Europe Intelligence Wire articles from May 2004

Europe Intelligence Wire archives from May 2004

Dublin Equities Week Summary.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) LastChgChgLastYearYearP/EDiv MarketPrice on day on Wk PriceHigh lowper shr Yield Rank by mkt Cap Cap Eu(m) Euro c Euro c Euro c Pence Euro c Euro c 2003 2003 AIB 9928 1164 -38 -18 917 1390 1170 9.4...

Texans may hold the cards in oil price speculation game.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) FASHIONS change, and after months of obsession with US unemployment and the USFederal Reserve, the oil price is now the key indicator for markets. With the exception of short-term traders, such as in the...

Children now accumulating up to [euro]1,000 in 'Communion Money'.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THE expression "He still has his First Communion money!" has often been aderogatory remark regarding someone who is exceedingly cautious about spendingmoney. It has generally been used to describe someone who...

Can mum reduce tax bill on her sibling's estate?
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) PLEASE give me some help, as I don't know where to turn with this problem. What tax is due, or what would be the best way of reducing the tax bill on the following? My mother's brother died without...

Should I endow my mortgage with higher payments?
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) QUESTION OF THE WEEK I HAVE an endowment mortgage in operation since 1991. I have beeninformed that it is not likely to meet its targets and will be underfunded. I should increase my premium payments to help...

Tax warning as building boom forecast.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THE Building Materials Federation (BMF) is forecasting a boom in the construction sectorin 2004, with capacity among the nation's builders already running at almost 90pc. But it is also warning against the...

Innovation 'will be the key to ensure Dublin can compete'.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THE future competitiveness of Dublin, relative to other key European cities, will bedependent on the degree of innovation of its businesses and business environment, according to Dr Edgar Morgenroth of the...

Jetwash cements reputation with cleaning equipment for construction and farm sectors.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THE latest winner of the Ulster Bank Commercial Services/Irish Independent Business Achievers Awards is Jetwash Ltd. The company, established in 1980 by Mervyn Richardson, is now a leading specialist...

Green 'may sell Bhs to pave way for M&S takeover'.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) BILLIONAIRE retailer Philip Green may sell British Home Stores to allayregulatory concerns about his proposed takeover of Marks & Spencer, it was reported yesterday. Mr Green has drawn up a sales memorandum...

Stats not enough for rating schools.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) Sir - I am delighted to see that Whole School Evaluation (WSE) is finallybeing at least considered within the current debate on schools and access to information. However, I am intrigued and bemused by the...

Right-wing eurosceptics on course for big win.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) RIGHT-WING eurosceptics look like being the big winners when the results of the European Parliamentary elections in Britain are announced at the end of next week. The UK Independence Party, which wants to...

Time running out to trip up injury fraud.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) Two years after the Supermac's Slip and Trip fraudulent claim washighlighted in the media, the legislation required to jail, or seriously penalise, fraudulent orexaggerating claimants still does not exist. ...

Wanted: new broom at AIB.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) Wanted: new broom at AIBTHE stream of revelations of scandals and blunders at Allied Irish Bank has turned into a flood, and Faldor and British VirginIslands have joined Ansbacher and Cayman Islands in the list...

WHAT GOES MISSING.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) Certain objects seem to be more appealing than others in certain hotels in the UK. In the Ritz the chamber pots vanish, in the Savoy the monogrammed coathangers go walkies, the Hilton gets relieved of its ice...

Despite pictures like this, why I still support the war in Iraq.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) The last few weeks have been somewhat dismaying for anyone who has supported the war in Iraq. Not only have we had to watch the relentless procession of images from places like Abu Ghraib and listen to the...

Glasses, lamps and 12-foot trees are just some of the items that have a habit of leaving hotels with the guests. So how do the management control their light-fingered atrons - and ddo the residents always get away with it? Marianne Heron reports.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) The new curtains are very swish and invite admiration. In exclusive designer fabric with matching linings, they set off the room to perfection andmade-to-order from a top interior designer they would cost...

Can we help? The most amazing dogs in Ireland.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) They do the laundry, call for help and can sense seizures. But there's no money yet to traindogs like these here. A Cork woman has been battling for years to get the funds. Helen Bruce reports A dog that can...

WEEKEND GAELIC GAMES SCOREBOARD.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) GUINNESS MUNSTER SHC Cork 1-18Limerick 2-12 BANK OF IRELAND LEINSTER SFC Laois 0-15Carlow 1-7 BANK OF IRELAND ULSTER SFC Donegal 1-15Antrim 1-9 ULSTER SFC REPLAY Cavan 3-13Down...

Bank's top job in jeopardy as Ahern ups the heat on AIB.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) MICHAEL Buckley's future as chief executive of AIB hangs in the balancefollowing the succession of scandals at the country's biggest financial institution. It will be decided within the next month when the...

Disgraced chief shopped by outsourced workers.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THE division of Bank of Ireland which caught its boss Mike Soden viewing internet porn had been outsourced by the chief executive to Hewlett Packard, against thewishes of staff. The information technology...

Wiz still the biz, say fans of Harry.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) HUNDREDS of children got an all-important 24-hour head start on their classmatesas they thronged Dublin's Savoy cinema from early morning yesterday to see a specialscreening of the latest must-see Harry Potter...

Romance is an alien in a chaste Potter adventure.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THE best news about the third Harry Potter movie was that directorial duties had passed from Chris Columbus to Alfonso Cuaron, who made the Mexican road movie Y Tu Mama Tambien, a stirringly erotic tale of two...

Poorly-worded tickets could let speeding drivers off hook.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) TRANSPORT Minister Seamus Brennan is to seek advice from the AttorneyGeneral about the legality of speeding tickets after it emerged the wording on the ticketscould allow motorists off the hook. Thousands of...

Lissadell reopens as restoration continues.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) WITH the ceilings, floors and woodwork scrubbed clean and the last of theancient gasoliers re-hung, Lissadell House, the ancestral home of the Gore Booth family,is ready to re-open to the public. Yesterday...

Excavator joyride destroys two classrooms.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) A CLASS of Holy Communicants and special needs pupils at two Carlowtown national schools will have to be rehoused after vandals drove a stolen excavator through both buildings late on Saturday night, causing...

Love in the Aras: Mary's girl falls for GAA king's son.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) ROMANCE has blossomed for Mary McAleese's eldest daughter, Emma, who is dating the son of Kerry football legend Mick O'Connell. The 22-year-old met Micheal D O'Connell, who is six years her senior, through...

Fighting the unjust society.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THE continuing need for the work of the St Vincent de Paul charity reflectsthe fact that we do not yet have a fully inclusive society in Ireland, President Mary McAleese said yesterday. The President was...

Ring road will ease congestion.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) TRAFFIC gridlock in Limerick will be eased significantly from today with the long-awaited opening of the first phase of the city's Southern Ring Road. The [euro]106m road includes 9.5km of dual carriageway...

Death-a-day toll on the roads as motorcyclist, teen killed.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THE death of a young motorcyclist in Dublin yesterday morning continued the country's abysmal pattern of one road fatality for every day of the year. The Finglas man in his 20s died after coming off his...

Bank holiday air travellers could be facing flight delays.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) AIR passengers have been warned by the the Irish Aviation Authority that there may be some delays to flights coming into Dublin Airport over bank holidayweekend, one of the busiest periods of the year. A new...

Outrage as pubs close during funeral.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THERE was widespread anger when virtually all of a town's publicans closed their doorsduring the funeral of a settled traveller. Fine Gael councillor Jim Hassey said there was "an unbelievable outcry" from...

No-show bishop allows priests to confirm children.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) CONFIRMATION ceremonies in 10 parishes in the Killaloe dioceses went aheadyesterday without the main man - Bishop Willie Walsh. Bishop Walsh said some parents had expressed disappointment that he had decided...

Tasty new low-carb spud in do-or-diet bid to survive.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THE HUMBLE spud has seen its popularity slump in the face of the huge success of theAtkins Diet, which demonises the vegetable as a fatty food, and the potato industry seems to have decided that if it can't beat...

Rotten fruit blamed for plane's emergency landing.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) BRITISH Airways has launched an investigation into how a pallet of rotting fruit sparked a mid-air drama over the Atlantic yesterday forcing a packed Jumbo jet to make an emergency landing at Shannon. The...

Morality trumps stem cell debate, says US expert.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) AN adviser on bioethics to the Bush administration has praised Ireland for its "reluctance to forge down the path" towards human cloning and embryo experimentation. Dr William Hurlbut, who is a member of...

New Garda stations to be built in return for sites of old.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) A DEVELOPER is to be appointed over the coming weeks in an pilot scheme whereby brand new Garda stations will be built in exchange for the site of the old buildings - structures which are generally on prime...

Big welcome for Clare after daring Everest climb.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THE first Irishwoman to conquer Mount Everest got a hero's welcome whenshe arrived back in Cork at the weekend. Bandon doctor Clare O'Leary (33), became the first Irishwoman to conquer the Himalayan summit 11...

Deferral of decision on superdump sparks fury.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) A TINY community has reacted with fury to the fifth deferral by the Environmental Protection Agency of a crucial licence decision on a proposed [euro]100m superdump. The EPA will not now deliver a decision on...

Porn finders in bank had been outsourced by chief executive.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THE DIVISION of the Bank of Ireland which caught chief executive Mike Soden viewing internet porn had been outsourced by him to Hewlett Packard against the wishes of manystaff. The information technology...

Employees using internet 'could land bosses in jail'.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) BUSINESS owners who fail to monitor their employees' internet activities riskmassive lawsuits and even jail, the Small Firms Association warned last night. The resignation of Bank of Ireland chief executive...

Scandal-hit airline chairman had done fine job - Brennan.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) TRANSPORT Minister Seamus Brennan has insisted that the future of Aer Lingus andprivatisation plans for the company will not be affected by the resignation of companychairman Tom Mulcahy. On Saturday, the...

News In Brief.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) Hit-and-run driver search GARDAI in Co Monaghan yesterday were hunting for a hit-and-run driver who has left a PSNI police officer seriously injured. He was hit by a white Peugeot saloon car, registered...

Ridicule abroad for banking sector is not on - Ahern.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern said the current problems facing the two major Irish banks were "horrendous" and hoped things would not get any worse. "How so many things were happening is just hard to believe quite...

Schools 'killing children with kindness' in fear of lawsuits.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) PRIMARY schools which ban children from running and skipping in theplayground were yesterday accused of killing their pupils with kindness. The ban, introduced in a number of urban schools in response to...

Real IRA's 'dirty' protest in prison is sweet and neat.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) TERRORIST prisoners from the dissident republican group, the Real IRA, are taking partin what they're claiming is a "dirty" protest at the top security jail at Portlaoise - by discarding sweet wrappers outside...

UK to curb food ads on kids' TV.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) JUNK-food advertising during children's television programmes is set to be banned on British channels, in a move to halt child obesity. This move outstrips similar efforts that have taken place here. ...

Plight of obese girl 'not taken seriously'.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THE mother of an obese four-year-old child spoke last night of her desperation at being on a waiting list for medical help for more than a year. Frieda Croghan, from Coolock, said her daughter Danielle...

State inquiry to investigate wrongful removal of wombs.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) ANY former patient of disgraced obstetrician, Michael Neary, who wants to testify to the State inquiry into his practice, will be allowed do so, according to HealthMinister Micheal Martin. He also said that...

Do not alight up while bus is moving. . . it just might cost you [euro]400.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) FINES of up to [euro]400 are being imposed in the courts for people caughtlighting up on Dublin Bus in the wake of the nationwide smoking ban. The company believes the judiciary is taking a much tougher line...

Sargent calls on opposition parties to end deals with FF.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) GREEN Party leader Trevor Sargent has challenged Enda Kenny and Pat Rabbitteto rule out voting arrangements with Fianna Fail in local authorities after the elections. Mr Sargent said the Opposition should be...

Decentralisation hot potato for PDs.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) FIONA O'Malley knows it. And now Mary Harney does as well. The Tanaiste apparently didn't believe Fiona at first, but now that she's out on the campaign trail she's hearing it for herself - it's...

You can run, but you can't hide.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THERE's no escaping the election, with politicians seemingly prepared to goanywhere to get a vote. In an effort to attract people to the Labour platform, European election candidate Ivana Bacik has booked...

Harney hints at tax break.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) TANAISTE Mary Harney has indicated that tax bands will be widened in next December'sBudget having remained unaltered on the last two occasions. Ms Harney said yesterday that the average industrial worker will...

And you thought it was all about subsidiarity and enlargement and stuff.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THE election campaigns are past the half-way mark, and all over the countrypeople are gathering to debate crucial issues such as EU subsidiarity, qualified majority voting and enlargement. Well, not quite. ...

FF 'behind stagnant city's rise to vibrant capital'.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) FIANNA Fail has transformed Dublin from a "stagnant backwater" into a vibrant, confidentcity, Environment Minister Martin Cullen has claimed. At the launch of the party's Dublin Manifesto yesterday, Mr...

No to racism, road rage . . . and clampers.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) A MINISTERIAL canvass of the electorate in the West of Ireland nowadaysis not quite what you might expect. For one thing, there are no State cars, no 4 by 4s bearing giant posters of gleaming party candidates...

Ahern not interested in EU's top job even for [euro]1m.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern listed a number of reasons yesterday why he would make anexcellent new president of the EU Commission, but insisted he does not want the job. Mr Ahern said that over the weekend leaders...

Bank's chief executive may be living on borrowed time.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) WE HAVE just witnessed the most remarkable few days in Irish banking since international stock markets crashed 17 years ago. The chief executive of Bank of Ireland, Michael Soden, resigned on Saturday after...

News In Brief.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) Guerrillas attack Afghan offices TALIBAN guerrillas fired at a government office in the southern Afghanistan town of Musa Qala early yesterday , killing four Afghan soldiers and losing one of their own. ...

Earnest Trevor does his bit, but Bertie still gets the girl.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) WITH a bunch of sunflowers in one hand and a position paper in the other,Trevor Sargent made his pitch for more women. There's confidence for you. It was Sunday lunch hour and The Green Party was holding...

Time for colleges to showcase their skills.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) As the college year draws to a close in higher-education institutions around the country, third-level students are completing examinations and awaiting exam results. Depending on the course, however, the end of...

Prince aiming for job in armed services.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) AFTER two years of speculation about his career plans, Prince William yesterday gavethe strongest hint yet that he will join the armed forces after graduating from St Andrew's University in Scotland next year....

Most doctors 'too scared to treat ill air passengers'.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) DOCTORS are increasingly reluctant to give medical assistance on aircraft for fear of being sued if things go wrong, according to a new report. Around 1,000 incidents requiring medical assistance occur on...

Smoking creates vicious circle of poverty - report.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) A NEW report on tobacco and poverty shows that the two form a viciouscircle from which it is difficult for people to escape. The report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) published today shows that...

Ex-wife to spill beans on Bushes.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) A NEW book on the Bush dynasty is set for release just six weeks before November'sknife-edge presidential election. 'The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty' by Kitty Kelley will have an initial...

Two US soldiers die each day.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) AMERICAN troops in Iraq died in May at a rate of more than two per day, pushing the combined death count for April and May beyond 200, according to Pentagon figures. For the National Guard and Reserve, whose...

Monty's misery.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THE simple mistake of dropping his ball cost Colin Montgomerie a stroke in theVolvo PGA Championship at Wentworth yesterday - but by the time it happened hecould have hardly cared less. Montgomerie marked his...

GOLF SCOREBOARD.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) PGA CHAMPIONSHIP West Course, Wentworth 269 S Drummond 66 71 68 64 ([euro]625,000) 271 A Cabrera (Arg) 67 69 68 67 ([euro]416,660) 272 J Haeggman (Swe) 68 67 70 67 ([euro]234,750) 273 A...

Clarke must combat demons.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) A PUFF of cigar smoke bloomed over the angular figure striding up the slight incline to Wentworth's 10 green. "Ooooh, that's Darren Clarke," muttered a tall lady with mousy hair to her friend. "Doesn't he...

Maybin's mission.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) BALLYCLARE'S Gareth Maybin will spearhead the Irish challenge in thisweek's British Amateur Championship which starts today at St Andrews. Maybin is part of an 11-man Irish contingent aiming to becoming the...

Junior to the Manor born for Irish Seniors.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THE AIB Irish Seniors Open returns to the elegant surroundings of the AdareManor Hotel and Golf resort for the third time from Friday to Sunday next. All the best European players will be in action as they...

East Cork ladies lead the way.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THE Heritage Golf Club in Co Laois is facing a busy day on Tuesday, July 13, when 196golfers will gather to compete in another qualifier for the the 02 All-Ireland Masters in association with Kempinski Resort...

Ryder Cup hope for Parnevik.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) SWEDE Jesper Parnevik is back in contention for a fourth Ryder Cup cap after a change of mind this weekend. But Parnevik's out-in-out-in membership of the European Tour could still cost him a placeagainst the...

President's prize for ex President!
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) BILL GIBSON'S fascinating "Early Irish Golf" reveals that the oldest course in Ireland was laid out at the Curragh in 1857 near Donnelly's Hollow and that the Curragh Golf Club,established in 1883, is second in...

Longford members give the green light to explore talks on re-location.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) COUNTY Longford members have given the club's management committee permission to explore a possible re-location of the club. An EGM was held on Thursday night at which over 230 members heard that a developer...

Doonbeg sets date for clubhouse completion.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) DOONBEG golf club has set a date of 2006 for completion of the clubhouse and accommodation section of the Kiawah Development Partners project which has the Greg Norman-designed links course as its centrepiece....

Mid Amateur to draw big entry.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THERE is no getting into a top GUI Championship these days unless your handicap is less than two - so the Munster Mid Amateur Championship at Limerick golf club on July 2 and 3 should attract a large entry. ...

FIGS Challenge to benefit Barnardos.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) BARNARDOS children's charity has been chosen as the main beneficiary of this year's upcoming Forex Ireland Golfing Society (FIGS) Charity Golf Challenge at Slieve Russell from June 10-13. The past 10 events have...

Skerritt Junior Team Classic at St Anne's.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) SAINT Anne's Golf Club is the venue for the Paddy Skerritt Junior Team Classic and the club's annual Father and Son Open Foursomes Matchplay Competition. The Junior Team Classic takes place on June 21....

Open bonus for East champion.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) THE Irish Independent-sponsored East of Ireland Championship at County Louth from June 4-7 has a huge bonus for the winner - a place in the Nissan Irish Open! An agreement has been reached between the GUI,...

Thumbs up for Richard as Gort turn on the style.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) BEWARE the injured golfer! It's amazing how often a golfer with an injury or an illness comes up trumps against theodds, and that was the case at Galway Bay Golf Resort last Monday. The occasion was the...

GOLF NOTICES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY Use these Fax numbers only please: (01) 280 8457 (01) 2301036.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) MEN A ASHBOURNE - Sun Cl 1: M Talbot (12) 36, N Monahan (12) 36. Cl 2: P Minogue (15) 40, A McDonagh (14) 39. Cl 3: J Sullivan (20) 43, J Carty(23) 43. Cl 1: M Breheny (12) 42, F Kavanagh (12) 40. Cl 2:...

Wicklow's wonderful history.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) WICKLOW Golf Club sits on one of the prettiest sites in the land. Less than a mile from the town the superb new clubhouse is a landmark building that overlooks one of the most spectacular panoramic views of the...

Elm Park captains test new green at first hole.
May 31, 2004... (From Irish Independent) ELM PARK unveiled the second phase of the re-development of their course a couple of weeks ago and nine new sand based greens are now in play. The second and final phase is due to begin at the end of July and...