[Community Article] eRTÉ News - Issue 1

Day 2,209, 14:56 • Published in Ireland Ireland • by Winston Hope Smith


Hi everyone

Please note this is issue one of the eRTÉ News broadcast
These articles will be part of the Ministry of Community media output

It is occasional series I will be looking at real life news stories from Ireland. Hopefully this will give you a taste of life he in the Emerald Isle as it actually is warts and all. I will provide links to the various media websites where I am getting content. Please comment and debate below.

Item one


ESB management and unions start talks over pensions dispute
(First off what is the ESB? In Ireland the ESB is the Electricity Supply Board. This is a Semi State Company this is the sole provider of the networks that supply electricty the all parts of the Republic of Ireland. It is also the major supply of electricity to this grid. Needless to say a strike that cuts electricity supply will bring the country to a standstill)

ESB unions have warned that they will have an all-out strike on Monday 16 December if their dispute over pension arrangements is not resolved before then.
Talks involving unions, management and the Labour Relations Commission aimed at brokering a settlement are taking place at a secret location.
In a statement, the ESB unions' Dispute Committee said that the stoppage would commence at 8am on Monday 16 December.
It will take the form of an all-out dispute involving a full withdrawal of labour and the placing of pickets.
All ESB generated power would be off the bars from that time.
However, the Disputes Committee said due regard would continue to be given to matters concerning public, staff, and environmental health and safety.
Where applicable, emergency cover for fault and repair services will be provided.
The announcement of an all-out strike will ratchet up the tension in this row.
The ESB this afternoon said it had only just received the communication from the Disputes Committee.
A spokesperson said they need to consider the implications for their contingency plan.

The major issue is a hole in the employees pension fund and the Company refusing to honour a previous deal to fill this hole. ESB workers do not have access to the state pension fund so they feel very vulnerable to any threat to their pensions...so much so they will strike to protect it.

Item 2


Attempt made on John Gilligan's life
First off who is John Gilligan? John Gilligan is a notorious crime gang-lord. He was suspected of ordering the murder of an Irish Independent (Ireland's biggest selling newspaper) journalist who was doing an investigation of his criminal activities but was acquitted. He was however jailed for having cannabis resin. Gilligan was released on the 15th October.


Convicted drug dealer John Gilligan has been warned his life is in danger after an attempt was made on his life.
An armed man, wearing a motorcycle helmet, went into the Halfway House pub on the Navan Road in Dublin yesterday afternoon and walked around looking for someone.
When challenged by the barman, the gunman shoute😛 "Where's Gilligan?", before leaving on a motorbike.
A short time later gardaí caught up with the motorbike on the River Road in Finglas but the driver got away following a short pursuit.
However officers recovered a 9mm handgun, which was thrown from the bike, and which is now being forensically examined.
Detectives believe Gilligan is lucky to be alive as the gunman appears to have gone to the wrong location as the 61-year-old was in a nearby pub.
However gardaí have advised him on his own personal security after the incident and have begun a criminal investigation.
Gilligan has described an attempt on his life as "halloween prank" that came too late.
Speaking to RTÉ News Gilligan said he did not know why someone would try to shoot him, he has no enemies, he has no problem with anyone and it "must have been kids".

...and finally
Item 3

Have you got snuffles?
Atishoo! New website maps the spread of flu across Ireland


GOT CHILLS, ACHES and a fever? If you’re suffering with the flu right now, it might just help to know that you’re not alone.
A new website set up by researchers in NUI Galway is tracking flu-like symptoms across Ireland to create a map of outbreaks around the country.
The website asks people with symptoms – such as a sudden fever, headache, aching muscles and a sore throat – to note them on flusurvey.ie.
People can log on to the site to see how many other cases of flu have been recorded in their area, providing real-time public health information on who is being hit by influenza. The system is also designed to give health professionals an early warning signal about nationwide outbreaks.
Volunteers are asked a few short questions about their age, lifestyle and symptoms, with the information recorded anonymously.
Since it launched just over a month ago, the project has had participants from 42 out of Ireland’s 43 constituencies. Forty-three per cent of the people who have taken part so far are between the age of 15 and 44, while 42 per cent are between 45 and 64. Just 9 per cent are aged 65 or over, possibly reflecting the fact that older people may be less likely to use the internet to note their symptoms.

Until next time