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Piracy on the Irish Sea
Piracy, cavalier, disgraceful.
Not our words — but those of a number of respected observers who have
commented on the decision by Irish Ferries to send in security staff to
implement the sacking of 534 crew members so they can be replaced by lower-paid
workers from eastern Europe.
The boss of Irish Ferries parent group earns more than £230 an hour.
The staff he wants to bring in on his ships between Britain and Ireland
will get less than £2.50 for every 60 minutes of their labour.
Or put another way £20 for an eight-hour day.
But even that might seem expensive. Earlier this year Irish Ferries was
accused of paying a Filipino beautician just 68p an hour to work on board
one of their ships.
The boss of Irish Ferries says unless these pay scales are brought in
the company will simply not survive.
But here’s an idea to help them out. Why not send in security staff to
remove the board and replace them with cheaper eastern European management
expertise? Some of them might even have a better grasp of labour relations
as well.
Welcome aid
Now for the good news. Next year’s Dion Fund grant to Irish voluntary
organisations in Britain has been increased to a record £8.2million.
After years of paying lip service to its commitment to help those who
had to leave Ireland years ago to find work it seems the Irish Government
is at last delivering on its promises.
We have long campaigned for an increase in the Dion Fund — so it is time
to give credit where credit is due. Not only has Foreign Affairs Minister
Dermot Ahern secured a 45 per cent increase in the Dion Fund over this year’s
allocation he has also announced two other significant measures.
First Irish Embassies are to be given extra funds to develop cultural
programmes and activities in 2006 and secondly assistance will be provided
for colleges outside Ireland offering Irish Studies courses.
These measures may not attract as much publicity as the millions flowing
from the Dion Fund but they are an important indication that the government
is committed to fostering Irish arts and culture among the Diaspora.
For this the Irish Government deserves credit.
Best by far
The astonishing number of people who have paid tribute to George Best
over the past few days says everything about the man.
Even those with only a passing interest in soccer recognised that this
son of Belfast possessed something special. There was his sublime skill
to be sure. There were his good looks, too. But there was also the fact
that he lived life with a smile on his face and a warmth and politeness
to everyone he met.
For at the end of the day Best was more than a footballer. He was an
icon whose like we will probably never see again.
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