, and his gruelling training regime in Mexico and southern Spain will aid his ability to deal with the very difficult race conditions the athletes will experience in Beijing.

Potential finalists on the track include both Fionnuala Britton and Roisin McGettigan in the 3,000m Steeplechase, while Alistair Cragg’s form over the past two seasons does not augur well.

Boxers Ken Egan, Darren Sutherland and John Joe Joyce claimed three gold medals in Greece in the Olympic qualifers to join John Joe Nevin and Paddy Barnes on the plane to China. Boxing has proved a rich well for Irish Olympic medals and they will travel with morale high once again.

World class clay pigeon shooter Derek Burnett concluded a 12-day camp in Italy as a member of the high performance programme as preparations were cranked up for the Olympic games and he could fly the Irish flag successfully in Beijing.

See page 41 for more on the Olympics.

Kevin Nolan is a journalist and production editor for the sport section of the Evening Herald. He is also editor of Dublin County Board Gaelic games website www.hill16.ie.

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

45

Win Win Win

S U D O K U

WIN €50

HOW TO PLAY: Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains the digits 1-9. There is no maths involved. You solve it with reasoning and logic.

Fiendish

5

8 5

2

7

8 2

6 7 5 4 8 9 1 3 2

9

CROSSWORD 1

The small print* You must be a paid-up IMPACT member to win. Only one entry per person (multiple entries will not be considered). Entries must reach us by Monday 16th June 2008. The editor’s decision is final. That’s it!

46

2

3

8

4

5

6

7

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

22

24

B Raiders of the Lost Ark

C 33%

Solution easy

25.

Steadfast (7) Capital city (5) Creed (5) E’vat is a rip off to an individual (7) A look of contemptuousness (7) If the end is omega what is the start (5) A sin - Just (6) Pitcher (6) A native tribe of North America (5) Coastal mediterranean town (7) Stiff shiny fabric (7) Command neatness (5) In time of need, we must ----- round the flag (5) Childlike innocence (7)

9 2 4 5 6 1 3 7 8

3

Solution Fiendish

22.

23.

24.

B 13%

8 5 6 2 7 3 9 1 4

8

3 5 4 7 1 6 2 8 9

B Pay and pensions

A 3%

7 1 3 8 9 4 5 2 6

4

6 7 2 4 8 9 1 3 5

19.

5. How much of the world’s water is fit to drink?

2 4 9 3 1 6 7 8 5

7

1 8 9 5 2 3 7 4 6

6

7 3 1 6 5 8 9 2 4

A Pay

3 8 1 7 5 2 4 6 9

12.

14.

17.

C The Last Crusade.

9

1

9 4 8 3 7 2 6 5 1

10.

4

1 3 8 6 4 5 2 9 7

6

3

7

9

Across 1.

5.

8.

9.

6

2 6 5 9 4 1 8 7 3

8

5

5 6 2 9 3 7 8 4 1

3

7

4 1 7 2 9 5 3 6 8

1

1

C Bones.

A The Temple of Doom

5

8

5

11.

4. Which was the first in the series of Indiana Jones movies?

2

4

8

8

4 4

6

B Dog

C Pay, pensions and working conditions.

2

7

1

A Eye

3. The European Court of Justice recently ruled that the EU fixed term workers’ directive covers…

2

1

4 9 7 1 2 8 6 5 3

2. Julia Kelly’s prize-winning debut novel is called With My Lazy…

1

5 5

5

8 2 3 1 6 4 5 9 7

C Phoenix Park Bike Hire.

7

5 9 6 8 3 7 4 1 2

9

YOU COULD win €50 by answering five easy questions and sending your entry, name and address to Roisin Nolan, Work & Life prize quiz, IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1. We’ll send €50 to the first completed entry pulled from a hat.* You’ll find all the answers in this issue of Work & Life.

B Pennys & Farthings

6

4

2

A Stephen Roche

1

3 3

Easy

Just answer five easy questions and you could win €50.

1. Two IMPACT officials are doing a charity cycle from Dublin to Kilkenny.

Who’s supplying the bikes?

8

6

3

Prize quiz

4

Down 1. Old fashioned (5) 2. An expensive meat (7) 3. Brightly coloured aquarium fish (5) 4. Sounds like you must rely on someone else at this part of the swimming pool (6) 5. He had the help of 40 criminals (7) 6. Severe muscle pain (5) 7. Mean (7) 12. Caller (7)

20

21

23

25

Crossword composed by Margaret Barry, Cork.

13. Result of worry (7) 15. Shorten the clue (7) 16. John Wayne war film - Back to ______ (6) 18. Throw it away - it sounds awful (5) 20. Indigenous inhabitant of New Zealand (5) 21. Concur (5)

SUMMER 2008

GIS Ireland is a trading name of Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ireland Limited which is regulated by the Financial Regulator.

Your view

N I W 100 €

COMPETITION

How do you like Work & Life?

WE HOPE you enjoyed this first issue of Work & Life, the new magazine for IMPACT members. We want to hear your views, and we’re offering a €100 prize to one lucky winner who completes this questionnaire.

Simply complete this short survey and send it to Roisin Nolan, Work & Life survey, IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1. You can also send your views by email to rnolan@impact.ie.

We’ll send €100 to the first completed entry pulled from a hat.* And don’t forget, we’re also giving prizes for letters published in the next issue. See page 21.

The survey

4. What were your least favourite articles?

1 __________________________________________________ 2 __________________________________________________

1. What did you think of the articles in the summer 2008 issue of Work & Life ?

Excellent

Good

Okay

Bad

Awful

Comments ________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 2. What did you think of the layout, style and pictures in the summer 2008 issue of Work & Life?

3 __________________________________________________ 5. What subjects would you like to see in future issues of Work & Life ?

1 __________________________________________________ 2 __________________________________________________ 3 __________________________________________________ 6. What did you think of the balance between union news and other articles?

The balance is about right

I want more union news

I want less union news

Excellent

7. Any other comments? ______________________________

Good

__________________________________________________

Okay

__________________________________________________

Bad

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

Awful

Comments ________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 3. What were your favourite three articles?

Name ________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________

1 __________________________________________________

Email ________________________________________________

2 __________________________________________________

Phone ________________________________________________

3 __________________________________________________

IMPACT branch ______________________________________

The small print* You must be a paid-up IMPACT member to win. Only one entry per person (multiple entries will not be considered).

Entries must reach us by Monday 16th June 2008. The editor’s decision is final. That’s it!

48

SUMMER 2008

Return trip from Dublin to Liverpool for a car and family of 4 PLANNING A trip in Europe this summer?

Travelling between Ireland and Europe is easy with Norfolkline Ferries. Norfolkline landbridge service gets you there in comfort and style and at exceptional value!

Norfolkline offer a fantastic landbridge option between Belfast or Dublin to Liverpool (Birkenhead) and onwards from Dover to Dunkerque. This route network coupled with the quality of the British road network, makes traveling via landbridge a quicker and more cost effective option than taking a ferry between Ireland and France.

These ferry services can be combined to provide an attractive landbridge option, with fares as low as £65 single for car and driver from Ireland to Liverpool (Birkenhead) and £18 single for car and 5 passengers from Dover to Dunkerque.

Spend your summer holidays by touring to some of the excellent family camping and caravanning resorts in Tuscany the Spanish Costas or the South of France – the options are endless! This landbridge service also gives the option of breaking up the journey by spending time in England, whether it be Liverpool, Stonehenge, London or Alton Towers!

Norfolkline offers a wide range of excellent onboard facilities. Sit back and unwind in the stylish surroundings of these modern, purpose built ferries, providing excellent facilities for you and your family.

Sail with Norfolkline for stress free travel with no hidden costs or baggage restrictions. For more details and the best value fares visit www.norfolkline.com Norfolkline Irish Sea Ferries in association with Work & Life are giving one lucky reader the opportunity to win a return daytime sailing

from Dublin to Liverpool for a car and family of 4 to include brunch.

To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer the following question and return your answer to Roisin Nolan, Norfolkline Competition, IMPACT Work & LIfe, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1. Entries must be received no later than 15th June 2008. Prize: Enjoy a two night B&B stay for two people with one evening meal on the evening of your choice.

Question: Name the sea Norfolkline Ferries cross travelling from Dublin to Liverpool (Birkenhead).

Terms & Conditions of Competition The prize relates to a day time sailing on the Dublin to Liverpool route. All travel is subject to availability and excludes Bank Holidays. All travel must be taken before 30th November 2008. This prize is non transferable and no cash alternative is offered.

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members 49

There’s never been a better time to

Join IMPACT Living standards threatened Public service cuts Pensions under attack Economy slowing More than ever, you need the protection of your union.

Visit WWW.IMPACT.IE DUBLIN Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1. Tel: 01-817-1500. Email: info@impact.ie CORK Father Matthew Quay, Cork. Tel: 021-425-5210. Email: impactcork@impact.ie GALWAY Unit 23, Sean Mulvoy Business Park, Sean Mulvoy Road, Galway. Tel: 091-778-031. Email: impactgalway@impact.ie SLIGO 51 John Street, Sligo. Tel: 071-914-2400. Email: impactsligo@impact.ie

Commercial membership services DISCLAIMER (Approved by CEC 10th December 2004) MPACT has facilitated the provision of a number of national membership services and discount schemes on behalf of its members. These include Additional Voluntary Contribution Schemes (Pensions), Life Assurance, Salary Protection in the case of illness and Car, House and Travel Insurance Schemes. A number of local discount schemes are also negotiated by local branches.

I

The Union uses the size and composition of its membership base and, where possible, competition between the various service providers, to seek the best possible deals for the widest possible sections of our membership. It is probable that the majority of members will get better value from these schemes than if they sought the same service individually. However, this will not be true in all cases and there will be occasions where individual members may, because of their specific circumstances, be able to get better value elsewhere. It is not possible always to ensure that all schemes will be accessible equally to all members and the scheme underwriters will not depart totally from their normal actuarial or risk assessment procedures and rules.

IMPACT does not make any claims as to the quality or reliability of any of these products/services and while advising members of the availability of the National Membership Services and Discount Schemes does not endorse or recommend any particular product or service. IMPACT's role is that of facilitator to ensure that such schemes are available to its members. All contracts are directly between the product/service provider and the individual member. IMPACT is not in any way a party to these contracts and will not accept any responsibility or liability arising from any act or omission on the part of the product or service provider. Neither IMPACT nor any member of its staff receives any fees or commissions or other rewards from these product or service providers arising from such schemes.

While IMPACT does occasionally provide such product/service providers with limited information regarding IMPACT branch and/or workplace representatives for the purpose of advertising such schemes, the Union does not make any personal data relating to individual Union members available to them for any purpose.

The Union requires that product/service providers agree to ensure that all such schemes comply with all lawful requirements including the Equal Status Act 2000.

Advertisements for agreed membership services will have an

FACILITATED

logo on them.

Some of the companies providing agreed membership services may offer other products or services (that are not as a result of any agreement or arrangement with IMPACT) directly to IMPACT members.

The Union has no role whatsoever in relation to such products or services. Likewise, other product or service providers may make offers directly to IMPACT members through advertisements in the Union newspaper or otherwise. These do not arise as a result of agreements or arrangements with IMPACT and the Union does not ask members to consider availing of such products/services and accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any such offers.

The product/service providers with which IMPACT has agreed the provision of membership services and/or discount schemes are as follows: Brassington & Co. Ltd. Travel Insurance – all Divisions.

Cornmarket Group Financial Services Ltd. Car Insurance – all Divisions.

Salary Protection and Life Assurance – Local Government and Health Divisions only.

Group Insurance Services (GIS) Car Insurance – all Divisions.

House Insurance – all Divisions.

Marsh Financial Services Ltd. AVC Schemes – all Divisions excluding Municipal Employees.

Salary Protection and Life Assurance – Civil Service and Services & Enterprises Divisions only.

Countdown Discount Cards Discount cards-All Divisions December 2004

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SUMMER 2008