Kerry Today

If you’ve worked three years or more in Britain or Northern Ireland, you might be entitled to redeem a UK state pension when you retire. A service to navigate the two relevant UK Government departments has been set up by a husband-and-wife team, Mel and Martha Morgan, based on their own experiences. Mel speaks to Jerry. For more: www.ukstatepensionabroad.com .

An exhibition that runs at Kerry County Museum in Tralee until October 27th is the work of children living in Kerry who have been homeless. The youngest child to take part was four-years-old. The free exhibition titled Inclusion Exploring Home and Homelessness gives the children a platform to explore the themes of home and homelessness. This report is by Treasa Murphy.

Killarney GP, Gary Stack says the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) failed to give notice to local health services, that 318 refugees would be sent to the town in recent days. He says medical staff are overstretched and need extra resources as it is to provide the services existing patients need.

Yesterday, Kerry County Councillors voted on the rate of local property tax for next year. A majority voted to increase the tax to 10% above the base rate for the next two years. Jerry gets the views of Fianna Fáil councillor Michael O’Shea and independent councillor Brendan Cronin.

Jerry speaks to Sinn Féin TD for Kerry, Pa Daly, about the Government’s decision to allow over 130 Ukrainian refugees remain in Killarney. He gives his view about the controversy and the Government’s handling of the situation. Deputy Daly says Ireland’s homeless crisis is not the fault of refugees and asylum seekers and they should not be scapegoated for this.

On yesterday’s show, you would have heard Alina Maslak tell Treasa Murphy of her fears of having to leave Killarney when she and other Ukrainians were given less than 48-hours’ notice. When it was confirmed that they would not be moving to Mayo, Jerry spoke to Alina.

Every Wednesday, Tony and Val give their perspective on listeners’ problems.

Kerry County Councillors failed to agree on Monday on setting a property tax rate for next year. That meeting was adjourned until today. Before going into that meeting, Jerry spoke to Independent councillor Niall ‘Botty’ O’Callaghan regarding his views on this. Cllr O’Callaghan also gave his opinion on the plan to send over 130 Ukrainian refugees based in Killarney to Mayo. Cllr O’Callaghan’s interview took place before it was announced that the Ukrainians would be staying in Killarney after all.

The Republic of Ireland has qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup after defeating Scotland 1-0 last night. Mary Lyne of Killarney Celtic and Pádraig Harnett who’s a former member of the FAI Women’s Committee are overjoyed.

Last Wednesday, October 5th, Thomas Dooley from Killarney was fatally stabbed while attending a funeral at Rath Cemetery, Tralee. His wife was also stabbed. Garda Superintendent Flor Murphy speaks to Jerry about the investigation.

Last week, Kerry County Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae failed to have two convictions for assault overturned. Today, he sent a statement to Radio Kerry announcing that he is stepping aside from the Kerry Joint Policing Committee. Amber Galwey gives the details to Jerry.

When the show began just after 9.10am, it appeared that over 130 Ukrainian refugees who had been living in Hotel Killarney would be leaving at 11am to travel to new accommodation in County Mayo. That had been the message from Minister Roderic O’Gorman and IPAS, the International Protection Accommodation Services. This is a podcast of Jerry and the Kerry Today team’s rolling coverage of this story as it happened.

Last week, the only place to buy petrol and diesel in Tarbert closed – Dunne’s Gala store. Residents now have to travel to Glin or Listowel for fuel. Jerry speaks to Pat Kelly who once ran a pub in the village.

An initiative designed to drive economic growth through business events and raise Kerry’s profile as a global business hub, has been launched. The aim of the Kerry Ambassador Programme is for these ambassadors to influence and attract business events and investment opportunities to Kerry. Jerry speaks to Becky Hargrove, manager of the Kerry Convention Bureau, and one of the ambassadors, Dr Tony Murphy.

Today the funerals of two of the victims of last Friday’s explosion took place – those of Jessica Gallagher and Martin McGill. This morning, Jerry spoke to senior reporter with Donegal News, Conor Sharkey.

Riverdance has distanced itself from the Irish dancing organisation. It will not be sponsoring any more competitions held by An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha (CLRG) until it knows the outcome of its investigation into alleged cheating. Ellen Coyne, news correspondent at the Irish Independent who broke the story, speaks to Jerry.

Yesterday over 130 Ukrainian women and children who are living in Hotel Killarney were informed by the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) that they are being moved to Mayo. Cathaoirleach of Killarney Municipal District/ Killarney Mayor Cllr Niall Kelleher attended an emergency meeting about this last evening.

Kerry County Council CEO Moira Murrell has asked councillors to consider a 15% increase of the local property tax from the base rate for the next two years with rising costs of energy prices and materials having a significant impact on council finances. According to the council, such an increase of 15% from the base rate next year would mean an increase of 26 cent per week for almost half of homeowners in Kerry. However, Sinn Féin councillor Deirdre Ferris is calling for a 15% reduction. She and Cllr Norma Moriarty of Fianna Fáil discuss this with Jerry.

James Murphy of BillGenie.ie offers advice and tips on how you can save on your energy and utility bills. Contact James on text or WhatsApp to 0861025551 or email hello@billgenie.ie.

Following on from Claire Healy’s interview last week, https://www.radiokerry.ie/podcasts/kerry-today/penalised-for-receiving-carers-payment-october-6th-2022-300163 , Tommy Griffin of Fine Gael describes his experience of trying to help others who are trying to get mortgage support. He tells Jerry the Local Authority Home Loan Scheme is not fit for purpose, in his opinion. who has dealt with other people trying to get mortgage support.

An Post and the Irish Red Cross have teamed up to collect donations for those affected by the Creeslough explosion. Jerry speaks to An Post’s head of corporate communications, Anna McHugh. You may donate by calling into your local post office.

Jerry speaks to Vera O’Leary who is manager of Kerry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre. If you’re affected by any issues, you may call the Kerry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre’s freephone line on 1800 633 333.

Eoin MacLachlan is 28-years-old. The barrister wrote an article for The Irish Times in which he argued that because politicians have failed to raise the pension age incrementally, this will lead to a future crisis that the young people of today will have to bear.

Jerry speaks to the parish priest of Cresslough, Fr John Joe Duffy, after Friday’s tragedy. Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, John Francis Flynn has spoken to his counterpart in Donegal and is asking everyone to give their support to those devastated by the explosion which claimed the lives of 10 people, the youngest, a five-year-old girl.

Yesterday, the state’s new research marine, RV Tom Crean, officially began its service to the nation. The granddaughter of the 20th century Antarctic explorer from Annascaul performed the commissioning ceremony in Dingle – a harbour Tom Crean would have known very well growing up in the late 19th century. Amber Galwey reported on a day of pride for not just the Crean family, or for Kerry, but for the whole nation.

Michael O’Regan reviews the week in politics

John Griffin is tourism officer with Kerry County Council. He gives Jerry an update on events over the weekend for Turas Mór, Homecoming Kerry – the month-long festival to honour and celebrate our diaspora.

On the first Friday of the month, David O’Sullivan of DC Energy Solutions answers your home heating and energy conservation questions. The feature is sponsored by Boyles of Killorglin.

Because there are no toilet facilities on the island, some visitors are urinating and defecating, sometimes in ruins, including the old home of Peig Sayers. Jerry speaks to Neil Michael of the Irish Examiner.

Jerry spoke to Castleisland councillor Bobby O’Connell after residents in the town were evacuated overnight. Later, gardaí confirmed that the army’s bomb disposal unit was called to deal with a bomb hoax. A device had been discovered in the garda station.

Cllr Jim Finucane is Cathaoirleach of Kerry ETB (Education and Training Board). He believes more needs to be done to provide education and training opportunities for those dealing with addiction. Kerry ETB and the Department of Justice will launch such a scheme shortly on a pilot basis.

Jerry speaks to Martin O’Brien, who’s head of the Central Bank’s Irish Economic Analysis Division.

Claire Healy and her husband Finbar have saved a 20% deposit to buy a home in Kerry . Despite this, they could not get a mortgage from a bank. They turned to the Local Authority Home Loan Scheme which is intended to provide mortgages to those who are finding it difficult to get finance from banks. However, Kerry County Council has turned down the family’s application. This is because Claire receives a carer’s allowance which has put their income €4,000 above the €75,000 joint income ceiling.

This morning Ireland’s new research vessel, RV Tom Crean, was commissioned into service in Dingle. The commissioning was performed by Aileen Crean O’Brien, the granddaughter of the Antarctic explorer from Annascaul. The Minister for Agriculture and the Marine Charlie McConalogue also attended the ceremony. Beforehand, Jerry spoke to him about this as well as CAP and EirGrid’s warning over the country’s electricity supply.

Yesterday at Tralee Circuit Court, Kerry County Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae failed to get his conviction for assault overturned. Radio Kerry journalist Mark Lynch was there for the two-day hearing.

Yesterday Thomas Dooley from Killarney was at a funeral in Rath Cemetery, Tralee yesterday when he was fatally stabbed. His wife Siobhán was also stabbed and was taken to University Hospital Kerry. Cllr Donal Grady knew Mr Dooley . Jerry also speaks to undertaker Graham Gleasure who was in the graveyard yesterday.

This week, it’s Tony who’s giving his thoughts on listeners’ problems.

Tom Brosnan is Civil Defence Officer for Kerry. The Civil Defence play a very important role in society including responding to serious weather events. They were also at the heart of the response to COVID-19 particularly during the first lockdowns. They are now looking for volunteers to help support their frontline emergency services. A recruitment open night will be held in Killarney Fire Station tomorrow (Thursday, October 6th) at 7pm. For more details go to https://www.kerrycivildefence.ie/

Liz Nolan’s son was recently in the emergency department of University Hospital Kerry. Liz believes better communication would help address the problem of overcrowding at emergency departments.

Labour senator Mark Wall is on the Oireachtas Committee speaks to Jerry about what he believes is the centralisation of community welfare services to the detriment of rural Ireland.

The Government’s announcement in last week’s budget that it will introduce a 10% levy on concrete is proving contentious. It’s to be introduced to pay for the Mica redress scheme to compensate homeowners whose houses were built with defective Mica blocks. The Taoiseach says the scheme is designed so that the industry responsible for the scandal will pay for compensating those affected. Sinn Féin says the industry will simply pass the cost on to those buying new homes. Jerry gets the view of Donald Lynch who owns KPH Construction in Kenmare.

Jerry speaks to The Kerryman’s sports editor, Paul Brennan, about his report that it’s been recommended by the relevant GAA authority, Kerry’s Coiste na nÓg. that a mentor who alleged abused a referee should be suspended for 12 weeks.

Owners and operators of businesses in Kerry are encouraged to attend walk-in clinics which are taking place this week for the National Revaluation Programme. This is the first revaluation of rates in Kerry since 1988. Clinics took place in Tralee and Killarney on Monday. On Wednesday from 9.30am to 4.30pm officers from Valuation Office will be at Cahersiveen Library and the Kerry Writers’ Museum, Listowel. On Thursday from 9.30am to 4.30pm clinics are being held at the Dingle Creativity & Innovation Hub and the Kenmare Adult Education Centre and on Friday between 9.30am to 4.30pm in An Ríocht in Castleisland and Killorglin Area Services Office. If you are a ratepayer in Kerry contact 01 584 6753 or email reval2023@valoff.ie This is an edited version of Mary Gallagher’s interview with the director of the National Revaluation Programme, Terry Fahey. The original interview was broadcast on Mary’s weekly show, In Business.

Professor Maggie Cusack, who’s president of MTU, discusses the ambitious plan for 2022 – 2027.

People who hope to make contact with their birth parents under a new state tracing service should manage their expectations. That’s the view of James Sugrue who campaigns for people who were fostered or boarded out as children in the last century. The statutory tracing service enables those who wish to make contact with biological relatives to register their information. The website is https://www.birthinfo.ie/

Jimmy Deenihan, chair of the governing body of MTU, spoke to Jerry about the launch of the university’s strategic plan for 2022-27. He also makes a direct plea to builders or anyone else in the private sector to get involved in providing on-campus accommodation for students.

Nicola Tallant, investigations editor with the Sunday World and host of the Crime World podcast, spoke to Jerry about how Ireland’s witness protection programme works.

James Murphy of billgenie.ie is back for Operation Savings. He offers advice and tips on how you can save on your energy and utility bills. Contact James on text or WhatsApp to 0861025551 or email hello@billgenie.ie.

The Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris speaks to Jerry on his visit to Kerry. He announced today funding of €3.7 million to develop a new apprenticeship training building at the Kerry College campus in Monavalley, Tralee.€5 million will also go towards a new standalone Kerry College campus building in Listowel, which is expected to double the number of learners and apprentices to 300.

Mary Tobin got in touch after she heard Jerry’s interview last week with Dingle councillor Seamus Cosaí Fitzgerald. They spoke about concerns that the Irish language will die out given the number of houses in Gaeltacht areas are being snapped up by non-Irish speakers looking for holiday homes. Mary regrets that she can’t speak Irish and believes this is down to how she was taught the language in school.

Environmental campaigning journalist John Gibbons was in Kerry last week and was shocked to see the lack of charging points for electric vehicles.