News

Public views on Airport noise

Regulators will hear public views on noise from Dublin Airport as part of its assessment of plans by airport owner Dublin Airport Authority to loosen planning conditions for a new flying0221

runway.

State-owned DAA wants to alter planning conditions – dating from 2007 – that limit flights at Dublin Airport to 65 between 11pm and 7am. The restrictions will apply once a new runway it is building opens next year.

Locals, who oppose any easing of the restrictions, include Roderic O’Gorman TD, Minister of State for Equality and Disability, and a Green Party colleague of Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, whose brief includes aviation.

The new Aircraft Noise Competent Authority (Anca), established by Fingal County Council, said on Tuesday it would hold a 14-week public consultation after publishing a draft regulatory decision on the issue.

Minister plans 'Alt Patricks Fest'

The Cabinet is to be presented with the new plans for the St Patrick's Day festival to-day after health restrictions prevemted the traditional parades fom being hrld. stpatricks

Minister Catherine Martin has committed up to €1m in programme funding from her department. This is in addition to €400,000 in business continuity funding through Fáilte Ireland for events.

Funding will go towards the festival and related activities, with a special dedicated online channel this year. Full details of the festival will be announced to-morrow.

It's understood Ms Martin wants to ensure St Patrick’s Festival 2021 still offers households and regions a "hybrid approach" involving a mix of outdoor, broadcast, digital and tech events and activities.

The new events will also provide employment and commissioning opportunities to performers who would traditionally have been employed around St Patrick’s Day.

Meanwhile Dr. Ronan Glynn told Independent.ie that there is no “headroom” for anything other than reopening of schools and resuming of healthcare services in March.

Staycations key to 2021 Tourism

Staycations within Ireland will be the main support for the tourism sector this summer, and Government pandemic help for businesses is likely to continue to be needed for the donohoe1019 first half of the year, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said.

Mr Donohoe was speaking after leading a video conference of the Eurogroup, at which the finance ministers were briefed on the outlook for the Covid-19 pandemic by the World Health Organisation’s emergencies chief, Mike Ryan.

Mr Donohoe said the briefing had revealed a “high level of uncertainty” about what lay ahead given the emergence of new variants of the disease, but that progress in vaccination “raises the prospect for gradual change” and that economic growth should return along with a gradual reopening of the economy in the second half of the year.

Economic supports would remain “as long as they are needed”, Mr Donohoe told reporters. “There is an inherent risk in withdrawing support too early.”

IHI Wellbeing Webinars

The Irish Hositality Institute has created a three-part series of webinars focusing on Mental Health and Wellbeing, which will take place over three days beginning on Tuesday, danisheil 23rd February through Thursday, 25th February each at starting 11.00 am.

On Tuesday, 23rd of February Dani Sheil (pictured,, a personal development coach, mindfulness and yoga teacher and Reiki Master will dliver the webinar. After graduating from Shannon College of Hotel Management in 1993 and working in the industry, she completed her first 200-hour Yoga Teacher training while in NYC in 2002. She became a Reiki master in 2001. It is Dani’s fundamental belief that we are all capable of and entitled to, live a full, happy and healthy life, we just need to understand and use the right tools.

Elbha Purcell M.I.N.D.Iwill feature on Wednesday, 24th February. Elbha is Head of Dietetics & Wellbeing for Aramark Northern Europe. She graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Human

Mitchells and Butlers looks to investors

UK pub group Mitchells & Butlers, in which Irish racing tycoon and hotelier JP McManus with John Magnier own a more than 23pc stake, is raising €401m from investors to strengthen its balance sheet as the pandemic continues.

The Irish duo’s Elpida vehicle has also joined forces with two other major shareholders to create a consortium that will control 55pc of the pub group, the company said.

The two other shareholders are Piedmont, a vehicle controlled by billionaire investor and Tottenham Hotspur owner Joe Lewis, and Smoothfield, an entity owned by currency trader Derrick Smith. Mr Smith also has horse racing interests.