Work & Life - Issue No 6

work&life THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

ISSUE 6

SUMMER/AUTUMN 2009

MOTHER UNION REP WORKER COUNCILLOR

We talk to the impressive IMPACT people who’ve just won council elections.

PLUS

ALSO INSIDE

COMMUNITY PROJECTS UNDER PRESSURE AVOID CAREER BREAK MISTAKES PRICING YOUR EARLY RETIREMENT TALK YOURSELF INTO A NEW JOB THE BIG BED & BREAKFAST

RETURN TO LEARN. IRELAND’S TOP YOUNG DESIGNERS. ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPPING OUR FUTURE. SURVIVING SUMMER. FINE FISH. GARDENS IN BLOOM. WINONA RYDER. WIN BOOKS. THE WHO. RECESSION-BEATING CRICKET. ALL THE NEWS. YOUR LETTERS. COMPETITIONS.

www.impact.ie

In this issue

work& & life – Summer/autumn 2009 COVER FEATURES

REGULARS

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COMMUNITY MELTDOWN Jobs and services are disappearing as community projects come under the axe.

NIALL SHANAHAN reports.

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BERNARD HARBOR speaks to some impressive IMPACT people who’ve just won council elections.

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AT YOUR SERVICE

YOUR LETTERS

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FASHION*

COLM RAPPLE says you need to look at your finances before clearing your desk.

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SPORT KEVIN NOLAN on Ireland’s new kings of cricket.

NEWS

BE GOOD TO YOURSELF

IN THE KITCHEN Goin’ fishin’ with MARGARET HANNIGAN.

DOES EARLY RETIREMENT ADD UP?

BOOKS Public servant MARY MALONE serves up romance with an edge.

KAREN WARD gets the best out of summer.

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MUSIC RAYMOND CONNOLLY celebrates The Who.

TRISH O’MAHONY meets some of Ireland’s top young designers.

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AT THE MOVIES Winona Ryder’s career looks like coming back from the dead.

Workplace violence. Young trade unionists. Home help service.

NO MORE CRIMPLENE The Irish B&B experience has transcended the stereotypes.

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ABOUT MY JOB Giving good interview is even more important when jobs and promotions are thin on the ground.

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Meet the Ordnance Survey staff who are mapping our future.

CAREER BREAK MISTAKES MARTINA O’LEARY says you should read the small print before opting for the public service career break scheme.

IMPACT PEOPLE The council worker who’s urging his workmates to ‘return to learn’.

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ELECTED!

MORE REGULARS

GREEN FINGERS JIMI BLAKE’s almost relaxing in his summer garden.

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PAY STRATEGY INNER CITY LAUNCH EARLY RETIREMENT HEALTH ON BRINK LOCAL GOVERNMENT SHAM EMBARGO RISK TOXIC LEGACY RYAN REPORT

*Fashion pic shows work by designer Yvonne Fleming, finalist in Nokia Young Fashion Designer Awards 2009.

Win Win Win…

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Put pen to paper and win €50.

Win a complete set of Crimson women’s fiction

Enter our Tell us what prize quiz and you think and win €100. win €100.

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 1

That was then…

THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

Lighter touch

THERE’S BEEN a lot of bad news since the last issue of Work & Life. A draconian new recruitment and promotions embargo, early retirement schemes that will put more pressure on staff and services later in the year, and the April budget (ouch!). In our main feature, we’ve talked to IMPACT members in the community sector, who are already feeling the pain of job losses on top of everything else.

Two of our features – on workplace rights and your money – alert readers to some of the potential downsides of talking early retirement or incentivised career breaks. You might think this is a bad time to be thinking about changing jobs, but our careers pages point out that it’s more important than ever to excel if you’re invited to an interview. We have some tips for success.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Our cover feature congratulates some of the IMPACT members who successfully ran for office in the recent local elections. And we look at how public services and employment rights issues may fare in the new European Parliament. Other interesting IMPACT people featured include Mick McLoughlin, the council worker who’s promoting adult learning and Amanda O’Hara, the graduate trainee who’s helping Ordnance Survey maintain cutting-edge international standards.

Martina O’Leary surveys the new bed and breakfast scene and reckons you can get quality and value served up with your rashers, while Trish O’Mahony meets some of Ireland’s top young fashion designers (get in early for competitive prices and great design). Meanwhile, Karen Ward has some tips on surviving the long summer. Here’s hoping!

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

Front Cover Cathríona Jones and her new baby, Mia. Photo 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% recycable.

If the future looks too frightening right now, lose yourself in Raymond Connolly’s music piece which celebrates The Who and its front man and regular guy Roger Daltrey.

And Morgan O’Brien describes how Winona Ryder is taking her future back after that embarrassing shoplifting business.

Take time to read the regular features: We’ve a great books giveaway, top analysis of the limits to Ireland’s cricket success, summer gardens, and a fishy food feature. Just right for summer. Check out the competitions too!

IMPACT trade union IMPACT is Ireland’s fastest growing trade union with over 61,000 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.

Find out more about IMPACT on

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www.impact.ie

Work & Life Magazine is a full participating member of the Press Council of Ireland and supports the Office of the Press Ombudsman. In addition to defending the freedom of the press, this scheme offers readers a quick, fair and free method of dealing with complaints that they may have in relation to articles that appear on our pages. To contact the Office of the Press Ombudsman go to www.pressombudsman. ie or www.presscouncil.ie.

NEWS OF a French court’s decision to award workers’ rights to participants on the local version of ‘reality’ TV show Temptation Island has raised eyebrows in every calfleather-upholstered TV executive’s office across the globe.

The court awarded the three contestants compensation for unfair dismissal as well as the right to be treated as salaried workers.

After a three-year legal battle, each received €11,000 including holiday pay and overtime for having worked 24 hours a day.

In their encounter with ‘reality’ the scantily clad contestants spent 12 days lounging around an island beach near Mexico, with just the odd massage and some provocative dancing to break the ennui. French TV bosses are now concerned that the court ruling will pave the way for legal claims from other ‘reality’ contestants, putting an end to the cheap-as-chips yet lucrative TV genre.

Photo: Photocall Ireland.

work&life

Liberté, Egalité, Verité, Realité

25 years ago

On 17th July 1984, workers in the Henry Street Dunnes Stores in Dublin refuse to handle South African produce as a protest against apartheid.

The same month, Captain Beverly Lynn Burns makes history as the first woman to captain the Boeing 747 jumbo jet, commanding transcontinental aircraft 604 from Newark to Los Angeles. She retired in February last year.

55 years ago

Only in France, you might say. But spare a Pay this man the minimum wage. thought for the contestants of RTÉ’s Fáilte Towers. A much less glamorous affair, it involved a clutch of ‘C’ list celebrities giving their careers the fabled shot-in-the-arm that can, allegedly, come with the ritual humiliation of a ‘reality’ gig.

No beaches or bikinis for this lot, which included Big Brother veteran Brian Dowling (pictured). Contestants were forced to cook, clean and play host to an endless stream of nightmarish hotel guests. In the absence of the minimum wage, it was all done in the name of charity.

The genre has thrived in a decade when we have also seen concerted attempts to erode workers’ rights throughout Europe and the world. As revolutions go, it might be a funny place to start. But let’s hope the spirit of resistance is on the rise l

The ‘shaking hand of Dublin’ Alfie Byrne is re-elected as Lord Mayor for the tenth time on 28th June 1954.

He was elected an unprecedented nine times without a break between 1930 and 1939.

On 5th July Dublin Corporation decides against removing Nelson’s Pillar on O’Connell Street.

70 years ago

On 23rd July 1939, Mahatma Gandhi writes a personal letter to Adolf Hitler, addressing him as “my friend,” and seeking to prevent a war. On 1st September a state of emergency is declared in Ireland. The following day, Taoiseach Éamon de Valera tells the Dáil that Ireland will remain neutral in the European War. On 3rd September, the Emergency Powers Act comes into force as Britain and France declare war on Germany.

90 years ago

Policemen in London and Liverpool strike for recognition of the National Union of Police and Prison Officers on 31st July 1919. Over 2,000 strikers are dismissed.

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

Mary Ward, a distinguished scientist from County Offaly, is killed when she falls under the wheels of an experimental steam car in 1869.

She’s thought to be the world’s first victim of a motor vehicle accident.

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members

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IMPACT people “I’d like to meet Arthur Guinness and find out how he got a vast business empire from a drink that is horrible when you drink it for the first time. But after your second pint, you think it’s the best thing in the world.”

IMPACT activist MICK McLOUGHLIN has been quietly encouraging his colleagues to take part in Dublin City Council’s ‘return to learning’ programme, which covers basic reading, writing and IT skills.

Over 260 council staff have successfully finished the course since it began eight years ago.

on. One of our lads finished last Thursday after 15 weeks, and he wants to go on to the next level. It opens doors for more things. I’d like to see an awful lot more people taking it up. It’s beginning to get noticed, but we could do a bit more to get it out there. All of the business we do, the council and the union, is all websites, but people

doesn’t appeal to me whatsoever. I try and jump in and sort it out if I can, but sometimes I can’t. I like a bit of spontaneity but, if you’re doing something, it has to be organised properly.

Tell me about your IMPACT involvement?

I’m the rep for the housing attendants’ section in the Municipal

That yearn to learn How would you describe yourself?

Easy going.

who are going to back to learning may not be able to get to websites.

What are your interests outside work?

Watching sports and reading.

Are people nervous about doing the courses?

People are apprehensive at the beginning. It’s a mixture of being out of education so long, plus the stigma attached to it. They don’t know what to expect. I would imagine it’s like your first day at school. Where’s me mammy! But once it kicks off, you realise everyone in the classroom is the same as you. Everyone is on an equal playing field here.

What do you read?

My favourite author is Robert Ludlum, the Born Identity guy.

But my favourite book of all time is The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by a guy called Robert Tressell. This book will change your politics. It is a fantastic book, really and truly.

Although it’s fiction, you won’t get truth like it. I have read numerous books and this one will never leave my mind.

The tuition you get is absolutely fantastic and the tutors are very helpful. People who finish the courses want to go on and u

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What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

He who laughs and walks away lives to fight another day. In a nutshell, keep your powder dry. Listen to what’s going on around you. Never be too quick to make judgements.

What would you like to be remembered for?

He was just a good guy. If people say that about you, what more could ask for?

What can’t you leave home without?

My watch. It’s part of me. If I went somewhere and had no watch, I would take my wife’s.

Interviewed by Martina O’Leary l .

What’s it like working in Dublin City Council?

It’s a good job. Lately morale is low with all the cutbacks. But overall it’s been good to me.

Photo: Crean Photography

Photo: Crean Photography

The course can help people so much. Imagine learning how to read. It opens up so many doors that you’ve missed. It must be very embarrassing if you are out somewhere you can’t read what is on the wall. There’s a stigma attached to it. That’s why participation in these courses is confidential, and that’s so important. About three years ago the union got a letter from a member who had gone on the course. He thought it was brilliant and thanked IMPACT for prompting him into going.

What do you say to people considering the course?

I ask them have they done any research into what it’s about.

They needn’t tell me what subject they are going to pick.

That’s up to themselves. But I will get them whatever forms are needed. I tell them how to fill in the form, or fill it in for them. Then I bring it to the person who needs to sign off on it and hand it to the people who run the course.

What helps you when the going gets tough?

I’m lucky my wife is a very good listener. She’s very good at giving small bits of advice at the right time.

I just find her so helpful. Sometimes I would be lost with something, talk it out with Maria, and we get to the end of it there. Another cheesy answer, but it’s true.

Who inspires you?

It might be a cheesy answer, but my father. He was a union man and very politically active. He is in his late-eighties. A fantastic guy, a decent type of man for helping people. He worked as a lorry driver, based in Finglas. I still remember when I was a kid they were on strike for a couple of weeks. He was on the strike committee. Domo is the guy I would look up to.

How did you get involved in ‘Return to Learning’?

I was lucky enough to go to school. I was educated, but some guys didn’t have that opportunity. It’s all luck at the end of the day. The course covers basics like writing, reading, arithmetic, spelling and computers. You can choose whatever you feel you are weak on.

Mick walking towards IMPACT’s Dublin office, a path he has walked for many years as a union rep.

Employees’ branch. I don’t know how many years I’m at this now, I’ve lost count. It must be ten years at least.

Who would you like to have a pint with?

I’d like to meet Arthur Guinness and find out how he got a vast business empire from a drink that is horrible when you drink it for the first time.

Absolutely vile. But after your second pint, you think it’s the best thing in the world.

What really annoys you?

Bad organisation and bad management just

Mick has a passion for reading.

Returning to learning The ‘return to learning’ project is a partnership initiative between the Local Authority National Partnership Advisory Group (LANPAG) and the Department of Education and Science (DES), supported by the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA). The programme, which started in 2001, has been successfully run by many local councils throughout the country. It aims to give staff an opportunity to attend workplace basic skills courses in areas like reading, writing, arithmetic, spelling and computers.

Participants benefit from improved skills, self-confidence and a reawakened interest in learning.

Find out more about the Dublin City Council programme from Mary MacSweeney on 01-222-5151 or mary.macsweeney@dublincity.ie. Or contact your local authority partnership facilitator for details of local courses.

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members

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Community & voluntary sector

The seldom seen sector

“Overall, Government has taken measures of such a kind that those who can afford to pay will pay and we will protect the most vulnerable people in society…Every effort will be made to ensure that the impact of the necessary reductions in funding next year will not hit services on the ground.” Éamon Ó Cuív, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs on Budget 2009.

In the boom years, the voluntary and community sector played a growing role in vital frontline service delivery in vulnerable communities throughout the country. Now that the tiger has fled, they are at the frontline of the first wave of spending cuts. NIALL SHANAHAN looks at how the sector is facing its biggest challenge yet.

People and organisations in the sector are now asking themselves what the future holds as service demand rises and the pool of available resources continues to shrink in size.

The Wheel is a support and representative body connecting community and voluntary organisations and charities across Ireland. Established in 1999, it evolved to become a resource centre and forum for the community and voluntary sector, reflecting a wide network of organisations growing in their professional capacity. Writing in its own newsletter Le Chéile early last year, Chief Executive Officer Deirdre Garvey examined the myopic view of the sector taken by the State.

“Community and voluntary organisations tend to be ghettoised by the misperception that they are somehow supplemental to the mainstream economy. Because they are not viewed as enterprises, they miss out on the host of supports our Government provides to Irish enterprise,” she wrote.

As the sector grew in the early 1990s, its importance was recognised by the state, and that led to the creation of the local area partnerships – state-funded, non-governmental agencies dedicated to the development of specific geographical areas.

There are 38 local area partnerships across the country, hosting a wide variety of services such as childcare, jobs initiatives and services for older people and women at risk of domestic violence.

The arrival of initiatives like the FÁS-funded Community Employment (CE) programme helped to develop the level of service provided by the sector. By providing budgets for staff and training, voluntary sector workers were able to develop their skills, and projects could put volunteers on the payroll.

With high unemployment in the early 1990s, the country had a wealth of very able people languishing on the dole.

Many, including this writer, had their careers kick-started with a place on a CE scheme, with a community or voluntary programme, which opened the door to invaluable training and work experience. At the time, the only other available options for many people were emigration or stints of work in the ‘black economy’.

Organisations working in the sector have long been in a position to advise the Government on the needs of vulnerable people and communities. Professionalism and expertise has grown steadily and, working with the mainstream public service, organisations are well placed to advise the state on what

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Staff at the KWCDT Partnership office packing up on their last day as the partnership closes its doors following the withdrawal of funding by state agency Pobal. Left to right: Kevin Byrne, Alison Roberts, manager Paul Crinion, Avril Carruth and Trish McCann.

services are needed to respond to community needs in a very direct way. Funding can find its way to service delivery almost instantly because community and voluntary organisations already have the structures in place to respond.

There is, of course, an added – and far less welcome – incentive for the Government, which has been the subject of many an IMPACT campaign in recent years. Pay scales in the community and voluntary organisations are lower than in the private sector or mainstream public service, so the state has been able to fund a wide variety of social programmes at a much lower cost than if it tried to provide the same services directly.

So, on the one hand, we had a vibrant and committed sector that was growing, identifying needs, accessing the required funding and delivering the service, all the while growing in its professionalism, knowledge and skill. On the other hand, we had a Government that recognised the potential of a sector to deliver public services on the cheap. u

“Workers in the private sector, for example Waterford Crystal, received loads of coverage when their jobs were threatened. But nobody seems to care what happens to us.”

Now that we’re in recession, the failure to recognise the real economic value of the sector, along with plummeting exchequer revenues, has led to a ‘slash and burn’ approach which is pushing the sector closer to the frontline of spending cuts. But in the same article, Ms Garvey highlights the value of the sector in real terms: “According to the Centre for Nonprofit Management in the Business School in Trinity College, the over 24,000 ‘nonprofit’ organisations in Ireland employ over 63,000 full and part-time workers, and contribute more than €2.5 billion to our economy.”

In addition to this, The Wheel says that over two million people – two-thirds of Irish adults – engage annually in the social, cultural and humanitarian enterprises offered by the sector.

The sector has been delivering services in parts of the u

But in the absence of long term commitments on funding, the sector has always been vulnerable to a change in the fortunes of the state. Also, those who work in the sector have little in the way of job security, pay that reflects their expertise, or pension entitlements. In 2007, IMPACT identified a trend of skilled and experienced workers leaving the sector in order to pursue better pay, conditions and job security in other sectors of the economy. While this may have slowed due to the economic downturn, it did highlight the long term vulnerability of the sector.

That vulnerability is now further exposed because many of the organisations rely on funding from multiple departments and state bodies. They are required to re-apply for funding annually from departments which, in turn, have had their budgets cut. For example, funding for the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, one of the primary sources of funding for many organisations in the sector, was reduced by 6% this year.

Photo: Conor Healy.

Now as the economic crisis deepens, the sector is enduring a silent catastrophe as spending is withdrawn and jobs are lost.

Photo: Conor Healy.

OUT OF the ashes of the last recession in Ireland, voluntary agencies and community organisations emerged as one of the key service providers to vulnerable communities all over Ireland. They are Ireland’s hidden providers, delivering badly needed services in innovative and flexible ways wherever there is desperate need in our communities. From childcare to drug advice clinics, community education programmes and antibullying initiatives, the sector attracted talented and highly motivated workers keen to develop services in response to the needs of their own communities.

Two-year-old Emer Mulligan and her mother Yvonne (centre) with staff at the Childcare Information Bureau, one of the projects at KWCDT Partnership.

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members

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Community & voluntary sector

Staff of the KWCDT local employment service packing up to go.

Left to right: Catherine Behan, Thelma Mahon, Caroline Maguire, Liz Walsh, Marion Sweeney and Antoinette Curley.

country where the economic boom was never felt. Ironically, these are the communities who are witnessing the early signs of spending cuts.

The KWCDT (Kimmage, Walkinstown, Crumlin, Drimnagh, and Terenure) Partnership was established 1996 to manage social inclusion programmes for employment, community development, childcare, young people at risk, training and education. Over 84% of the 3,900 unemployed people who have availed of its local employment service since 2001 have progressed into training and employment. Over 300 people currently use the service.

In June the KWCDT partnership had its funding withdrawn by the state agency Pobal after months of uncertainty. Eleven jobs were lost between the local employment service and the partnership head office, while the remaining project staff face massive uncertainty about their futures. Fifty-six people employed under its jobs initiative were retained when the Irish Congress of Trade Unions took on the task of hosting the scheme. It was a small piece of good news after a difficult period for the partnership.

“We went through hell for four months. We were told we would only receive 40% of our redundancy payment, we would not receive our holiday pay, the offices would close and the services to the community lost,” explained IMPACT member Carol French, liaison officer with the local employment service at KWCDT. Carol explains that the withdrawal of funding will have a devastating impact on the locality at a time when employment services are most needed. The decision was confirmed in May, and, although Pobal said funding for “viable” projects would remain in the area, it didn’t clarify what services would be funded and who would be responsible for managing them.

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Many organisations are deeply concerned about surviving through the summer months, let alone the recession.

The cuts came as the ESRI predicted unemployment will rise to over 16% by the end of next year. “We have areas within the partnership where unemployment is already at 16%. These areas would always have had higher unemployment than the national average during the boom years.” Carol has a wealth of experience and local knowledge built up over eight years of working at the partnership. “At the moment, there are vague promises of starting up new projects in 2010, but everything that we have built up here over the last number of years will be lost. They will be starting from scratch and people who need the service more than ever before are the ones who are losing out,” she says.

“The Government sees valuable community projects as something that can be easily and quickly cut, regardless of the consequences for vulnerable people and communities.

This is a silent catastrophe and every cut in community sector funding means dashed hopes for unemployed young people, less help for victims of rape, fewer refuges for victims of domestic violence, more dangerous nights on the street for our homeless, more disadvantaged women passing up rare job opportunities because they can’t get affordable childcare, and more young people condemned to a short lifetime of drug addiction. Many organisations are deeply concerned about surviving through the summer months, let alone the recession” she said.

Meanwhile, the so called ‘An Bord Snip’ is due to make its recommendations on public service expenditure shortly.

It is likely to focus on state sector agencies and how they distribute funding and sub-contract work and services to other organisations, including those in the voluntary sector.

IMPACT is concerned that the group will recommend cuts in funding and support to the voluntary and community sector because it will be seen as a soft target. Carol French at KWCDT feels that the wider public will not be too concerned.

“Workers in the private sector, for example Waterford Crystal, received loads of coverage when their jobs were threatened.

But nobody seems to care what happens to us” she says.

Trish McCann, childcare coordinator for the partnership said: “Pobal are being tough on us in order to set a precedent when it comes to dealing with the other partnerships, many of which are now being audited. They probably face the same fate as us.”

IMPACT official Matt Staunton brought the case to the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) in order to facilitate talks about the transfer of staff and services to another partnership company. Matt says that IMPACT will pursue the case to the Labour Court in order to ensure that the appropriate sectoral redundancy entitlements, including withheld holiday payments, for the workers affected are paid. He said the LRC expressed surprise at the difference in approach of the two state agencies involved. “The board of management moved heaven and earth to work things out with FÁS, which has saved 56 workers on the jobs initiative scheme. By contrast, Pobal took a severe approach to the partnership, and were unwilling to engage with the board of management. They seem intent on shutting it down and dancing on its grave,” he says.

IMPACT members took part in a protest in June against the imposition of cuts in the wider community and voluntary u

Meanwhile, the Government has made commitments on spending for 2009. Funding of over €50 million under the Community Services Programme, supporting an estimated 450 projects in 2009, providing approximately 2,100 wholetime equivalent posts, was promised in last October’s budget.

Last year the programme funded 355 projects, and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht affairs said the increase “will be based on careful management of the funding.”

The Department says those commitments are being delivered on this year. Yet the ‘careful management’ would appear to be entirely at odds with how those workers who lost their jobs at KWCDT were treated. A complete withdrawal of funding was deemed necessary and Pobal showed little interest in discussing how to resolve difficulties.

The experience has left its mark on the Dublin 12 community, but also on the wider community and voluntary sector. James Nolan, a Crumlin resident who registered with the local employment service in 2005, said: “This is a great service. I was looked after very well. I was out of work for eight years before attending the service. Now I am working in a full time job with Dublin City Council, and I am also attending part time classes to address my literacy issues. I would not be where I am now had it not been for the support of the local employment service, and all the staff. This service cannot be lost to this community.” James was one of the 300 service users who signed a petition to save the service.

Paul Crinion, acting manager of the partnership says there is 50 to 60 years of combined experience in the office, with local knowledge and an understanding of the community networks and the statutory networks that can support them.

“When we are gone, there will be a huge services gap. Even though we are packing up to leave, the phone is hopping with enquiries about enterprise projects and millennium grants for students,” he said.

As the recession tightens its grip, the kinds of services provided by the community and voluntary sector will be needed more than ever. IMPACT represents thousands of workers in the sector, and has been fighting to retain jobs and protect services, particularly in organisations funded by the HSE. IMPACT official Chris Cully says these are the organisations who have felt the initial wave of spending cuts. “Community and voluntary organisations in the health and care services were the first to see cuts in jobs and services, and I have no doubt that we will see this trend continue. IMPACT has been fighting to save jobs and protect services. The relationship between the organisations in the sector and the funding bodies makes them vulnerable, which means there is an important role for the union to offer as much protection as possible. So that is what we are doing,” she says.

Photo: Conor Healy.

Photo: Conor Healy.

sector. Joining members of SIPTU and representatives from the Irish National Organisation for the Unemployed, the protest was addressed by Una O’Connor, chair of IMPACT’s Boards and Agencies’ branch. She said most community organisations were cutting pay and other expenditure in a desperate attempt to retain services and the jobs that are vital to service delivery.

After the boom, there remains a sense that, but for the commitment, professionalism and skill of people working in this sector, our treatment of the most vulnerable in Irish society was found wanting. At last month’s protest, Linda Scully of KWCDT warned others: “If you let it happen to them, then it will happen to you.” l

Flowers and messages of support filled the KWCDT offices in its final week in June.

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members

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Mapping the future

The lie of the land

Amanda O’Hara, graduate trainee, Ordnance Survey Ireland, pictured at OSI’s head office in the Phoenix Park, Dublin.

NIALL SHANAHAN is impressed at the skills and technology on display in Ordnance Survey Ireland.

But can this level of quality survive the economic downturn?

OUR ANCIENT ancestors navigated the earth by studying the position of the sun, the moon and the stars. The discovery of the magnetic north and south poles made the tricky process of navigating the oceans a lot more straightforward, and the development of navigation systems has played a key role in the evolution of the human race.

Photo: Conor Healy

Fast forward to the present day and we’ve developed a sophistication that would have seemed the stuff of science fiction only 15 years ago.

Satellite navigation, Google maps and mobile phones with built-in global positioning systems have brought us into an age where finding your way is as simple as pushing a few buttons or clicking a mouse.

Ireland enjoys a unique position in the development of the technology we take for granted today. Amanda O’Hara, a graduate trainee with Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI), and an active member of IMPACT, explained Ireland’s extraordinary history in surveying and mapping when I recently visited the discreetly hidden and leafy campus of OSI in Dublin’s Phoenix Park.

“Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Colby was the first to be given the task of surveying Ireland in 1820. The Ordnance Survey Office was then created in 1829 to do a ®

“In European terms we are fairly advanced. Ireland is up there with the most sophisticated technology for this type of work. We are constantly developing our knowledge of the best available technology and making it work for us.”

detailed survey of the entire island of Ireland, so as to update land valuations for taxation purposes. In 1842, Ireland became the first country in the world to be entirely mapped at such a detailed scale,” Amanda says. “Those first surveys are incredibly accurate, and the maps they produced are regarded by cartographers as amongst the finest ever produced.”

Amanda has been with OSI just over two years, joining as part of a group of 15 graduate trainees for an intensive training programme. “I was president of the student’s union in NUI Maynooth and I was on the lookout for something interesting.

I did geography as part of my degree and had always enjoyed it. When I saw that OSI was recruiting graduates with similar skills I sent off my CV and not long after that I landed in the Phoenix Park!” ®

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 11

Mapping the future Amanda makes it all sound very simple, but OSI had a very specific idea about the kind of highly skilled graduates they wanted to recruit.

“They were recruiting for people with a geography background, and people with specific technical skills. I had spent some time studying one particular specialised area known as remote sensing. It is the process of taking and processing satellite images.

I suppose it became my unique selling point at the job interview,” she says.

All the graduates were put through intense on-the-job training. Senior staff are assigned to each graduate, and the training programme places a great emphasis on rotating graduates around the company so that they gain a deeper understanding of every aspect of the work. “It’s very much a mentoring process. We were encouraged to ask lots of questions.”

After completing her training, Amanda started work in the land boundaries section of OSI. “A lot of the work with boundaries involved dealing with enquiries from the public, and there were quite a few enquiries from the legal profession. There is a sustained level of interest from the public which, despite the economic downturn, hasn’t slowed down at all.”

So what happens to all of the survey information gathered by OSI? “We produce digital and paper maps for business, leisure, administrative and educational use. OSI also licenses the use of its data in digital format for a wide range of computer based applications. Our main customers would be county councils, for planning packs and mapping. We are also in the process of digitising the records of the Land Registry.”

OSI is also developing a learning tool for secondary school students called Scoilnet. “It’s used to view maps in the classroom and is user friendly for both the student and teacher. We are making it available to schools through our website,” Amanda says. OSI won two ‘Golden Spider’ awards last year for the website (www.osi.ie) collecting gongs for best education, research and training website and the best egovernment website.

Ireland remains very much at the forefront of developments in survey technology. “In European terms we are fairly advanced. Ireland is up there with the most sophisticated technology for this type of work. We are constantly developing our knowledge of the best available technology and making it work for us,” Amanda says.

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As well as the headquarters in Dublin, OSI has six regional offices spread across the country in Longford, Sligo, Tuam, Ennis, Kilkenny and Cork. The regional offices opened in the early 1990s, and the organisation employs 320 people across the country.

Because of the public service recruitment embargo there are no immediate plans for any more graduate trainee programmes.

Each of them has a specific role, with information constantly being gathered, processed, and put into a central database, which is the nerve centre of the entire operation. “For example, aircraft that take the images are based in Ennis, feeding information to the remote sensing unit in Dublin, while in Longford, all the information taken in the field is quality checked. Each office has its own specialised area, but the work is fully integrated, constantly updating the central database.”

Amanda has recently relocated to Longford, where she specialises in data enhancement. The decision to move was a fairly simple one. “I am a Longford native, so it is great to be back on home ground. I consider myself very lucky.”

I innocently enquire if she supports Longford Slashers GAA club (the only club I know of in that part of the country). “Oh no, they’re our sworn enemies! I’m from Drumlish in North Longford.” Perhaps Drumlish have a tactical advantage now by having support from someone with such a detailed knowledge of the lie of the land. Slashers take note.

Amanda and her fellow graduates have had an enviable start to their careers, while OSI continues to push technological boundaries in response to the needs of the public and the commercial world. However, as with every other part of the public service, recent developments bring their own challenges.

There are no immediate plans for more graduate trainee programmes at OSI, because of the public service recruitment embargo. OSI is also likely to lose some of its most senior talent when the early retirement scheme opens up in the autumn.

The organisation has made a virtue of recruiting highly skilled graduates and developing OSI’s capacity through a well organized mentoring programme exploring the boundaries of a highly skilled area of work. It is a process that has worked incredibly well for OSI, and is a great example of managing talent for the high skills economy Ireland hopes to stake its future on.

Let’s hope it finds a way to continue to do that G

ElectionsGxxxxx 2009

Five year sentence begins Being a union representative can be a great apprenticeship for wannabe local councillors. BERNARD HARBOR spoke to some impressive IMPACT activists who just got themselves elected.

THREE-MONTH old Mia had no idea what kind of outfit she was joining when she became part of the Jones family three months ago. That was about the time that her mum, Cathríona, was agreeing to join the Labour ticket in the Lucan ward for the South Dublin county council elections.

Cathríona, a member of IMPACT’s Cabin Crew branch committee, had stood down after five years as a councillor when boundary changes left three Labour councillors chasing two seats in her old ward of Tallaght South. But she was persuaded to run again, despite having just had her first child.

“I really enjoyed being a councillor for the last five years and got a lot of satisfaction from dealing successfully with even the slightest problem from a constituent. And the big decisions, like planning and rezoning, meant you could change the county in a significant way.” So she agreed to run again and took the fifth seat on the 11th count.

“There are 5,000 public servants in the area, but it was a huge factor for others too. Parents whose daughters or sons were starting out with mortgages and young kids in crèches understood how the levy is making it so difficult for many to make ends meet. There’s huge anger that workers are being blamed for the financial mess,” says Mick.

His point is supported by the RTÉ exit poll, which found that 53% of voters – far more than work in the public service – said the levy influenced their voting preferences.

The levy was a huge issue for Caitríona Jones in Lucan too. “I met young women working in the public service whose partners had lost jobs in u

“I’m absolutely relieved. By polling day I’d hit a brick wall and felt I couldn’t do any more. But this is a fresh start in a new ward, even though it will be a difficult few years with finances the way they are,” she says.

Mick Quinn, vice chair of IMPACT’s Donegal branch health section, won a county council seat for Sinn Fein on the same day. I spoke to him from his well-earned holiday in Gweedore.

He was “relieved, delighted and exhausted” at the end of a campaign that began last November. Mick took a month’s leave of absence and, before that, worked a geographically huge ward every evening and weekend for six months.

Photo: Conor Healy

“You wouldn’t do it unless you really believed in what you’re doing,” he says. “I’ve been a trade union activist almost all my working life. I’m also a socialist and a republican. James Connolly said that the cause of labour is the cause of Ireland, and the cause of Ireland is the cause of labour. You can’t be one without the other,” he says.

In a county where unemployment has doubled in the last year, it’s no surprise that jobs topped the list of concerns on Donegal doorsteps. But the public service levy was a huge issue too.

Caithríona Jones and daughter Mia after the election.

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members 13

Elections 2009

Euro services campaign continues

You don’t have to tell that to Gerry Sheridan, who was busy taking down election posters when I caught up with him.

He’s opting for early retirement in order to take up his hard-won seat as a Mullingar town councillor. IMPACT had previously taken legal advice on his behalf when he wanted to run for the county council, but the view was that the rule barring most council staff from running for local office was constitutional.

Gerry, who served 18 years as a local IMPACT activist up to 2002, agrees that his experience in the union and in local

BERNARD HARBOR outlines what’s next for the European Parliament and public services.

Mick Quinn: “There’s huge anger.”

when he was returned as an independent Meath county councillor. He was motivated to run for office when, after 20 years as a community activist, he felt his home town of Ashbourne was being developed very quickly and without adequate facilities for families in the community.

SIX OF Ireland’s elected MEPs have signed a trade union pledge, promising to vote in favour of measures to protect and enhance public services over the next five years. The pledge was organised by the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU).

The campaign has only just started according to EPSU’s Bryan Synnott, who plans to organise a meeting of up to 100 signatories in an attempt to create a cross-party caucus for public services. And he wants to assign an ‘EPSU shadow,’ from each MEP’s constituency or region.

On the face of it, the European election results will make it harder for unions working to protect employment rights and public services. The centre-right ‘European People’s Party’ group, made up of parties that usually support reduced regulation and free-market policies, increased its influence. This was at the expense of the Party of European Socialists, which usually shares trade union concerns about public services and workers’ rights.

But it’s not quite that straightforward according to Dublin MEP Proinsias de Rossa, who has worked with IMPACT on a range of issues including the services directive, agency workers’ rights, and European rules on working time.

“State-by-state, it’s clear that the centre-left were most successful where we promoted a progressive pro-European agenda. The centre-right was successful where they presented a similar agenda with a ‘social market economy’ approach. This will give us some political leverage in the Parliament,” he says.

De Rossa makes the point that the overall number of MEPs in the various political groups doesn’t necessarily reflect how votes will be cast on specific issues. “That’s not to underplay the difficulties, particularly if we get a strongly centre-right commission and president,” he adds.

Portugese conservative José Manuel Barosso has since been reappointed as Commission President. Like the other member states, the Irish Government must appoint its new commissioner later this year. De Rossa argues that this should involve Dáil hearings and nominations l

14 SUMMER/AUTUMN 2009

Joe’s union experience helped him to negotiate a deal as a councillor, which saw over €1 million invested in community facilities. He sees communications as crucial. “I have 22 years experience in the union, which stood to me when negotiating in the council chamber and with the county manager. That training also helps when it comes to informing people about what’s happening. It’s not always easy to stand up and face people, but it benefits the council too,” he said.

Joe Bonner: Community motive.

construction. Their family income was halved and then hit with all the levies introduced in the April budget, plus a huge pension levy. I don’t even like calling it that,” she says.

Caitríona, who works in the private sector, said her role in IMPACT helped her to understand and sympathise with the reality of the levy when it came up on the doorstep. “My ability to sympathise with public servants was a huge part of the campaign,” she says.

She reckons the role of trade union representative stands you in good stead for public office.“Any one of our committee members would make a good councillor. Dealing with negotiations and members’ problems is the same kind of work that a councillor does in many ways.”

Finbarr O’Driscoll.

government will stand him in good stead as a councillor. “I would be a very hands-on, accessible person and that’s what being a local councillor is all about. It’s not for everyone. It’s hard work and you have to be committed. The public is very demanding,” he says.

Joe Bonner, who’s secretary of IMPACT’s Communications branch, topped the poll and increased his vote by over 70%

The desire to do something for his home town also motivated first time Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Smith, who is on the executive of IMPACT’s School Completion branch, to stand for Ballybay town council in Monaghan. “You are limited in what you can achieve, but being an elected councillor does give you moral authority to speak out on issues,” he says.

Meanwhile back in Cobh, Finbarr is looking forward to serving the public in a different role. But, after a long, tough campaign, he’s got other tasks on his mind too. “You’ve heard of forced labour. Well now I’m being forced to catch up on all the jobs at home,” he says! l

Mick agrees. “As a union activist you learn what’s important to people. It’s a fabulous training ground where you learn how to deal with difficult issues. And it builds up your confidence.

You’re not afraid to deal with officialdom,” he says.

Former IMPACT president Finbarr O’Driscoll, who has just been elected to Cobh town council, says there’s also a link with public service experience. “From public servant to public representative is a very small and natural shift. As a housing officer, I was dealing with people’s needs and problems up close and personal. I’m retired now but I’m still a people person,” he says. It’s no surprise that Finbarr puts housing at the top of his list of objectives as a councillor.

He also has strong views about the restrictions on local authority staff, which meant he could not run for office until he’d retired.

“I know a clerical officer, who was also a member of Skibbereen town council and a great union man. But he had to give up his seat when he was promoted to grade IV,” he said. u

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members 15

Pagerights title at work Your There are limits to the purposes for which career breaks will be sanctioned. In general, a career break can be allowed for family reasons or other domestic purposes, travel abroad, self-employment, and educational purposes. They are not available for taking up paid employment in the State or for certain educational purposes.

MARTINA O’LEARY says you should read the small print before opting for the public service career break scheme.

There can be no potential conflict of interest between your public service job and the activity you intend to carry out whilst on career break. If you plan to become self-employed during the career break you must give your employer full details of the selfemployment including, where appropriate, an outline of your proposed business contacts and client base.

Your employer can take it up with you if they discover you have taken up employment, or are otherwise engaged in activity, that causes a conflict of interest. If the potential conflict of interest is not resolved, you could lose your position within the public service.

The bad news for your colleagues who are left behind is that the recent recruitment and promotions embargo means that staff on career breaks won’t be replaced.

Get more information from your personnel section or from www.finance.gov.ie or www.hse.ie/eng/publications G

AS PART of the Government’s efforts to reduce the public service pay bill, the Department of Finance has announced a new incentivised career break scheme. The scheme is open to civil servants, and the Department of the Environment has given individual local authorities the option of offering the scheme to their staff.

Watch out!

The HSE recently announced that it was withdrawing the scheme, although this was widely interpreted as a ham-fisted attempt to bully staff in to accepting changes to their working conditions. IMPACT has insisted that the scheme should be available to all and negotiations on this are continuing.

If you choose to take a career break, make sure you don’t fall foul of the rules.

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You must give two months’ notice of your intention to return to work. If you fail to do this it will be taken that you have resigned from the service.

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It may take up to 12 months after the expiry of the three-year career break for your department to find you an appropriate vacancy. Any time spent waiting for reemployment, once you have indicated your intention to return to work, will reckon as part of the career break period other than for the purposes of the overall limits relating to duration of career breaks.

Don’t make a career break mistake The main points of the civil service scheme include: G

The career break must be taken for three years.

G

Successful full-time applicants will get an incentive payment of a third of gross basic pay, up to a maximum of €12,500 a year. This is payable quarterly in arrears.

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These amounts will be reduced pro-rata for anyone working reduced hours.

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The payments are taxable.

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The leave will not count as service and will not reckon for increments or towards qualifying service for annual leave or promotion.

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Staff can still apply for the normal career break scheme, which is different from this one.

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Staff who are already on a career break, or have signed a career break under taking under the normal scheme, cannot opt for the new scheme.

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Applications must be made by 1st July and career breaks must start no later than 1st September 2009, although there are three specific exemptions relating to maternity leave, deferral of career break due to work pressure, and disciplinary action.

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Your employer can refuse a career break for stated ‘business reasons,’ which relate to the operating requirements of your organisation.

You have to have satisfactorily completed two years’ continuous service on the date of commencement of the career break to be eligible to apply for the scheme. But periods of special leave without pay in accordance with maternity protection legislation, adoptive leave, carer’s leave and parental leave are not considered as breaking your continuity of service. ®

However, in the initial HSE special incentive career break scheme, grades that are exempt from the recent recruitment embargo are not eligible to apply for this scheme. These include workers such as occupational therapists, social workers, and speech and language therapy grades.

Already taken a career break?

G

If you have already taken a career break, you may still be eligible to apply under this scheme. In the civil service, you are eligible if you have not taken three career breaks and exceeded ten years on career breaks. In the initial health service scheme, you were eligible if you have not taken three career breaks and exceeded the limit of five years on career breaks.

There is no payment after the three year career break and return to duty.

G

Other forms of special leave without pay will generally be taken to account when calculating these overall limits, which include time taken off under this special incentive career break scheme. ®

You can only apply to resume work early under exceptional reasons related to family hardship. In these situations, your employer may allow you to resume duty before the end of the career break if there is a vacancy available.

G

While on the incentive career break, you are not entitled to take part in promotion competitions.

This article is for information only. It is not a definitive interpretation of the law or the career break scheme. Find out more at www.impact.ie

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WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 17

Photo: Dreamstime

Photo: Dreamstime

Although taking up the scheme would mean a hefty reduction in income for most, there may well be attractions for many IMPACT members. You should also note that, if there is no vacancy available when you want to go back to work, you could end up waiting up to a year without pay before you can return.

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Talking your way into a new job Giving good interview is even more important when jobs and promotions are thin on the ground, says BERNARD HARBOR. DESPITE THE recession, only 16% of employers think candidates are preparing better for job interviews, even though 58% of jobseekers say they are putting in more prep work. That’s according to a recent survey of over 1,500 jobseekers and 623 employers.

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The research, by recruitment company Hays Ireland, revealed that employers expect candidates to have put in between two and five hours preparation, although most jobseekers consider two hours to be top whack.

Amazingly, the survey found that less than 40% of candidates tailor their CV to each job, while almost a quarter said they never do. And more than a quarter of jobseekers see no problem with going out socialising the night before an interview, even though most said they wouldn’t stay out late.

“It is clear from the survey that candidates are still failing to meet employer expectations when it comes to preparation and performance at interview,” according to Hays managing director Richard Eardley.

Indeed, 3% of applicants said they were actually putting in less effort because they felt less likely to get a job in the current climate. Wrong call. ®

“Tell me about yourself” is your cue to enthusiastically give an outline of the skills, experience and qualities you’ll bring to the job and organisation, giving examples of relevant achievements that will impress.

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 19

Photo: Dreamstime

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Your career

Your career As opportunities thin to a trickle, it’s more important than ever to put on a good show at your interview.

All it takes is a bit of preparation. First the basics. Spend a bit of time researching the organisation so that you are able to relate your skills and experience to their goals and values. It will also enable you to talk knowledgeably about the organisation, particularly if the common ‘why do you want to work here?’ question comes up.

Talk to people who have some knowledge of the organisation you’re applying to, or the work area involved. Get their insight and advice on what to prepare and how to sell yourself on the CV and at interview.

Then read the advert and job description carefully, along with any other material you’ve dug up. This will help you to prepare a CV that tailors your skills and experience to the specific requirements of the job. Check out issue one of Work & Life for more on compiling your CV. Anticipate the kind of questions that will come up and think about how you’ll answer them with specific and positive examples that draw on your experience, skills and training. That means you have to be crystal clear about the job requirements. Be ready with good examples of where you have successfully used your skills, and practice how you’ll answer questions in ways that demonstrate your suitability.

Identify your strengths and weaknesses as they relate to the job requirements, and anticipate how you will answer questions about your weaker areas too. Practice is good, particularly if you dread interviews. Get a close friend or family member to put you through your paces.

Photo: Dreamstime

Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if you’re not sure what they are asking you. And it’s okay to think for a few seconds before diving in with your answer.

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Your say You can be 99% sure that the first question will be pretty general. Some version of ‘tell me about yourself’ is your cue to enthusiastically give an outline of the skills, experience and qualities you will bring to the job and organisation, giving examples of relevant achievements that will impress. Use the same structure as your CV, but don’t go into too much detail or take up more than five minutes. They will ask you to expand on things.

You’re also likely to be asked about your strengths and weaknesses. Decide on the three strengths you think most likely to get you the job and give examples of how you have used them in a work situation.

INTERVIEW CHECKLIST Research the organisation Use a well-prepared CV, tailored to the specific job description, as your guide to the interview Anticipate likely questions based on the job description Your answers should be specific and positive Use concrete examples from your work history Be ready for a question on your weaknesses Dress smartly, erring on the conservative Practice with a friend Have questions ready for them

Be enthusiastic and calm You’ll probably be asked about your weaknesses. Don’t tell them you have none or fob them off with ‘I tend to work too hard.’ Instead, turn anything you want to ask us?’ Make the question to your advantage. sure you’ve prepared a few questions Identify something that’s not terminal for this inevitable part of the process. to your chances, and try to demonIt’s a chance to demonstrate your strate actions you’ve taken to correct knowledge of, and interest in, the it. (Eg, I’d like to be more confident organisation. But don’t ask about stuff with figures, so I’ve taken a number of like holidays or time off. You can estabcourses in my own time). It demonlish the precise terms and conditions strates that you’re human and that you once the job is yours. have the gumption to work on your weaknesses.

Make sure you get a good rest the day You’re almost before the big gig. And err on the out of the conservative when it comes to appwoods earance. A solid conservative suit or when you smart dress, neat hair and steady on hear: ‘Is the jewellery, perfume, aftershave and there make-up. Over-dressed is better than under-dressed and do check your outfit before interview day.

Finally, be enthusiastic and don’t fret. You’ve put in the prep. You know what they’re looking for, you look good, and you’ve anticipated the questions and practiced how you’re going to answer. Now just stay calm and focussed on getting your message across G

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Workplace violence

We live in a society where violence and the threat of violence is a constant. In my own workplace in the VEC, I have seen a growing tendency toward aggressive and intimidating behaviour by members of the public towards workers.

Violence takes many forms, from aggressive verbal abuse to physical assault as well as other forms of intimidation. I fear that, in the current climate of cutbacks, this will become far more common given people’s frustration at cuts to services.

We must act to minimize the risk and develop a cohesive policy to respond to the risks and the effects of workplace violence. Most workplaces have no policy to address violence and there are no supports for staff who have been assaulted or threatened.

The effects of violence are far-reaching.

The government, employers and trade unions need to develop a common policy on this issue. The right policy sends a clear message that workplace violence cannot and will not be tolerated.

Cait Shirran VEC Branch

Calling young workers The ICTU youth committee is holding its annual summer school on Saturday 18th July.

The youth committee is an advisory forum, set up under the ICTU constitution, and has delegates from a number of the affiliated unions. Our job is to represent young workers, contribute to ICTU policy, and action matters relating to their interests.

The issues affecting young workers are often sidelined when things get tough in the workplace, so it’s important that we have a strong voice and are able to contribute to the bigger discussions in a concerted way.

Our summer school takes place in the offices of the Irish Nurses Organisation in Dublin. The one-day event will feature workshops, a range of guest speakers and an opportunity to network with other young workers from unions and employments all across the Congress family. More details will be available soon but it already promises to be an interesting day! Anyone wishing to attend can contact me for further information.

Work is also ongoing in the development of a youth committee within IMPACT itself. To make this work we really need representation from all the divisions so if anyone is interested they can contact me.

criteria. This decision can be overturned by management, often in response to pressure from outside influences.

Is it not time that the HSE introduced national criteria for access to home help services? Perhaps a financial assessment should also be introduced and levies charged as appropriate. This would ensure all clients could access this vital service and would also ensure equity and transparency.

Brona de Paor Chairperson, Home Help Coordinators’ Vocational Group

Brian Furey IMPACT representative, ICTU Youth Committee bfureyie@gmail.com

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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

Looking good

School’s out for Ireland’s future fashionistas KEEPING UP to date with Ireland’s talented young designers is never easy. There’s such an array of them. But it’s exciting. And it’s worth it.

If you’ve ever been to a student fashion show, you’ll know what I mean. The excitement is palpable. The optimism and spirit unstoppable. You’ll be inspired by the talent, not to mention the tailoring, which can turn an ordinary design into a creation.

As a mere part of the drooling audience, you’d be forgiven any pangs of jealousy for not being as creative - or as ambitious - as these graduates.

All our big name designers started out as graduates. TRISH O’MAHONY says you can give them a leg-up the fashion ladder, while helping yourself to some unique designs at competitive prices.

Joanne Power, from Glanmire in Cork, scooped the top award of €10,000 in the Persil Fashion Award in April. It came with a two-week placement with Marks and Spencer’s design studio in London.

Eight of Ireland’s top young designers battled it out, but Joanne emerged the clear winner. Her outfit was very pretty and, genuinely, very wearable. Joanne’s father John was very active in IMPACT for many years, as chairman of the Cork branch, senior vice president of the union between 1990 and 1991, and vice president in 1991-1992. So it’s hard to resist claiming her as one of our own!

SUMMER/AUTUMN 2009

Writing in the Irish Independent recently, Andrea Byrne said: “A problem facing many students is striking the balance between the creativity that feeds fashion and the commercialism that sells it.” This year’s crop seems to have struck that balance.

Emerging designers have to contend with celebrities like Victoria Beckham and Kate Moss turning into designers. Such fierce competition, coupled with the economic downturn, means making a mark in the fashion world is a very daunting task.

So where do we find them? Joanne says customers can bid for outfits that are part of their degree collection, and buy at the end of the college year. NCAD holds a degree exhibition in June. It’s open to the public and showcases their entire collection, consisting of six outfits. There are also exhibitions in July and August where two outfits per graduate will be on show.

On the high street Great praise must go to A Wear, who recently launched an initiative which is a great opportunity for graduate designers.

Based in their flagship store on Henry Street, Dublin, they have collaborated with graduates to display and sell their collections each Saturday in The Attic.

Sarah Swan from Portmarnock studies at the Grafton Academy. She tells me they very kindly offered the space on a not-for-profit basis. They decorated it in a funky bedroom style, like Urban Outfitters, and so far it’s been very successful for the young designers, of which there are eight with two showcasing each Saturday.

Sarah’s main design focus is on tailoring and her inspiration comes from French designers like Balenciaga and Roland Mouret. She’s hoping to move to New York to work with Diane Von Furstenburg for a spell. You can contact her at sarahkateswan@hotmail.com before that happens.

Another up and coming graduate designer involved in the Attic project is Yvonne Fleming, also from the Grafton Academy.

She specialises in women’s wear, separates and bridal, and she’s done a menswear collection too. If you want to see her collections contact her at yvonne.fleming@gmail.com. Each of the designers who are showcasing in A Wear has their own facebook with images so you can see their collections there too.

Niche Other smart retailers are also trying to fill the niche for people looking for something a little different and are stocking a variety of pieces from young designers. Top Shop’s Stephen’s Green store has a concession area where you will find up and coming Irish designers like Chupi and Tokki at very affordable prices.

If you’re looking for something ‘cheap and cheerful’ Se Si Progressive in Temple Bar stocks pieces from young aspiring designers. The Loft, Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, Dublin is also worth investigating and carries a fairly extensive stock.

Keep an interested eye out for Howth’s Rebecca Flanagan, a final year student at NCAD; Barbara Heuston, from Tramore, graduating from Limerick School of Art and Design; and Mia O’Connell, from Blackrock, Dublin, also graduating from Limerick School of Art and Design. They were all finalists in the Persil Irish Fashion Awards.

By the way, Mia O’Connell already has her own vintage clothing company, sourcing pieces in Paris, bringing them back home and customising them for those of us fortunate enough to know about her.

Wherever you live, there’s a talented young designer near you, just waiting to be discovered. And, though it’s not easy being a young fashion designer, commercial breaks like this make the future look brighter for the Irish industry G

Joanne is a final year student in NCAD and intends going to the renowned Central Saint Martin’s in London to do her MA. After that she may well follow in the footsteps of Jo Anne Hynes, who studied in Limerick School of Art and Design, then Central Saint Martin’s, before becoming one of Ireland’s best known designers.

Potential “Power has great taste, great potential and should have a great future,” according to Peter O’Brien, one of the judges in this prestigious award. If you are interested in viewing her collections you can contact her on joannedepaor@ gmail.com.

Designed by top fashion student Joanne Power.

Jacket €175. Top and vest €105. Shorts €45.

Belt - model’s own. Contact Joanne at joannedepaor@gmail.com.

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Their collections are everything that the high street isn’t.

Prices are more competitive than big name designers. For a while anyway, commercialism hasn’t started to influence their designs yet.

The advantages of ‘discovering’ a graduate designer are many. They are full of originality and fresh ideas. Their attention to detail is flawless. They have been trained to focus on a high quality finish. They source unusual and top quality fabrics with great care. And they are making an effort to make a name for themselves. ®

Second hand encore ON FOOT of my piece on second hand boutiques in the last issue, I was contacted by IMPACT member Sinead Wynne.

She’s located a lovely vintage clothes shop called Olive, which has just opened in Ennis. A new designer swap shop called Encore has also opened in the town, at 20 O’ Connell Street.

Its motto is "Good threads deserve a second chance." And so say all of us!

Trish O’Mahony.

Designer Gerard Hancox, from Ballyfermot, studied at Ballyfermot College, then NCAD. His e-mail address is hancox.g@hotmail.com Jacket Individually stitched and embossed jersey onto rubber foam €400.

Pale Blue latex shirt €100.

Grey and white striped jersey t–shirt with tucking detail €70.

Dropped crotch, straight leg denims €150.

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 23

Travel and trips That is the question we asked MARTINA O’LEARY to check out. She discovered that the Irish B&B experience has transcended the stereotypes and can now offer high-quality breaks at affordable prices.

I WOULD have dismissed the suggestion out of hand if anyone had suggested I stay in an Irish bed and breakfast a couple of years ago.

rooms, off-white sheets, old towels and greasy breakfasts come to mind. Yet many, many, years later things have changed very much for the better.

The shivers rush up my spine as childhood memories of flowery crimplene eiderdowns, shared bath-

I got my first inkling of this when I had the pleasure of staying in the Ivyleigh House in Portlaoise a while

back. This establishment is a lovely old town house, restored and furnished to a very high standard. Its four bedrooms, all en-suite and each individually decorated, are beautiful. As for the breakfast, wow!

From the beautiful breads to the sausages, it was a feast in itself. ®

Modern So what is the Irish B&B experience all about these days? According to the Town and Country House Association, it is about experiencing the warm, personal and friendly welcome of the Irish people, and drawing on their local knowledge while getting real value for money.

There has been a drive to modernise and bring Irish bed and breakfasts and farmhouses into the 21st century, and many have succeeded in this. Eileen McDonagh, chief executive of the Irish Farmhouse Holidays Association told Work & Life that all its homes are of a very high standard. “The quality of accommodation in Ireland is very high and farmhouses must also meet this standard. The Farmhouse Association has been seeking mandatory licensing and classification of farmhouse and B&B accommodation for some time now,” she says.

“There’s been a drive to modernise and bring Irish bed and breakfasts and farmhouses into the 21st century. There’s lots of good value to be had at the moment, so shop around.”

SUMMER/AUTUMN 2009

The Cliffs of Moher

Photos: Dreamstime

Photo: Dreamstime

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There is so much to do in Ireland, from fishing, walking trails, equestrian sports or just enjoying the countryside and the craic. And its farmhouses can also be just right for the kids. “Farmhouses are very conducive for children, who can see the animals and breathe in the clean air.

They are out in the country getting the feeling of what rural Ireland is all about,” says Eileen.

Cast your eye over the Bridgestone guide to the 100 Best Places to Stay in Ireland and you’ll see a range of top notch

accommodation from B&Bs, farmhouses, town and country homes.

Photo: Dreamstime

Ivyleigh House is not alone in providing a top quality B&B experience.

There are now many B&B’s, Ivyleigh House farmhouses and town and country homes that give an alternative choice to the many hotels around the country. In these recessionary times they make a family holiday in Ireland, or a quick weekend break, a really tempting prospect.

Ivyleigh House gets a mention, as does Kilgraney county house in Bagenalstown, County Carlow.

I haven’t had the pleasure of staying here, but one of my difficult-to-impress colleagues raves about this great house, especially the food prepared by Bryan Leech. The fact that my colleague is a bit of a foodie, and

describes Kilgraney Country House as a treasure trove, is a very good recommendation. They also have aromatherapy packages available if you want to pamper yourself. The Nore Valley area of the country is quite breathtaking.

Down south, Heaton’s guest house in Dingle, County Kerry, perched on the edge of the water with a fantastic view of Dingle bay and harbour sounds appealing. The long string of mentions it gets in the many guidebooks on good accommodation in Ireland should be a hint. This is a little gem.

Food for thought

Finally out west way, Delphi Lodge, a delightful 1830s country house, is at the higher end of the market – but for a good reason. It offers top-quality accommodation, a spectacular setting and it’s also renowned for its food, especially the communal table where you get to meet an interesting range of people.

There’s lots of good value to be had at the moment, so shop around and do your research. Or get your friends and colleagues to recommend somewhere.

Try a part of Ireland you haven’t visited before, but whatever your needs and preferences, there’s definitely something for everyone out there.

Be it a farmhouse summer holiday for the family, a walking, golfing, surfing weekend away, a bit of romance, or just a quick night away from it all with a bit of luxury and pampering thrown in, it’s all to be found in Ireland’s B&Bs. They pride themselves in top quality food and accommodation, sound local knowledge and extending the Céad Mile Fáilte G

Find out more Up in the north east, Ghan House in Carlingford again comes highly recommended. You’re guaranteed a warm welcome and great food – particularly fish, straight from Carlingford Lough – as well as a wide range of other foods.

Ramblers take note: Ghan House is in Bridgestone’s top ten places for walking list.

You can get more information from www.discoverireland.ie, www.townandcountryhomes.ie and www.irishfarmholidays.com, as well as the many guide books available in good book stores.

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 25

Be good to yourself Summer can be a bummer. But KAREN WARD has some advice on how to make sure you’re optimistic expectations come right.

WE ALL love the summer in theory. But it can be a tough time for many of us. Here are some simple holistic tips to help you through the difficult patches so you do have a season of fun and relaxation.

Perfect tan Having a healthy glowing suntan is great. But nowadays we have to remember the ozone layer – or the lack of it. We often forget that suntans only became fashionable in the 1920s with French fashion icon Coco Chanel. Before that only labourers had tans and the richer you were, the whiter your skin.

Now it’s nearly the reverse. Many of us are fair-skinned and have to keep a close eye on how much daily sun we get. There’s an easy way to achieve exactly the colour you want while getting some sun (a great source of vitamin D). In the morning put on your total or partial all-day sun block, let it dry in then take a rub-on fake tan and massage it into your skin until you are the colour you want to be.

That way you can go out into the world looking good, fully protected and don’t have to worry about applying more. Shower it off that night. If you like overnight fake tan and you can apply it well then go ahead. But make sure you can still put on your sunscreen the next day.

Going abroad?

Who doesn’t absolutely love the idea of getting away from it all in an exotic foreign place? It might sound brilliant but there can be a lot of stress in preparing and then actually transporting ourselves to our holiday destination.

Everyone takes time off together at Christmas, so there tends to be a natural wind-down at work. But in the summer we have to leave work in such a way that someone else can take over. This can be very stressful and tiring.

Then we have the packing to do, which can be very off-putting now that many airlines have weight restrictions on luggage. Many of us dread the flights especially if it’s a long journey and your legs are squeezed into a small space on the plane. Is it any wonder that we arrive in a frazzle?

Pace yourself and start preparing to wind down weeks in advance. Tell people when you will be away and schedule for it in advance. Start preparing to hand over work files by having them ready in

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SUMMER/AUTUMN 2009

Gxxxxx

Beat the summertime blues advance. Ask the family, including little ones and particularly teenagers, to pick out the clothes they want to bring a week early.

As much as you can, choose flights that avoid red-eye wake up calls or late night arrivals. Suss out holiday destinations with something for everyone by way of pursuits. Many hotel complexes have sports as well as daily yoga available so that all tastes are catered for.

Your wish list Summer is a fabulous time for doing the things you never seem to have enough time to do during the rest of the year.

Make a list of books, restaurants and activities. Then map them out over the weeks ahead. After all, if you meet your mum, sister or friends every week why not change the destination to a castle, new wine bar, country market, or local festival instead? All you need is a good imagination and, if you can’t think of anything, check out the local paper or notice board in the supermarket. u

School’s out

Many of us feel that it will be fantastic when the children have their holidays and we don’t have to get up early for the school run. However the inevitable boredom factor can set in quite soon and we are plagued with the old ‘what will I do’ scenario.

Summer camps are a great idea for the younger children and even teenagers. Do make sure that you pick ones that your children are genuinely interested in and, preferably, where they’ll see some familiar faces. There’s nothing worse than being called in to rescue an unhappy little one who has been faced with a sea of new people they don’t feel comfortable with.

Family outings are another terrific way to keep everyone occupied and have fun at the same time. Pick somewhere that you and the children have always wanted to go. Or get all the family to pick a place and rotate the visits.

Say it’s the Viking adventure around Dublin. Ask everyone to do something before the day arrives – look up Vikings on the internet, make funny hats, draw a Viking family, invent a song, pack a picnic that Vikings would eat (you might have to be very inventive here – hairy hog sandwiches anyone?). As a professional auntie, I find these special days a fantastic way to catch up with the extended family at a fairly relaxed time of year l

Keeping the holiday feeling YOU SPEND months looking forward to your summer holidays and then they seem to come and go in the blink of an eye.

Within days you’re back to where you started and feeling stressed. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to be able to keep that blissful holiday feeling all year long? It might not be as difficult as you think.

1. Plan your next holiday immediately

This may sound a bit drastic but it really works. On the way home, still in that relaxed state, dream and scheme with your family or friends about where you would like to visit next.

Financially, it may have to be a plan rather than a solid booking.

But it will give you something to look forward to straight away.

This is a terrific way to combat the post-holiday blues. Buy guidebooks and leaf through brochures.

2. Buy the music

This is a little nugget. There is usually always a ‘holiday song’, either a top hit played in the nightclubs or perhaps the local ethnic music that we take a fancy to when we are away. If you go out and buy the CD, then play it on a cold, rainy autumn day, you’ll be surprised at how those holiday smiles come flooding back.

3. Cook the food

Try to make that souvlaka or paella you adored on holiday.

The smells and tastes of the place you visited will create

delicious aromas in your home. Smell is an amazing sense, which we tend to under-use. And it is linked irrevocably with our memories. If you are not into creative cooking find out if there’s a restaurant you can visit that serves the same type of food.

4. Keep up the holiday habits

If you love reading or mooching around markets when you are away, then do more of it when you come home. Look forward to losing yourself in a good book. There are lots of fantastic new farmers’ markets in most big towns so this could be wonderful way to evoke that holiday feeling every week. If you tried jet skiing or wind surfing for the first time away, why not consider taking up the sport at home?

5. Use your holiday images as a way to relax

If you have never tried meditation as a way to bring your mind from a stressed to a relaxed state, here is a simple version to experiment with. Find 3-5 minutes to yourself each day. Close your eyes and, in your mind’s eye, bring up a really nice scene from your holidays. Imagine what you were wearing and what the weather was like. In fact, go through your five senses to really feel you are there.

Your body will remember that holiday feeling and you’ll find yourself relaxing and even smiling. Another way to do this is to keep your holiday snaps handy and enjoy flicking through them. Try whichever of the above tips catches your eye and enjoy that holiday feeling at home l Karen Ward, energy therapist on BBC’s ‘The Last Resort’ and holistic therapist presenter of RTE’S ‘Health Squad’, is also the co-author of ‘The Health Squad Guide to Health and Fitness’. Her new book ‘Change a Little to Change a Lot’ is in shops now. www.karenwardholistictherapsit.com Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members 27

From the kitchen

Fishy business MARGARET HANNIGAN gives advice on a scale of one to ten.

1.

Go to the seaside.

Fish are freshest at the dock.

Or get a rod and sit by a river.

MARGARET HANNIGAN’S finally been converted to fish.

Frozen fish is generally of a good standard and retains taste and texture well.

I’M GOING to let you in on a teeny-tiny secret. For a long time, fish and I didn’t see eye to eye.

2.

3.

4.

Look for sequinbright scales, a wide-awake eye and plump, moist flesh.

5.

Avoid fish that is dull, dry-looking, or smells bad.

6.

7.

Check very carefully for tiny bones, particularly when children are eating.

8.

Find a nice helpful fishmonger and give them your business. In supermarkets fish often seem to be an awkward adjunct of the butcher’s counter.

9.

Avoid anything bigger than you. Or anything that you don’t recognise.

10.

When rambling along the shore, be careful where you pick your periwinkles and mussels. You could be trespassing on someone’s patch. And you need to be sure the water is clean.

SUMMER/AUTUMN 2009

Or take a piece of puff pastry roughly twice the size of your fish, spread 1–2 tablespoons of couscous on one half, lay some lemon and herbs on top, then the fish. Put a knob of butter and some seasoning on top, then fold over the pastry, and pinch the edges to make a pastry envelope. Brush with beaten egg and bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes before serving with a green salad or any green vegetable. The contrast of light, flaky, pastry with moist, buttery fish is delicious.

A quick word about shellfish. These really must be fresh, and from unpolluted waters, or they can make you very sick indeed. Lobsters and crabs must be cooked when still alive and kicking, and require the skill of a brain surgeon to extract the meat when cooked.

To me they were cold, scaly things, with scary feathery bones waiting to choke you, and possessed of insidious smells that catch the back of your throat and squeeze it.

Clams and mussels are easier – just stay away from any that remain closed after cooking. They’re not safe. Oysters are eaten raw, and opening them takes skill and practice, with minor injuries likely for beginners.

Of course, I’d heard about how fish was so low in fat, and full of protein and those lovely Omega oils that keep you limber as an eel well into your eighties. But I still couldn’t go there. I don’t quite know when my epiphany happened, but I think there was a very good battered cod involved.

Then there’s squid and octopus, which are actually molluscs who have turned themselves inside out and can just be chopped up and fried after you’ve de-inked them.

And, no, I never have G

From there, I progressed to the fishmonger. Now, this really is a key point for anyone interested in eating fish. Fish tastes and smells best when it’s freshest. That’s difficult to achieve in a supermarket, but very possible in a good fish shop supplied with the daily catch.

A 500g fish will generously feed one, and around 750g will feed two. And it can be skinned, filleted, and cut into dinner-sized portions in the shop. Ask questions, try recipes, be brave. Check out the Bord Iascaigh Mhara website (on Google) for free recipes and tons of information about outlets in your area.

Lobsters and crabs require the skill of a brain surgeon to extract the meat.

Now that you’ve bought your fish, how do you cook it? Quickly, is the answer.

Less dense and more delicately flavoured than meat, fish likes a light touch. For shallow frying, use olive oil or a half oil/half butter mix, and have about 3mm of really hot oil in the pan before the fish goes in. Frozen fish should be thawed first, otherwise the temperature of the oil drops dramatically and the fish is oily, rather than crisp.

For deep frying, the pan should be one-third full of hot oil, with the fish at room temperature and coated in batter, breadcrumbs or flour to seal it against the extreme heat and give it a nice crisp crunch. For grilling, have melted butter or olive oil ready for basting, or you’ll end up with shrivelled, rubbery articles. Alternatively, marinate the fish in a mix of oil and flavourings and grill or barbeque. ®

Photo: Dreamstime

Try not to overcook.

Unlike meat there is no rare, medium, or well-done and it’s a matter of a minute between flaky perfection and rubbery mess.

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When the boat comes in

You can also steam, bake, or poach. One of the most popular methods is to simply lay it on a large piece of buttered baking paper or foil together with some butter, a dash of wine and some herbs. Parcel it up and bake in a hot oven for around twenty minutes. If it still looks translucent give it another few minutes, but not too many.

And to drink…

FOR FISH it has to be white wine unless you’re serving paella, whose earthy Spanish flavours combining seafood, spicy chorizo and chicken will not be overwhelmed by the stronger reds.

White and rosé must always be served chilled to preserve the crispness of the flavours. If allowed to warm up, whites can become oily or sour and the rosés sickly and unpleasant.

Never fill the glass more than two-thirds full. This allows the wine to breathe and the flavours to expand. I know that sounds like

pretentious twaddle, but I’ve found that wine drunk from a brimming glass is unpleasant. The idea is to sip and savour, and a very full glass seems like a child clamouring for attention. Some suggestions are: Rocca Bella Pinot Grigio: An Italian wine, light and crisp, with an apple blossom smell. Cuts through oils and sauces and refreshes the palate. €8.99, most supermarkets Vina Decana Rosado: A mellow, fruity rosé from Spain’s Requena region. Beautiful raspberry colour and scent, with hints of cherry. Blended by Calvet winemakers for Aldi, it’s excellent value at €5.99.

Cono-Sur Sauvignon Blanc: A Chilean producer with a crisp, clean classic Sauvignon taste.

Smells of apples and sunshine. €8.99, Supervalu, Dunnes.

Fish finger lickin’ good This is a recipe for homemade fish fingers, from The River Cottage Family Cookbook, a down-to-earth volume with an excellent chapter on all things fishy.

Ingredients: (For 16 or so) G 3 slices slightly stale bread, crusts removed.

G Skinned fillets of firm fish such as cod, pollack or haddock (about 450g) G 4 tbsps plain flour G 1-2 free-range eggs G 2 tbsps sunflower oil G Knob of butter G Salt and black pepper Heat oven to 120C/Gas mark 1/2, to keep the first batch of fish fingers warm while the others are cooking, as you won't fit them all in the pan in one go.

Make nice, small, breadcrumbs with the bread. Cut the fish into chunky strips and feel each one carefully for any small bones. Take three shallow bowls, and place the flour, seasoned with salt and pepper in the first. Put the egg(s) into the second one and whisk. And put the breadcrumbs in the third.

Roll each fish strip in the flour, shaking off any excess. Then swim it in the egg, letting any excess drip off. Press it into the crumbs to coat. Place on a clean plate ready for frying.

Heat the butter and sunflower oil over a medium heat. When the butter starts to foam, place some fish fingers in the pan. But don’t overcrowd them or the heat of the oil will be dispersed and they’ll go soggy. Cook for 2–3 mins each side, then transfer to a clean plate lined with kitchen paper, and keep warm in the oven. Add more oil and butter to the pan as necessary while cooking. Serve with homemade wedges or fried potatoes. And ketchup, of course!

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 29

Green fingers

Your vegetable garden

Spending hours with summer flowers JIMI BLAKE says it’s time to sit back and enjoy some summer colour in your garden. But there are just one or two little jobs…

SUMMER IS upon us and all our work should now be paying off. Gardeners are renowned for finding it hard to sit back and simply enjoy their gardens; there is always a bit of weeding, watering or staking to do. But the most important thing to do now is to spend time sitting and walking - and even talking to the plants - in your garden.

damage. They are happiest in cool, damp conditions where they don’t dry out. After their first flush of flowers, cut them down and they will repay you with another flowering later in the season. In the spring propagate large clumps by dividing them and replanting, giving them a good feed of well-rotted manure.

I would like to introduce you to a few of my favourite flowering plants this summer. They are all easy to grow and have a long season of interest.

I am very fond of the claret reds of cultivars such as Astrantia major ‘ruby wedding’ and Astrantia ‘hadspen blood’. At the moment my favourite is one called Astrantia ‘boo anne’ with its wonderful silver and pink flowers from May to October.

I recommend that you only buy Astrantias when you can see them in flower as they tend to cross-pollinate like mad creating plants with a broad range of colours.

Agastache is a short-lived perennial, which I grow through my sunny borders. I sow the seeds in March and have plants ready for planting out in well drained fertile soil at the end of May. I use varieties called Agastache ‘liquorise blue’ and ‘herons wood mist,’ which start flowering in July and continue right into winter. They have spikes of violet flowers, smelling deliciously of aniseed, which are adored by bees and butterflies.

You might already know Echinacea for its use as a medicinal remedy. Scientific studies have suggested that the use of the herb increases the action of the body’s immune system by as much as 30%. I use it myself when I feel a cold coming on and I always manage to stop it progressing. u

Like many long-flowering perennials, this one tends to be short-lived, though reasonably hardy. The winter silhouette

“Only buy Astrantias when you can see them in flower as they tend to crosspollinate like mad creating plants with a broad range of colours.”

Astrantias are tough and can even withstand a bit of slug

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SUMMER/AUTUMN 2009

If you want to harvest oriental greens like mizuna, pak choi, choi sum and chinese cabbage this autumn, sow in late July.

This year I am growing a beautiful red leafed pak choi, which would look ever so attractive grown in the ornamental garden.

I got this from C&N Seeds in England.

Echinaceas are easy to grow in average soil that is not very wet in winter. I am constantly asked, why have I lost my Echinacea? I believe the reason is that slugs have a liking for them and seem to devour them in some gardens as they start to grow.

Sow your salad crops for the autumn and winter harvest in late summer and avoid ever using that disgusting pre-washed lettuce in a bag. There is also a wonderful range of winter greens including lamb’s lettuce, rocket, purple mustard and all year round lettuce. Remember that lettuce only germinates well at low temperatures. If the soil rises above 25°C, germination is erratic.

They are easy to grow from seed, taking three years to flower from seeds. If you want to plant Echinaceas, I suggest you stick to the ordinary Echinacea ‘rubinstern’ which is a good reliable perennial unlike other Echinacea cultivars which seem to die out after the first winter.

One important job to do this time of year in the ornamental garden is pruning wisteria by shortening side shoots to about 20cm. Then tie in the new growth to extend the coverage over your wall or trellis. Don’t be tempted to feed your Wisteria as this will only encourage more leaves and fewer flowers.

Blight on potatoes tends to appear towards the end of July.

One precaution is to spray with bordeaux mixture at the beginning of July and again in a fortnight if heavy rains ensue.

Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t. My friend Kluas Laitenberger told me to spray the potatoes with milk diluted in a little water to prevent blight. It sounds good to me and it’s what I’ll be doing this year.

Deadhead roses and dahlias on a regular basis and sprinkle the petals on your compost heap. If you’re watering your garden, give it a good soak because watering a little causes the roots to grow near the surface where they will dry out very quickly during dry spells.

Sow some more peas now for a late summer harvest. Start lifting your garlic once the leaves start to turn yellow. They can be dried on the ground if the weather is dry and hung up in bunches under cover.

If your indoor plant is already too big to go into a larger pot, I suggest giving the plant a top dressing by removing the top 2.5-5cm of the old compost, taking care not to damage the plant’s roots, and replacing it with fresh moist compost to which a small amount of fertilizer (osmocote) has been added. Firm in the compost and water l

Order Japanese onions and garlic for autumn planting. The term Japanese onion is currently used for the hardy, early maturing varieties of bulbing onion developed by the Japanese. They are sown in late summer/early autumn and mature in early summer, before the spring-planted crop is ready. ‘Senshyu semi-globe yellow’ and ‘radar’ are good varieties currently available. Mr Middleton is a good source for these.

Crops to sow outside in July and August include Chinese cabbage, spring onions, lettuce, beetroots, radishes, spinach and spring cabbage l

One-year plantsperson’s course

of the seed head is also beautiful and much appreciated by blue tits and bullfinches for food through the winter months.

I tend to lose most of mine in the winter due to my hungry slugs and the frosts I get with a garden at 1,000 feet above sea level. So I end up growing them from seed each spring and treating them like an annual.

Astrantia is another of the top class herbaceous perennials for this time of year. Their flowers have a very interesting and beautiful shape. The wiry stems branch into several flower heads, each a posy of tiny florets, arranged in a dome with a collar of bracts, and flower with me from mid-May until autumn.

IN THE stampede to sow vegetable seeds in the spring, we sometimes forget that the process of bringing on crops should be a continuous, over-lapping affair. Vegetables like Florence fennel, purple-skinned kohlrabi, spring greens and the wonderful oriental veg can be sowed in the spring.

But Echinacea is equally useful for its striking purple-pink flowers which stand proud and tall in my borders from the beginning of July to October.

The flower heads attract butterflies and bees with their honey scent.

This lecture and garden-based course is designed to give a thorough understanding of a broad range of plants from the common and reliable to the rare and unusual. The course, run by Jimi Blake with guest lecturers, is based in Hunting Brook gardens with tours to other gardens and nurseries.

It’s especially suited to the horticultural student, keen gardener or garden designer with a basic knowledge of plants. The course takes place on 12 Saturdays throughout the year from September 2009 to August 2010. The first class is on 19th September. The cost is €895 and can be payed in installments.

Above: Agastache seed head in Winter.

Left: Agastache ‘Herons Wood Mist’.

Far left: Astrantia ‘Boo Anne’.

Contact Jimi on Tel: 01- 458-3972 or 087-285-6601.

Email: jimihuntingbrook.com or visit www.huntingbrook.com l

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members

31

At the movies But where Downey Jr has boldly gone, transforming himself from drugaddled inmate to blockbuster action hero, others are sure to follow. Earlier this year, Ryder popped up in JJ Abrams’ entertaining reboot of the Star Trek franchise. Her turn as Spock’s mother caught audiences in a collective moment of recollection for the former star and kicked off a period of potentially sustained on-screen presence.

Summer scene In the meantime, this summer also brings with it the usual mixed bag of cinematic confections says MORGAN O’BRIEN. Bruno (10th July)

Renaissance MORGAN O’BRIEN says Winona Ryder is finally coming in from the cold after her 2001 shoplifting arrest, and doing what she does best.

Stealing scenes.

Ryding back from the sunset HOLLYWOOD HAS a rich tradition of falling stars changing course to follow a renewed ascending trajectory. In the 1930s Katherine Hepburn was considered box-office poison after a string of flops. But her career was revitalised with The Philadelphia Story and the rest, as they say, is history.

side Adam Sandler in Mr Deeds (2002), and smaller roles in films like Richard Linklater’s A Scanner Darkly (2006), the actress has kept a decidedly low profile of late.

Today, fading stars and starlets yearn to emulate John Travolta, saved from further straight-to-video embarrassments by Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, or Robert Downey Jr, who traded the orange of a California correctional facility jumpsuit for the red and yellow of Iron Man.

This is all a far cry from her former glory. Ryder garnered a cult following in the late 1980s after charming audiences as the feisty young heroine in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (1988) and Edward Scissorhands (1990).

This year’s case in point is Winona Ryder who, since her arrest for shoplifting in 2001, has been on something of a hiatus from our screens. Save for a best-forgotten performance along32

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Talent

Her public persona and roles in films such as the acerbic high-school comedy Heathers (1989) and Ben Stiller’s Reality Bites (1994) cemented her place as a poster girl for ‘Generation X’. She even provided inspiration for a pop-punk band, The Wynona Riders.

Through the 1990s, a judicious choice of movie roles saw her feted as a rising talent. She featured alongside Daniel Day Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer in Martin Scorcese’s lush period piece The Age of Innocence (1993) and starred in a well-received adaptation of Little Women (1994), as well as the drama Girl, Interrupted (1999).

But Ryder’s fall from grace, after that embarrassing and much publicised bout of kleptomania, effectively reduced her to a punch line. There seemed little indication of her carving out a path back to the top, or even the middle ranks, especially when Woody Allen failed to secure insurance in 2002 for both her and Robert Downey Jr for roles in Melinda and Melinda. ®

In July, Ryder joins Robin Wright Penn and Keanu Reeves in The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, a drama about marital infidelity and mental breakdown. Later this summer, she stars in The Informers, adapted from the Brett Easton Ellis novel about a series of amoral characters in 1980s Los Angeles. The actress will no doubt hope that the film provides her career a similar shot in the arm as another Ellis adaptation, American Psycho, did for Christian Bale.

On set, Ryder perhaps couldn’t have helped but feel a sense of fellowship with another of her co-stars, Mickey Rourke. A superstar of the 1980s, Rourke has undergone his own career renaissance, re-emerging from scraping barrel-bottoms (see Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man) to being Oscar nominated for The Wrestler.

While Rourke and Downey Jr are set to star in the blockbuster sequel Iron Man II, Ryder, Star Trek appearance aside, seems to maintain a preference for somewhat smaller films. Alongside The Private Lives of Pippa Lee and The Informers, she also stars in the Polish brothers’ comedy, Stay Cool and has recently stated that a sequel to the cult classic Heathers is in the works.

So as Winona thankfully turns her attention back to just trying to steal scenes, we can imagine the endless other Norma Desmonds rattling around their Sunset Boulevard mansions waiting for their fairy godmother to come calling. Cuba Gooding Jr or Geena Davis perhaps? G

With both Ali G and Borat put out to pasture, Sacha Baron Cohen brings flamboyant fashion model Bruno to the big screen. Expect to see unsuspecting Americans being subjected to uncomfortable interviewing.

Moon (17th July) A sci-fi drama directed by Duncan Jones, formerly Zowie Bowie, Moon stars Sam Rockwell working as an astronaut alone on a lunar mining station.

The Taking of Pelham 123 (24th July) Director Tony Scott remakes a 1970s classic, with John Travolta as a train robber pitting his wits against Denzel Washington’s train controller. The original, with Walter Matthau, deserves to be better regarded and is well worth checking out.

The Ugly Truth (7th August)

A by-the-numbers, opposites attract, romantic comedy with Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler as reporters at loggerheads but... well, you know the rest.

Inglourious Basterds (21st August) Quentin Tarantino returns with a title to annoy copy editors and, judging by his Cannes appearance, giant ego intact.

Led by Brad Pitt, the titular ‘Basterds’ are a US Army division on a mission to scalp Nazis in WWII.

500 Days of Summer (4th September)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel star in an offbeat romantic comedy about a hopeless romantic who falls in love with a girl who doesn’t believe in true love.

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 33

Play it loud

Whos‘ top 10 1 2 3 4 5 5.15 (Quadrophenia, 1973) Rock’s best testament to the proud outsider. This stand-out track from the awesome Quadrophenia features great brass and a highly disciplined Keith Moon.

“Daltrey was quizzed about his avoidance of the high jinks and drink-and-drug-filled carnage for which The Who were renowned in the sixties and seventies.”

Rock god and regular guy RAYMOND CONNOLLY SOMETIMES YOU wonder what motivates countless rock stars to embark on world salvation crusades. Recently I discovered The Who’s Roger Daltrey is president of the Teenage Cancer Trust (has been for many years, in fact).

The fact that Daltrey quietly went about this work for many years confirmed what a regular guy he is. Compare that to the likes of His Bonoship releasing 1,683 white doves in the name of salvation and tax reduction in the Benelux coutries.

I recall a BBC interview when Daltrey was quizzed about his avoidance of the high jinks and drink-and-drug-filled carnage for which The Who were renowned in the sixties and seventies.

His matter of fact response was along the lines of: “I never really did much. Pete wrote the songs and I’d just turn up and sing 'em. Luckily I was pitch perfect.” A legend.

This year, the Teenage Cancer Trust was the nominated charity at Arsenal, where Roger is a season ticket holder. But how’s this for honesty? Daltry admits that in the 1960s he was a regular “up the Bush,” watching his local heroes Queens Park Rangers. He lost touch with the game and started going to Arsenal in the 1980s at the request of his young son.

None of your celebrity ‘lifelong supporter’ buffoonery from our man. In a recent issue of 4-4-2 magazine, star of the cult 1970s classic Confessions of a Window Cleaner Robin Askwith pans Phil Collins for being a former regular “up the Bush” before later emerging as a “lifelong” Spurs fan! As Jim Royle would say: “Lifelong my a*se, Barb”. ® 34

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Behind Blue Eyes (Who’s Next, 1971) A mostly-acoustic classic. Daltrey delivers the caustic lyric with Hannibal Lecter-style menace.

Substitute (Single, 1966) Pete Townsend at his lyrical best. At least I’ll get my washing done…

Squeeze Box (The Who by Numbers, 1975) Slightly smutty (in a Confessions of a Window Cleaner type of way) but highly moving love song with a terrific back beat.

Won’t Get Fooled Again (Who’s Next, 1971) The band’s most overtly political offering.

Takes the kop-out of “they’re all the same” to an angrier level.

No moon On the subject of The Who, this time 30 years ago the band did the unthinkable and ventured on tour without drummer Keith Moon who had died the previous September.

‘The Who and Friends Roar In’ concert took place at Wembley stadium on 18th August 1979. (The same year, Wembley saw Alan Sunderland score the lastminute winner to help Arsenal beat Manchester United 3-2 in the FA cup final.

Totally irrelevant I accept, but always worth a mention).

‘The Who and friends’ bill also featured The Stranglers, Nils Lofgren and a young Australian outfit called AC/DC. A classic excerpt from one review reads: “The weather was good but there was surfeit of booze. Despite there being bars at the venue many brought their own booze and others sampled the killer scrumpy that was on sale for £4 a gallon. Many only needed half a pint and they were either rendered legless, or sick, or both.”

My own fascination with The Who started in the mid-1970s, aged approximately ten. My mate’s older brother was a fanatic and the album covers were fantastic (particularly The Who Sell Out). At that time we only had RTÉ One and, on Friday nights, we’d settle down to Margaret Tisdall (aka Peggy Dell, born 1905) tickling the ivory and warbling Among my Souvenirs having swallowed a bag of gravel.

Apparently Peggy appeared on the Late Late Show and viewer reaction was so positive she was given her own TV series. That’s rock’n’ roll for you! Viewer reaction? What else was there to react to? Sex was taboo. Match of the Day (aka cross-channel soccer) was on a foreign station, and the radio was full of diddledee-i music.

When cable TV finally arrived (generally refereed to as The Pipe) we finally got choice – only to have our hopes dashes by the woeful reception. “The pipe is gone again. I wonder has anybody rang them.” The breakdowns were usually because of the weather. Too sunny; too windy; too rainy; too cloudy. Basically too much weather.

But by 1979 things had improved. The Who not only toured that year (including a tragic concert in Cincinnati where 11 fans died). They also released two films: the documentary The Kids are Alright and the eagerly awaited Quadrophenia which, as our luck would have it, was banned in Ireland for its “large amounts for sex, violence, profanity and drug use.” Sunday World anyone? G

Autumn 2009 Soduko Solutions (From page 48.)

4 2 1 8 3 6 5 9 7

6 3 5 9 7 1 8 2 4

7 9 8 2 5 4 1 6 3

8 4 2 1 6 5 3 7 9

1 5 3 4 9 7 6 8 2

Solution easy

9 7 6 3 2 8 4 1 5

5 6 4 7 8 2 9 3 1

2 8 9 5 1 3 7 4 6

3 1 7 6 4 9 2 5 8

4 3 6 7 2 8 5 9 1

5 2 1 9 3 6 8 4 7

8 7 9 5 1 4 6 3 2

2 8 3 6 7 1 4 5 9

6 4 5 3 9 2 1 7 8

1 9 7 4 8 5 2 6 3

Solution difficult

7 1 4 8 6 3 9 2 5

9 5 2 1 4 7 3 8 6

3 6 8 2 5 9 7 1 4

6 7 8 9 10

I’m a Boy (Single, 1966) “I’m a boy and my ma won’t admit, I’m a boy, I’m a boy and if I say I am I get it.”

Wonderfully deranged!

I Can See For Miles (The Who Sell Out, 1967) Beautifully harmonised flagship track from this marvellous album.

The Kids Are Alright (My Generation, 1965) The beat that beats Mersey Beat. And the lyrics break your heart into a thousand pieces.

Long Live Rock (Odds and Sods, 1974) Unlikely roll-along rock band bio. Never bettered in the genre.

Mary Ann With The Shaky Head (The Who Sell Out, 1967) Classic 1960s Who sound, complete with boyish naughty lyric and laced with humour.

Summer 2009 Crossword Solutions

See page 48 for the competition winners from Issue 5.

Across: 1.Apricot 5. Ergot 8. Tudor 9. Theorem 10. Chicago 11. Taiga 12. Wigwam 14. Tatami 17. Caber 19. Bushido 22. Illicit 23. Match 24. Paris 25 Decorum.

Down: 1. Antic 2. Redwing 3. Curia 4. Tattoo 5. Electra 6. Gorki 7. Timpani 12. Wickiup 13. Aurochs 15. Twister 16. Abated 18. Balor 20. Sumac 21. Ogham WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 35

From the author

A write romantic MARTINA O’LEARY speaks to public servant and successful author MARY MALONE, whose new offering explores how little we really know about our office colleagues.

I’M JUST back from holidays, when I love a gripping read while I relax.

Mary Malone’s third novel Never Tear Us Apart fits the bill exactly. Hailing from Bandon, County Cork, Mary juggles her time between her job in the Central Statistics Office, being a wife and mother of two boys, and writing.

I caught up with her early one morning just before she set out to do some book signings and publicity for the new book, which is a mix of love, romance, jealously, mistrust, deception, revenge and crime.

The two central characters Vicky and Ariel are the only women working in a financial investment firm, both putting on a brave face while their worlds are falling apart.

“Submitting your first novel is like sending your child to school and hoping everyone likes them the way you do.”

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I’m bound to ask if they are based on real people. “I do my best to steer away from that. I name them, and then they come to life over time.

Never Tear Us Apart is based on the idea that you work very closely with people, particular in an office environment. You share a lot of information about family, finance, relationships and home, but you really don’t have a clue what is going on in people’s heads,” she says. ®

Love is the recurring theme in all Mary’s books. So, is she a romantic at heart? “I’m with my husband since I was 18. I love romance and I’m an affectionate person. Love is both fantastic and difficult, and I try to explore different sides of it. I think the recession will put so many people under pressure. We had become more concerned with materialism, now we must learn to focus more on our relationships. Love is about developing relationships with our friends, siblings, parents, kids as well as our partners.”

Mary got into writing about six years ago. A passionate reader, she dreamed of having her name on the spine of a book. But, like many others, her first submission was rejected by the publishers. She sees this as part of the apprenticeship for new writers.

“Submitting your first novel is like sending your child to school and hoping everyone likes them the way you do. My first effort was never published. It wasn’t good enough. I hadn’t studied the craft or how to write properly. But the rejections were encouraging: we like your style, your story line, but you need to learn more,” she recalls.

She overcame the rejection by doing a course in journalism and getting writing and publishing experience in various local and national papers and magazines. And eventually the breakthrough came.

“There’s a huge interest in writing and many people wonder how to get published. There is no real answer. Just keep at it,” she says.

Mary also got support from her colleagues in the civil service. “I was nervous about putting myself in the public domain but there was no negativity. Especially in the CSO, everyone wishes you well. They buy the book and ask you to sign it. It’s lovely.

It makes it really personal,” she says.

Never Tear Us Apart is published by Poolbeg Crimson, priced €7.99. Find out more about Mary Malone at www.marymalone.ie G

Book reviews Norden exposure CLIPS FROM A LIFE by Denis Norden (Harper Perennial, £8.99 in the UK).

MOST READERS of this book will remember Denis Norden for his series ‘It’ll be Alright on the Night’, a compilation of cinema and TV outtakes and bloopers which ran for 29 years. Though he had worked in television and radio for two decades prior to the first show, I imagine most of us would fail miserably if asked to associate him with anything else.

This is a funny, quirky, book. Neither memoir nor autobiography, it’s a series of recollections and anecdotes that loosely follow the course of his life, which Benjamin Button-like, start at the end and work back to the beginning.

Clearly, Norden is drawn to compilation, and to the art of short and sharp rather than reflection and analysis. By and large, this makes for an entertaining skim across the decades, and his stories are more hits than misses. But some of the people he refers to are not so much part of the golden age of light entertainment, as its Jurassic age.

I doubt whether too many readers are all that excited about The Crazy Gang, Bud Flanagan, or even Groucho Marx. But they might like to hear more about the process of writing and producing a TV show, and perhaps hear Norden’s opinions of current TV offerings.

Norden himself sums it up thus: “As you grow older, not only do you lose your illusions, you lose your allusions as well.”

But this is a small caveat and two things shine out from this book. One is Norden’s absolute love of words, and the other is his wit. His skill is to sift, collect, and display with an erudite wit for our entertainment and, almost always, amusement.

Margaret Hannigan

The plot darkens A DARKER PLACE by Jack Higgins (Harper Collins, £17.99 in the UK).

THIS IS the latest novel from ‘the legend’ Jack Higgins as he is modestly referred to on the cover. Legend may be overstating it, but he is certainly prolific, with many of his books having been made into films, including The Eagle has Landed.

Fans will recognise the group known as ‘the prime minister’s secret army’ including ex-IRA man Sean Dillon and Major Charles Ferguson. They can circumvent protocol by their various skills picked up over many years in the world’s war zones.

This time their mission is to help Alexander Kurbsky, a famous Russian novelist who also has a distinguished army career, to defect to the West. Ferguson and the others hatch a daring plan to help him escape during a visit to Paris where Kurbsky is being awarded the Legion of Honour. All is not as it seems though, as Kurbsky is clearly working with the Russians.

The characters are defined largely by their actions, although there is plenty of time given to dialogue. Violence is not a problem to them. When necessary it is dispensed without conscience. If you like an action-packed plot that moves along quickly you will probably like this.

Kathryn Smith

More book reviews on page 38 ®

Books competition

Irish publishers Poolbeg are synonymous with discovering and nurturing new exciting writing talent. Their Crimson range showcases women’s fiction with an edge, bringing a darker psychological drama to Poolbeg's popular fiction list. Expect thrills, twists and the uncovering of secrets and lies.

Poolbeg have given Work & Life one full

set of their Crimson range books to give away.

To be in with a chance of winning, answer the question below and send your entry to Roisin Nolan, Work & Life Poolbeg competition, IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1.

Entries by Friday 4th September please.

What country is Poolbeg based in?

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 37

More book reviews Trust me, I’m a doctor BAD SCIENCE by Ben Goldacre (Harper Perennial, £8.99 in the UK).

DR BEN Goldacre is the author of the ‘Bad Science’ column in the Guardian newspaper and his book is about all the bad science used to promote everything from face creams to cat food. (And on that point, exactly which ten cats did they ask, and were they in any way related to the manufacturer?).

One particular gem I personally recall, is an ad solemnly informing us that, as twothirds of our skin is comprised of water (which I think is forensically correct) it was essential to slather on a particular brand of snake oil, or run the risk of significant portions of your person evaporating overnight! I mean it’s just so hard trying to reinsert your appendix into an unmoisturised, vanishing abdomen first thing in the morning.

But what has science got to do with me, I hear you ask? We just want to get to the ’because I’m worth it’ part, don’t we?

Well, at a time when science is used to prove everything and nothing, from the meaningless statistics on the back of a cereal box to the use of the word ‘visibly’ in cosmetics ads, Dr Ben thinks you should inform yourself. To this end, he deconstructs several popular mythologies surrounding among others, fish oil supplements, homeopathy, the MMR vaccine, and that well-known coprophiliac, Gillian McKeith – the chapter on her justifies the purchase price on its own!

Satirical and amusing, Goldacre cheerfully and intelligently illuminates the difference between good and bad science. Rather than give you the answers, it teaches you how to ask the questions that will separate the ridiculous from the possibly helpful.

On a more sombre note, the chapter on vitamin pill entrepreneur Mathias Rath will make your blood boil and engrave upon your brain the bright new motto of hedge fund managers everywhere: (cue spooky music and Halloween fright mask) Buyer Beware!

Margaret Hannigan

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SUMMER/AUTUMN 2009

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union business

IMPACT strategy promotes pay and pension protection IMPACT’S CENTRAL executive committee has endorsed a new strategy, which sets out the union’s core priorities in the public service in the immediate and medium term. The strategy focuses on defending members’ jobs, incomes, and pensions while protecting public services during the recession and beyond.

IMPACT has told the Government it wants explicit guarantees that there will be no cuts in public service pay or in the value of public service pensions, including the preservation of the existing taxation arrangements on the lump sum. It has also sought an agreed framework to deal with public service employment issues.

The document, called Protecting our members during the recession and beyond: IMPACT priorities and negotiating strategy in the public service, also outlines five areas for action to put the priorities into practice: negotiations, industrial responses, organisation, communications and campaigning.

The union raised a number of other public sector matters in the recent talks, including the Towards 2016 interim pay deal, the public service levy, and outstanding payments due under the last benchmarking and review body reports.

The strategy reflects emergency motions adopted at each of the union’s divisional conferences in May.

Photo: Conor Healy.

The document, which is available on the members-only pages of IMPACT’s website, was drawn up in response to the need for an agreed plan or strategy to deal with the many challenges and attacks now facing IMPACT and its members.

No guarantees

In mid-May, Taoiseach Brian Cowen wrote to ICTU and confirmed that the Government was willing to explore the possibility of an agreement on public service pay and related matters. He didn’t rule out the possibility of an agreement that contained the guarantees that IMPACT has sought. But he said this would only be possible as part of a deal that also included radically improved flexibility, mobility and performance.

However, as Work & Life went to press, the Government had not confirmed its willingness to give the pay and pension guarantees sought by the union. IMPACT general secretary Peter McLoone said this was a worrying sign that future attacks on public service pay and pensions might be under consideration.

Meanwhile, the government has set a deadline of September for applications to its early retirement scheme. If take-up is a high as expected, it is likely that this will lead to huge problems as the Government’s recruitment and promotions embargo means the posts of those leaving will not be filled.

Members of the Incredibals Crew breakdance group and other young people who’ve benefitted from IMPACT’s scheme.

Community fund launched APPLICATIONS TO IMPACT’S small grants fund for Dublin’s inner city are now in after the 2009 scheme was launched earlier this month. The fund was established by the union in 2006 to support worthwhile local initiatives in education and intercultural development. So far, it has distributed over €100,000 in small grants to over 80 projects in the locality.

Grants worth up to a total value of €50,000 will be made this year.

In the absence of a public service agreement, IMPACT has told members not to co-operate with the implementation of the employment embargo circulars, which seek to axe thousands of temporary public service jobs and impose an almost total embargo on appointments, promotions and acting-up payments.

Read more on early retirement and the jobs embargo on page 40.

IMPACT members get news faster IMPACT members can sign up for full access to our website – plus a monthly emailed news bulletin – via www.impact.ie.

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members

39

union business HEALTH CONFERENCE

CIVIL SERVICE

Embargo increases risk

Health on the brink DISSATISFACTION WITH top management’s treatment of staff and services could soon lead to disputes between IMPACT and the HSE. Delegates at the union’s recent Health and Welfare conference backed calls for an agreement to protect jobs, incomes and the value of pensions in the sector.

National secretary Kevin Callinan told delegates that IMPACT had won majorities of between 90% and 100% in a series of local industrial action ballots over management attempts to unilaterally cut jobs or reduce incomes. He pledged that the union would “defend every member” who followed union advice not to cooperate with the imposition of cuts.

IMPACT’s health division executive has since decided to ballot members over HSE plans to centralise all medical card services, which the union says will distance eligibility decisions from local health professionals and remove local support to medical card applicants.

Members in the sector have already been told not to co-operate with a draft HSE circular, which would introduce a blanket embargo on recruitment and promotions and cut existing allowances paid to workers who take on extra responsibilities, while imposing massive changes in working practices.

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SUMMER/AUTUMN 2009

National secretary Louise O’Donnell told delegates that the Department of Finance had identified civil service skills shortages in economics, financial management, pensions, statistics, law and IT in 2003, but failed to recruit the necessary staff. She speculated that the recruitment of 15 financial specialists into the positions identified by the Department could have helped avoid policies that led to the current recession.

IMPACT man heads trades council

Una said specialists had become poor relations in the civil service, where management was too comfortable in a generalist culture, and over-dependent on external consultants for advice.

IMPACT BELIEVES the Government’s early retirement scheme, which closes to applications on 1st September, is set to create chaos in the public services.

That’s because the current recruitment and promotions embargo prevents the filling of vacancies that arise from the scheme, and no thought appears to have gone into how the work will be covered.

In the absence of a public service agreement that includes pay and pension safeguards, the union has instructed its members not to cooperate with relocation or unpaid acting up arrangements, which public service management may seek to impose following a likely exodus of senior staff.

IMPACT general secretary Peter McLoone says taking the most experienced tier of public servants out will have a huge impact on services. “The Government seems to believe that those left behind will seamlessly ‘reorganise and restructure’ themselves to fill the gaps. It’s simply not going to happen,” he said.

The union has also criticised the Government for sowing uncertainty over the future tax treatment of pension lump sums in an attempt to force staff to take up the early retirement scheme. It says this may lead to legal challenges, and has vowed to fight any change to the value of pensions, including through taxes.

Photo: Conor Healy..

Callinan told the conference: “I assure the Government and the HSE that, although this union has always sought a collective approach to tackling the problems in our health services, we are equally ready and able to take the other path if you choose to abandon the committed and loyal staff who work to provide health services.”

Divisional Cathaoirleach Sophia O’Reilly told delegates that essential health services would be damaged if continued political attacks on administrative staff led to major job losses. She said health workers had a “big problem” with bureaucracy at the top of the HSE, but depended on administrative and other support staff to help them deliver vital front-line services.

“For too long, technical and professional staff have been seen as poor relations by senior civil service management. Comfortable in the generalist civil service culture, they have failed to value and nurture those with specialist skills – the engineers, architects, agricultural specialists, legal people, economists and many others – who can advise and alert the generalists to real practical problems and issues,” she said.

Speaking at the opening of the union’s Civil Service conference in May, IMPACT’s divisional cathaoirleach Una Geaney warned that an over-reliance on generalists was reducing civil service capacity to advise and warn the Government on practical problems. She called for professional and technical staff to be properly valued to help avoid repeats of the poor decisions that had led to the recession.

Union fears service chaos

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Vera Smyth retired from the union in March. Vera was IMPACT’s longest-serving staff member who had been with the union for over 40 years. She worked with three general secretaries: Harold O’Sullivan, Phil Flynn and Peter McLoone. Vera’s position will be filled by Val West, who is moving sideways from her current role as PA to the general secretary. Teresa Griffin will be moving in to Val’s former role.

Toxic legacy DELEGATES AT IMPACT’s Services and Enterprises conference were told that a fair and sustainable economic philosophy, with a focus on job creation and job protection, is essential to economic recovery.

Cathaoireach Pierce Dillon said workers and their families were now living the toxic legacy of the ‘Boston over Berlin’ economic philosophy. “At the peak of the economic boom, the Irish political compass said that the pursuit of individual wealth, no matter how vast or at what cost, was always good for our economy. “It brought with it an extravagant culture of executive pay and bonus schemes, for which consumers, workers and taxpayers are picking up the tab,” he said.

THE PUBLIC service recruitment embargo will increase risk in Government decisionmaking because specialist civil servants are likely to take up the Government’s early retirement scheme without being replaced, according to IMPACT.

EARLY RETIREMENT

NEWS IN BRIEF...

Speaking at IMPACT’s Local Government, Education and Local Services conference in May, divisional cathaoirleach Tom Murray criticised the Government for failing to invest in local services during the boom years. He said local authorities now faced a growing crisis as rates, development levies, planning and other local revenue streams dried up in the recession.

IMPACT’S PHIL McFadden has been elected as president of the Dublin Council of Trade Unions, which brings together representatives of all union branches in the capital.

Phil, who was also recently elected to IMPACT’s Health & Welfare divisional executive, has been a member of the Dublin trades’ council for the last five years.

“During that time, the council has been very influential and has organised some of Dublin’s biggest rallies, including the Irish Ferries rally and the health marches,” he said.

Tom said the crisis was compounded by a collapse in morale among local authority staff, caused by years of under-investment and Government unwillingness to defend public services against constant attacks.

Ryan endorsed

She also accused civil service management of stalling on the introduction of staff mobility in the civil service after IMPACT and other unions signed up to the principle.

The ‘cross-stream mobility’ policy, which would allow staff to move across traditional demarcation boundaries, has still not been put in place six years later.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Local democracy a “sham”

LOCAL GOVERNMENT is in danger of becoming “sham democracy” because a crisis in local authority funding has left councils without the resources they need to provide services, according to a top IMPACT representative.

Speaking to delegates representing over 20,000 local authority and education staff, he said ministerial efforts to establish an elected mayor in Dublin fell short of what was needed to reinvigorate local democracy. “Local services have been undermined not just by poor funding and under-investment but by a “Government that has never been willing to stand up and defend them,” he said.

The conference also heard that a specialised worker in Fingal County Council, whose twoyear temporary contract cannot be renewed because of the Government’s public service recruitment embargo, is to be replaced by consultants at a higher cost to taxpayers and ratepayers. IMPACT official Denis Calnan said this was a graphic example of how the rigid implementation of the embargo will increase public service costs, while cutting job and services.

Delegates at IMPACT’s civil service conference passed an emergency motion urging the Government to immediately implement the recommendations the Ryan report into institutional child abuse. Tom Ryder of the union’s Probation and Welfare branch said the victims were the bravest people. “We owe it to them to ensure that the recommendations are implemented in full,” he said.

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members

41

Your money

Do the early retirement sums add up for you?

The idea of taking up the new public service early retirement options may look attractive on the face of it. But COLM RAPPLE says you need to look at your finances before jumping in.

THE GOVERNMENT’S early retirement scheme may not make much sense from a national point of view. It’s costly and combined with the total ban on recruitment it could, as IMPACT deputy general secretary Shay Cody told the union’s recent Services and Enterprises Division conference, “decimate and decapitate public services across the country.”

But, whatever about the rights or wrongs of the scheme, it has been introduced and potentially eligible individuals have to examine it in the light of their own particular circumstances.

With some exceptions, the scheme is open to public servants who will be 50 years of age or over on 1st September 2009 and who have accrued some, but not full, pension entitlements. It has been open to applications since 1st May and will close on 1st September. Those accepted for the scheme will normally have to retire by 30th November.

Is the scheme right for you?

First, you need to work out your entitlements under the scheme. This article is not designed to help you to do that.

There is a detailed Q&A on the Department of Finance website - http://www.finance.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=5789.

A decision can’t be based solely on financial considerations but they must play a major part in the deliberations. In essence, it boils down to a budgeting exercise, examining income and expenditure before and after taking early retirement.

Outlining your current income and expenditure patterns is the easy part. It’s not something that many people do on a regular basis, particularly in middle age when budgets are seldom as tight as they may have been at an earlier age. But it’s important to set down a base line when considering change. Then consider the future simply in terms of income and expenditure and all the elements that could potentially influence them. Let’s have a look at each in turn.

Income Your income post-early retirement can come from a range of sources, which might include your public service pension, savings and investments, income from a new job or social welfare benefits.

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Your public service pension is decided by the terms of the early retirement package and should rise in line with pay levels in the service. When you reach normal retirement age you should be on a similar pension to someone who is retiring then with the same years of service as you have now. That will be less than the pension you would be entitled to if you stayed in service until normal retirement age.

The income you enjoy from existing savings and investments will be supplemented by the return on your tax-free retirement lump sum, 10% of which is payable on retirement and the remainder when you reach normal retirement age.

That ‘remainder’ will be based on pay levels at that time.

for a contributory state pension on the basis of • Qualifying past and future PRSI contributions.

It’s unlikely that anyone availing of this scheme will be entitled to any means-tested benefits. But those who have been paying class A PRSI contributions may be eligible for Job Seekers Benefit provided they are available for, and looking for, a job.

Most such people, however, have relatively short service. Class A PRSI contributions became compulsory for those joining the service after 5th April 1995. Most of those who joined before 1995 are paying the special public sector class B PRSI, which doesn’t provide cover for Job Seekers Benefit.

It is open to the Department of Social and Family affairs to refuse Job Seekers Benefit for nine weeks to someone who has voluntarily left a job without a reasonable cause. It’s still not clear if that would be applied in the case of this early retirement scheme.

To qualify for Job Seekers Benefit later on, an applicant needs to have paid at least 104 full rate PRSI contributions

PRSI

CONTRIBUTIO

NS

CREDITS

There was an implied threat in Minister Lenihan’s budget speech INCOME that pension lump sums may be liable for tax in future. But any lump sum paid, or payable, under the current scheme will not be subject to tax.

TAX Although this is called an early retirement scheme, there is no reason why someone availing of it should not take up a new full or part-time job. There are restrictions on taking up public sector employment but none with regard to the private sector.

This is an option that has to be considered in the context of personal preferences on the future work-leisure balance and, of course, on the possibility of securing employment or becoming self-employed.

There are also a number of potential social welfare benefits to which early retirees may be entitled, either now or in the future. They include: entitlement to Job Seekers Benefit • Immediate Future entitlement Job Seekers Benefit on the basis of • post-retirement PRSIto contributions u

BENEFITS

RETIREMENT SAVINGS

ENTITLEMEN

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during their working lives and 39 contributions either paid or credited in one of a number of years that currently stretches from 2005 to 2009. The 39 contributions have all to be in the one calendar year.

An early retiree who has never paid class A PRSI, and who takes up a job in the private sector, could qualify for Job Seekers Benefit in 2012.

It is important in all cases to sign on for PRSI credits. That way you will maintain your entitlements to widow and orphan

benefits. If you have worked for at least one week in the private sector prior to signing on, you will be credited with full rate class A contributions. If you sign on without having worked in the private sector, your credits will be at the modified public sector rate. You can only sign on for credits if you are available for employment and looking for a job.

Once you get your first post-retirement class A contribution you get bonus credits, known as change of status credits, for all of the previous calendar year and the current year up the date of that contribution. So if you make your first class A contribution on 1st September 2009 you immediately get credit for 52 contributions in respect of 2008 and 34 or 35 contributions in respect of the first eight months of 2009.

State pension It is possible to qualify for a contributory state pension on the basis of having an annual average of at least ten class A contributions from the date of first starting to pay PRSI, of any class, and reaching pension age. But only those early retirees who were liable for class A contributions for a long period of their careers will fall into that category. If they reach pension age after 6th April 2012 they’ll need to have paid at least 520 full-rate PRSI contributions.

But early retirees who have few or no previous full rate PRSI contributions may qualify for a reduced pro-rata contributory state pension if they work at least 260 weeks in the private sector in the period between taking early retirement and reaching pension age. If they reach pension age after 6th April 2012 they will need to have paid 520 PRSI contributions over their working lives, but 260 of those can be in respect of public sector employment.

The actual pension payable is based on the mix of full and modified rate contributions. First, the total of both is divided by the number of years since the first contribution was made to give an annual average.

That average decides the maximum pension to which the prorata reduction is applied. For instance, an annual average of 48 or more class A contributions gives entitlement to a full contributory pension but that is reduced in the proportion to which the claimant’s modified contributions bear to his or her total contributions.

Let’s take an example. Tom has been either paying PRSI contributions or signing on all his working life. He has averaged a full 52 contributions per year. When he reaches pension age he has 520 class A contributions and 1,560 modified contributions. If they were all full-rate contributions he would be entitled to a contributory state pension of €230.30 but because three-quarters of his total (1,560 out of 2,080) are modified-rate contributions, his pension entitlement is reduced to a quarter of €230.30 or €57.57.

Those social insurance provisions are undoubtedly complicated but it is essential to get an understanding of your potential entitlements and act accordingly l

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members 43

Sport

The captains and the kings

Photo: Getty.ie

Inset (right) and main picture, Ireland wicket-keeper and rising star Niall O’Brien.

Irish cricket is bucking the recessionary trend. But KEVIN NOLAN reckons the International Cricket Council is holding us back from greater success.

“The International Cricket Council has been a lazy teacher, congratulating its star pupil but failing to realise its true potential.”

THE IRELAND cricket team was back on our TV screens and taking a more prominent spot on the sports pages of the national media after their recent exploits at the World Twenty20 competition in England. It might be time to make room in the wardrobe for another jersey to accompany your national, county, Munster and Leinster ensemble.

They went on to frighten the life out of Sri Lanka in the second stages, falling short by just nine runs in a stunning performance at Lord’s cricket ground.

It’s a continuation of a successful run that has seen Ireland dominate the second tier of the international game, winning all the competitions they have entered in four-day, 50-over and the new Twenty20 format.

Coup In many respects, the success of Irish cricket has been in inverse proportion to the ailing Irish economy over the last few years. Steady and sustained growth and success on the field have been matched with new professional structures that have led to increased funding from both the game’s governing bodies.

keep the graph rising in the right direction over the coming years.

The biggest of these is the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) reluctance to offer Ireland a seat at the top table, which would bring with it a massive injection of cash for the Irish game.

In many respects Ireland has been like the talented child, completing every task asked of them and constantly striving to achieve more. The problem is the ICC has been a lazy teacher, congratulating its star pupil but failing to realise its true potential.

Pressure

The fact that Cricket Ireland was able to announce a long-term sponsorship deal with RSA as the recession took hold was another major coup, with its heightened profile now seen as a marketable asset in the corporate world.

Cricket Ireland’s chief executive Warren Deutrom has used Ireland’s recent successes to increase the pressure on the sport’s governing body to offer the squad a defined route. It has called for Ireland’s inclusion in the future tours programme, the 12-month international fixture list to be announced in the coming months.

There has also been good news on the jobs front with the first two professional contracts handed out to Trent Johnston and Alex Cusack, with more in the pipeline as increased funding trickles down to the game here.

Deutrom said: “What does the ICC want us to do? How do we get from high-performance programme to the higher echelons of the world game? There is no road map for us. The issue brings to question the whole mission statement of the ICC high performance programme: what is it preparing teams for?”

But there are still major hurdles to surmount to u

“Three or four years from now there will be no new entrants

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in to the cosy club of full test members. That is a significant frustration. It shows that despite the massive investment in the associate programme, costing over $300 million (€214 million) over seven years, there is no stepping stone from number one of the associate countries into the test world,” he said.

Lure The other elephant in the room is the loss of Ireland’s top players to England, where the lure of playing test cricket will always be too strong for our top stars.

Who knows how far Ireland could have gone in the World Twenty20 if Eoin Morgan and Ed Joyce were amongst the batting order? Certainly Morgan’s inventiveness in the shortest form of the game and ability to score runs against spin would have seen them past Sri Lanka and a possible spot in the semi-finals.

Sadly, the talented Dubliner was carrying the water for the England team after being dropped following their opening day loss to Holland and will not be eligible to play for Ireland.

Joyce hasn’t played for England since the world cup two years ago and is believed to be keen to return to the international fold with Ireland, although he will not be eligible again until 2011.

The problem is set to continue, with wicket-keeper Niall O’Brien showing his considerable potential with a fine tournament with the bat and behind the stumps, while 6 feet 8 inches opening bowler Boyd Rankin is sure to turn up on the radar of England’s selectors over the coming years.

Triumphs on the pitch continue but Irish cricket is fast learning that success brings its own problems l

Work & Life: The Magazine for IMPACT Members

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Photo: Getty.ie

Two years on from their memorable campaign in the Caribbean, Phil Simmons’ side showed, yet again, that they can hold their own at the very highest level as they beat Bangladesh to qualify for the Super Eights stage for a second straight tournament.

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Win Win Win

win 50

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.

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Prize quiz

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1 The Who toured in 1979 without: A Rehearsing B Keith Moon C A care in the world 2 Ordnance Survey Ireland was established in: A 1729 B 1829 C 1929 3 Employers think most job applicants: A Fail to prepare for interviews B Avoid the questions

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A Joanne Power B Stella McCartney C Paul Costelloe 5 Winona Ryder won cult status for: A Shoplifting

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Across 1. Lovely south Kerry town (7) 5. Former Late Late show presenter (5) 8. Mayo patriot, Croke Park Stand (5) 9. Tir Chonail (7) 10. City in south east France, one time home of the Papacy (7) 11. Larry... renowned American musician (5) 12. He has the major role (6) 14. Edict (6) 17. It grows on soil (5) 19. Forsake (7) 22. Outside? No! (7) 23. City in Northern Italy, scene of famous 16 century church council. Also English river (5) 24. North Wexford Town (5) 25. Enclosed in boxes (7)

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We’ll send €100 to the first completed entry pulled from a hat.*

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And don’t forget, we’re also giving prizes for letters published in the next issue.

See page 21.

win 50 €

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The survey 1. What did you think of the articles in the summer/autumn 2009 issue of Work & Life ?

Excellent

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Okay

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Bad

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4. What were your least favourite articles?

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Crossword composed by Sean Ua Creanaigh, Wexford

12. No friend of Ireland, this English imperialist poet (7) 13. Susan ....... (1820-1906) American Suffragist (7) 15. Set right (7) 16. Annoyance (6) 18. Reptile (5) 20. Mexican Indian (5) 21. Acclaimed, famous (5)

Win €50 by completing the crossword and sending your entry, name and address to Roisin Nolan, Work & Life crossword, IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1, by Friday 4th September 2009.

We’ll send €50 to the first correct entry pulled from a hat.

Winners!

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WE HOPE you enjoyed this issue of Work & Life, the 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.

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PRIZE CROSSWORD

Down 1. East African country (5) 2. Render ineffective or valueless (7) 3. Member or descendant of a prehistoric people who spoke Indo-European (5) 4. Concluding (6) 5. Cloth or strip used in dressing wounds (7) 6. Kingly (5) 7. Make greater (7)

C Unusual religious views 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 Friday 4th September 2009. The editor’s decision is final. That’s it!

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How do you like Work & Life?

Difficult

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B Roles in Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands

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C Should get the job 4 This year’s Persil fashion award was won by:

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

ADD €50 to your holiday savings fund 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.

Your view

HOW TO PLAY:

The winners from competitions in the Summer issue were:

Tullamore Comp: Caroline Corcoran, Clerical Officer, Finance Department, Cork County Council, Annabella, Mallow, Co Cork.

Crossword: Noel Foley, Forest Service.

Quiz: Michael Hoey, OPW. Survey: Ursula Ramsell, Cork City Council.

Lots more competitions to enter in this issue!

2. What did you think of the layout, style and pictures in the summer/autumn 2009 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

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I want more union news

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I want less union news

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7. Any other comments? ______________________________

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

Name ________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________

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Email ________________________________________________

2 __________________________________________________

Phone ________________________________________________

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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 Friday 4th September 2009. The editor’s decision is final. That’s it!

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 47

Commercial membership services 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.

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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.

Cornmarket Group Financial Services Ltd.

Travel Insurance – all Divisions.

Car Insurance – all Divisions.

Salary Protection and Life Assurance –

Local Government and Health Divisions only.

Group Insurance Services (GIS)

Marsh Financial Services Ltd.

Car Insurance – all Divisions.

AVC Schemes – all Divisions excluding Municipal Employees.

House Insurance – all Divisions.

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

December 2004

DISCLAIMER (Approved by CEC 10th December 2004) 48

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