Irish influencer ‘unaware of Central Bank probe' into promotion of unregulated offshore trading platform T4Trade
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Agriland
an hour ago
- Agriland
Govt urged to 'save the industry' and put more support in place for farmers
Government is being urged to "save" the agricultural industry and put more financial support in place with "less red tape, rigmarole and bureaucracy". Aontú senator Sarah O'Reilly, who sits on the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Fisheries, said she believes recent jobseeker payment figures published could be "an underestimate of the numbers leaving" the agriculture sector. She said that for many, farming "was not just a source of income, but a way of life - an occupation handed down from grandparent to parent to child over the years". "Government policies have been incredibly anti-farmer and anti-rural over the last few years, with threats to cull the herd, the Mercosur trade deal and carbon taxes creating huge worry on farms across the country," O'Reilly said. O'Reilly said that often, the money offered to farmers if they sign up to certain schemes "is not worth it". "The delayed ACRES payments, the codology that is 'rewetting' the bogs, all pose a huge threat to the farmer and to his or her ability to make any profit," she said. "All our young people are gone to Australia or Canada, and farms are being abandoned, planted or sold." She said Irish produce is "second to none" on many fronts. "We need to save the industry. There needs to be more financial support put in place - less red tape, rigmarole and bureaucracy," O'Reilly said. "The government needs to stop treating farmers like second-class citizens; they need to recognise that farmers are some of the most decent and astute businessmen and women in the country. "But, government policies particularly around the environment, TB, taxation and issues like that are driving them into debt." Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary recently the number of people who applied for Jobseeker's Allowance or Jobseeker's Benefit who listed their previous employment as farming in each of the past 10 years. The minister in response published figures on the number of claims made by individuals where the employment immediately prior to the claim commencement was in agriculture, forestry, and fishing. These figures show the number of recipients at the end of each month in the specific year who had an employment in the sector immediately before the jobseeker's claim started, a Department of Social Protection spokesperson explained. In June 2025, the relevant figure was 268, compared with 451 in the same month last year. "It is possible that that recipients of Jobseeker's Allowance or Jobseeker's Benefit are still engaged in farming on a part-time basis," the department spokesperson told Agriland. "Jobseeker's Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance are payable where a person is working for up to 3 days every week and where they satisfy the other conditions of the scheme. "In the case of Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit, a person can be engaged in subsidiary employment which is work that could ordinarily have been followed by the person in addition to their usual employment." To qualify as subsidiary, the total remuneration or profit from the employment should not exceed €7,500 on an annual basis, or, €144 on a weekly basis, the department said. "Alternatively, if a person has at least 117 employment contributions paid from employment at class A or H, in respect of the period of three years immediately preceding that day, or in respect of the last three complete contribution years immediately preceding that day, then no earnings limit is applicable," the spokesperson added. The Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit, introduced in March 2025 and based on earnings from work before a person became unemployed, was not included in the June 2025 figure of 268, and this would increase the number to 375, the department said.
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner view: Hope for Irish charity worker
The kidnapping of Gena Heraty in Haiti remains a live issue at the time of writing, and the most important consideration is her safe return. Ms Heraty, a native of Westport in Mayo, has spent decades working with the disadvantaged in Haiti. Last weekend, she and several others were taken by armed individuals from her home at the NPFS (Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs) compound in Kenscoff. She is a member of Viatores Christi, a lay missionary organisation, which stated after the kidnapping: 'Gena has worked in Haiti for over 30 years, dedicating her life to children and adults with disabilities through her leadership of NPFS's special needs programme ... we are thinking of Gena, her family and colleagues, and the adults and children in her care. We ask that her privacy, and that of those closest to her, be respected as efforts continue to clarify the situation.' It is good that the full weight of Ireland's State apparatus is being brought to bear on this case, with Tánaiste Simon Harris dealing directly with his counterpart in Haiti to resolve the matter. Irish diplomats are also working hard behind the scenes in several different jurisdictions to the same end. Ms Heraty's life of service to others is redolent of an entirely different era in Irish life, the decades when thousands left these shores to serve in 'the missions'. Not all of those experiences were positive. Readers with long memories may recall a scenario from the 1980s which resembles Ms Heraty's case. In 1983, Fr Niall O'Brien, originally from Dublin, and several colleagues were arrested in the Philippines on trumped-up charges by the Marcos regime. The following year, those charges were dropped and all were released. Fr O'Brien made a triumphant return to Dublin. It is to be hoped that Ms Heraty's case will reach a similarly successful conclusion. Support for our communities All this week we have been sharing information here on crime in Cork, detailing statistics and figures on a station-by-station basis as well as showing crime levels in various parts of the city and county. Yesterday we offered an insight into how precisely crime can affect an area by drilling into the experience of a specific sector of many local economies: Pharmacists. Perhaps 'community' would be preferable to 'economy' in that sentence, because although a chemist's premises is a business first and foremost, by its very nature it is also a community service. Providing medicine means a pharmacy is an integral part of the area in which it is located, a vital supplier of essential goods. The first-hand experience outlined by Pat Dalton, a pharmacist on Cork's North Main St, was all the more depressing to read as a result. Mr Dalton wrote: 'Crime — persistent, often aggressive, and sometimes violent — has become an unfortunate and routine part of daily life in many pharmacies, including my own. In the last 12 months alone, my pharmacy has experienced several incidents of theft and of verbal abuse.' His experience is not an isolated one. The Irish Pharmacy Union's 2025 crime survey showed that 89% of pharmacies in Ireland have been victims of crime in the past year; what is even more concerning is the extent of the increase in the number of incidents in recent years. In 2020, 72% of pharmacies were affected. The impact of such high levels of crime is entirely negative. Pharmacists are forced to introduce costly security measures, their staff are working in a more dangerous environment, and customers are not getting the best care possible. To compound matters, the high number of repeat offences has left pharmacists questioning whether it is even worth reporting these crimes to the authorities, according to Mr Dalton. The services provided by pharmacies are a vital part of our national health system, and those operating in this sector deserve the support of the State. Whether that support takes the form of stiffer sentences for offenders, more visible policing, or other measures, all options should be considered to maintain this vital community service. Film pioneer George Morrison 1922-2025 The death was announced this week of documentary filmmaker George Morrison. He was 102 years old. There was a certain irony to the timing in that just a few days ago Féile na Laoch was held in Cúil Aodha in West Cork, the festival which is held every seven years to celebrate the life and work of Seán Ó Riada. A central feature of the festival is the all-night Aeraíocht, which features a string of artists performing until the dawn breaks. As the sun rose on last week's festivities, a volunteer orchestra played the theme to the documentary film Mise Éire, a theme Ó Riada composed. George Morrison directed Mise Éire, which details events leading up to, including, and immediately after the 1916 Easter Rising. The first full-length feature film ever produced in the Irish language, the documentary received its premiere at the Cork Film Festival in 1959 and Morrison's innovative approach — using archive footage, newsreels, and newspaper archives — drew wide acclaim. Morrison went on to make Saoirse in 1961, a film examining the War of Independence and the Civil War. Among his other works are Dublin Day, a documentary about James Joyce that he made in 2007 when he was 83. President Michael D Higgins described Tramore native Morrison as 'an iconic and foundational figure in Irish filmography'. He was all of that and more.
Agriland
3 hours ago
- Agriland
Watch Results and Action From the Ihfa Open Day
The Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA) open day took place on the Greenan's family dairy farm in Crosshugh, Co. Monaghan. The Greenlea Holstein herd now sits at 100 cows, following a split calving pattern in autumn and spring, with a strong focus on production alongside functionality and structural strength. A third-generation farmer, Padraic took over the reins from his father Jim and mother Mairead in 2004, continuing their legacy of dedication to dairy farming. The Greenlea herd's pedigree journey began in 1995, when it was graded up under Padraic's encouragement with the help of Bobby Franks. Just two years later, the herd was depopulated due to BSE. Undeterred, the Greenans rebuilt their herd with cattle bought from two local herds but disaster struck again in 2000, requiring yet another complete depopulation. Through resilience alone, the family rebuilt their herd again and imported stock from France - 38 cows sourced by David Clarke of that laid the foundation of today's successful herd. Milking is done through a 20-unit Dairymaster swingover parlour with sequential bailing, with the herd monitored round-the-clock using CowManager technology. Padraic Greenan and his family were the winners of the 2024 National Herds Competition (Over 80 Cows Section) on their first attempt. They are also proud owners of Greenlea MG Rhapsody EX96, who won the Diageo Baileys Champion Cow in 2024 Some of the prominent cow families in the herd include: Rhapsody; Apple; Katrina; Pledge; Roxy; and Aiko. Padraic Greenan talking attendees through the different cow families and production of individual cows New genetics from the following internationally renowned cows include: Jeffrey-Way Spunky Red P; Floydholm MC Emoji; Lovhill Goldwyn Katrysha; Duckett G Chip Tokyo; Richardo Dundee Dawnette; and Fraeland Goldwyn Bonnie. The breeding programme is focused on imported US and Canadian genetics, with 90% of inseminations using sexed semen, and the remainder from beef artificial insemination (AI) sires (primarily Angus and Belgian Blue), with the season running from late October through to May. Milk yield sits at 10,091kg of milk/cow with 4.15% fat, and 3.29% protein, accumulating to 738kg of milk solids/cow. The conformation average of the herd is 86.2. Crowds gathered on the open day to engage with the trade stands and national stock judging classes, view the Greenlea herd, and participate in the Greenlea open day celebration sale. Results from the interclub stock judging in the 12-18 years-of-age category sponsored by FBD are as follows: Kerry club - Kate Maunsell, Clodagh Kennelly, and Cormac Walsh; Cork club - Rachel Geary, Jack Shanahan, and Kate Lehane; Slaney club - Will Jones, Kate Jones, and Josh Sinnott. Kerry club were crowned winners. Kate Maunsell, Clodagh Kennelly, and Cormac Walsh The highest individual in this category and the best set of reasons went to Cathal McLoughney of the Laois/Offaly club. Results from the interclub stock judging in the 18-26 years-of-age category sponsored by Lakeland Dairies are as follows: Kerry club - Muiris Harty, Jack Goulding, and Jack Walsh; Cork club - Fiona O'Leary, Sarah Shannon, and Stephen Shannon; Limerick/Clare club - Damien Burke, Emma McNamara, and Jack O'Connor. The highest individual award in this category went to Muiris Harty and the best set of reasons went to Sarah Shannon. Kerry club were awarded winners - Muiris Harty, Jack Goulding, and Jack Walsh Results from the interclub stock judging in the over-27 years-of-age category sponsored by Lakeland Dairies are as follows: Kerry club - Daniel Curtin, John Dillon, and Emer Curtin; Laois/Offaly club - Sean Kelly, Peter Ging, and Oliver Neville; Kildare club - Trevor Hanley, Chris Malally, and Anthony Kealy. The highest individual in this category went to Sean Kelly of the Laois/Offaly club and the open stock judging winner was Jennifer Harty from the Kerry club. Kerry club were awarded winners - Daniel Curtin, John Dillon, and Emer Curtin In the national herds competition for 2025, the winners were also announced in each of the sections. The spring section results are as follows: Ronan Siochru of the Dingle herd; Brian Kennelly of the Bessborough herd; Edward Fitzgerald of the Toberfort herd. Winners of the spring section at the IHFA Open Day In the under-80 section, the results are as follows: Darragh Curtin of the Greenlawn herd; Noel O'Donovan of the Ringleader herd; Tadgh Sweeney of the Frankford herd. Winners of the under-80 section at the IHFA Open Day In the over-80 section, the results are as follows: Brochan and Joe Cocoman of the Kilawarden Herd; Padraic Greenan of the Greenlea herd; Joe and Kevin Doran of the Dondale herd. Winners of the over-80 section at the IHFA Open Day In the Judges Choice awards, the following herds picked up first, second, and third: Brochan and Joe Cocoman of the Kilawarden Herd; Padraic Greenan of the Greenlea herd; Tom and James Kelly of the Monamore herd. The Judge's Choice award winners at the IHFA Open Day The Judges Recognition award went to Frankford PNH Holly EX92, owned by Tadgh Sweeney and the Frankford herd. The highest Economic Breeding Index (EBI) cow award went to Brockryherd Grace 676, owned by Martin Keane and the Brockryherd, with an EBI of €480. The highest EBI cow classified excellent went to Sparta Lilas Hawthorn 4 EX 90, owned by Rory Phelan and the Sparta herd, with an EBI of €448.
