Ploughing ‘Olympics’ at risk
The World Ploughing Championships in 2006 was thrown into jeopardy when it emerged a dual carriageway is to be built through the site chosen to host the event.
The organisers are scrambling to find an alternative venue for the event, which will draw competitors from 30 countries.
The original site at Busherstown in Co Carlow will be a major building site in 2006 as work begins on a dual carriageway from Dublin to Waterford.
Efforts by the National Ploughing Association (NPA) to delay the route have failed.
Public Relations Officer for the NPA Anna Maria McHugh said their only hope now seems to be an alternative site. Over a year’s work had gone into planning the event in Carlow when it was discovered that the particular land which was to be ploughed for the competition was the subject of a compulsory purchase order and will be bulldozed for the new road.
“We had hoped to discuss the matter with Transport Minister, Seamus Brennan. We wrote to him seeking a meeting. But that meeting no longer seems to be on the cards. We are now looking at alternative venues around the country.
“Of the venues we looked at, Carlow was the most appropriate and suitable.
“We got the event late when the US could not host it. We’re going to pull out all the stops and are still hopeful we can host the event.” The World Ploughing Championships is the Olympics of the agricultural world. It will be a huge disappointment for the NPA if the event has to be cancelled.
“Three fields will be affected by the road. If even one of those could remain untouched, particularly the one where ploughing is to take place, we could reorganise things around the site and still hold the event ... But even that doesn’t look likely at this point.
“We have already presented a full package to the board of the world championships, including maps of the venue .. This event features 30 different participating countries as well as 500 official delegates and hundreds of thousands of people were due here over the four-day event.”
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Jail revamp go-ahead would be ‘outrageous’
By John Breslin
PRISON officers yesterday said it would be outrageous if Justice Minister Michael McDowell goes ahead with his plans to revamp the
service before further planned meetings between staff and management.
The Prison Officers
Association believed plans to close two prisons, transfer another two from the service and privatise escorts had been put on hold until a Labour Relations Commission-brokered meeting on January 12.
But the minister is set to announce today detailed proposals that he believes will radically reduce the 60 million annual overtime bill.
The POA said that, as of last night, its members have been given no advance notice of what will be announced this evening.
Mr McDowell has received Cabinet approval to go ahead with his plan to mothball Spike Island in Cork Harbour and the Curragh in Kildare. It is also planned to transfer open prisons Shelton Abbey and Loughan House out of the prison service.
Prison officers have rejected a Government offer of extra pay and a lump sum payment of 12,250 in return for each officer working up to 360 extra hours a year. The POA said the proposal would effectively mean officers working a 48-hour week, every week, without proper compensation.
Gerry Wilson of the POA said it would be outrageous if the minister implemented his proposals before the LRC-chaired meeting. He added: “We would be absolutely amazed if the minister or the prison service did something in the meantime. We have not been notified at all about any announcement. If they had got some sort of leaflet they would have been on to the POA.”
Bilateral talks are continuing between the prison service and the association and the POA is still hopeful there will be an agreement, said Mr Wilson.
Mr McDowell was due to issue a statement last night but postponed the announcement until this evening to give management a chance to brief their staff.
Talks between the two sides took place over the holiday season, but little progress was made in bridging the wide gulf between the sides. The minister has always made it clear no allowance has been made for overtime in the 2004 prisons budget and that the changes would be introduced from January 1.
The POA, disappointed at the aggressive stance of the minister while talks are continuing, claims to have not yet even considered industrial action. It is understood the prison service has drawn up contingency plans in the event of a strike.
Defence Force personnel and gardaí have visited prisons around the country in recent weeks, according to prison officers.
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