Mayo - IFA SLAMS SCHOOL CLOSURES
Martin Gavin, chairman of the Mayo section of the Irish Farmers Association, believes the closure of rural schools could be the “final nail in the coffin” for rural communities, and he has called on rural people to make their voices heard.
Mayo has the second-highest number of two-teacher schools in the country, with 66 such schools dotted around the county. Gavin told the Mayo News that cuts in teacher allocations due to take effect in September will decimate communities in these areas.
Martin Gavin visited Dublin on Wednesday evening last where he attended the Dáil as a Fianna Fáil Private Members Motion condemning the cuts was being debated. He traveled to demonstrate with parents and teachers from the national school in Leenane that his grandchild attends. More than 1,500 people were estimated to have attended the demonstration.
Prior to Budget 2011, at least 12 pupils were required to keep a two-teacher school open. However, due to new regulations being introduced on a phased basis, two-teacher school must have at least 20 pupils to keep their schools viable by 2013.
The national school in Leenane now has 17 pupils. However, by next September that number is expected to be reduced by two to 15, which will ultimately result in the loss of one of their two teachers.
Wicklow - Duo remain calm during robbery
Two brothers calmly refused to hand over money to an armed raider despite repeated threats at gunpoint in a raid at Enniskerry Post Office last week, the Bray People reports.
Brothers Imran and Amjad Makil had confidence that the glass between them and the raider was bulletproof, as advertised.
They were in their village post office dealing with a female customer when the gunman burst in at 9.10 a brandishing a “long gun.” The customer quickly left the post office leaving just the brothers to face the attacker.
“We kept refusing so he just ran away after a while. He was threatening us but once the customer had left we knew nobody could be injured so we told him he couldn't have any money.
“We are prepared for that [an armed raid]. We expect it and are mentally prepared for it,” said Imran Makil, who has been running the Enniscorthy Post Office with his brother since 2008.
Gardai arrested three men within hours of the incident.
Kilkenny - Tobacco sale leads to fine
A defendant with a previously unblemished record admitted having tobacco in his possession for sale at his home. Joseph Fitzgerald, 36 Rice Park, Callan, was convicted of having tobacco products for sale without proper stamp duty on Dec. 28, 2010, the Kilkenny People reports. The court heard that a warrant was obtained by customs officers who arrived at the defendant’s house. The defendant showed them tobacco products under a bed and said that he bought them on holidays and gave money to a number of other people to bring back tobacco which he then sold on.
The court heard that the defendant was found to have 55 packets of tobacco in his possession with a value of €955 and that the duty lost was €771. It heard that the 47-year-old defendant co-operated with the initial search and is in full time employment and lives with his partner and four step-children.
He told the court that he had went on holidays the previous August and brought back a number of pouches and had sold them on. The court heard that the sale of the products had been “nipped in the bud” by the customs officers and that the defendant had co-operated fully. Judge David Anderson convicted him and fined him €2,500.
