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Airport closure to hit travel

The Irish Travel Agents Association has expressed its disappointment that runway upgrades at Cork Airport are only being carried out now, and will see the airport closed for 10 weeks. The Association believes that this work could have been undertaken earlier in the year, while the airport was operating a reduced flight schedule as a result of COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The airport will be closed for almost three months from September in order to facilitate major runway upgrade works. Airport officials plan to operate on a summer schedule, and then pause all operations for construction works in order to be in a position to reopen for the Christmas period.

River powers Clare hotel

When the Falls Hotel and Spa in Ennistymon, County Clare reopens later this year, guests will leave no carbon footprint once they step foot on hotel grounds - thanks to a series Philippe River Hotel 800x533 of waste reduction and innovative energy initiatives on the property.

The 140 bedroomed hotel which is located in the Burren and Cliff of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark was awarded the carbon neutral status by Green Hospitality Ireland for eliminating its carbon output over a five year period.

One of the most significant measures taken by the hotel was the installation of a €1.3m hydroelectric turbine on the nearby River Inagh which generates enough electricity to power the hotel. Excess green energy from the hotel, earned an income of €20,000 when it was shut due to Covid 19 restrictions.

Other projects included switching to renewable electricity and Bio LPG gas, using water from the hotel’s own well and planting 350 native Irish trees on the hotel grounds.

A 'Green Team' was also set up to encourage staff to become fully involved in all of the hotel’s sustainability initiatives. These include using chemical free cleaning products, compostable cups and straws and cutting back on food waste.

Hotel quarantine bookings 'paused'.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has confirmed that bookings have been paused on the State’s mandatory hotel quarantine system. Sources have said the pause will last for four days.

Mr Donnelly said that airlines will be contacted and asked not to board passengers from high risk countries who do not have a booking on the system.

He was responding after it emerged that the reservation system for the State’s mandatory hotel quarantine system is not accepting bookings until next Monday.

“The department is operating on a precautionary principle. The hotel quarantine system has only been in place for 18 days, believe it or not. We have gone from 33 countries up to I think it’s 71 countries now. On a precautionary basis the department has paused the bookings to make sure we have the capacity,” he told RTE’s Six One News.

Varadkar plans 'Living Wage'

Leo Varadkar has pledged to introduce the ‘Living Wage’ of €12.30 for low-paid workers. leovaradkar0520

If implemented, the move would significantly increase the wages of thousands of hospitality sector emoloyees.

It would involve a pay hike of 20% for many workers on the minimum wage of just over €10 an hour.

Mr Varadkar did not put a timeline on when we could see it, but his spokesman said the plan is to introduce it, “within the lifetime of this Government.”

Social justice campaigners have long argued that the minimum wage, currently at €10.20, is not enough for people to live on.

The Low Pay Commission has come on board with campaigners for what is called a Living Wage, which has been pitched at €12.30.

Councillors block pub sale

Plans to sell the historic Plough Pub opposite the Abbey Theatre in Dublin for €550,000 have been blocked by Dublin city councillors. plough

The council wanted to sell the pub, which it has owned since 2017, so it could be redeveloped as apartments. The council proposed to then lease the apartments from the private developer for use as social housing.

However, councillors said the proposal to sell the council-owned pub represented a “giveaway” of public land, and said the council should develop the social housing itself.

The pub, at the corner of Abbey Street and Marlborough Street, had been a popular meeting spot for theatre goers, but closed more than a decade ago. The four-storey Victorian building, which is on the record of protected structures, became increasingly dilapidated and by 2014 had been boarded up.