Minister O'Dea lends support to residents opposed to off-licence

Minister Willie O'Dea has said that he will offer advice and assistance to residents opposed to the establishment of an off-licence in the Woodview Shopping Centre in Moylish and is supporting their campaign against the potential addition.

With six off licences already in the immediate area, Minister O'Dea said that he "is in full agreement with local residents who say another off-licence is not wanted or needed in the vicinity". A planning application has not yet been filed in Limerick City Council for the off-licence but when it is, the Minister, is urging local residents "to lodge their objections and let their voices be heard on the matter".

"I have been approached by several concerned and extremely annoyed residents in the area of the Woodview Shopping Centre who are opposed to the opening of an off-licence in the Centre and I am in full agreement with them that another off-licence is not welcome or appropriate," he added. "I will offer any advice and assistance to residents who want to lodge their objection and I will keep them fully informed on the stages of the planning application."

Audit an 'indictment' of HSE

The Department of Finance commissioned audit of the HSE, which discloses huge losses due to poor banking and payroll practices, is "another serious indictment of its management and points to the need for urgent reform of the structure and organisation of the HSE", according to local Labour deputy and health spokeswoman, Jan O'Sullivan.

"At a time when health services are under pressure and facing further cutbacks, the loss of €20m through sloppy practices is simply not acceptable. This is not an insignificant sum. It would provide an additional hospital ward in many hospitals, not to mention extra medical cards for thousands of needy families, or a badly needed injection of funds into the over-stretched home help service," she said.

"Some of the shortcomings highlighted in the audit are so basic that it is hard to believe how they have been allowed to go uncorrected. The smallest business operation in the country would know, for instance, that it does not make sense to leave money sitting in accounts that do not earn interest." Deputy O'Sullivan said that the HSE should be reformed along the lines of the Labour Party document 'The Road to Recovery: a Six Point Plan to Reform the HSE' which has measures including establishing clear lines of authority, responsibility and reporting within the organisation.