Cross border broadband project badly “mismanaged”

A cross border broadband project, which was to deliver faster speeds to Dundalk, was “mismanaged” according to Stormont MLAs.

They found that a government department was more concerned with meeting grant-making targets than property examining claims for the broadband project.

Politicians in the north found that the cross-border high-speed Bytel scheme was appallingly mismanaged and claimed the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment’s oversight was unacceptable.

Equipment was bought for €1.3 million (£943,000) using public funds when the true value was €30,000 (£21,700), the Audit Office has said. The “virtually obsolete” apparatus was never used and the department lost €2 million (£1.4 million) after the EU withdrew funding.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said: “Instead of properly examining grant claims to ensure they were appropriate and monies used properly, DETI were more concerned with internal pressures to meet grant expenditure targets.

“The committee has concluded that this was a fundamental failure on the part of DETI to meet its responsibilities.”

Public finances are under tight scrutiny amid major reductions in departmental spending and the crisis looming over the budget.

PAC chairwoman Michaela Boyle said: “The committee also found that investigations into what went wrong with the oversight of the project were completely inadequate, unacceptably delayed and did not go nearly far enough.

“Even at this stage, there has been no investigation leading to criminal proceedings.

“The appalling mismanagement of this project led to it delivering very poor value for money.”

The Belfast IT company behind the ambitious plan, Bytel, aimed to provide faster internet connections to homes in Belfast, Craigavon, Armagh, Dundalk and Dublin.

Although ineligible for funding, €1.3 million was given for equipment that was never used in the project, the Audit Office said. It was bought by Bytel from a “related” company, the audit office said, and evidence suggests it only cost €30,000.

The project, approved in 2004, was to be part-funded by the EU, but Europe withdrew because of irregular expenditure, DETI lost €2 million of EU funding and the Republic’s Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources sacrificed €1.8 million (£1.3 million).

Ms Boyle said: “The committee finds it very hard to believe that no one within the department has faced any disciplinary action for the many serious shortcomings in this project.

“This is not the first time that this committee has found poor management has cost the government vast sums of money.

“While we have been assured that management systems have been improved, we cannot afford, in this financial climate, to lose funding in this way.

“We are calling on the department, and indeed all government and non-governmental bodies, to implement rigorous systems to ensure that this cannot happen again and that those responsible are held accountable.”

Almost €4 million spent cleaning up fuel laundering waste in Louth in last five years

Fuel laundering is a major problem in this area

Louth Local Authorities have dealt with almost 600 cases of illegal fuel laundering and waste dumping in the county over the past five years at a cost of almost €4 million.

That’s according to new figures released by Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly, who revealed that there were more than 1,200 cases in border counties since 2011.

Almost half of the clean-up operations took place in Louth where 596 cases have been reported. Neighbouring Monaghan was closely behind with 509 sites, while Cavan, Donegal, Offaly, Meath and Waterford also had similar operations carried out.

The issue was raised at a recent meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council in Armagh when a detailed report on the problem by Senator Paul Coghlan was discussed.

In a report to the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly in February, Mr Coghlan detailed the scale of the illegal cross-border trade worth hundreds of millions of euro a year and called for new cross-border task force to combat it.

Mr Coghlan will this morning address the members of Louth County Council about the need for a new approach to the problem, which has had a direct impact on the water quality in the county in recent years.

Minister Kelly revealed in response to a Dáil question recently that since 2011 more than €5 million had been allocated to local authorities by his department to deal with the problem, with almost €4 million of that being spent in Louth.

New eye service cuts waiting lists at Louth County Hospital

Frank Duffy, Dundalk (left) one of the first patients to undergo cataract surgery as part of the new Eye Service in Louth County Hospital with Geraldine Forrester, Clinical Nurse Manager and Mr James Morgan, Consultant Ophthalmologist at Louth County Hospital.

A new eye treatment service opened recently in the Louth County Hospital, with the HSE claiming it has helped to cut waiting lists.

Funding for this new service has been provided by the European Union’s INTERREG IVA programme secured by Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT), the cross border health and social care partnership.

The new treatment service was established to support existing Ophthalmology Services for patients in the Louth, Monaghan and Cavan areas and in particular, to provide specialist eye operations and procedures locally.

The new service, which has been under development over the past 12 months, is providing cataracts and eyelid surgery and treatment for other eye conditions on a day case basis in the Louth County Hospital. The eye service is also providing the most modern treatments for patients with ‘wet’ age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic eye disease and retinal problems.

The new service, by working in conjunction with the Community Eye Services and the Mater Hospital in Dublin, is making a significant impact on local waiting lists.

The Eye Service commenced with the appointment of Mr James Morgan, Consultant Ophthalmologist at Louth County Hospital in June 2013 and the team now also includes a specialist nurse, a health-care assistant and a clerical officer.

The Hospital Eye Service, together with the Community Eye Service, has seen 1,730 patients in Louth and another 1,767 patients at the Mater Hospital Dublin, on an outpatient basis. The new service is supported by Clinical Optometrist, Fiona Flynn Smyth who carries out referral refinement clinics in Community Care for diabetic retinopathy, macular disease and cataracts, and refers patients onto Mr Morgan and team for further tests and procedures.

A backlog of patients waiting to be seen has been reduced to a matter of weeks due to this new service.

Local man, Frank Duffy from Dundalk had been waiting two years for cataract treatment in both eyes before the new service. Frank had both cataracts removed and says he hasn’t looked back since the surgery.

He said: “I was among the first people to be treated when the new Eye Service started in Louth County Hospital. It is like a miracle. Before the surgery, if I passed someone in the street who said hello to me I would only know them by their voice as my eyesight was so bad with the cataracts.

“I recovered well from the surgery and I now can take my dog for a walk and see the mountains and wee houses around me. This surgery has made a big difference to my life and I am grateful for the excellent service I received in my local hospital.”

Almost €1.3m lost on “obsolete” equipment for cross-border broadband project

A cross-border broadband project that was to provide faster internet to a number of locations, including Dundalk, had €1.3m worth of equipment bought for it despite the fact it was only worth €30,000.

That’s according to Northern Ireland’s auditor, who found that the “virtually obsolete” Nortel racks were never used and Northern Ireland’s Enterprise Department lost €2m after the EU withdrew.

The company behind the ambitious plan, Bytel, aimed to provide faster internet connections to homes in Belfast, Craigavon, Armagh, Dundalk and Dublin.

Comptroller and auditor general Kieran Donnelly said: “Bytel shows what can go wrong when projects like this are not handled properly.

“I have serious concerns over how it was managed and the legitimacy of the grant payments made. The response to whistleblowers fell well short of the standard required and a robust investigation took too long to complete.”

Although ineligible for funding, €1.3 million was given for equipment that was never used in the project, the audit office said.

The racks were bought by Bytel, a Belfast IT company, for €1.3 million from a “related” company.

The audit report added: “Evidence suggests that this equipment cost €30,000. The racks were never used for the project.”

It said a whistleblower’s concerns, which alerted Stormont’s Enterprise Department to the true cost in 2008, were not brought to the attention of European funders until 2011.

The project, approved in 2004, was to be funded by the EU. However, Europe withdrew because of irregular expenditure and Northern Ireland’s Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment lost €2 million of EU funding and the Republic’s Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources lost €1.8 million, the audit office report said.

Special task force proposed to deal with fuel-smuggling

A special task force is needed to combat organised cross-border gangs involved in fuel-smuggling and ‘illicit trade’, say politicians north and south of the border.

Yesterday a committee of Irish and British politicians called for more determined action north and south of the border in a report highlighting the need for more serious penalties, including more lengthy custodial sentences for illicit trade activities, “in order to make the island of Ireland a more difficult place for criminal gangs to operate”.

The British and Irish Political Assembly says it is particularly alarmed by the evidence of the widespread presence of fuel laundering plants and filling stations selling illicit fuel in border regions and further afield.

They says the problem is worst in south Armagh and Monaghan and met with the heads of councils in Monaghan, Donegal and Louth.

The Report stresses that “those involved must not be allowed to continue this illegal activity and every possible effort must be made by law enforcement authorities in their collaborative efforts to shut down these operations, despite the difficulties in policing some of these areas.”

Financial firm Grant Thornton estimated that fuel-laundering alone was worth somewhere between €140-260 million a year in losses to Revenue.

Other recommendations include that stations convicted of selling illegal, laundered, or stretched fuel “cannot simply reopen after a few weeks”, that on-the-spot fines be brought in for consumers knowingly buying illicit goods and more funding for enforcement.

The Chair of Committee A Senator Paul Coghlan says: “Illicit cross-border trade, particularly in fuel and cigarette smuggling, is a huge issue impacting on the lives of citizens and small businesses on both sides of the border.

“This report focuses on how the PSNI and An Garda Síochána, and the Northern Ireland Executive, Irish Government and other law enforcement agencies, work together, particularly in light of the devolution of policing and justice powers and the launch of the Cross-Border Policing Strategy in 2010. The Committee was hugely encouraged by the on-going positive cooperation in this area and believes that its series of practical recommendations, if implemented, can build on this good work,” he said.

Major players in the operation include Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald TD, Minister for Justice, David Ford MLA, the Garda Commissioner, Nóirín O’Sullivan; the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), George Hamilton; members of An Garda Síochána and the PSNI; the Chief Executives of Monaghan, Louth and Donegal County Councils; Members of the PSNI in Crossmaglen and members of an Garda Síochána in Dundalk; representatives of the Retailers Against Smuggling and the Petrol Retailer’s Association; and from Grant Thornton Ireland who produce an annual report on the fiscal losses incurred as a result of illicit trade.

Kirk calls for cross-border strategy on minimum alcohol pricing

Seamus Kirk TD

Louth TD Seamus Kirk has said the strategy to set a minimum price for alcohol must also apply across the border.

The Fianna Fáil Deputy has welcomed efforts to curb alcohol abuse by tackling below cost selling, but he raised concerns that border counties will lose out on sales unless the minimum prices also apply across the border.

“We need an all-island approach to clamping down on the easy availability of cheap alcohol. Setting a minimum price on this side of the border alone will only drive consumers across the border to buy cheaper alcohol. Border counties like Louth will suffer as a result and it will put major pressure on our local retailers,” said Deputy Kirk.

“I am calling on the Government to do the sensible thing and engage with the Northern Ireland Executive on a cross-border approach. If we standardise minimum prices for the whole island, it will be a significant step forward in tacking the abuse of alcohol in this country. But failure to do so will only fuel cross border shopping at the expense of our local retailers.”

Commercial rates set to remain unchanged in 2015

Cllr Edel Corrigan was not happy with the Budget put forward for Louth County Council

Commercial rates for businesses in Co Louth are set to remain unchanged next year.

The decision not to alter the current rates was made at yesterday’s Budget meeting of the council at County Hall.

From next year, Louth County Council has 10 years to bring rates throughout the county in line with those in the towns following the abolition of the town and borough councils earlier this year. However, County Manager Joan Martin told the meeting that she hoped to do this over a period of five years instead.

An extra €78,000 was also allocated for housing adaptation grants for the elderly in the county. The extra funds came about after councillors agreed to transfer the money from funding that had been earmarked for the chairperson’s allowances for Louth County Council, the Municipal Districts of Dundalk, Ardee and Drogheda and the local authority’s Special Policy Committees. The motion, put forward by Sinn Féin, also applies to the vice chairperson’s allowances.

Sinn Féin opted to vote against the Budget, however, with Cllr Edel Corrigan insisting the people of Louth could not take further austerity.

She said: “Time and time again Louth County Council have been told to provide more for less, by this Fine Gael / Labour government. We didn’t seek election to sit idle and let the people of our communities suffer again. We in Sinn Féin cannot and will not support a budget that will have a very real and negative impact on the day to day lives of people in this county.

“The adoption of this budget will see no improvement to housing services, road services, or further investment in projects and services that support and build communities, while people and their families are forced to pay more. The people who will suffer at the adoption of this budget are the same people who were passed over by the Celtic Tiger.

“Louth is the most deprived border region in all of Ireland, and, this is not going to change unless we make a stand as elected representatives. We must stand up for the people and communities who elected us, and the onus is on us to look out for their best interests.  Louth has had enough, and we deserve more.”

“Dundalk is the most deprived area in the border region and Louth Local authorities need to make provisions so we are not solely relying on others to provide for cross border development. For that reason, the one thing that I do welcome in the budget report are the plans for the cross border and European Relations Unit in the local authority.

“Now is the time to set out aims, objectives and targets in this local authority as to how we can develop and improve this cross border region to see real economic and social changes to better the quality of life for those in the area who have been affected by partition on this island.”

 

Jobs and advice fair in Dundalk today

A jobs and advice fair will take place in the Marshes Shopping Centre today.

EURES Cross Border Partnership, in association with Dundalk Chamber of Commerce, will host the event from 10am to 5pm today.

Amongst those set to participate include cross border employers, European advisors, business start-up and welfare advisers and education and training providers.

Admission is free of charge and all are welcome to call in and see what the fair has to offer.

Irish HomeCare recruiting home carers across Louth

Irish HomeCare, the independent, Irish, family-run home care provider is currently recruiting care assistants across county Louth.

The company has care positions to fill across Ardee, Drogheda, Louth Village and Termonfeckin and will take part in the Louth Jobs and Advice Fair that takes place in the Marshes Shopping Centre, Dundalk on Friday 23rd May from 10am – 5pm. Admission to the fair is free of charge.

Aidan McKee, Resourcing Manager, Irish HomeCare, said, “A career in care is enriching, rewarding and challenging; enabling people to live independent, full and dignified lives. Both experienced carers, and people interested in beginning a career in care, are very welcome to come and meet us at the fair. We will give visitors to the event an overview of what is involved in a career in care, details about the training that we provide, as well as what a typical day as a carer can involve. Visitors to our stand are more than welcome to ask any questions they might have.”

“Irish HomeCare offers training and up-skilling opportunities, competitive rates and flexible hours. We have immediate and full-time work available across the county,” concluded McKee.

Louth Jobs and Advice Fair, which is organised by Eures Cross Border Partnership in association with Dundalk Chamber of Commerce, will be attended by local employers, employment advice agencies, business start-up advisers as well as a number of cross-border advisers who will be available to assist those interested in employment and career development options, both north and south. Visitors are welcome to bring along copies of their curriculum vitae (CV).

Irish HomeCare was established in 2005 by professional carer Sally Murtagh. Through its network of over 450 professional, professionally trained carers, Irish HomeCare provides care and support to enable people to live independently, at home in their own communities. The company has achieved a Level 2 Q Mark for Quality Management Systems by the Excellence Ireland Quality Association.

To view Irish HomeCare’s nationwide vacancies before the event, please visit www.irishhomecare.com/careers or call the Irish HomeCare Recruitment hotline on 0818 776 361. 

Jobs and advice fair set to visit The Marshes next month

A jobs and advice fair will take place in the Marshes Shopping Centre next month.

EURES Cross Border Partnership, in association with Dundalk Chamber of Commerce, will host the event on Friday May 23rd from 10am to 5pm.

Amongst those set to participate include cross border employers, European advisors, business start-up and welfare advisers and education and training providers.

Admission is free of charge with further information available from Brenda at brenda@dundalk.ie