Articles in the General News Category

Michael Fisher Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD, spent Tuesday morning on a conference call from her office in Dublin with over forty representatives from the grocery, retail and distribution sector. She praised the huge effort being made by frontline staff to keep shelves stocked in supermarkets and shops. “I’m pleased to say that supply chains remain strong,” she said afterwards on twitter. Last Friday, Minister Humphreys accompanied An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD on a visit to a fresh food wholesalers at Swords in Co. Dublin. She ...

Monaghan Integrated Development has launched a dedicated phone call service for the elderly, as a direct response to the current Covid- 19 restrictions. This phone call service aims to provide security and friendship to elderly people in Co Monaghan who may live alone or be feeling isolated or vulnerable at this time. The service will operate 5 days per week Monday-Friday and the team of friendly callers are on hand to chat to members of the community who may need it. Caoimhe Rudden, the Co-ordinator describes the project as a ...

By Veronica Corr Dr. Illona Duffy of Monaghan Town’s Swan Park Surgery group practice located on the town’s Diamond, appeared on Claire Byrne Live on RTÉ One on Monday night. Dr. Illona is in high demand these days, as she is a spokesperson for General Practitioners, who find themselves on the frontline of fighting the COVID-19 crisis. The local GP appeared on a segment regarding the testing for COVID-19 and how medical professionals can protect themselves. Presenter Sarah McInerney, (who conducted the interview as Claire Byrne herself was still recovering ...

Cavan Monaghan Sinn Féin TD, Matt Carthy, has described the actions of AIB in charging their customers, most of whom have lost their jobs, quarterly fees as scandalous. He reiterated the call of his party’s Finance spokesperson, Pearse Doherty, for all banks to cancel the fees charged and to refund those customers who have lost their jobs. Separately, Deputy Doherty has written to the Minister for Finance Pascal Donohoe and Central Bank raising the issue of banks charging additional interest on mortgage-holders who have lost their jobs as a result ...

Comment Martial language has inevitably intruded into the reportage and commentary generated by the ubiquitous Covid-19 pandemic. Those providing medical care and manning essential services are described as being on the front line, while many of the messages from the Government and State agencies urging the population to adhere to the strictures and practices deemed mandatory to stemming the Coronavirus tide carry a subliminal message evocative of the iconic World War I ‘Your Country Needs You’ recruitment poster in which the pointing finger of Lord Kitchener prodded many an onlooker into ...

A significant number of additional bed spaces are to be provided for asylum seekers in direct provision centres in the coming days, the Department of Justice has said. It was reported in the national media this week that asylum seekers who had been housed in emergency accommodation in Co Galway were being transferred to the St Patrick’s Accommodation Centre and other locations in the Monaghan area. A spokesman for the Department said the extra beds were to support social distancing measures. He said progress was being made in establishing an ...

Michael Fisher Economists from the Economic and Social Research Institute say an EU-wide stimulus is needed after a dire forecast of how the Irish economy will be affected by the coronavirus emergency. The think-tank says Covid-19 poses the largest single challenge to the economy since the banking crisis of 2008. It estimates the Republic’s economy could shrink by up to 7% this year, if the public health measures continue in place for the next twelve weeks. The labour market, which had been in a position of strength before the spread ...

ALONE has welcomed the support of Monaghan County Council in running its local authority practical support lines and has reminded older people in Co Monaghan that staying at home doesn’t mean they will be alone. The organisation that supports older people received more than 1,100 calls to its Covid-19 helpline for older people on Saturday following the introduction of the cocooning measures, and is adding further staff members to answer phone calls to meet the increasing demand. ALONE has received more than 5,500 calls to their National Helpline in total, ...

Cavan/Monaghan Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy has hit out at what he has branded “outrageous plans by the banks to profit from the Covid-19 pandemic”. Deputy Carthy supported the call of his party’s Finance Spokesperson Pearse Doherty TD for the Central Bank and Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe TD to intervene in order to “force banks to step up to the plate at a time of national emergency”. “This is a chance for banks to show some semblance of humanity and decency,” Deputy Carthy told the Northern Standard this week. ...

A new Business Continuity Voucher is being made available through the LEO or Local Enterprise Office network which is open to sole traders and companies across every business sector that employ up to 50 people, Minister for Business Enterprise and Innovation and Fine Gael TD for Cavan/Monaghan Heather Humphreys has announced. A media release from the Minister’s Department stated: “The voucher is worth up to €2,500 in third-party consultancy costs and can be used by companies and sole traders to develop short-term and long-term strategies to respond to the Covid-19 ...