For those of you who are overseas, or just frequent crossers of the border, this may help determine which mobile network you settle with. Let us know what you think of it as a useful guide?! Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
The inaugural Northern Ireland Business Monitor 2004-2005 has found that a whopping 77% of the 2,000 businesses surveyed felt that the Assembly suspension has had no effect on them. Only 16% said the suspension made their situation worse. However, the report suggests that “many businesses do not see local politicians as being adequately supportive of local businesses”.”The absence of the Assembly was significant in making prospects worse for the farming businesses (28%) and construction (23%). All the other sectors eported …
Following on from Peter Hain’s speech about Northern Ireland paying its way and moving resources to the frontline, the British government has announced plans to sell off almost all of its civil service buildings and then lease them back from their new owners. Apparently, the move will save 200 million in refurbishment costs. Stormont has been spared.From Hain’s speech: “Unless we can address these problems we will not be in a position to face that future with the purpose and …
For a time, Troubles Tourism (subs needed) did its fair share in attracting the world to its doors. However, according to the New York Times the weekend before last, it’s not up to scratch for the modern tourist. The Belfast Telegraph took up the gauntlet with Mary FitzGerald’s interview with Alan Clarke, head of Northern Ireland Tourist Board. Its leader went on to argue, that a multiplication in domestic flights into both Belfast airports requires movement beyond old strategies.Getting some …
Well, it’s good news from Chivers Managing Director Liam O’Rourke, who’s written to Slugger explaining the current hiatus in the ‘food chain’ in Northern Ireland. Pending a new distribution deal covering NI and Britain, you should be able to ask your local shop to order it! From Liam O’Rourke The situation re YR is that we have the product in wide distribution here in ROI it is listed in every major store and most minor stores also. We purchased YR …
AS Labour is in thrall to the large supermarkets, Lord Rooker’s arrogant and controversial decision to give the go-ahead to a John Lewis superstore at Sprucefield was perhaps unsurprising. Now it appears it may be coming back to haunt him already, as he announces the delay of planning policies until legal challenges to his decision have been dealt with. The NIO is reportedly split over the Minister’s decision, which – given that the new retailing policies were in the immediate …
The Observer notes that low unemployment, high consumer spending and rising house prices have all brought a feeling of well being to the NI economy. However, in the FT, John Murray Brown looks at some of the a underlying structural problems that remain to be tackled: Pat McArdle, chief economist at Ulster Bank, now part of Royal Bank of Scotland, told this year’s annual CBI Northern Ireland lunch that the region looked set to underperform the UK as a whole …
INVEST NI’s aim is to “role is to change Northern Ireland into a high growth economy driven by innovation and enterprise”. For Invest NI, that seems to include investing £4 million of your money in companies linked to the board members of Invest NI. Conflict of interest? No – apparently “the transactions “were all conducted at arms length” and “were subject to normal project and programme rules and tendering procedures, where appropriate”.” Quite…The Tele reported that the Invest NI accounts …
Invest NI has come under fire from Sinn Fein and the SDLP, who say Invest NI’s figures show that they intend to site nearly 30% of all its planned investment for this cycle in south Belfast, more than three times the combined investment for the seven more impoverished constituencies west of the Bann. They have been joined by the Federation of Small Businesses who have called for a meeting to discuss the “serious imbalances”.Invest NI have responded by saying assistance …
Republican protesters against the re-arrest of Sean Kelly, the man convicted of planting the Shankill bomb, forced the Works and Pensions Secretary David Blunkett to cancel his attendence at the visit of 20 employment ministers from across the EU to the Springvale centre. However, Michael McGimpsey was scathing in his attack, accusing the protesters of apparently being unable to understand the impression it would give to the outside world: I find it astonishing that they staged a protest in support …
Gaelic Telecom is an interesting social/economic initiative. Set up to target GAA supports, it rebates 15% of the customer’s bill to the club or county association of their choice. It’s doing so well that they have just taken on another forty staff in their offices in Dublin. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, …
FOR once, it’s politically-motivated violence in another part of the UK that’s hitting the headlines, as protesters attempt to disrupt the G8 meeting at Gleneagles in Scotland. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com
Irish Eagle swoops on Thomas L. Friedman’s article in the NY Times – “The End of the Rainbow” – in which Friedman suggests a narrative for “How Ireland went from the sick man of Europe to the rich man in less than a generation..” I say suggests because, as Ciarán points out, as well as the dubious assessment of comparative wealth, there are other factors attracting the likes of Dell that are not specifically mentioned. John puts his narrative forward …
Whatever you think of Michael O’Leary’s free wheeling espousal of free market economics, many of us have found his Ryanair service is invaluable for getting around Europe at a decent price. However, it may it come at a price. Nearly all the airline’s Irish based pilots are complaining of victimisation stemming from O’Leary’s efforts to get them to accept repayment of “the €15,000 cost of their training if the airline was forced to deal with a trade union within the …
Following on from Mick’s comment yesterday, on the lead the BBC takes in internet news compared to other news sources – “they’ve all a long way to catch up with the BBC”.. *ahem*.. Today the BBC report on a brief stop-over in Belfast by delegates to the 2005 Annual Leadership Forum Conference, in London – Business leaders from around the world have visited Northern Ireland and been told it is a good place to do business… Hmm.. That’s what they …
Tom Kelly kicks of his Irish News column this week with a comparative analysis of the contrasting ways in which both parts of Ireland spent their respective windfalls from the European Union. The EU generously gave us millions to capacity-build the social economy and to what end? Compared to the north, the Republic got roughly one third of EU funds made available but they built a real economy creating jobs and opportunity. We preferred the less travelled road of building …
The Irish Republic attracts 20 times more foreign investment than Northern Ireland, which has now just 26% of it’s southern neighbour’s economic value, down from 45% just 13 years ago, according to a report from Goodbody Stockbrokers, who conclude that a reduction in Northern Ireland’s corporation tax rate would give a huge boost to the region’s economy.Not surprisingly, the report also cites the area’s reliance on the public sector as a drag on economic activity and entrepreneurship. “In the most …
A single electricity market for the island of Ireland has moved a step closer with the signing of a formal Memorandum of Understanding by the Republic’s ESB National Grid (ESBNG) and the System Operator Northern Ireland (SONI).Hopefully this will, as promised, deliver competitive prices to consumers. A formal agreement is expected by next February to establish the new market operator, in time to meet the deadline of July 1 2007 for the start of the single electricity market. For the …
PART of my family farmed in the shadow of Slemish, so I was interested to learn of a new scheme that aims to help farmers rejuvenate their business in areas where agriculture has proved difficult. A welcome initiative, or staving off the inevitable? Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com
WRITING in the Irish News today, Paul McErlean strongly criticises Lord Rooker for his approval of the Sprucefield development. What, McErlean notes, was the whole point of the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan, years of economic planning and a long fight to protect both existing business and the environment, if an unelected, unaccountable New Labour yes-man can come in and overturn locally-made decisions (though to his credit, at least he made a quick decision)? Nevertheless, I agree with McErlean’s final point: …
