Ex-Dell workers will get the chance to address their concerns regarding the EU globalisation fund when redundant Dell workers representatives appear before an Oireachtas Committee later this morning.

Representatives from the Limerick ‘Dell Redundant Workers Association’ and ‘Equal Rights 4 Non-Union Workers’ will appear before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment at the Oireachtas where they will discuss the fund, which was set up to retrain upskill and offer further educational opportunities to former Dell workers.

The former Dell workers say “outstanding issues” and “discrepancies” remain regarding the distribution of the funding package.

“Concerns have been raised by a number of former Dell workers about difficulties in accessing the fund, while fears have been expressed that social welfare entitlements could be affected by former Dell workers applying for and accessing the funds,” Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Willie Penrose said,

He says representatives from the Limerick Dell Redundant Workers Association are appearing before the Committee to allow them a chance to outline their concerns about the fund and also to give members of the Committee “an opportunity to discuss the fund and raise any issues they may have on its operation.”

The committee streams Live online from 11am.

A man in his fifties remains in a critical condition following a road accident in Clarina Wednesday morning.

Emergency services responded to the incident around 11.45am in which a car collided with a pole in the west Limerick village. The road was closed for a time and diversions were in place.

The male driver received emergency medical treatment at the scene before being rushed to the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle.

Gardai are investigating.

This and that from here and there.

::A 51 year old man who was being held by Gardai investigating the murder of Limerick baker Daniel Treacy has been released without charge. The man was detained last Wednesday in the Moyross area. A file is being prepared for the Director of Public prosecutions.

::Three people were arrested following a street brawl in the heart of Limerick City Tuesday. Gardai say a man and two women were arrested following the fight on Cruises Street which was seen by numerous lunchtime onlookers.

::The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland has apparently rejected two complaints about Donal MacIntyre’s “Crime Capitals” programme which aired on TV3 last year and concentrated on Limerick. More from Live95Fm Here.

::The JCI, Junior Chamber International Limerick, will be hosting a Fashion Show in aid of Special Olympics Ireland on Tuesday 23rd March at 7.30pm in the Carlton Castletroy Park Hotel, Dublin Road. A number of Special Olympics Athletes from the Limerick area, as well as some JCI Limerick members will also be modelling some of this season’s latest styles and trends – all of which are available from local boutiques. Tickets for this worthy cause only cost €15 each.

::Limerick Sinn Féin Councillor Maurice Quinlivan has announced details of the party’s annual gathering being held on the weekend of March 5th and 6th in the RDS Dublin. “The theme for this year’s Ard Fheis is Jobs, Fairness, Equality and Unity. The councillor says delegates from Limerick will attend and play an active part in the debate, with members proposing an “emergency motion” concerning the Limerick City’s regeneration programme.

::Minister for Integration, John Curran will officially launch “Integrating Limerick: Limerick City and County Integration Plan 2010-12” at the hunt Muesem this Friday. The event which will be opened by Limerick City Mayor and Limerick County Cathaoirleach will include a Panel Discussion on ‘Integration and the Recession’ and will be chaired by Cathy Halloran of RTE. Panel speakers will include Justyna Cwojdzinski of the JC English Language Institute, Limerick Businessman Pat O’Sullivan, Hilario Bagalasca of the Filipino Association and Director of HSI Limerick Michael MacNamara.

YouTube
::University of Limerick Students Union President Ruán Dillon McLoughlin has posted a video update on YouTube, updating students on the current issues that affect them. See that Here.

::Mary I Students’ Union performed a ‘flashmob’ on Bedford Row in Limerick City on Monday 22nd February to raise money for St Vincent De Paul. See that here.

::The “Limerick Legend” Willie O’Dea sets the record straight in a comedy skit commissioned for RTE’s ‘The Frontline’. See that here.

100 days to go

The Organisers of the Irish Special Olympic Games, which are due to be held in Limerick this June are making a final push in the coming week for volunteers wishing to help out at the games.

The people of the Midwest have been “coming out in force” to support the Volunteer Campaign for the 2010 Special Olympic Ireland Games which will be held in Limerick from the 9th to the 13th of June.

The pressure is on now as the last of the volunteer recruitment sessions take place next Tuesday, March 9th at Thomond Park and Thursday March 11th at the South Court Hotel. Both events begin at 7pm.

Organisers say earlier sessions yielded volunteers “across all levels from planners to general volunteers” who wanted to get involved in the Limerick Games.

They say if you are looking to come the final recruitment sessions you should sign up on their website prior to attending.

:: Further details can be found on the Special Olympics website.

A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of Daniel Treacy, who was gunned down last week at a filling station on the Ennis Road.

29 year old John Coughlan of Pineview Gardens in Moyross, appeared before a special sitting of Limerick District Court Monday evening charged with the murder of the 35 year old father of two, who was shot multiple times while on his daily bread delivery round.

Gardai told Judge Tom O’Donnell during a brief court session Monday evening that the accused man replied “I’ll remain silent” when he was formally charged at 7.42pm at Mayorstone Garda Station.

It’s understood Mr. Treacy was approached by a lone gunman at the Topaz filling station in the early morning hours of Monday February the 22nd before he was fatally shot a number of times.

The gunman is believed to have made his getaway in a red Toyota Corolla. A car matching that description was later found burnt out in a rural area of north Kerry. The murder weapon has yet to be recovered.

The accused was granted free legal aid at Monday evening’s hearing and remanded in custody to appear again via video link from Limerick prison on March 4th.

A 51 year old man remains in Garda custody in relation to the investigation.

The audio tape of an interview between a Limerick Leader journalist and former Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea was made publicly available after a reported query from a Green party source within Leinster House, the Irish Examiner reported Tuesday.

Speaking with the paper Tuesday, Limerick Leader Editor Alan English said there were untrue and “widespread wild rumours going around Leinster House” that he had “destroyed the tape at the request of Willie O’Dea”.

“There were widespread wild rumours going around Leinster House on Wednesday night that I had destroyed the tape at the request of Willie O’Dea, which is completely untrue. I got a call from a Green Party source in Leinster House about this claim. It was also being suggested there was some ulterior reason why we were not putting out the tape.”
Via Irish Examiner

After receiving numerous requests from media outlets last Thursday along with receiving calls from people who alleged that the tape contained other more damaging allegations against the former Defence Minister, he said a decision was ultimately made to release the audio.

“We had to ask ourselves if there was any good reason why we shouldn’t release it because it was being put to me, ‘was there an ulterior reason?’ As I said, having considered the matter again I saw no reason why we should not release the tape,” Mr. English said.

The audio was subsequently published on the papers website and a copy was also sent to RTE for Thursdays News At One. The release is widely believed to have played a major role in O’Dea’s decision to stand down.

O’Dea took the decision later that day to tender his resignation to the Taoiseach.

Redundant Dell workers will take to the streets Tuesday to protest what they describe as “outstanding issues” and reported discrepancies in the European Globalisation Fund.

The Dell Redundant Workers Association says the action will be taken after it emerged that if ex-Dell workers take their share of the fund for use in private colleges it could lead to having their social welfare entitlements cut or stopped completely.

The fund was set up to retrain upskill and offer further educational opportunities to former Dell workers. The association says it’s members have been contacting them to report they are being given misleading information from FAS regarding a number of issues including whether members would receive the funds prior to taking part in college courses or only after they complete them successfully.

“To date there are still outstanding issues which require clarification by the Dept of Social Welfare & FAS. For this reason some of the private colleges have been forced to delay the implementation of their courses, this only leads to additional frustration on the part of our members concerned,” the association said.

“The disgruntlement is so obvious from the flood of emails we have received & the number of callers to our office in Upper William Street.”

With being “faced with a brick wall at every hands turn”, the associations committee says they have decided to mount a protest outside the new EGF offices at the FAS office on Michael Street Tuesday.

The protest gets underway at 10am.

NEW DETAILS (Tuesday)
The Department of Social and Family Affairs responded in a statement Tuesday night on the issue.

“Under the terms associated with the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), it is not envisaged that in general any monies from the fund will be paid directly to former Dell workers. Therefore, the social welfare entitlements of the former workers will not be affected as no money will be directly received,” a spokesperson said Tuesday evening.

“Workers who were made statutorily redundant from Dell may retain their Jobseeker payments while attending education or training courses under the terms of the Back to Education (BTEA) schemes operated by the Department of Social and Family Affairs,” the statement said.

A man has been arrested and a murder investigation launched after a city baker was shot dead at a petrol station in Limerick City early Monday morning.

The victim, 35 year old baker Daniel Treacy, was targeted by a lone gunman in the shop section of the Topaz petrol station on the Ennis Road around 6.30am. The gunman was reported to have made their escape by waiting car.

It’s understood Mr. Treacy, who is from the Rhebogue area, was shot a number of times in the body and head in the attack. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Although not directly involved in criminal activity, the victim is part of a family which has been involved in the ongoing deadly city criminal feud. Mr. Treacy, a father of two, was taking a break from his daily bread delivery round when he was gunned down.

He is the brother of Owen Treacy, who was stabbed a number of times on the night his uncle Kieran Keane was murdered in 2003. Gardai have said however that they do not believe this incident is related to the city gang feud.

A 29 year old man has been arrested as part of the murder investigation. He is being detained at Mayorstone Garda station under section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act.

Gardai have sealed off the area for a full technical examination and the state pathologists’ office has been notified.

Investigators are speaking with a number of customers who were on the premises at the time of the shooting and are appealing for other witnesses to come forward.

Reaction

Speaking on national radio Limerick Mayor Kevin Kiely said measures introduced by the current Government to deal with the gangland crime situation do not go far enough and said “selective internment” of known gang leaders should now be seriously considered.

Limerick Labour T.D Jan O Sullivan said the perpetrators of Mondays attack have “no regard for society or human life”. “I would be reasonably optimistic that the perpetrator of this dreadful crime will be brought to justice,” she added.

The Garda Commissioner has said investigators are following “significant and definite lines of inquiry” in relation to this morning’s murder. Gardai also carried out a number of searches across the city Moinday morning as part of their investigation.

“very very confident that we will reach a successful conclusion to our investigations” – Gardai.

Speaking at a press briefing Monday evening Garda Superintendent Frank O’Brien asked the people of Limerick to work with the Gardai and said they are confident there will be a successful outcome to their investigation.

“We have a strong record, we have been successful in the past, that success has been based on the support we’re getting from the community,” the Superintendent told the media.

NEW DETAILS
Gardai wish to trace the whereabouts of a red Toyota Corolla 96 LK 1814 which may have been used in the attack.

“Anyone with information in relation to this car is asked to contact Mayorstone Garda Station on 061-456980″, Gardai said Monday night.

NEW DETAILS
A second man was arrested by investigators in the Moyross area Monday night. He is being held at Henry Street Garda station for questioning.

NEW DETAILS (23/2/10)
A car believed to be the one Gardai were looking for has been found burnt out in north Kerry.