www.impact.ie

work&lifeISSUE 4 • SPRING 2009

THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

IN YOUR

DREAMS

PROS AND CONS OF OPEN PLANMAKING THE MOST OF YOUR WORK TIMESPECIAL PEOPLE, SPECIAL NEEDSYOUR FINANCIAL MAKEOVERMEN IN CLOTHES

PROTECT YOUR PAY PACKET. AWFUL TUNES. BLUES-BUSTER. BETTER COOKING. SPRING GARDENS. OSCAR NIGHT. WORLD-CLASS ART.

CECILIA AHERN INTERVIEW. ALL THE NEWS. YOUR LETTERS. COMPETITIONS.

ALSO INSIDE

What the critics want us to think about public servants.

Win Win Win…

In this issue

3WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

work&life – Spring 2009

COVER FEATURES

8 IN YOURDREAMSNIALLSHANAHANlooks at howsome hard-working publicservants are coping with thebarrage of criticism.

13 SPECIAL PEOPLE, SPECIAL NEEDS Ireland’s special needsassistants have won respect fortheir important work withchildren. Now they’re lookingfor professional status.

15 DON’T FENCE ME INMARTINA O’LEARY looks at theups and downs of open planoffice life.

21 TIME ON YOUR SIDE

Better time management canhelp you shine at work.

24 PULL YOUR SOCKS UP

TRISH O’MAHONY has a wordfor the wise guys about lookinggood at work.

44 YOUR FINANCIAL MAKEOVERCOLM RAPPLE puts youthrough your New Yearfinancial paces.

NEWS

41 EQUALITY IN EDUCATION

41 AER LINGUS DEAL

41 LOCAL GOVERNMENT CUTS

42 THE ECONOMY

42 PUBLIC SERVICES

43 HSE WOES

43 EQUALITY AUTHORITY

23Put pen topaper and win €50.

48Win €50 in our prize quiz.

49Tell us what you think and win €100.

48Test yourcrossword skillsand win €50.

REGULARS

6 IMPACT PEOPLE

The Donegal biker who’shelping staff deal with counciljob threats and raising moneyfor the local hospice.

18 RIGHTS AT WORK

What to do when your bossmesses with your pay packet.

23 YOUR LETTERS

Women and work. Pay andpublic services. Well-heeledhas-beens.

26 TRAVEL ANDTRIPSGreat art onyour doorstep.

28 BE GOOD TOYOURSELFKAREN WARD outlines aholistic approach to dealingwith the start-of-year blues.

30 IN THE KITCHEN

Not a celebrity diet in sight asMARGARET HANNIGANsuggests five easy changesthat will help you look and feelbetter this year.

32 GREEN FINGERS

Growing your own can make alot of sense, says JIMI BLAKE.

MORE REGULARS

34 AT THE MOVIES

MORGAN O’BRIEN on theOscar contenders.

36 MUSIC

RAYMOND CONNOLLYuncovers some horriblemusical secrets.

38 BOOKS

CECILIAAHERN talksabout herlatest offering.

46 SPORT

KEVIN NOLAN predicts 2009’swinners and losers.

IMPACT is Ireland’s fastest growing trade union with 60,000 members in the public services and elsewhere.

We represent staff in the health services, local authorities, education, the civil service, the community sector, aviation, telecommunications and commercial and

non-commercial semi-state organisations.

Find out more about IMPACT on www.impact.ie

Put a spring in your stepIN CASE you were in any doubt, the budget claw-backs that appeared in your first 2009 pay packet will confirm that this is going to be a difficult year. If that’s not convincing enough, just look at our news pages (41-43) and you’ll get the picture.

Our main feature looks at how the economic recession has prompted many politicians and commentators to redouble their unfair – and sometimes ludicrous – attacks on public services. Niall Shanahan spoke to some public servants to get their take on the criticisms. And Colm Rapple advises on how to start getting your personal finances in order in these troubled times.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Margaret Hannigan writes on how you can start a kitchen makeover to save cash and make you look and feel better, a theme taken up by Karen Ward in her wellbeing column.

Martina O’Leary explores how better time management can ease your stress and improve your career prospects, and we’ve got an uplifting piece on the fantastic work of Ireland’s special needs assistants.

We can’t wait to hear your verdict on Martina’s take on open plan office life. Let us know whether you’re feeling sociable – or would you prefer to brick yourself up in your own office until it all goes away?

Trish O’Mahony’s popular fashion column puts the lads under the spotlight and recommends ways to improve your workplace look. And we’ve got all your favourites on sport, gardening, books, travel and trips, and films (who’s down for an Oscar?). By the way, Raymond Connolly’s music piece is going to cause a few red faces around this office. Ouch!

Keep your letters and comments coming. They really are helping us improve Work & Life and ensure that it’s hitting the spot for over 60,000 IMPACT members.

Times may be tough, but there’s still a bit to smile about.

4 SPRING 2009

work&lifeTHE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

Work & Life is produced by IMPACT trade union’s Communications Unit and edited by Bernard Harbor.

Front cover picture by Conor Healy. Photo features Shaun Elebert.

Contact IMPACT at:Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1. Phone: 01-817-1500. Email: rnolan@impact.ie.

Designed by: N O’Brien Design & Print ManagementPhone: 01-864-1920 Email: nikiobrien@eircom.net.

Printed by: Boylan Print Group.

Advertising sales: Frank Bambrick Phone: 01-453-4011.

Unless otherwise stated, the views contained in Work & Life do not necessarily reflect the policy of IMPACT trade union.

Work & Life is printed on environmentally friendly paper, certified by the European Eco Label. This magazine is 100% recyclable.

Work & Life Magazine is a full participating member of the Press Council of Ireland and supports the Office of the Press Ombudsman. In addition to defending the freedom of the press, this scheme offers readers a quick, fair and free method of dealing with complaints that they may have in relation to articles that appear on our pages. To contact the Office of the Press Ombudsman go to www.pressombudsman.ie or www.presscouncil.ie.

All suppliers to Work & Life recognise ICTU-affiliated trade unions.

IMPACT TrAde unIon

THE BUDGET was brutal, but at least Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan is learning from Work & Life. You’ll remember that, in our first issue last May, we featured the benefits of commuting by bike. In our piece, ‘the revolution will not be motorised,’ we also carried details of Britain’s bike-to-work tax incentive scheme and wondered why the Irish Government didn’t do something similar.

Lo and behold! In a rare bit of positive news, last October’s controversial budget included a new benefit-in-kind tax relief for buying bikes for work. Needless to say, it’s been reasonably well received.

Available details suggest that it will be similar to the UK model, which has boosted the number of people cycling to work each year. In Ireland, the budget makes provision for up to 400 people to avail of the scheme in 2009.

It’s a modest start. But over the next few years it should create a steady and sustainable growth in the number of people cycling to work. This will help to reduce traffic congestion and fuel consumption, and alert more people to the health benefits of cycling to work. Remember, you heard it here first!

You read it here first! 10 years agoThe Euro makes its debut in January 1999. Still going strong!

20 years agoThe Polish communist party votes to legalise Solidarity trade union in January 1989. Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane is shot dead by loyalists the following month.

30 years agoThe tax marches bring 200,000 people onto Dublin’s streets in March 1979. Similar protests take place throughout the country, including a march by 40,000 workers in Cork.

50 years agoIn February 1959, unions vote to end the 15-year split in the Irish trade union movement. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions is formed from the merger of the Irish Trade Union Congress (founded in 1894) and the Congress of Irish Unions (founded in 1945).

100 years agoAuthor, playwright and co-founder of the Abbey theatre, John Millington Synge dies in Dublin aged 38 in March 1909, a few months after Jim Larkin becomes General Secretary of the newly formed Irish Transport and General Workers Union (now part of SIPTU) in December 1908.

That was then...

5WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAzINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

How would you describe yourself? As an individual and a people person. I like the work I do because it involves people. I’m an intuitive sort of person. I can be diplomatic, but I can also be very impatient. I facilitate and attend a lot of meetings, but I am shy and find it difficult at times. I’m scared stiff before I go, but I’m okay once I get going.

What are your interests?Biking. If I’m not on the bike when the weather’s good, I’m tinkering with it in my mother’s shed in Glenties.

What’s it like working for Donegal council? These are difficult times with almost 230 job losses feared. As acting welfare officer I have to deal with the people who are affected. I’m a people person. I care very much. These are all friends and it’s personally heart breaking. It is busier from a staff welfare point of view because people are distressed. And morale has taken a big hit in the organisation. It’s difficult to deal with all that.

But overall it’s become a better place in the nine years I’ve worked here. The county manager that came into Donegal some nine years ago was much more embracing of unions. Michael McLoone gave unions respect, particularly when big projects like decentralisation, restructuring and Better Local Government were happening. The degree of consultation was alien in many ways, given the much more adversarial approach before he came. It’s not perfect but it’s a big step in the right direction.

6 SPRING 2009

IMPACT people

A walk on the mild sidePartnership co-ordinator and acting staff welfare officer PATSY McHUGH helped put together a photo competition for Donegal County Council staff last year. The winning pictures now grace a 2009 calendar, which is being sold to raise funds for Donegal Hospice. Work & Life found out what keeps his wheels turning.

“Just before my father died I was thinking of buying a Harley Davidson. He said: ‘Buy the bike if you want it. Life’s too short.’ The message was to enjoy life while you can.” ”

What helps you when the going gets tough? I speak to people. I don’t bottle it up like I used to. I’m a depressive by nature, but find that if you talk about difficulties and talk to people it’s a big, big help. I think you should be ready to accept mistakes and accept advice as well.

What’s the best advice you ever received? It was just before my father died in 2007 in the Donegal Hospice. He was there for a number of weeks and at the time I had sold an old bike and I was thinking of buying a Harley Davidson. He said: “Buy the bike if you want it. You always wanted it. Life’s too short.” This came from someone who died a few weeks later. The message was to enjoy life while you can.

What music do you like?I like American folk music, particularly Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, and The Weavers. Their music is politically left wing. The whole movement around Guthrie and Seeger, is interesting. It has shaped the way I think.

What’s your favourite movie?The Shining. I love The Shining and, of course, Schindler’s List. It’s difficult to choose between the two. They are both classics.

Have you had any other interesting jobs? I took a career break and worked in Germany and the UK for a few months. I worked in a bacon factory and installed digital cabels for a while. My father worked in Scotland for a wee while and I wanted to see what life had been like for the many who had to leave home to find work. I found it pretty tough going. Labouring was

hard work. I also worked in Donegal forests planting trees during a cold damp January. That was really tough.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? I would go to is to visit Auschwitz concentration camp. I went to Mauthausen camp in Austria a few years ago. It was the only camp that the guards left in working order. They didn’t destroy it and the gas chamber was still working. It was a shrine to those who

went through. I felt I needed to visit it, and was pretty honoured to do so.

Who would you like to have a pint with? Muhammed Ali. I was born in 1960 and grew up watching boxing on TV. I loved his intelligence, not to mention his boxing skills. I admired him so much for refusing to go to Vietnam at the time. I thought it was very brave.

What really annoys you? Thoughtless car drivers. Mistakes by car drivers are dangerous and if you’re exposed to them when on a bike they can be fatal.

Have you had much involvement in IMPACT? Some time ago I was the Donegal County Council chair and also did a stint on the branch committee. But I can’t be involved in the union now as I’m the partnership facilitator and I must be impartial.

Did you like working in the union? It was just brilliant. I found something I loved doing and that I was reasonably good at. I think I always did my best and put the members first, though I was far from perfect.

Tell me about the calendarIn 2007 we arranged a photo competition in the Council’s Christmas staff newsletter The Grapevine. The response was so good that we decided to do it again. A colleague of mine suggested we do something with the photos, make a calendar and give the proceeds to charity. The editorial team chose Donegal Hospice. The logic behind this decision was that many people nowadays are affected or touched by the death of family or friends who were cared for in the Hospice during

their final days. It was a charity dear to our hearts.

What would you like to be remembered for? For having done my best for the welfare of people l

Interview by Martina O’Leary.

7Work & LIFe: THe MAgAzIne For IMPACT MeMBerS

helP The hOSPICe These excellent 2009 calendars are for sale in all Donegal County Council offices and Donegal Hospice. Payments can be made directly to the Donegal Hospice.

Make cheques payable toDonegal Hospice and send to Isobel Doherty, Donegal Hospice, Knocknamona, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.

YOU ARE bloated, lazy, inefficient, overpaid and underworked. You’re a “plump state hen” and should be taken out of your taxpayer-funded golden cage of job security and big fat pensions.

Let’s start by getting rid of 10% of you. Better yet, let’s make that 30%. And impose a wage freeze. Better still, let’s make that a wage cut. That’ll teach you a lesson, whip you into shape, and make you share the pain. Anything less and the economy is doomed.

Sound familiar? These are just some of the choice terms and cheap theories trotted out by an army of critics who have been enjoying another severe bout of public service bashing over the last couple of months. The recession has sharpened their knives and public servants could be forgiven for believing that they’re responsible for the current economic crisis.

They aren’t. To separate fact from fiction, a 2008 OECD study said the Irish public service was not overstaffed. While staff numbers have grown, the OECD says this represents us “playing catch-up” from an historically low base.

A host of other factors have contributed to a global recession that’s made its unwelcome presence felt in the Irish economy. Everyone is running around like headless chickens. And some of those headless chickens are looking for scapegoats. And some of these scapegoats are described as sacred cows. And this is where you, the public servant, comes into the dysfunctional farmyard analogy.

The latest chorus of insults directed at public servants may have been a softening up exercise for staff cuts. But it’s unfair on the workers who are doing their best to provide services in difficult times. NIALL SHANAHAN found out how they are bearing up.

8 SPRING 2009

Public servants under attack

Here’s one we made up earlier

the constant criticism. In my hospital we’re dealing with the cuts to come and the cuts we’ve already suffered. We have an estimated 100 unfilled vacancies,” he says.

Eileen Byrne, who works in medical records at Beaumont Hospital, says the criticism is wearing her colleagues down. “It provokes anger and fear. Anger, because people take it personally. They know how hard they are working to keep things going. And fear because in the current environment, where we seem to be experiencing a backlash against public servants, people are afraid they will lose their jobs.”

But isn’t there a case for reform? Eimear believes there is, and that public servants are willing participants. “I think there is a very strong case for an imaginative and constructive approach to reforming public services and improving them. There is a lot of goodwill among public servants for positive change,” she says.

Tony agrees, “We are constantly calling for reforms like the extended working day. Most of the staff are in favour of it. There isn’t any resistance among my colleagues to the idea of change. If anything it’s the opposite.”

But Eimear feels that reform isn’t really what’s planned. “I would have very little confidence that there is any political body willing to approach it that way. All that anyone seems willing to deliver is cuts, and the political lines in the sand have already been drawn.”

9Work & LIfE: THE MAgAzInE for IMPACT MEMBErs

Here’s one we made up earlier

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IMPACT member Eimear ging works in administration for the Endoscopy clinic in Dublin’s saint James’ hospital. I asked her how the constant stream of criticism affected her. “It makes me very angry and very frustrated to be presented as a negative thing, a burden. In my experience, the members of the public who come here to access services are generally appreciative about the work we do. And they are often very vocal in their appreciation,” she says.

Tony Martin is a materials manager in Tallaght Hospital where talk about media–bashing of public servants is common amongst his colleagues. “We work in a caring environment. We’re not here to turn a profit. Most of the criticism comes from TDs who are paid extremely well themselves. People here take pride in their work and they are sick to their stomachs of

“I just thought ‘how dare you?’ I don’t know of one person where I work who hasn’t gone the extra mile to get the work done, because they know at the end of everything that they do there’s a patient who needs treatment.”

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social partnership agreement, which includes an 11-month pay pause for public servants.

The government is also well aware that the opposition parties have adopted a far more bullish attitude to public service reform, so perhaps they are hoping the ‘special group’ (or ‘An Bord Snip Nua’ as the media has dubbed it, in memory of its 1980s predecessor) will give them the sharpened axe to satisfy the bloodlust for public service cuts.

It does not bode well for public services. IMPACT national secretary for communications, Bernard Harbor, has been vocal in the union’s campaign for some honesty when it comes to talk of cutting numbers.

“The OECD’s study did not call for staff reductions. That’s because Ireland spends proportionately less on its public services, and employs proportionately fewer staff, than similar countries. This doesn’t make it any easier to balance the books now that we’ve entered a recession and the public finances are in crisis. But it does prove that there is very little ‘fat’ to cut. Staff reductions will mean worse services,” he says.

Harbor admits that the union struggles to get its message across in the growing clamour of criticism. “We are constantly putting the case for the defence, but we’re usually a lone voice and it’s hard to get a word in edgeways because the attacks are so loud and so sustained,” he says.

10 SPRING 2009

Public servants under attack

Soon after I spoke to her, the Government announced the establishment of the ‘Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes’ which will be looking at spending in all government departments and recommending cuts by the middle of the year.

Eimear was quite right, the lines have been drawn,

which is why this ‘special group’ includes the phrase ‘public service numbers’ in the title. Its existence was announced as the government published the report of the task force on public service. That task force was formed to make recommendations based on the OECD findings – but the OECD had concluded that the problems of our public service weren’t due to overstaffing or overspending.

So what’s changed since the OECD published its findings? Well, the economy and public finances took a huge dive, which in turn intensified the criticism levelled at the public service. The commentators who were already obsessed with cutting numbers became obsessed with cutting pay.

Meanwhile, union members overwhelmingly backed the new

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11Work & Life: The magazine for imPaCT members

There’s no doubt that the critics have cleared the political way for deep cuts in important services. it’s even the subject of debate in social situations and eileen says she sometimes gets a hard time. “more in jest rather than in a serious way,” eimear adds. “People roll their eyes and laugh if i say i work in public service administration. but when you talk to people you discover that the actual reality of their experience is generaly positive,” she says.

Tony’s experience is similar, but there’s a serious side to it. “You get comments like ‘Wait until i tell you about the 25 hours i spent in a&e. That sort of thing. but i find that when people listen, they do realise that people working in public health are put to the pin of their collar. They are not sitting around scratching their head in an office - they are working flat out to help deliver a frontline service.”

eimear ging says morale is falling as staff start to believe some of the criticism. We are a community of workers, and it feels as though we are a community under threat. What i find especially troubling is that people who work here are starting to believe what they hear in the media, despite their daily experience. People have got used to the criticism and have got used to feeling bad about having a permanent job or having a pension, she says.

eileen dislikes the suggestion that public servants are somehow isolated from the reality of economic problems. “We have families too, some of whom have lost their jobs or are at risk of losing their jobs. We are not isolated from it, it does affect everyone,” she says.

The staff i spoke to had different opinions about how criticism from TDs might affect the way they vote in an election. but all expressed anger at the tone that some of the more strident criticism has taken in recent months.

“i watched a politician make a speech recently and he referred, more than once, to the ‘horror’ of our health service. i just

thought ‘how dare you?’ of course there are areas that need improvement, but i don’t know of one person where i work who hasn’t gone the extra mile to get the work done, because they know at the end of everything that they do there is a patient who needs treatment,” says eimear.

in the run-up to the last general election, imPaCT launched a public information campaign that aimed to put politicians on the spot if they casually criticized public servants. Using images of real staff, its “frontline Quality, backroom Dedication’ message sought to set the record straight on the generally positive performance of our public services and the willingness of staff to deliver better quality.

bernard harbor says it may be time to re-launch the initiative. “next June we’ll be in the heart of the recession and politicians will be looking for our votes in local and european elections. There are about 350,000 public servants, and they all have families. Properly organised, that should be enough of a political force to make politicians think twice before they casually undermine the important work we do as public servants,” he says.

The union has also pledged to go on the offensive by developing its own proposals for public service reforms. Last may, delegates to the imPaCT biennial conference backed the plan, saying that management and government initiatives had failed to really improve services for people on the ground even though they demanded significant changes for staff. Yet unions have tended to simply respond to management reform proposals.

The union hopes to draw on experiences of other european trade unions who have developed community and worker-friendly reform projects. it’s hoped that initiatives like this will help convince ordinary people that public servants are serious about change that really improves services for people and communities on the ground. maybe that will help to shift public opinion and silence the critics l

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Tony Martin says his colleagues are sick of unfair criticisms. “There isn’t any resistance among my colleagues to the idea of change. If anything, it’s the opposite,” he says.

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12 SPRING 2009

Cherishing childrenequally

13

Special people

THE LAST decade has seen a small butsignificant change in how children withspecial needs are educated in Ireland.Like many things about the latelamented economic boom, it’s not allhappy endings. But for lots of kids andtheir parents, there’s more reason tohope.

Official figures say 10-15% of thepopulation has special educationalneeds. Special needs assistants(SNAs) provide classroom support topupils with severe learning, physical orbehavioural difficulties. They helppupils improve their independent livingskills, support them in social activities,assist with therapy treatment and takecare of their physical needs.

In 1996, there were just 600 SNAsemployed exclusively in special needsschools. Today there are 12,000 pro -viding this unique service to a similarnumber of children, mostly in main -stream schools.

for seven years at the Holy Family nat -ional school in Dun Laoghaire. Beforethat she was a nanny.

Like most SNAs, Geraldine works withjust one child. “A cousin of mine who’sa teacher suggested I apply for an SNAposition. I’ve worked with Nicole fromthe start, when she started in juniorinfants. She’s a very outgoing child andwe got used to each other very quickly,”she says.

Nicole is now in sixth class and facesthe big jump to secondary school inSeptember, a move that Geraldine willfind difficult. “But it will be great forher development. I’m trying not tothink too much about that – we haveconfirmation to get through first!”

NIALL SHANAHAN describes how special needsassistants are winning support for their vital service.

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

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“The best part is finding outwhat kids are capable of when

given the chance. Amazingthings can happen.”

The huge rise in SNA numbers hascome about largely because of the2004 Special Education Act, whichobliges schools to provide mainstreamaccess to children with special needs.

Geraldine Lawlor has worked as an SNA

Glyn Carolan and Louise, both SNAs, met at work. They are pictured

here with their family. Left to right: Amy(11), Glyn, Louise, Amy (19) and Cory (15).

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“The job changed my life in more ways than one.”

Special people

14 SPRING 2009

One of the few male SNAs, GlynCarolan has worked in Kilkenny’s SaintPatrick’s school since 2001. “It allcame about by chance really. I was asingle parent at home with my four-year-old daughter Amy, and looking athow to get back into the workplace.FÁS sent me to the school and Iassumed it was caretaking work orsomething like that.” Glyn subse -quently met his wife Louise, also anSNA, at Saint Patrick’s. “The jobchanged my life in more ways thanone,” he says.

Both Glyn and Geraldine talk verypassionately about their work, andseem to enjoy a great rapport with thechildren. “The kids are hysterical. Theycome out with some priceless comm -ents. What’s also nice is that they seeme as providing some continuity,especially when they get a new teachereach September,” says Geraldine.

Glyn says the best part is finding outwhat kids are capable of when giventhe chance. “Amazing things canhappen. One of the things we’ve doneis introduce football. The training hasbeen a big hit, especially the warm-upexercises. There is huge joy andexcitement when the kids are playingmatches. The enjoyment and reactionof the parents is another reason I lovethe job,” he says.

Both SNAs are active IMPACT mem -bers. And both are very aware that theexperience of SNAs throughout thecountry is very varied.

A special IMPACT education seminar on the theme of equality and disadvantage in education takes place on 29th January2009 in Dublin’s Helix. The seminar is open to all members working in the education sector, but registration is essential asplaces are limited. To register, contact nshanahan@impact.ie or get more details from www.impact.ie.

Photo: Susan K

ennedy, Lensman.

“The kids in the class gave mea card at the end of last year.Their message said ‘without

you, our friend Nicolewouldn’t be able to come toschool’. That blew me away.Why can’t the Department ofEducation see it like that?”

The role has developed considerably.At first, many teachers and managersdidn’t really know what to do withSNAs. But that has changed and manyschools have embraced the SNA role.However, problems remain and someare still tempted to assign every oddjob to the SNA.

The service costs €300 million a yearand it’s currently undergoing a valuefor money audit with a report expectedin late 2009. IMPACT official PhilipMullen says the branch welcomes theprocess. “SNAs deliver excellent valuefor money, as long as they are allowedto focus on their work with thechildren,” he says.

IMPACT’s 3,000-strong SNA branch –currently the fastest-growing in theunion – is now working to achieverecognition as education professionals.“The care they provide is undervaluedand not reflected in the pay. But we’reinterested in more than pay andconditions. Professionalisation is alsoabout improving the service to chil -dren,” says Philip.

While the struggle for proper recog -nition continues, Glyn reflects on whatthe service has delivered in its shortlife. “We’ve opened up the classroomto children who were too severelydisabled to go into it before. Childrenhave been integrated into the schoolcommunity. Many schools will fighttooth and nail to retain the servicebecause they realise the value of it,” hesays.

Unpopular budget cuts in educationmake this a worrying time and won’thelp the push for professional recog -nition. But it’s promising that, outsidethe education department, more andmore people understand and value theSNA service.

“The kids in the class gave me a cardat the end of last year. Their messagesaid ‘without you, our friend Nicolewouldn’t be able to come to school’.That blew me away. Why can’t theDepartment of Education see it likethat?” asks Geraldine �

“Sometimes SNAs are valued andintegrated into the school community.But in extreme cases they are not.There is a lack of acknowledgementfrom other professional bodies outsideour working environment. Some times,through inexperience I think, therapistsand psychologists overlook the SNAand only engage with the teacher,”says Glyn.

Geraldine Lawlor has cared for Nicole since she

started junior infants.

Office life

15Work & Life: The magazine for imPaCT members

The Term open plan can conjure up frightening images of workers corralled into dingy cubicles in noisy and overcrowded rooms. The 1970s originals often came with poor ventilation, dim lighting, inadequate facilities and top-notch snooping capacity. but is that today’s reality?

before i went to hsQ, eircom’s new headquarters near Dublin’s heuston station, the sceptic in me thought i could never work in a place so big and open – its six floors will eventually be a home-from-home to almost 1,600 staff. but after two visits, chats with staff, and a grand tour with deputy hr director Jim foley, i changed my perspective.

but first a health warning. This is a state of the art facility, and i’m not sure it’s typical of open plan as you know and love it. but more of that later.

back at hsQ everyone works open plan, from the chief executive down. The building has fresh-air ventilation and lots of natural light. each floor is divided into seven zones with up to 38 workstations and low-level dividers. You get a drawer, some filing space and a place to put your jacket. everything else is communal, including printers and rubbish bins.

i hoped the three imPaCT members i met would dish the dirt on what it’s really like to work there. but they came up with precious few negatives.

David rafferty was pleasantly surprised. “before the move i had reservations, but it works really well. The thing i like about it is that it’s totally democratic. People who were like gods before are much easier to see and speak to. You realise they are people just like yourself,” he says.

The bottom line is that it’s easier to do business. “before i used to waste a lot of time going between buildings. now most people i need to meet are here. it is much more efficient,” he says.

karl mcgee from the company’s information technology department says he was used to working open plan and the move held few fears for him. “Coming in here didn’t really have any particular concerns for me. There are a few niggling things in a building like this, but they have been put right. it’s an inherently healthier environment than some of the old buildings that have been informally re-jigged for open-plan work,” he says.

Most office staff now operate in open plan environments. MARTINA O’LEARY went to find out if those wide open spaces really work for you.

s

Don’t fence me in

HSE worker Karen Hanley is happy sharing an office with five others.

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Shay Farrell says good design meant initial concerns over noise levels were unfounded, even though 1,300 people work there. “People actually talk quieter than they used to,” he says. His memory of an overheard conversation sums it up. “Before we moved I heard a girl say, ‘I went up to see [HSQ] fully determined to hate it, and you know it’s not bad’. When you get in, it is very hard to criticize the surroundings,” he says.

But do people feel they are on view to the world and its mother? Shay told how he moved a smaller group here. “We have moved from a smaller office and there were a lot of fears among the team about what we were getting into, particularly from those who hadn’t worked in open plan. It took a lot of reassurance including reassuring people that visibility goes both ways. It isn’t just everyone looking at you. You can look at everyone else!”

With so many bodies there have to be some compromises and it’s obvious that people modify their behaviour to suit the environment. There aren’t any radios or speaker phones and nobody shouts or raises their voice. Everyone respects the people around them.

And if you need to have a private or lively phone call, you can go into one of the small offices available on each floor.

David is chair of IMPACT’s Communications branch, so he’s the one who deals with complaints. “The biggest single concern members had was location. The office accommodation is smashing but the location is a little isolated. Others have complained about relatively

minor issues and we will be raising these with the company through the Partnership process,” he says.

Other open plan workers might have more to complain about. The HSE offices I visited in Dublin’s Rathdown Road are far from purpose built. Constructed in the 1800s, they were a women’s prison in a former life. But grade III Karen Hanley seemed happy with her lot.

There is no date attached to plans for relocating the staff and, now that cuts are back in vogue, any move could be some way off. So Karen will continue to share a small space with five others for the foreseeable.

“We are a little tight but it’s fine. I wouldn’t like to be in an office on my own because I like company. But if it’s too open plan, with too many people and a lot of noise, it might get a bit much,” she says.

16 SPRING 2009

Office life

“Each floor is divided into 7 zones with up to 38 workstations and low-level dividers. You get a drawer, some filing space and a place to put your jacket. Everything else is communal, including printers and rubbish bins.”

17Work & Life: The magazine for imPaCT members

Compared to eircom’s hsQ there’s very little integration in the complex. “There are offices all over the place. You see people in the corridor that you won’t even know.” but there’s clearly a great atmosphere within the four small walls. “We all get on very well together. i suppose it would be a different story if we didn’t, but we get used to each other’s ways and it’s about compromise,” says karen.

her administrator has gone to a lot of trouble to improve the environment, which suffers from the fact that the building is so old. for karen, problems with dirt and cluttered corridors seem to have been consigned to the past. however, that can’t be said

for other parts of the building, which are now unused and condemned because of problems with pigeons, mice, flies and damp.

i asked karen if she could see herself in a big open plan office like eircom’s. “Personally i could because i’m a good mixer. but i know a lot of people that wouldn’t like to work where everyone was in the one space. but it would be an improvement on the building we have,” she says.

Like many things at work, a lot comes down to personal preferences. for me open plan works if it’s well designed and staff are involved during the planning process. The more familiar approach of cramming as many desks as possible

into the existing office space and hoping for the best is too much for me. eircom have certainly moved on from there l

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On the plus side• it’s good for staff integration and people get a better understanding of what their colleagues do.

• it’s much easier to communicate because your colleagues are close at hand.

• it can save time as you don’t have to move between buildings to meet others.

• You can usually accommodate more people in less space.

• it’s flexible. You can easily change the office layout if need be.

On the other hand• it can get rowdy unless the office has been planned to restrict noise levels.

• all the visible coming and going can be distracting.

• Personal space and privacy can be a problem, especially if you have no access to smaller spaces when you need to meet people privately or make difficult calls.

• There can be resentment if senior staff get individual offices, while herding the hoi polloi into open plan.

Open Plan

“The thing I like about it is that it’s totally DEMOCRATIC. People who were like gods before are much easier to see and speak to. You realise they are people just like yourself,” says David Rafferty.

Eircom: State of the art: Eircom’s full open plan HSQ has gone down a treat with most staff. s

We’d all love to get paid more. But most of us take it for granted that, comepay day, the right wages will go into the bank account. Here MARTINAO’LEARY looks at the legal protection available to workers who find all is notas it should be with their pay packet.

Page title

18 SPRING 2009

Your rights at work

EVERY NOW and then a case of overpayment hits the head linesand ques tions are raised about whether and when the moneymust be paid back. Remember the hon est HSE worker whoimmediately gave the money back after she was overpaid €1million?

In these and similar situ ations, workers are pro tec ted by strictlaws covering what can – and cannot – be ded ucted from theirpay packets. And all employers are obliged to give you a pay slipdetailing your gross pay and all the deductions.

Hands offmy cash

In short, employers are entitled to claw back money if you’vebeen overpaid. But case histories suggest that notice andagreement about how overpayments are refunded are req -uired.

There are restrictions on what emp loyers can deduct fromyour pay unless the deduction is authorised by statute (eg,PAYE and PRSI), authorised by a term in your employmentcontract (eg, pension contributions), or made with your priorconsent (eg, VHI or union subs).

There have been some famous cases where ruthlessemployers have deducted money for rent, food, or even thecost of flights from the wages of migrant workers. Again, it’s

legal to make such deductions if your emp -loyer has incurred the costs and

you’ve agreed that they can berepaid direct from your

wages. But they can’tsimply ass ume that

you’ve given yourper mission.

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WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

In one case involving migrant workers, an equality officerfound that an employer was entitled to recoup money, but notwithout written authorisation. The equality officer found that“the translated contract of employment specifies that cost offlights and accommodation will be deducted from wages, butat the time the complainants were engaged no such trans -lation was available.”

She ruled that the workers had suffered racial discriminationby virtue of having unlawful deductions made from theirwages.

In another case, unlawful deductions were made from aworker who failed to give full notice when she changed jobs.She was contractually obliged to give one month’s notice

Legal protectionTHE PAYMENT of Wages Act 1991 contains protections forworkers and your employer can be fined for breaching it. Itsprovisions include:

� The right to a readily negotiable mode of wage payment

� The right to a written statement of wages and deductions(a wage slip) which must be treated with confidentiality

� Protection against unlawful deduc tions from your wages

� Specification of legal forms of payment

� Restrictions on deductions from your pay.

DeductionsYour employer is not allowed to make any deduc tions fromyour wages, or receive any payment from you, unless:

� The deduction or payment is required or auth orised bystatute or law (eg PAYE and PRSI)

� The deduction or payment is required or authorised by aterm in your employment contract (eg, pension con -tributions)

� The deduction is made with your prior consent (eg, unionsubs).

Restrictions on deductionsYour employer can’t make any ded uctions for ‘acts oromissions’ (like breakages) or for goods and services suppliedto you unless:

� It is required or authorised in your contract ofemployment

� It’s a reasonable and fair amount having regard to allcircumstances, including the amount you get paid

� You’ve been given written details of the terms of yourcontract of employment that govern the deduction atsome time prior to your ‘act or omission’ or the provisionof goods or services

� You’re given written particulars of the prop os ed deduc -tion, and the reason for it, at least one week prior to thede duction

� A deduction for compensation does not exceed theamount of the loss or the cost of the damage.

� The deduction is made within six months of the act oromission.

when she was leaving employment. She was offered a new job,but had to start within two weeks and gave less than twoweeks notice. Her boss deducted a month’s pay, plus herbonus for the previous month,

from her final pay packet. But the Employment AppealsTribunal (EAT) said this was illegal because the contract didnot specify the sanction of withholding pay if notice was notgiven.

If you think you’ve had unlawful deductions from your pay,you should take it up with your employer or ask the union totake it up on your behalf. Ultimately, you have the right tocomplain to a Rights Comm issioner, so long as you do sowithin six months of the alleged breach of the Act �

Underpayment ornon-paymentNon-payment of wages, orfail ure to pay the correctamount, is illegal unless the reasonfor the mistake was a computational error.

OverpaymentYour employer can deduct money in cases of overpayment ifthe amount deducted does not exceed the amount due to theemployer. But case histories suggest that notice andagreement about how overpayments are refunded arerequired.

ComplaintsYou should contact your wages department if you think there’sbeen an unlawful deduction or that your employer took anunlawful payment from your wages. If you get no joy, youshould contact you IMPACT represen tative. And you cancomplain to a Rights Commissioner within six months of thealleged breach of the Act.

For further information on the Payment of Wages Act and other employment legislationyou can go to www.impact.ie orwww.employmentrights.ie. The NationalEmployment Rights Authority (NERA)established in 2008 under the socialpartnership agreement Towards 2016 providesinformation to employees and employers onemployment rights.

Employment law info

19

This article is for information only and is not a legal interpretation. Find out more on www.impact.ie

GIS Ireland is a trading name of Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ireland Limited which is regulated by the Financial Regulator.

These days we’re allbeing told we must do‘more with less’. But there are only somany hours in a day.MARTINA O’LEARYsays effective timemanagement can helpyou shine – and get thebest out of your workingday.

TIME IS a precious thing and we neverseem to have enough of it. We’reconstantly under pressure to balancework, time with family and friends,hobbies and courses, or even ourchores at home. If only there were25 hours in a day!

That’s why good time managementcan help in our personal lives aswell as making us more efficientand effective at work. It helps youto examine how you spend yourtime in an honest and structuredway – and to assess whether you’respending it where you really need andwant to.

Start by looking at how you currently spend yourtime and examine what you are happy andunhappy with. For instance, do you pro cras -tinate or find it hard to delegate or say no. Doyou frequently get sidelined into doing some -thing that really should have waited?

Your career

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Time is on YOURside

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WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 21

22 SPRING 2009

required to complete the big task andmay trigger thoughts on how to dothings better and faster. The heart oftime management is planning,” saysFabia.

So, time management involves a littlesoul searching. Ask yourself what jobsyou find it difficult to finish and start.Be honest about where you spend toomuch time and the things you neverseem to have time to do. Andprioritise, prioritise, prioritise!

If you recognise a real problem withyour time management, you shouldthink about doing a short course.Maybe your boss will help meet thecost.

It’ll be good for your career in the longterm, as well as improving your lifeoutside work. Life can become moreorganised and efficient – and that canhelp you shine at work while feelingless stressed.

One final piece of advice from Fabia isthat a tired and emotional brain is notbest placed to make decisions. Try tokeep your mind alert and objective bykeeping your energy levels up and yourstress levels down �

It’s got to stop because it means youend up putting off more urgent jobs,which puts you under pressure andultimately risks making you look badas deadlines for those time-urgent jobsapproach.

I recently did a time managementcourse and saw the light. There was alot of common sense involved withsimple tips like setting goals, keeping adiary, preparing your ‘to do list’,prioritising the jobs you need to do,and thinking about more efficient waysof doing things. It also majored onlearning to avoid distractions andgetting sidelined. Believe me, it can allhelp to ease stress and get through thework quicker and more smoothly.

Diploma in Mediation

& Conflict Intervention

Masters in Mediation &

Conflict Intervention

Dept. Business & Law

NUI Maynooth

For further information go to:

Business.nuim.ie or visit

http://business.nuim.ie/Diploma

MediationConflictIntervention.shtml

Your career

The clock’s ticking

Training consultant Fabia Gavin

can be contacted at:

fabia@leaptraining.ie

I’ve started to write my ‘to do list’ lastthing before I go home. It’s reallysimple but it helps focus the mind.Part of being more efficient meanstyping your list instead of writing itout. Then the next day you can cut andpaste and delete the jobs you’vefinished.

The next thing is to prior itise. Trainingconsultant Fabia Gavin told me that,when de c iding what task to tackle next,you should dis tinguish between what’simportant and what’s urgent andprioritise accord ingly. So start with theimportant things – make lists andprioritise them. What is most imp -ortant? What must be done now? Whatcan wait?

According to Fabia we often wastevaluable time procrastinating abouttasks we don’t enjoy, mundane jobs oractivities that take us away from ourcomfort zone. “Take the first step andlearn to recognise your work avoidancetactics. Often we make that unnec -essary call or fourth cup of coffee inorder to avoid starting that task,” shesays.

“Make one decision – do it now or deferit until later. If you decide to defer,think carefully what you need to dolater and make a task list so you knowwhat’s next. Careful planning of yourtask list will throw up all the steps

1. Take time out to recharge.Sometimes a ten-minute walk ora short change of scenery is allyou need.

2. Make a to do list and update itdaily. Include urgent and non-

urgent tasks so you'll neverforget or overlookanything again.

3. If you struggle withdecision-making, get

help from amanager, colleagueor friend. Theymight help with theobjectivity you were

lacking.

4. Do the tasks you avoid ordislike at your mostproductive time. You’ll getthem done quicker and with

less fuss!

5. Allocate your time. Include anestimated time frame for eachaction point and the date bywhich the task must becompleted.

6. Set and respect realisticdeadlines.

7. Use your time wisely. Consideraccessing your e-mail only atcertain times of the day and letyour voice mail pick up yourcalls to give you anuninterrupted hour or two.Don’t open your mail until youhave time to take action on it.

8. Learn to delegate.

9. Learn to say no.

10. Remember, regret for wastedtime is more time wasted.

“Do you frequentlyget sidelined intodoing somethingthat really shouldhave waited? It’s

got to stop!”

Fabia Gavin’stop 10 timemanagementtips

StandtogetherA recent Irish Timesheadline read “Major -

ity of voters back paycut for public servants.”

To some extent, this was adistortion of what the article wasactually saying, but headlines such asthis do not help IMPACT members,who are responsible for the provisionof essential – not optional – publicservices.

Let’s remember, too, that there aremany low paid workers in the publicsector as well as in the private sectors– something that the press often turnsa blind eye to.

Why must the media, or the generalpublic, distinguish between public andprivate sector employees? Most of uswork hard for a living, particularlythese days, no matter who employs us.Why not target those in both the publicand private sectors who are highly paidand get very large performance relatedbonuses on top of their salaries, oftenregardless of their performance?

It really is time that public and privatesector employees stood together andsupported each other in tackling lowpay and saying that bonuses to thehighly paid should be stopped in thesehard times.

Edwina JonesDublin Hospitals’ BranchDublin

Women and workDid you know that 75% of themembers of IMPACT are female? Thatamounts to almost 45,000 women. Itis currently fashionable to look back tothe 1980s and it’s interesting to learnthat in 1988 there were 366,900women in the workforce compared to921,600 in 2008. This is an increaseof 66% in women in the workplace inthe past 20 years.

A Nexus report commissioned byIMPACT informs us that ‘time comm -itments’ top the list of hinderingfactors for the well-being of both menand women. ‘Work factors’ came sec -ond for men but it was ‘family commit -ments’ for women.

It is important that a union is broadlyrepresentative of it membership baseand, subsequently, its publicationsshould address the concerns of itstarget audience.

The recently launched Work & Lifemagazine is a welcome addition as itraises our awareness of work-life bal -

Work & LifeWork & Life is the magazine for members of IMPACT trade union. IMPACT mem bers canhave it mailed to them by con tacting Work & Life at IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1 or byemailing rnolan@impact.ie. Or call Roisin Nolan on 01-817-1544.

IMPACT also produces a monthly e-bulletin with more detailed information about the union’sactivities and cam paigns, and developments in your work place. Sign up via the website onwww.impact.ie.

IMPACT is Ireland’s largest public sector union with members in health, local government,the civil service, education, the community sector, semi-state org anisations, aviation andtele communications.

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 23

Your sayance with articles such as SurvivingChristmas by Karen Ward (issue 3),which underpins the need to plan,delegate and anticipate.

Joan O’RourkeAgri-Labs BranchCork

Well-heeled has-beensDear Sir,

It was with particular pleasure that Iread Raymond Connolly's excellentarticle in the last edition of Work & Life(‘Cash Rich Cellar Dw ellers’, Winter2008). I always enjoy Mr Connolly'sacerbic views on the latest musicalreleases, and his pinpoint accuracy inbursting the egotistical bubble of thoseliving in the rock star firmament (youknow who you are, Bono). It seems hismove to Work & Life has put a pep in hisstep and no sacred musical cow is nowsafe.

I was compelled to write this letterafter reading his outstanding exposéabout the shamelessly extortionateprices for the big name 'has-beens' whoplayed concerts in Ireland last summer(Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Kraftwerk,Eric Clapton, et al). This latest corus -cating flourish from Mr Connolly sugg -ests that he has raised his game,sharpened his quill, and is of a mindto take no prisoners. It was enter -taining, informative and champ ionedthe ordinary punter like myself.

I am now close to destitution after asummer standing in muddy fieldssipping warm and overpriced beerfrom plastic cups, listening to the backcatalogue of fading rock stars whoreally ought to be at home tendingtheir organic farms.

Mr Connolly's article, had it appearedearlier in the year, might have savedme the cost and trench foot I haveendured as a result. I do not know whatthe editor is putting in Mr Connolly'stea but, please sir (or madam), moreof the same!

Daniel DeveryDublin

You never write, you never phone...

Work & Life pays €50 for the best letter published each issue and €30 for the rest. Let us know what you think about the magazine or the issues it’s covered. Come to think of it, let us know your views on anything at all! Get out your pen and paper today. And don’t forget to keep it nice and short.

Write to Roisin Nolan, Work & Life, IMPACT Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1. Or email rnolan@impact.ie.

PS We only publish signed letters.Work & Life may edit yourletter for size.

STAR

LETTER

€50

24 SPRING 2009

TRISH O’MAHONY says blokes must try harder to look good at work.

“IRISH MEN are a fascinating group. They are charming, andcharm for a man is like being well dressed as a woman.”That’s according to fashion designer Paul Costello, who hasjust introduced a menswear collection in House of Frazer inDublin’s Dundrum shopping centre.

We all know clothes and manners don’t make the man. But,once he’s made, they greatly improve his appearance.

The impression you give with the clothes you wear can makeall the difference to your chances of getting what you want.Don’t forget that 55% of first impressions are based onappearance alone!

Us females notice and appreciate when our male colleaguesmake an effort to look their best at work. And we tell them iftheir tie is nice, or their suit looks good. So if you’re not

getting the compliments from thewomen in the office, you might

need to draft in thehelp of a per -sonal stylist!Besides, it’seasier to makedecisions if

you bring afriendalong.

Looking good

Follow the three Fs – Flatters,Fits, and Finances. Regardless offashion trends don’t buy anythingthat doesn’t flatter your shape. Berealistic about your body shape anddress to enhance.

According to Louis Copeland, a lot ofmen suffer from fluctuating weight,especially as they get older, but insistof wearing the suit they bought on aslim day. Develop a style that bestsuits you and the image you want to

Stockists: Debenhams plc: J by JasperConran pinspot silk dress scarf

£15.00/€23.50. J by Jasper Conranblazer £80.00/€124. J by Jasper Conrangrey polo top with pockets £28.00/€43,

J by Jasper Conran black belt£22.00/€34. J by Jasper Conran black

trousers £40.00/€62. J by JasperConran black brogues £75.00/€116.

Develop a style that bestsuits you and the image youwant to portray. And, if you wantto succeed, don’t wear clothesthat are louder than you are.

portray. And, if you want to succeed, don’t wearclothes that are louder than you are.

Nowadays, mean are much more fashionconscious and take greater care of theirappearance. High fashion is like Russianroulette; trends turn around so fast you canbe hopelessly out of date in the blink of aneye.

Fortunately for men, male fashion trendsare never as dramatic as women’s.Anyway, the age of dis posable clothing isover for the next few seasons at least.

Pull yoursocks up lads

25WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

The secret is to invest in designer/highstreet combin ations. See what topdesigners are coming up with for theseason ahead. Buy it if you can afford it.If not, imitate. Use the high street foreverything else, like shirts and acc -essories.

If you’re smart you can make yourclothes work for you . If you invest ina good jacket it can be worn formallywith a shirt and tie then at theweekend with jeans and a tee shirt.Think Jose Mourinho and GeorgeClooney, who always look smart,even when they’recasual.

Jackets thisspring verge

on the for -mal and are team ed withcomfortable light weighttrous ers. They are slightlyshorter and slimmer-fittingthan rec ently. Giorgio Armanifav ours Prince of Wales checks

and chalk stripes in fabrics that mayseem traditional but actually emph asise the precisestructure of the garment. Wear with a doublebreasted waistcoat. Blazers are also on trend withthese same designers, with lots of detail in stitchingand edge binding (John Galliano).

Chinos are easier to get right than jeans but avoidoverly baggy. Superfine wool, shantung, cottonand linen (if you can live with the wrinkles) aredominant fabrics with all designers, with highwaists, and pleats.

Suits you sir!At Milan week, menswear for spring/summer 2009 featured oversized, un -structured suits with a forties gangsterinfluence, plus nerds in bow ties (Dolceand Gabanna, Giorgio Armani andBottega Veneta).

Three piece suits are everywhere andthey’re here to stay. Think Bond!

Grey is the colour – the new black.Combine with different shades ofgrey and add one accent colourto add interest.

Louis Vuitton and Yves SaintLaurent use grey in their collection

for spring. Jean Paul Gautier also hasvery well cut three piece suits andraincoats as part of his collection.Maybe draw the line at the cowboyhats, unless you want to take hiswestern theme to the extremes! TKMaxx is great for last season’ssuits, with prices to match.

Cardigan clubCardigans get a lot of bad press and often times aredeemed fit only for pensioners with a paunch. It’s a myththough, because they are very on trend and look good on menof all ages, from eight to 80.

They are one of the most popular items around, but bestsuited to slim-framed men. Worn with a fitted shirt, narrow tieand under a sports jacket they look really good for work. Wearit with a check shirt or polo shirt for casual off duty look.Debenhams have a great selection, including one by St.George by Duffer, priced €54.00.

AccessoriseClever accessorising is one tried and tested way to updateyour wardrobe and many stylists consider acc essories as

important as clothes when it comes to expressing yourindividuality.

Start with some decent shoes. On the catwalks,brown is worn with every colour. But go black ifyou don’t like the sound of that. Two-toned

brogues in soft leather looked slick but effortlessin the Jean Paul Gautier collection.

Debenhams have brown loafers and brogues by JohnRocha, priced €116.00. Again, try TK Maxx for great

bargains in leading designs.

Right now shirts are neat with starched collars and cuffs orwith a contrasting white stripe on the collar, sometimes withtiny silvered buttons and a high pleated edge.

If you invest in a good jacket itcan be worn formally with a shirtand tie then at the weekend withjeans and a tee shirt. Think Jose

Mou rinho and George Clooney,who always look smart, even

when they’re casual.

Ties are skinny and getting skinnier. But if that’s too punk for you, FrenchConnection has a great selection ofcolours in more conservative styles.

Ties are skinny and getting skinnier. But if that’s too punkfor you, French Connection has a great selection of colours inmore conservative styles. And don’t forget your straw hat,finished with brightly coloured ribbon!

Think pink!No really! And pastel blue (Versace, Burberry Prorsum) andbright sky blue (Gucci and Versace). Use sparingly, pickingcolours that suit you, and you will have brought your workingwardrobe right up to date.

Giorgio Armani uses subtle colours including a green that isalmost grey, a grey that approaches beige, putty and twinewith little hints of violet and rust. Emporio Armani’s collectionrevolves around stormy hues of grey to navy blue. Schooluniforms spring to mind.

Just wait for the compliments from your female colleagues �

Travel and trips

World class arton your doorstep

CHRISTMAS IS over, the bank accountis empty and your next holiday seemsa long way off. The good news? Youdon’t have to leave Dublin to see somegreat works of art.

The Dublin City Council-run Hugh Lanegallery is just one of many collectionsin Irish cities that are waiting for youon a free Saturday, a relaxing Sundayafternoon, or even for a quicklunchtime visit.

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Forget the mad two-hour dash around the Louvre, Prado or Uffizi.The great thing about seeking out art at home is that you can goback again and again, and really take a proper look at the treasureson display. BERNARD HARBOR checked out one Dublin gallery.

Messtastic! Bacon’s studio.

The Hugh Lane just got a big boostwhen two of its works appeared amongthe Guardian newspaper’s list of‘1,000 artworks to see before you die’.It was good news for locals and daytrippers looking for a cheap treat too,because everything in this world-classgallery is free to view.

I went behind the scenes at themuseum with IMPACT member JessicaO’Donnell, who’s head of the gallery’s

permanent collection. Like her coll -eagues, Jessica was thrilled thatGuardian critics had ranked two oftheir works up there with the MonaLisa, the Sistine Chapel and VanGogh’s Sunflowers.

The first one we looked at was DublinerHarry Clarke’s Eve of Saint Agnes.Along with his Geneva Window (locateda big-budget trip away in Florida) this1924 14-panelled stained glass win -

SPRING 200926

Bacon was very anti-abstract andmight not have approved of thegallery’s Sean Scully room. But youshouldn’t leave without spending sometime in this beautiful, naturally-litspace, which is home to paintings byIreland’s most important abstractartist.

The room is a quiet, contemplativespace where you can sit down, look ata painting and let your mind wander.Expect the works to provoke theemotional response that Dublin-bornScully aspires to and, if you live orwork nearby, this gem of a roomcertainly rewards a number of visits.

The Scully room was arguably a con -tender for the Guardian’s list and iscertainly a major pull for the thous -ands of tourists the gallery draws toDublin’s north side each year. (Inci -dentally, I think the National Gallery ofIreland has a right to feel a bit miffedthat its two biggest crowd-pullers – TheTaking of Christ and Woman Writing aLetter with her Maidservant – failed tomake the list. Maybe it was just downto the sheer numbers the artists hadlisted – 15 Caravaggio’s and nineVermeer’s, respectively).

Opened in 1908, the Hugh Lanecollection was built around 39 Frenchpaintings, including masterpieces byManet, Monet, Degas and Renoir,bequeathed by the collector HughLane. It also includes works byimportant Irish artists like RodericO’Conor and Jack Yeats. Check out theamazing colours in my favourite,Monet’s Lavacourt Under Snow. Therecently-extended gallery now includesa good collection of more modern arttoo.

Time to eatWhen you’ve had your fill of cultureand fancy a bite to eat, turn left out ofthe gallery’s main entrance and leftagain into North Frederick Street,where you’ll pass Harry Clarke’s oldstudio at number seven (it’s currentlyhome to drug addiction service Soilse,staffed by IMPACT members. Unfor -tunately, apart from a plaque, noevidence of Clarke’s presence re -mains).

In another half a minute, you’ll be atthe Loving Spoon café (no.13) whichoffers great food at very reasonableprices until late afternoon, Monday toSaturday. The all-day (meat or veggie)breakfast is the best in the city centreand, although the menu is limited, amain course for around a tenner will bethe only meal you need that day. Great

soup and sandwiches too, and inter -esting art works to boot!

Or, if the weather’s against you, try thegallery café; it’s pleasant and not toopricey.

The Hugh Lane is within walking dis -tance of any Dublin city centre locationand it’s well-served by public trans -port, including all the hop-on-hop-offtourist buses. Finally, no prizes forguessing that the third Irish work in theGuardian’s top 1,000 was the exquisiteBook of Kells, which you can see(though not for free) in Dublin’s TrinityCollege.

Dublin City Gallery: The Hugh Lane,Parnell Square North, Dublin 1. Free,but contribution of at least €2encouraged. Closed Mondays.www.hughlane.ie.

National Gallery of Ireland: MerrionSquare/Clare Street, Dublin 2. Freebut donation encouraged. Open lateon Thursday, closed Sunday morning.www.nationalgallery.ie �

dow is con sidered the local mas ter’smaster piece.

You don’t see too many secular worksin stained glass and most are inchurches so, with the best will in theworld, it’s hard to appreciate the detail.What makes this special piece soaccessible is its well-lit, eye-levelsetting that allows you see all thegenius of Clarke’s beautiful colouringand intricate etching.

JewelPerhaps the jewel in the gallery’scrown, though, is the amazing FrancisBacon Studio – transported fromLondon piece by piece and faithfullyreconstructed after being donated byBacon’s friend and sole heir JohnEdwards. You genuinely won’t seeanything like this anywhere in theworld.

Also ShowingThe Chester Beatty Library is apriceless collection of texts, printsand (some) paintings with strongrepresentation from Christian,Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu cul -ture. The former European mus -eum of the year arguably attractsthe best visiting exhibitions to ourshores – recent years have seen arare overseas trip for Leonardo daVinci’s Leicester Codex and world-class exhibitions of prints by Dürerand Rembrandt. Great café too.Free entry but donations encour -aged. www.cbl.ie

The Irish Museum of Modern Artor IMMA has a decent permanentcollection and also hosts excellentvisitors (last year’s Cecil Kingexhibition was brilliant). Check outits Musgrave Kinley Outsider ArtCollection too. Inspired by themind-blowing Collection de l’ArtBrut in Lausanne, Switzerland, it’smade up of works by untrainedartists from outside the main -stream. Rarely influenced by arthistory, movements or traditions,many ‘outsider artists’ sufferedfrom psychiatric conditions. Freeentry but donations encouraged.www.modernart.ie.

“Look out for the slashedcanvasses and paint spattered

on the door and walls.”

A first view of this seemingly chaoticmess will leave you wondering how anycoherent work was ever producedthere. A bit like my desk.

But a small collection of unfinishedpaintings, excellent touch-screenmicro-gallery, photo exhibition andrecorded Melvyn Bragg interview helpyou navigate the space and understandits significance.

Look out for the paint spattered on thedoor and walls (Bacon preferred to testhis colours on the wall rather than usea palette) and slashed canvasses;evidence that he was a demandingeditor of his own work.

“Children just love the chaos, thecolours, the textures and the mess,”says Jessica. And the workshops,where kids can make a ‘mini FrancisBacon studio’ are just one of manymeans the staff have developed –lectures, drawing classes, publicationsand website – to help you get the mostout of the fantastic collection.

CentenaryNext year is the centenary of theDublin-born artist’s birth and thegallery is celebrating with a jointexhibition of works by Bacon and theDutch-born American abstract ex -pressionist Willem de Kooning nextautumn. Certainly one to watch out for.

27WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

KAREN WARD outlines a holistic approach to dealing with the winter blues.

28 SPRING 2009

SOME OF us are more prone to bouts of mild depression than others and it can range from feeling down for a few days, weeks or months to manic mood swings, chemical imbalances and clinical conditions.

We all have a weak point in our body, which plays up when we’re upset, worried if there’s something wrong in our lives. We are all familiar with certain physical symptoms, which our body gives us as a ‘red flag’ to let us know something is up.

We learn that we need to step back and deal with the problem. We can talk about these symptoms with friends and family fairly easily. However mild depression is a mental ‘red flag’ – a bit more exotic but still a sign that something needs to be seriously looked at in our lives.

We don’t often talk about depression – still a bit of a taboo subject – and that means it’s more widespread than you might think. The thought that “sure they’ll think I’m a bit mad,” often comes to mind when we think about mentioning feeling down to family and close friends.

Thankfully we are now becoming more aware of our mental health and, more importantly, how to look after it. Here are some tried, trusted and often surprising holistic ways to prevent mild depression. They also work with and help relieve the more serious clinical conditions, which usually require longer-term medication.

Mental healthDepression is not a symptom as such. It’s a sign of an underlying problem that needs to be addressed. Once that is remedied, the effects of mild depression will abate.

The problem may be obvious – the end of a relationship, a

bereavement, a job loss. Some may not be so visible such as a mid-life crisis, unresolved issues from childhood, boredom, feeling that life is passing you by.

With the help of a good, listening friend or family member, or the confidential professional help of a counsellor, these issues can be unearthed and dealt with. Many people make the decision to go to a counsellor for a neutral perspective if they see their loved one as part of the problem.

Seeking help like this is often a very private matter and many tell no one that they are going. Later, when all is well, they may choose to share the fact that they’ve sought outside help.

Our mental health is key to a well-rounded and healthy life. The best way to ensure this is to regularly ‘check in’ with ourselves to see if there is anything bothering or unduly worrying us.

Life will always have ups and downs and we should take time to figure out what is wrong, talk it over with a trusted friend or family member (this may or may not be your partner), then make an action plan and follow it through. The problem being solved means the anxiety or worry will stop.

Food and drink has an enormous effect on mild depression. Stimulants like coffee, tea and fizzy drinks put the adrenal glands under stress and dehydrate the body, adding even more stress. Sugary and processed foods which have little nutritional value will give a temporary sugar ‘high’ to elevate our mood, which will plummet half an hour after. When we’re depressed the last thing we want to do is eat healthily and the temptation to comfort eat is strong. That is why it’s essential when feeling unwell or on temporary medication to get your diet sorted to sustain us as a way of overcoming mild depression.

Daily habits to lift your spirit

Be good to yourself

29Work & Life: The magazine for imPaCT members

eating omega essential fatty acids from fish oils (linseeds for vegetarians) will replace vital oils in the brain and body which coat the nerves and soothe our systems. avocados, bananas, wheat germ, porridge oats and brown rice are terrific as they increase serotonin, the natural brain chemical that makes us feel happy in ourselves.

it’s important to stay hydrated with plenty of water and herbal teas, because dehydration puts a strain on the body and depletes us of energy. alcohol will exacerbate feelings of depression. The sugar content will give temporary mood highs followed by slumps and dehydration. Cut down or cut it out completely.

Exerciseexercising is the last thing we want to do when we feel depressed, yet it’s vital for recovery. We need to try to get as much fresh air as we can and plan our exercise around the daylight hours. This is especially the case if we are susceptible to seasonal activated disorder/depression or saD. This occurs when we feel depressed in the winter months due to lack of sunlight.

a ‘full spectrum light therapy box’ simulates daylight (visit www.outsidein.co.uk). You can also get a version from argos or buy daylight simulation light bulbs from a health food shop to help.

good brisk movement produces endorphins - natural chemicals in the body that make us feel good. Yoga, Pilates and tai chi are excellent practices, which not only sooth, but also boost our energy by stimulating the body’s endocrine (hormone) system.

Herbal remedies saint John’s Wort or hypericum, which is available from your doctor, is well known for its mood-lifting abilities. Passiflora is a gentle sedative that alleviates nervous tension, mild depression and anxiety.

avena sativa (from oats) is rich in b vitamins that are essential for a healthy nervous system. The scots knew a thing or two about long dark nights and oats for breakfast! These are all from the bioforce range and are available from any good health food shop. but check the compatibility with your doctor if you’re on medication.

Routinea key preventative measure is to keep a regular daily healthy routine. if we are prone to mild depression when there is a problem in our lives then we need to know the warning signs. These may be a withdrawal from family life, moodiness, comfort eating, excess drinking or lethargy. This is the time to stand back and assess the situation and identify why the depression has occurred. Then seek help while checking that the above tips are in place.

a good relationship with your gP will help so that temporary medication is available to help you get back on track, if it’s needed. Waking up and going to bed at the same time with a slight variation at the weekend really helps our body and brain function optimally. moderation in food and alcohol intake is important.

Spiritual helpThose of us with spiritual beliefs can find great solace and refuge from our problems in knowing that we are not alone. Whatever our beliefs are - from a formal religion to an eclectic mix to a love of nature - we can harness them to help us help ourselves l

Daily habits to lift your spirit

karen Ward, holistic therapist from rTe’s health squad, is co-author of The Health Squad Guide to Health and Fitness.

www.karenwardholistictherapist.com.

INSTEAD OF making half a dozen NewYear’s resolutions that you forget half-way through January, why not makejust one and stick to it?

Or, if you prefer safety in numbers,let’s apply the rule of three. Take thetwo main health resolutions for gran -ted. They are, of course, get more exer -cise and get more sleep. Now we canmove on to the ungrammatical butdirectly challenging third step – getbetter at food!

There’s no shortage of advice when itcomes to diet and nutrition. So avoidanything that’s endorsed by a soapstar, or which “guarantees” miraculousresults within weeks, or replaces realfood with pills and drinks. Instead, trythese specific changes.

From the kitchen

Cooking up a better youMARGARET HANNIGANsuggests five easy changesthat really will help you lookand feel better this year. Andnot a celebrity diet in sight!

Get fruityEating at least five portions of fruit andveg a day will improve your digestionby providing your body with fibre, aswell as loading you up with vitamins.But, more importantly, the five-a-dayplan is believed to help the body fightagainst cancer-causing agents.

Go for variety, and avoid the starchierfoods like peas and sweet corn ifyou’re dieting. Remember potatoesdon’t count as they are classified as astarch food.

If you just can’t face another apple ona cold day, remember that fruit juices,shakes and soups are handy ways ofboosting your intake.

The Big OWhy go organic? Do you have to look

any further than the recent porkproducts crisis? Or the BSE crisis

of the 1990s? Or simply eat anapple that’s all crunch and

no taste?

It’s not that much moreexpensive anymore but

Knock it backAll the research suggests this is veryimportant because your kidneys can’tfunction properly if you’re dehydrated.And here’s the thing; you’re alreadydehydrated by the time you feel thirsty.

Your liver helps out if your kidneyscan’t cope, which means it can’tdevote as much time to burning up fatfor your energy needs. That meansweight will stick, not fade away.

Water helps suppress the appetite,metabolises fat, and protects organsand tissues. And in most workplaces,it’s free! Top up one of those sportsbottles or get a nice carafe and glass,and aim for at least a litre of waterevery day.

Stuffedsquash

You will need: • 1 butternut squash• 100g pancetta/bacon diced• Tbsp olive oil• 1 stalk celery, chopped• 1 red onion, chopped• 1 knob butter• Sprig rosemary• Pinch dried chilli• Pinch nutmeg• Salt and Pepper• 1 egg, beaten• Zest of an orange• 1 handful cooked chestnuts/

pecans/pine nuts, chopped• 2 handfuls breadcrumbs

Slice the squash in half, discard the seeds.Using a teaspoon, scrape and hollow outmost, but not all, of the squash. Heat the oil,and crisp the pancetta, then add the celery,onion, butter, rosemary, nutmeg, chilli, andsquash. Cook slowly for about 5 minuteswithout colouring too much. Remove fromheat and allow to cool, then season well totaste. Stir in the egg, zest, nuts and enoughbreadcrumbs so the stuffing is not toosticky. Fill both halves of the squash, stickthem back together, and wrap in a doublelayer of foil. Bake at 180C for around oneand a half hours, until a knife will easilypierce it. Unwrap, slice and serve as a sidedish.

Leave out the meat for avegetarian dish.

30 SPRING 2009

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it is much better for your soul, if you’llpardon the expression. By choosingorganic you’re turning away frommass-produced, homogenised pro -duce, towards smaller producers whoactually get their hands dirty.

It will take you into farmers’ marketsand all sorts of interesting artisanshops, where people are enthusiasticabout food and more than happy totalk to you. They’ll even offer you ataste of all kinds of goodies. Awonderful change from that souldestroying supermarket queue.

Learn to cookStart with the basics. If you canalready do the basics, pick yourweakest area and improve it. You couldpick up a cookbook and resolve to cookevery recipe from beginning to end andsee where that takes you. RichardCorrigan sums it up in his book TheClatter of Forks and Spoons (4th Estate):“Seek out good ingredients and learnto cook simply again. Really, that’s it.”

Top tips forthe new you

Julie Powell did it with Julia Child’sClassic French Cooking and turned herdaily blog into a best-seller. (Julie andJulia, Penguin). Take a cookery course,and see how the pro fessionals do it, orbetter still, take a cookery course ab -road and feel the virtuous glow of self-improvement while eating rings roundyou.

Give it a goThis year, promise yourself you’regoing to try something new every week.I’m not necessarily advocating pufferfish, which if not cooked properly couldkill you. And personally I’d give any -thing to do with snakes or testicles amiss. But in the broader scheme ofthings, move out of your comfort zone,and try a new flavour.

So, it’s almost springtime already.What are you waiting for? Stuffedsquash is a recipe to get you going. It’svery easy and can be adapted to suitvegetarians.

Yes, it does use pancetta – orstreaky bacon to you and me – buthopefully by the time you read this,we’ll know where to buy some �

31

Why not try a wine appreciation course? It will help you get morefrom your bottle but, be warned, it might steer you towards the moreexpensive end of the market. The wines featured here areinexpensive reliable varietals from Peter Lehmann’s vineyards inAustralia’s Barossa valley.

Peter Lehmann Barossa Grenache. A soft fruity red, slightly sweet andvery drinkable. It has none of the harsh tannins of some New WorldCabernet Sauvignons, but has more depth than a Bordeaux or claret.Lovely when slightly warm so leave it on a high shelf near the cooker.

Peter Lehmann Barossa Riesling. A crisp white, less popular than the ubiquitouschardonnay and all the more refreshing for it. Gooseberry and melonflavours, very good chilled, as an aperitif, or with lighter dishes.

Both are available in Supervalu and Dunnes, as well as various offlicenses, for around €8.

1. Be realistic. If you’ve nevereven scrambled an egg, avoidanything gourmet. Look forDelia Smith instead.

2. Carry a bottle of water in thecar, and sip away the gridlock.Just make sure there’s a loo atthe other end!

3. Instead of adding, swap. Havesoup at lunch instead of coffee,or a smoothie instead of ascone. You’ll be amazed howingenious you can be.

4. Enlist a friend. It’s always goodto have your own personalsupport group, and someone totaste the results.

5. Avoid pre-packaged fruit andvegetables. They go stale muchmore quickly.

7. Pick a cook book you canunderstand, as well as justloving all the pretty pictures.(This tip doesn’t apply if thebook is absolutely beautifuland reduced to half-nothing inthe sales).

8. Cookbooks by Irish cooks willbe based on readily availableingredients – always an advan -tage.

9. Look behind the price to thehistory of the food, and decideif it’s one you’re happy toabsorb. Remember, consumerpatterns determine what goeson the shelves.

10. It takes 21 days to form a newhabit, so if you can concentratefor three weeks, you’ve prob -ably cracked it.

Getmoreout ofyourbottle

45

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

“Personally I’d giveanything to do with snakesor testicles a miss!”

Removing the leaves reduces the risk of leaf diseases infecting the new season’s growth and allows the flowers to be fully appreciated in all their glory. For those who tend not to venture out into the garden at this time of year, they also look delightful when picked and floated in a bowl of water on the kitchen table.

Now is a good time to keep an eye out for other plants that flower early in the year. Garden centres are temptingly stocked with shrubs such as hamamelis (witch hazel) with its spider-like yellow scented fowers which appear on the normally leafless branches from December to March. They can be on the expensive side because propagation is slow and difficult.

My favorite flowering shrub for this time of year is daphne ‘jacqueline postill’ which has the most gorgeous and powerful scent of any plant I know. It’s worth buying a decent size plant as they are very slow growing.

GARDENING IN mucky January and Febuary soil makes me think of emigration to sunny places. So I am heading to India for January and will be back in February for the start of the new growing season in Wicklow.

By then life will be peeping through again, with the snowdrops, crocus and Helleborus reminding me why I truely love my garden. Snowdrops open the door from winter into spring, bringing a welcome burst of brightness to the January and February garden. Polyanthus and winter pansies are another brave group of flowers who cheer up the chilly early spring.

For me, the real star of the show at this time of year is the helleborus. If you don’t grow helleborus in your garden, you must. They’re available in any garden centre at this time of year when the colour of the flowers can be seen.

Their particular appeal is in flowering at a time when there is not much else about, erupting out of the soil around Christmas time and flowering defiantly through the depths of winter.

Modern hybridisation has resulted in a mouth-watering range of colours and, at times, very high prices. Hellebourus will grow in sun or shade as long as they are fed well by digging in lots of garden compost and manure when planting and also when they finish flowering. I use chicken manure pellets and well rotted manure and recommend you remove the old leaves in January.

32 SPRING 2009

This is one of the busiest times in the garden, according to JIMI BLAKE.

Green fingers

s

Leaping from winter to spring

33Work & Life: The magazine for imPaCT members

make sure the soil is not frozen or water logged when planting anything at this time of year. be kind and use your best garden compost in the planting hole.

There comes a time in early spring when you just can’t take any more of the winter look. brown seed heads and decaying skeletons of last summer’s flowering perennials need to be cut back to make space for the cycle of life to start again. This dead plant material is a wonderful ingredient for making garden compost.

after cutting back the dead foliage, add a layer of compost or manure onto the beds to feed the plants through the summer and hold in the moisture if we get a dry one.

one of the questions i’m asked most is how to remove moss from a lawn. my reaction is often, why bother? i think it’s beautiful looking, thrives in our rainy climate and reduces the need to mow so often. but of course if one insists on a war on moss, you can apply a sprinkling of sulphate of iron every six weeks from september to march (5 to 10 grams per square metre). it’s a fine salt-like material that kills moss on contact, turning the moss growthblack without causing damage to the grass l

from noW on i’m going to write regularly about growing veg. i am trying to look at the positive side of things during this economic downturn, and growing your own food is definitely one of them.

The sale of vegetable seeds has shot through the roof because people want to see where their food is coming from and reduce their shopping bills at the same time. for me, sowing seeds, watching them grow, digging them and cooking straight away is the real reward.

Find the plotall gardeners have to compromise. a south-facing level piece of land, sheltered from the worst of the wind, with rich, finely textured soil will get you off to a flying start. but few of us are blessed with such growing conditions.

for most it’s more a question of avoiding some obvious negative factors. Light is vital, and a patch that is near-permanent shade is simply not going to work. if your plot gets direct sunlight for more than half of daylight hours you should be able to grow well on it.

To get some extra light you might have to be courageous and cut a tree or two down just to make growing vegetables possible.

Getting startedideally i would suggest covering the plot with manure and black plastic or mypex for at least six months to kill the weeds. however, if you’re like me, i’m sure you just want to get started.

Dig over your patch, removing all the grass and weeds you can. if the ground is very difficult to dig, you may need to hire a rotivator for the job. another idea would be to grow vegetables in an existing flower bed in the garden, removing shrubs and flowers to another area.

Whichever option you choose, digging in well-rotted manure is the real secret of success. Then you need to work over the soil with a rake, breaking up the larger lumps, until you get a fine tilth at which point the soil is ready for planting.

What to grow?This might sound like common sense, but grow what you like to eat! february is the start of the vegetable growing season. get organic seed compost, modular trays and small pots for sowing seeds. i’ll be covering sowing and planting of the main crops in the next issue l

Your vegetable garden

THERE’S GROWING demand for allotments these days. They enable you to grow your own veg on a plot that you hire, normally from your local council. For instance, South Dublin county council have four sites with over 240 plots – but a waiting list almost as long.

Hunting Brook also has allotments available. Each one measures approximately 45 square yards and can be rented on an individual basis or by a group of friends. They cost €280 and will be ready for planting in the spring.

For more information go to www.huntingbrook.com or phone 087 285 6601, where you can also find out about our vegetable growing classes. Hunting Brook is located four miles on the Dublin side of Blessington, Co. Wicklow

Allotments

Winter work Get out in the garden in January and February. There’s plenty to be done! • Finish planting bare-rooted trees and shrubs – a good option if you’re looking for value for money.• Sow sweet pea seeds in pots now for planting out in late spring.• Prune late summer flowering shrubs before new growth begins. Check out the Royal Horticultural Society pruning book.• If shrubs or young trees are in the wrong place, they can be moved now while still dormant. • Keep on top of weeding. It will save a lot of time later in the season.

Leaping from winter to spring

At the movies

34 SPRING 2009

Bignamesvie forOscargloryMORGAN O’BRIENexpects the Oscars to please the bigstudios. But there might be one or twosurprises this year.

Che: TheArgentine (2nd January)

Che: Guerilla(20th February)

Steven Soder begh’sam bit ious biopic ofChe Guevarra is real -

Coming soonWhile the big Oscar

contenders will dominate the screens in early 2009, there are some other notable releases over the coming months:

Danny Boyle’sSlumdogMillionairecould cause anOscar nightupset.

of the year look set to offer a rich arrayof films to satisfy audiences.

Amongst these is Danny Boyle’sSlumdog Millionaire, which recentspeculation suggests will cause anupset by scooping the top prize of bestpicture. Set and shot in India, the film,made on a relatively small $15 millionbudget, is a love story involving aparticipant on the Hindi version ofWho Wants to be a Millionaire?

But the film faces stiff competitionfrom a number of high-profile releases.David Fincher’s The Curious Case ofBenjamin Button stars Brad Pitt andCate Blanchett in an adaptation of FScott Fitzgerald’s short story about aman who ages backwards. Sean Pennis the eponymous Milk in Gus VanSant’s biopic of the gay activist andpolitician, who was assassinated in1978.

In the acting categories, Kate Winsletand Leonardo di Caprio have racked upa combined eight Oscar nominationswithout winning. They will be hopingthat Revolutionary Road, directed byprevious winner Sam Mendes anddealing with domestic break down in1950s suburbia, willbring them a change offortune.

Kate Winslet also feat -ures, alongside RalphFienn es, in the post-WorldWar Two drama The Read -er about a law studentwho learns that a formerlover has been accused ofwar crimes. Another filmhotly-tipped to get Oscar

nods is Ron Howard’s adaptation ofPeter Morgan’s acclaimed play Frost/Nixon. Michael Sheen and FrankLangella reprise their stage roles as thejournalist and former president,respectively.

Other outside shots include JonathonDemme’s family-drama Rachel GettingMarried, which should at least securean acting nomination for Anne Hath -away, and Darren Aronofsky’s TheWrestler, which offers a potential Oscarnight ‘fairy tale’ for a resurgent MickeyRourke �

Kate Winslet and Leonardo di Caprio

together again inRevolutionary Road.

Anne Hathawaystars in familydrama RachelGetting Married.

ised as an epic four-hourdouble bill. Benicio delToro takes on the title roleof the iconic revolu -tionary.

Role Models (9th January)

Paul Rudd and Seann William Scottstar in this knockabout comedy abouta couple of energy drink salesmensentenced to community servicementoring kids.

Seven Pounds (16th January)

Will Smith, reunited with The Pursuit ofHappiness director Gabriele Muccino,plays a depressed IRS agent attempt -ing to redeem himself by changing thelives of seven strangers.

Valkyrie (23rd January)

Based on a true story, Valkyrie starsTom Cruise as German army officerClaus von Stauffenberg involved in aplot to assassinate Adolf Hitler in1944.

Nick and Nora’s InfinitePlaylist (30th January)

A romantic com -edy in whichNick (MichaelCera) and Nora(Kat Denn ings)are brought to -gether over one

night in New York through their sharedlove of music.

The Soloist (6th February)

Directed by Joe Wright (Atonement),The Soloist stars Jamie Foxx as amusical prodigy living homeless in LosAngeles. He’s befriended and cham -pioned by a journalist played by RobertDowney Jr.

Coming soon

WHILE THE role of the AcademyAwards as a definitive marker of whatis best in contemporary cinema isopen to question, the Oscars retainpre-eminence in an increasinglycluttered awards season. In recenttimes, the awards have become thesubject of feverish speculation aboutwhich films will be nominated and whowill walk away with the covetedstatuette.

Even a cursory glance at the columninches and internet space dedicated todiscussing the awards months prior tothe ceremony taking place demon -strates its hold over public con -sciousness. The cultivation of thisintense interest is part of what helpsthe Oscars retain its position ofprominence, demonstrating how theyremain a touchstone for debatesamongst film fans about their personalpreferences.

This year’s event is scheduled to takeplace on 22nd February with Australianactor Hugh Jackman the somewhatsurprising selection as host, a depart -ure from the usual choice of big-namecomedians such as Billy Crystal andJon Stewart.

In keeping with tradition the nom -inations, which are announced in late-January, look set to privilege ‘worthy’dramatic pieces. It also looks likelythat the awards will retain theirpreference for bestowing honours onbig-budget studio productions along -side smaller-scale independent films.

As is customary, a shortlist of filmslooks set to dominate the principalcategories: Best picture best director,as well as the screenplay and actingcategories. The majority of the filmstouted for the top honours will only hitIrish cinema screens in January andFebruary, meaning the opening months

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 35

36

RAYMOND CONNOLLY explores the secret windmills of our musical minds.

“January, sick and tired you keep hangingon me. You make me sad with your eyes.You’re telling me lies. Don’t go, don’tgo.”

THE ABOVE extract is taken from amajor irritant by a happily-forgottenband called Pilot rolled in at No.1,ironically, in February 1975. Recallingthis post-festive season 1970s lowpoint, it dawned on me that, secretly,songs of this nature are retainedfondly in the hearts of many.

So I decided to investigatesome of our most guiltymusical pleasures.

Granted, admitting to beingpartial to a bit of Agadoo(no matter how safe thecompany) is maybe abridge too far. But I knowthere are those among youwho secretly love it. Youknow who you are.

I’ll come clean. TheFloaters 1978 hit‘Float On’ is view -ed by many as alaughing stock.Well I won't haveit! It’s a piece ofastrologicalgenius.

You think youknow people

�

Play it loud

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37WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERSSolution difficultSolution easy

Across: 1.Parnell 5. Moses 8. Roche 9. Indiana 10. Stilted 11. Irene 12. Tremor14. Harass 17. Endue 19. Alabama 22. Belgium 23. Priam 24. Ewing 25. Shan-non. Down: 1. Paris 2. Recline 3. Event 4. Lairds 5. Madeira 6. Slane 7. Shavers12. Tremble 13. Opening 15. Arabian 16. Cadmus 18. Delhi 20 Alpha 21. Amman

Winter 2008 Crossword SolutionsSee page 48 for the competition winners from Issue 3

1 5 4 3 6 8 7 9 2

2 6 8 4 7 9 1 3 5

3 7 9 1 2 5 4 6 8

6 9 5 7 1 3 8 2 4

7 8 2 5 9 4 3 1 6

4 1 3 6 8 2 5 7 9

9 4 6 8 3 7 2 5 1

5 2 7 9 4 1 6 8 3

8 3 1 2 5 6 9 4 7

7 1 8 9 5 6 2 4 3

2 3 4 1 7 8 5 6 9

5 6 9 3 4 2 1 7 8

3 4 5 8 1 9 6 2 7

8 7 6 2 3 4 9 1 5

1 9 2 5 6 7 3 8 4

6 8 1 4 9 3 7 5 2

4 5 3 7 2 1 8 9 6

9 2 7 6 8 5 4 3 1

Spring 2009Soduko Solutions(From page 48.)

I readily admit to shedding my snarlingearly teen angst and placing the needleright on the said track on my sister’sK-tel ‘Midnight Hustle’ compilation.Whenever the family was out, ofcourse.

“These are men of substancewho summoned up the moralcourage to admit their guilt.”

“Leo, and my name is Paul.” Wherewould you get it? “Cancer, and myname is Larry. And I like a woman wholoves everything and everybody.” Hatsoff Laurence, old son. That’s what I callkeeping your options open. And aripping disregard for standards that isall too rare in our modern world ofpolitical correctness.

If further proof of the secret of theguilty pleasure is required, next timeyou’re in company check out thenervous ‘chair dancing’ which takesplace when Paul Evans’ car crashcaper “Hello this is Joni” comes on theradio.

While exploring this terrain, I learnedyou can find out a lot about people youmay have assumed you knew. Forexample, when I placed Mrs C on thespot, she revealed a hidden fetish forpower ballads when admitting that PhilCollins and Marilyn Martin’s ‘SeparateLives’ was to her liking.

To develop my project, I chased downsome IMPACT luminaries to

establish their guilty pleasures.As a certain Mr Dunphy might

opine: “These are men ofsubstance who summon -

ed up the moral courageto admit their guilt,Bill.”

What I did learn wasthat IMPACT now hasa sixth Divisioncalled ‘Joy’ (aka theComm un icationsOffice) and thatcountry and bluesbuff Stephen O’Neillhas a touch of theAre You BeingServed approachto selecting hissecret favourites.Read on! �

Guilty pleasures revealedRAYMOND CONNOLLY uncovers some sinister secret musical habits among IMPACT people.

Shaky all overIN THE summer of 1981, when most of my mates were stillgetting over the untimely death of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis, Idonned my serious look and industrial-grey raincoat andsneaked down to Woolworths to buy ‘The Green Door’ byShakin’ Stevens. By the time I got home, checked the coastwas clear, and put the seven inches of green vinyl on thedansette, Shaky was winging his way to a four-week residencyat the number one spot.

Shaky went on to become even more uncool (remember ‘OhJulie’, ‘You Drive Me Crazy’ and the awful ‘Merry ChristmasEveryone’?) but ‘The Green Door’ still gets a shake each timeI’m tipsy enough to dust down the singles box. That’s the firsttime I ever told anyone that!

Bernard Harbor, National Secretary: Communications.

RAYMOND SAYS: Sounds like you have the box set!

Pull of discoI’M INTO Kings of Leon and Jane’s Addiction so it wasn’t always easy when Irealised my uncontrollable liking for Londonbeat’s 1991 hit ‘I’ve Been ThinkingAbout You Baby’.

Growing up in Ballymun, the need to maintain street credibility left no room forsuch an admission even though secretly at disco’s I always wanted to strut mystuff to it.

Dave Hand, IMPACT member from highly rated-Dublin outfit Bright Light Fiasco.

RAYMOND SAYS: You’re street cred’s gone the same way as those high-rise blocks.

Gruesome twosomeWITHOUT A doubt it’s got to be ‘Yes Sir I Can Boogie’ by Baccara, a 1977 offeringfrom the RCA label. Bacarra were a couple of Spanish flamenco artists, Mayte andMaria, whose visual aspect made a big impression on me. It was pre-multiculturalIreland and nobody could go to the Mediterranean at that time.

Stephen O’Neill, Assistant General Secretary.

RAYMOND SAYS: Don’t come on all Equality Authority! You sound more like Butlerfrom On the Buses to me.

Boy lollypop?IT HAS to be ‘If’ by Telly Savalas of Kojak fame. I was six years old when this songwas out. Listening to it now it’s hard not to laugh at how incredibly cheesy it reallywas, but it’s hard to beat as a song that evokes time and place.

Telly delivers the song in a manner best suited to chatting up the ladies: BarryWhite without the melody. This is superimposed over some fairly twee strings andhorns reminiscent of the supermarket muzak of the era. But it’s the contrast ofhis deep voice and reedy accompaniment that actually makes it work.

You can watch the video on You Tube, as he lights up a cigarette with his shirt opento the navel revealing a big gold medallion. Lip synching was not a skill on Telly’sCV, but you can see he means every word he mimes. A true classic and genuineguilty pleasure for a Joy Division fan like me.

Niall Shanahan, Communications Officer.

RAYMOND SAYS: Niall, you’ve far too much hair for the part, mate!

From the author

38 SPRING 2009

I NEARLY blew this interview withCecilia Ahern because I got stuck onanother phone call. As it happens, herlatest novel, The Gift, is about acharacter who also needs to be in twoplaces at once. It already feels like I’vehad practical demonstration of whatinspired her to write the book.

Ahern needs no introduction. Shepublished her debut bestseller PS I

It’s about Lou Suffern, a man whobattles with the clock and the multipledemands on his time. Befriending ahomeless man called Gabe, Lou giveshim a job and becomes unsettled byGabe’s ability to be in two places atonce.

“The idea came to me while I wastouring the US last year, promoting themovie and the re-publication of PS ILove You. Each day involved lots ofmeetings and press events, andsomebody invited me to a reception. Itold them: ‘Only if I can be in twoplaces at once!” From this seed of anidea The Gift began to take shape, aprocess that Ahern says happens withall of her work.

“It usually starts with one small idea,and I just allow it to grow. I don’t reallystart writing until it begins to takeshape. Sometimes it’s like pieces of ajigsaw fitting together. I keep a note -book handy if a line comes to me. Itmight be something I really want acharacter to say on the last page. ButI don’t really sit down to write until thatprocess has happened,” she says. “Idon’t really do a nine-to-five day. I gowith the flow, and that can meanstarting late at night and working intothe small hours.”

I ask if she writes with her intenselyloyal readership in mind. “I’m lucky tohave such a great relationship with myreaders. People are very supportiveand that gives me a confidence in whatI’m doing. But I write for myself. I haveto ‘feel’ the book and have an emotion -al connection to it, rather than tryingto second guess the readers,” shesays.

Many of her characters start out inturmoil, but the chaos is eventuallyresolved. “That’s exactly what I do! Ilike to begin with characters who are ina place of darkness and at a low point,but then I catch them before they fall.I’m intrigued by the idea of taking acharacter from a place of darknesstowards the light.”

Ahern has at least one fairly goodpolitical contact; has she ever consid -er ed writing a political novel? To hercredit, she doesn’t groan! “I don’tknow. It’s never occurred to me before,but I have learnt to say ‘never saynever’. I’m not sure I would want to godown that route as I’m sure it wouldattract a lot of study by other people,and I’m not sure I’d want that!”

And with that our time is up, and thebusy young author ventures into aroom full of flashing cameras andbanks of microphones, as anotherbestseller takes off �

It’s all about

timingNIALL SHANAHAN caught up with blockbusternovelist CECILIA AHERN as she promoted herlatest novel.

Pho

to:

Cou

rtes

y of

Har

per C

ollin

s P

ublis

hers

Love You six years ago and her careerhas maintained an enviable trajectoryever since. The book was turned into afilm starring Hillary Swank, and Ahernhas produced a healthy clutch ofnovels and short stories since. Morerecently she developed the concept forUS sitcom Samantha Who? for whichshe is also credited as executiveproducer. The Gift is her sixth novel.

Book reviews

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 39

JOHN LENNON: THE LIFEPhilip Norman (Harper Collins, £25.00).

JOHN LENNON arrived in this world during a 1940 bombing raid on Liverpool and departedit a scant 40 years later in a hail of bullets from a stranger’s gun in New York city. In between,he and Paul McCartney founded The Beatles, and changed the world forever.

It wasn’t just about the music. The Beatles’ music fuelled the creation of an entirelyseparate youth culture.

Their unprecedented worldwide fame gave Lennon a platform for all his passionsand made him a modern icon. Always the outspoken, opinionated one in the

group, he had quotable views on everything from politics to poetry.

In this book, Philip Norman concentrates on the musician’s personallife and explores the man rather than the music. He pays particularattention to Lennon’s turbulent early childhood. His unpredictability,violent outbursts, acute neediness, and mercurial wit are thoroughlydocumented too, but they are also put in context. He had, as they say,issues.

It would be easy to think that more than enough had already beenwritten about John Lennon and the Beatles. But Norman hasproduced the definitive work. Neither hagiography nor hatchet job,and with a combination of meticulous research and balancedreporting, this book illuminates and revives an already well-documented life.

A must for fans and music geeks everywhere.

Margaret Hannigan

HARRY MILLER is one of those agentsso popular in political thrillers; out -wardly a well-educated and sophisti -cated Member of Parliament, butun officially a fearless ex-soldier whodoes what others don’t dare to do.

And because his work doesn’t officiallyexist, he can go to the troubled spotsof the world, dispense arbitrary justiceand walk away. In Kosovo, he shootsdead the ringleader of a group of

marauding Russian soldiers, makesother baddies disappear in Washingtonand Beirut, and gets home to Londonin time for the theatre.

There is a lot of political intrigue in theplot, some of which is a bit dis -concerting. Is the world really run bytough people behind the scenes ofdiplomacy? The tension builds well asthe undercurrent indicates that Harrycannot seriously annoy so many badpeople and actually get away with it.The writing is spare and pacy and thepages keep turning.

On the negative side I couldn’t help

It turns out there’s room on yourshelf for one more Beatles book.

A day in the life

feeling I’dheard all thisbefore. Andthere’s noth -ing like ableabout HarryMiller, who certainlydoesn’t deserve his beaut iful andtalented actress wife. Fans of the genrewon’t care though; it’s action thatmatters here.

Kathryn Smith

More reviews on page 40 �

Pacy thriller sounds familiarROUGH JUSTICEJack Higgins (Harper Collins, £6.99).

More book reviews

40 SPRING 2009

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Lost the plot

THE FIREKatherine Neville (Harper Collins,£18.99).

1993 IN RUSSIAand ten-year-oldAlexandra seesher father shotdead during achess tourn -ament inwhich she is

taking part. Ten yearslater she answers a summons from hermother to join her birthday bash in amountain hideaway in Colorado.

When Alexandra arrives mum hasvanished completely. Her aunt Lily, alsoa chess champion, is invited too andrealises the mysterious dis appearanceis linked to a famous chess set whichdates back to the court of the EmperorCharlemagne in AD782. The set isrumoured to contain a secret of greatpower and its pieces have been muchcoveted through the centuries.

While the premise for the story is quiteinteresting, this book tries to do far toomuch. From the art in a Russianmuseum, to the Ottoman sultans orIslamic culture, everything is recordedin miniscule detail. Even Shelley, Keatsand Lord Byron make an appearance.

Reading is a great way to learn, but acoherent plot matters in a novel too.It’s too easy to lose the plot amid thismuch clutter.

Kathryn Smith

Got a problem?

Find out about workplace rights on

www.impact.iePhone: 01-817-1500

Ireland’s fastest growing trade union

BERNARDOS CHIEF executive Fergus Finlaywill be the keynote speaker at a specialIMPACT seminar on equality and disadvantagein education on Thursday 29th January.

The seminar, which takes place at Dublin’sHelix, will address fears that equal access andopportunity in education may be sacrificed toplans for a high skills economy as the Govern -ment wrestles with economic uncertainty andbudget cuts.

The event will bring IMPACT members ineducation together with others working in thesector. It will also consider how recenteducation cuts will impact in the long term,how staff will be affected, and how the unioncan meet these challenges.

Other speakers include IMPACT nationalsecretary Peter Nolan and Paul Downes,director of DCU’s EducationalDisadvantage Centre. Partic -ipants will also hear fromsenior rep resentatives ofYouth reach, the adult learn -ing org an is ation Aontas, theChildren's Rights Alliance,and Michael Moriarty of theIVEA.

The seminar is open to allmembers working in theedu cation sector, but reg is -tration is essential as placesare lim ited. The seminar willrun from 10am to 2pm, andlunch is included. To reg -ister, contact:

41WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

Union business

IMPACT WANTS local authority managementto admit that any significant staffing cuts willaffect services. It is also seeking assurancesover work-life balance arrangements, traveland subsistence, and the protection of staffwho have rights to permanent contracts.

Following the union’s success in convincingnational management that any proposed cutsshould be discussed with the union, it has

been agreed that this should be done throughthe ‘handling significant change’ protocol ofthe partnership process. In other words,there should be local discussions on the im-pact and handling of any proposed cuts.

Peter Nolan, the union’s top local governmentofficial, said: “We think this is the most ef-fective strategy to defend local services andour members in very challenging times.”

AER LINGUS cabin crew have backed adeal that will save the airline’s Shan-non base and retain Irish cabin crewon transatlantic routes. It also sub-stantially reduces the number of pro-posed job cuts among cabin crew, butat the cost of new productivity meas-ures, deferred pay increases and joblosses.

Union officials said the deal containeda lot of sacrifice for cabin crew, but re-duced the number of proposed jobcuts. The deal also means the deferralof pay increases under the Towards2016 pay deal until July 2010 and de-ferral of pay increments for two years.It also commits cabin crew to in-

creased productivity measures.

The company had originally plannedto cut 420 cabin crew and replace al-most all Irish-based long-haul crewwith US-based staff. Under this deal,job losses are reduced to 94, plus aseparate reduction of 60, which is dueto schedule changes out of Shannonairport.

Meanwhile, the union said it remainedfirmly opposed to a Ryanair takeoverof Aer Lingus after the anti-union firmlaunched a second bid for the nationalcarrier last December. IMPACT de-rided Ryanair claims that union recog-nition would be safe in its hands.

EDUCATION

Seminar to tackle educational disadvantage

Fergus Finlay to speak at IMPACT seminar.

LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Pressure over budgets

AVIATION

Aer Lingus deal agreed

nshanahan@impact.ie orget more details from

www.impact.ie.

42 SPRING 2009

Union businessECONOMY

Taoiseach seeks partnership responseTHE TAOISEACH met un -ion, business and comm -unity leaders in Decemberto seek their engagement inthe dev elopment of econ -omic recovery plans. Asthe economic crisis wor -sened by the day, Mr Cowensaid the recession had cutGovernment income to2005 levels while spen -ding remained at 2009levels.

His strong endorsement ofsocial partnership was follow -ed by the publication of aframework for economic re -covery, which called for anintegrated social partnershipapproach to tackle five mainchall enges:

� Private sector solvency,competitiveness, andemployment

� Fiscal stabilisation

� Incomes policy

� Public sector reform, and

� Social policy and the labourmarket.

IMPACT general secretary Peter McLoone, who has been calling for a socialpartnership approach to the downturn since last summer, welcomed thedevelopment, although he said it would be challenging for everyone including workersand their unions. He also identified an important sixth challenge – putting Irelandback at the centre of Europe.

Contrary to speculation before the meeting there was no discussion of, or proposalsfor, a renegotiation of the recently-endorsed national pay deal, under which mostpublic servants are due a 3.5% increase in September 2009. But IMPACT leadersbelieve that if the economic indicators – including inflation – keep headingdownwards, speculation about pay, pensions and other public service costs is likelyto continue.

The union’s position is that the 11-month public service pay pause and stringent‘inability to pay’ safeguards in the private sector make it unreasonable to call formore delays in pay rises.

Social partnership played a big role in turning the ailing 1980s economy around. Atthat time unions placed a huge emphasis on saving and creating sustainable jobs,and a similar approach is likely now.

But Peter McLoone said things looked even tougher in 2009 than 20 years ago. “Irishinfrastructure and skills levels are far higher, but the sheer scale of the globaldownturn and the collapse of the financial system mean we’re in new territory. It’simpossible to see how we can simply return to the old way of doing things,” he said.

PUBLIC SERVICES

Job cuts relegate reformIMPACT HAS said that any significantcuts in public service staffing are boundto result in reduced public services. Theunion was responding to the Govern-ment’s November 2008 establishmentof a ‘special group’ to make proposalson the reallocation and rationalisationof public service staff.

The new four-person ‘special group onpublic service numbers and expenditureprogrammes’ is to “examine the currentexpenditure programmes in each De-partment and make recommendationsfor reducing public service numbers”with the aim of eliminating the budgetdeficit by 2011.

Nicknamed An Bord Snip Nua, it ischaired by economist Colm McCarthyand will make a final report to the Min-ister for Finance by the end of June2009. It is understood that this will takethe form of a series of recommenda-tions rather than a ‘take it or leave it’cuts package.

The group is going to recommend staffcuts in different parts of the publicservice and examine the scope forgreater efficiency. It is also charged withmaking recommendations on the real-location of staff and expenditure be-tween public service organisations, andfurther rationalisation of state agen-cies.

Its terms of reference do not includepay or pension issues.

The announcement came as the Gov-ernment published the report of a taskforce set up last year to make recom-mendations on the implementation ofan earlier OECD report into Ireland’spublic services.

IMPACT spokesperson Bernard Harborsaid the emphasis on cutting publicservice jobs was mainly due to the needto cut costs because of the recession,not a desire to improve services.

“The OECD’s April study did not call forstaff reductions because it found Ire-land spends proportionately less on itspublic services, and employs propor-tionately fewer staff, than similar coun-tries,” he said.

Get full details of the report fromwww.impact.ie.

Minister blamedin equality rowIMPACT HAS blamed justice minis-ter Dermot Ahern for the resignationof Equality Authority chief executiveNiall Crowley in December. Theunion said Mr Crowley’s positionwas made untenable when the min-ister slashed the Authority’s budgetby 43% and refused to listen to al-ternatives.

The row provoked widespread condemnation and accusations that the government hadeffectively abandoned its anti-discrimination responsibilities.

Mr Crowley argued that the cuts rendered the Authority “unviable,” an assessmentbacked by IMPACT national secretary Louise O’Donnell who is also a member of theEquality Authority’s Board.

She called Crowley a “totally dedicated and thoroughly professional champion of equalopportunities” and said his organisation had been targeted because it had occasionallybeen an irritant to some ministers and senior civil servants. “In response, and undercover of the recession, they have taken the opportunity to render the Equality Author-ity unviable. The price will be paid by tens of thousands of people who depend on aneffective equality body for protection against unlawful discrimination,” she said.

Many believe the attack on the Equality Authority is part of a wider targeting of organ-isations involved in equal opportunities and social inclusion work. Pobal, which workswith area partnerships and other groups tackling social exclusion, will also see its ad-ministration and development budget cut by 33% this year rising to 50% in 2010.

“We are facing the dismantling of Ireland’s equality infrastructure and safeguards forordinary citizens. The Government is effectively issuing irresponsible or careless em-ployers and service providers with a license to discriminate,” said Louise.

But a large number of equality groups, NGOs and trade unions are campaigning to-gether to stop the cuts, which have also been condemned by the Irish Congress of TradeUnions.

43WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

NEWS SHORTS

Pay dealIMPACT MEMBERS voted to acceptthe new Towards 2016 transitionalpay deal by a margin of 91%-9% ona 40% turnout. The agreement,which allows for pay increases worth6% over 21 months with an extra0.5% for low paid workers, subse-quently got a huge endorsement byunions at a special ICTU delegateconference in Dublin. You can readfull details of the agreement and seehow your branch voted on the IM-PACT website – www.impact.ie.

Working time victoryTRADE UNIONS won an importantvictory at the end of last year whenthe European Parliament rejectedproposed amendments to workingtime laws. Prior to the vote, IMPACTwrote to all Irish MEPs to urge themto reject the proposed changes,which would have led to weaker pro-tections for workers in Ireland andelsewhere. The changes would havepreserved an existing opt-out, whichis known to have led to workers doingexcessive hours in Britain and else-where. It would also have brought ad-verse changes to the way on-callworking time is determined as well asextending the period over which em-ployers could average working time.

Your AGMMANY IMPACT branches will be hold-ing their annual general meetings inJanuary, February and March. This isyour chance to find out what theunion’s been doing and put forwardyour own views. Check out or website– www.impact.ie – for details of forth-coming meetings. Or contact yourbranch secretary.

IMPACT members get news quicker

IMPACT members can sign up for full access to our website – plus

a monthly emailed news bulletin – via www.impact.ie.

Health unions seek budget accordIMPACT and other health unions have sought a meeting with the Government, aimed atfinding alternative savings to preserve jobs and services. Meanwhile, meetings continuewith HSE management in a bid to agree an accord to deal with the current budgetarysituation.

The unions want to prioritise services to the most vulnerable and protect jobs and work-ing conditions, amid expectations of almost €1 billion in cuts this year. The fast-dete-riorating public finances could mean even deeper cuts later in the year.

In a related development, the three main health service unions – IMPACT, Siptu and theIrish Nurses Organisation – said they would help identify savings to preserve the cervi-cal vaccination programme for 12 year old girls, which has been postponed as part ofGovernment spending cuts.

At the unions’ request, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has also sought meetingswith Government to deal with issues that need resolution at a political level. IMPACT be-lieves that tackling such issues, including charging the full cost of private beds in pub-lic hospitals, would ease the pressure on hard-pressed public health finances.

IMPACT national secretary Kevin Callinan said he believed a positive understandingcould be reached with the HSE, but that there were outstanding issues including the pro-tection of temporary staff jobs. “The unions are working together to protect servicesand staff conditions in a very difficult financial situation in 2009 and beyond,” he said.

Meanwhile, IMPACT members working in the HSE and HSE-funded agencies have votedby a margin of almost 90% to accept a Labour Relations Commission-brokered settle-ment of the last year’s dispute over staffing and broken agreements. The settlement cov-ers working conditions, vacant posts, development posts, work-life balance, the use ofagency workers, the introduction of a new job evaluation scheme, temporary employ-ees, the National Employment Monitoring Unit, and psychology services.

Louise O’Donnell.

Time for a financial makeover

Actions to take

• Set targets for your savings in terms of amounts and timescales.• Undertake regular reviews to make sure you’re getting the best rate of return.

InvestmentsYour mix of investments reflects a series of past decisions. They may have been the right decisions at the time but they need to be assessed in the light of your present circumstances, your future needs and changes in the financial environment to ensure that you are getting the best possible return.

The starting point has to be the present, not in the past. In the case of shares all that counts is the current price and future prospects. The price you bought at should have no place in the decision making. The share is currently worth a certain amount of money. If that money can yield a better return elsewhere then it should be switched. The loss has already been incurred even if it hasn’t been realised.

Questions to consider• Examine each investment in the light of what you want from it; when you might have to realise it in cash; the prospects for its growth over that time frame; its riskiness in the light of your current attitude to risk, and the alternatives.• Is your mix of personal use assets (house, holiday home, boat or caravan) appropriate to your needs? Should you be

Your money

Savings and investmentsSavIng IS essential to achieve many of your financial goals. at its simplest it involves holding onto some money to meet the occasional expenses that arise less regularly than pay-days – a holiday or car insurance for instance.

Saving may also be essential to achieving longer term objectives like providing a pension, saving a house deposit or paying for a child’s education. Rates of return and risk are important considerations and there is a wide range of options from basic deposit accounts to investment funds.

Ensuring that you have ready access to adequate funds in an emergency is a reasonable first goal. It provides the flexibility to take advantage of opportunities that may arise and provides the security of knowing you have sufficient funds to tide you over an unexpected expense or shortfall in income.

Questions to consider• How much money could you access at short notice? Would that be enough to cover most emergencies?• Have you got overdraft permission? Have you a good enough relationship with a bank to get one?• Is your credit card limit adequate?

Actions to take

• Save to build an emergency fund, ensuring that some of your savings can be accessed reasonably quickly.• Develop a good relationship with a bank to ensure speedy access to overdrafts or loans.• get an increase in your credit card limit if you can be sure of using it for short-term emergencies and not for getting into long-term debt.

You also need to look at your savings. There is a wide range of options and the boundary between saving and investment is far from clear cut.

Questions to consider• What are you saving for?• How much can you afford to save?• are you getting the best rate of return consistent with your need for access to money?• Have you too much, or not enough, money in relatively lower return short-term savings?

44 SPRIng 2009

The finance industry is rocked by change and you’re personal circumstances are probably changing too. The New Year is the perfect time to take a fresh look at your personal finances, says COLM RAPPLE.

s

thinkingof sellingsomeof themorconvertingtheminto investmentassetsby,forinstance,byrentingthem?• Areyoumakingthebestpossibleuseof investment taxincentiveslikethoseonpensionsandsomeproperty investments?

Actions to take

• Listallyourinvestments.• Assesseachoneasoutlinedabove.• Maketheappropriateadjustments.If indoubttake professionaladvice.

BorrowingsSensibleborrowingcanplayabeneficialroleinyourfinancialplanning.Thereis,of course,acostinvolvedbutthatcanoftenbe justified. The benefits can outweigh the costs. Interest isnot theonlycost,of course.There isa reduction in financialflexibilityif onlybecauseof theneedtomeettherepaymentsontheloan.

Questionstoconsider• Areyoupayingovertheoddsforyourloans?Arethere savingstobemadebyswitchinglenders?• Haveyougottheoptimummixof loansintermsof interest payableandrisk?Couldyouincreaseyourmortgage,for instance,andpayoff somemoreexpensiveloans.That’s notadecisiontobetakenlightlysinceyouareincreasingly theriskof losingyourhomeintheeventof default.Butthe optionsareworthconsidering.• Areyourelyingtoomuchonexpensivecreditcarddebt?• Haveyousparecashthatwouldbebetterusedinreducing yourdebt?• Whatcapacityhaveyougottoborrowmore?Couldyouuse extramoneytofinanceprojectsthatwouldyieldbenefits morethanenoughtooffsetthecost?

Actions to take

• Listdetailsof allyourloans.• Checkouttheinterestrateschargedbythecompetition.• Workoutthesavingsthatcouldbeachievedbyswitching, takingaccountof anypenaltiesforearlyrepayment. Obviouslythebiggertheloanthegreaterthepotentialsaving.• If youareconstantlyindebtonyourcreditcardgetaterm loantopayitoff.If yougointolong-termcreditcarddebt againtakethescissorstoyourcard.• Workoutthecostandbenefitsof borrowingtofinancenew projectswhereyouthinkthebenefitsmayoutweighthecosts.

InsuranceEveryfinancialplanshouldcontainsomeprovisionforinsuranceagainst the unexpected. That includes protection against the

45WOrk&LIfE:THEMAgAzInEfOrIMPACTMEMBErS

Pho

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m

financial loss that you or your dependants would suffer as aresultof seriousillness,disabilityordeath.Withlifeinsurancepoliciesitisimportantnottoconfusesavingforthefuturewithactuallifeinsurancewhichonlypaysabenefitintheeventof death.

Questionstoconsider• Whateventscouldcausemeandmyfamilytosuffer significantfinancialloss?• Whatfinanciallosswouldmyfamilysufferintheeventof mysufferingillness,disabilityordeath?• Howmuchof thatpotentiallossshouldIinsureagainst?• WhatcoverhaveIalreadygot,includingcoverthrough companyschemes?• If mypartnerorIweretoloseourjobs,wouldthe impactbesufficientlyseveretojustifytakingoutsome insuranceprotection?• HaveIsufficientcoveronmyhouseandotherassets?

Actions to take

•If youneedadditionalcover,shoparoundforthecheapest option.Terminsuranceratesdiffergreatlyfromcompanyto companyforexactlythesamecover.Takeadvice.• Checkoutyourgeneralinsurancepolicies.Shoparound whentheycomeupforrenewal.

Wills and inheritancesEveryoneover18,oryoungerif married,shouldhaveawilldrawnup.It’sparticularlyimportantwheretherearedependants.Awillensuresthatyourestateisdistributedinaccordancewithyourplans.Oncedrawnup,wills shouldnot justbeputawayandforgotten.Theyneedtobereviewedfromtimetotime.Personalcircumstanceschangeandsodoesthetaxcode.

Questionstoconsider• Haveyoudrawnupawill?• Doesitstillreflectyourwishes?• Doyouneedtochangetheexecutor?• Haveyouconsideredtheinheritancetaximplications?• Haveyoudrawnupanenduringpowerof attorney?

Actions to take

• Considerallthequestionsaboveandtaketheappropriate actionsassoonaspossibleseekingprofessionaladviceif youhaveanydoubtsovertheimpactof whatyouaredoingl

Colmrapple’sannualpersonalfinanceguideFamily Finance 2009is

availableinbooksellerspriced €11.95. This

yearthere’sanaddedemphasisonsurviving

thedownturn.

Family Finance

Sport

46 SPRING 2009

GaelicCloser to home, in the Gaelic football and hurling fields, we can expect more of the same in 2009. Kilkenny hurling manager Brian Cody is always looking for angles to motivate his team and the competition for starting places drives the men in black and amber. But at this stage they are within touching distance of immortality.

The Cats surpassed Cork in the roll of honour for senior titles when they won the Liam McCarthy cup last September. They’ve now claimed the coveted prize on 31 occasions, one more than their rivals by the Lee.

A successful defence of their All-Ireland crown this year would mean four titles in a row. They would also put another chapter in their illustrious history book by becoming the first Kilkenny team to win four All-Ireland senior hurling titles in succession.

So where will the competition come from? It’s impossible to see Cork raise any sort of a gallop in either Munster or All-Ireland qualifiers as long as the current impasse is in place. In

As 2009 gets underway, it’s time to look into the crystal ball to see what the year holds for sports fans. So with his Mystic Peig hat on, KEVIN NOLAN looks forward to what lies ahead on the domestic and international field.

Despite the record nature of England’s defeats to both New Zealand and South Africa, there were signs of hope in their encounter with the all-conquering All Blacks. Perhaps the most encouraging sign was the performance of full back Delon Armitage who looks to have the required assurance and pace to deliver.

Last year’s six nations champions Wales are building towards a serious tilt in this year’s competition too. Their victory over Australia will have filled them with confidence. They open their six nations campaign against Scotland in Murrayfield, have England in the Millennium stadium, and eventually conclude their programme against Ireland at home. So the scheduling of games looks set to strengthen their hand.

For the Irish it looks as though Kidney will have to loose some of the chains which his team seemed to operate under in their most recent international challenges. The kicking game deployed by Ronan O’Gara may have led Munster to Heineken Cup glories, but the boys in green will need to show greater off-the-cuff potency if they are to unlock the best defences. So our money is on Wales to take six nations honours.

Captions

IN RUGBY, the tenure of new Irish head coach Declan Kidney got off to a mixed start. While Ireland guaranteed a top-eight ranking with their victory over Argentina in Croke Park last November, the performance of his Irish team in the games against New Zealand and the Pumas raised more questions than answers.

Ireland’s play was predictable and one-dimensional in attack, and will not have unnerved their six nations opponents ahead of February’s campaign. Kidney’s men begin their six nations schedule with a Croke Park clash against France (7th February). England play Ireland at home too (28th February) and Martin Johnson is sure to bring his big English pack to Croker determined to avenge their humiliation at the same venue in 2007.

Everything to play for

effect the Rebels will be fielding a ‘C’ selection. Even Kilkenny lack that strength in depth!

Tipperary can improve on 2008, but their Munster rivals Waterford may find that the opportunity to claim the county’s first All-Ireland success has slipped away.

Galway’s inclusion in the Leinster senior hurling championship will add a bit of spice to the eastern province’s tournament. But, apart from attracting a greater number of neutral supporters to a Leinster final between the Tribesman and the Cats, they don’t look like they will shock the system in 2009. So no change in 2009 – Kilkenny to reign supreme.

Kerry gold?Jack O’Connor’s return to the bridge in charge of Kerry’s footballers will fill the county’s supporters with hope. O’Connor obviously feels he has unfinished business and you can expect that, with him in charge and fitness guru Pat Flanagan back by his side, the Kingdom will be an even more potent and disciplined force in 2009.

WORK & LIFE: ThE MAGAzInE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

Although they have won three All-Irelands this decade, Tyrone have never won back-to-back Sam Maguires. Manager Mickey harte will be privately setting that as the target for his side.

Dublin have a new man at the tiller in Pat Gilroy. He has the coaching talents of Mickey Whelan by his side, backed up by the sports science know-how of Niall Moyna and his team in Dublin City University. If Gilroy can solve the Dubs’ defensive frailties then they could go close to ending their famine.

With Alan and Bernard Brogan and Diarmuid Connolly firing on all cylinders, their attack will pose problems for any defence in the country. But it is at the other end of the field that Dublin must shine. Armagh and Tyrone have invested thought and time to come up with defensive systems that work. Dublin must do the same if they are to experience the atmosphere of an All-Ireland final.

Kop onFew stand as high as Liverpool in the ranks of sporting enigmas when it comes to trying to explain why the Scousers have not been crowned league champions since the season of 1989-90.

Liverpool have won 18 league crowns, a milestone that Alex Ferguson has in his sights. So far this season The Pool have held strong, and if Steven Gerrard and Fernarndo Torres can inspire their team until the end of the season they could end their long wait.

The destiny of the title this season will run under the final few weeks and at that stage Rafa Benitez could hold the upper hand over his direct opponents with a run-in that concluded with games against newcastle, West ham, West Brom and Tottenham. So it’s Liverpool to finally return to the top in the Premier League l

Everything to play for

47

Across

1. Is er mop any guarantee? (7)

5. Expel (5)

8. I stun the entities (5)

9. Untie or become a pattern (7)

10. English guy with tle could break (7)

11. Shakespeare’s king ogles (5)

12. Denis was surely one (6)

14. Extends (4,2)

17. La mor turns virtuous

19. Hobo with the French will crush (7)

22. Obvious (7)

23. Group of small fruit trees (2,3)

24. Waste becomes perspiration (5)

25. Landscape (7)

Down

1. Vertically with second class fruit (5)

2. Way of thinking, notion (7)

3. Supplement (5)

4. A reed with a point was gained (6)

5. To tally (5)

6. Upper class (5)

7. Arson with ET may cause perfidy (7)

12. Recalls loses its head to subscribers (7)

48 SPRING 2009

13. Gather (7)

15. Assume, presume (7)

16. Leave as is with you and I to establish rank (6)

18. Westlife’s song ‘You ..... me up’ (5)

20. Urge a fall out (5)

21. All seen in clever years (5)

Crossword composed by Maureen Harkin, Sligo

HOW TO PLAY: Fill in the grid so that every row,column and 3x3 box contains thedigits 1-9. There is no mathsinvolved. You solve it with reasoningand logic.

S U DO K U

Just answer five easyquestions and you could win €50.

ADD €50 to your holiday savings fundby answering five easy questions andsending your entry, name and address toRoisin Nolan, Work & Life prize quiz,IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1. We’llsend €50 to the first completed entrypulled from a hat.* You’ll find all theanswers in this issue of Work & Life.

1 What food could kill you, according toMargaret Hannigan?

A Pancetta

B Snakes and testicles

C Puffer fish

2 How many special needs assistantsare there in Ireland?

A 600

B About 12,000

C One for everyone in the audience

3 The OECD says Ireland’s public service is:

A Playing catch up

B Living beyond its means

C Having a laugh

4 This season’s colour for men is:

A Grey with a splash of colour

B Sky blue pink with yellow dots

C Brown

5 Your personal finance planningshould include:

A Reaching a pre-nuptial agreement

B Having one final blow-out before therecession kicks in

C Making a will

The small print*You must be a paid-up IMPACT member to win. Only one entry per person (multiple entries will not be considered). Entries must reach us by Friday 6thMarch 2009. The editor’s decision is final. That’s it!

WIN€50

Win Win Win

Prize quiz

Easy

Winners! The winners from competitions in the Winter issue were:

1 Quiz – Marian Fogarty – Limerick Branch

2 Crossword – Tom Bolger – Office of Public Works

3 Survey – Ita Saul – Our lady’s Hospital, Crumlin

Lots more competitions to enter in this issue!

PRIZE CROSSWORD

WIN€50

Difficult

Win €50 by completing the crossword and sending your entry, name and address to Roisin Nolan, Work & Life crossword, IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1, by Friday 6th March 2009.

We’ll send €50 to the first correct entry pulled from a hat.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9

10 11

12 13 14 15

16

17 18 19 20 21

22 23

24 25

3 9 2

2 9 1 3 5

7 6 8

6 9 7 3 2

1 6 2 7 9

9 4 5

5 2 7 9 3

8 3 6

1 6 2

7 5 6

5 9 3 1

3 4 6

5 8 4

1 3 7 2

5 3 2

7 6 3

The survey

1. What did you think of the articles in the spring 2009issue of Work & Life ?

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Comments ________________________________________

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2. What did you think of the layout, style and pictures inthe spring 2009 issue of Work & Life?

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Comments ________________________________________

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3. What were your favourite three articles?

1 __________________________________________________

2 __________________________________________________

3 __________________________________________________

4. What were your least favourite articles?

1 __________________________________________________

2 __________________________________________________

3 __________________________________________________

5. What subjects would you like to see in future issuesof Work & Life ?

1 __________________________________________________

2 __________________________________________________

3 __________________________________________________

6. What did you think of the balance between unionnews and other articles?

The balance is about right �

I want more union news �

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7. Any other comments? ______________________________

__________________________________________________

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Email ________________________________________________

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IMPACT branch ______________________________________

How do you likeWork & Life?WE HOPE you enjoyed this issue of Work & Life, the

magazine for IMPACT members. We want to hear yourviews, and we’re offering a €100 prize to one lucky

winner who completes this questionnaire.

Simply complete this short survey and send it to Roisin Nolan,Work & Life survey, IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1. You can also

send your views by email to rnolan@impact.ie.

We’ll send €100 to the first completed entry pulled from a hat.*

And don’t forget, we’re also giving prizes for letters published in the next issue.See page 23.

WIN€10

0

Your view

The small print*You must be a paid-up IMPACT member to win. Only one entry per person (multiple entries will not be considered).

Entries must reach us by Friday 6th March 2009. The editor’s decision is final. That’s it!

49WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

SPRING 200950

Commercial membership services

IMPACT has facilitated the provision of a number of national membership services and discount schemes on behalf of its members. These include Additional Voluntary Contribution Schemes (Pensions),Life Assurance, Salary Protection in the case of illness and Car, House and Travel Insurance Schemes. A number of local discount schemes are also negotiated by local branches.

The Union uses the size and composition of its membership base and, where possible, competition between the various service providers, to seek the best possible deals for the widest possible sectionsof our membership. It is probable that the majority of members will get better value from these schemes than if they sought the same service individually. However, this will not be true in all cases andthere will be occasions where individual members may, because of their specific circumstances, be able to get better value elsewhere. It is not possible always to ensure that all schemes will be acces-sible equally to all members and the scheme underwriters will not depart totally from their normal actuarial or risk assessment procedures and rules.

IMPACT does not make any claims as to the quality or reliability of any of these products/services and while advising members of the availability of the National Membership Services and DiscountSchemes does not endorse or recommend any particular product or service. IMPACT's role is that of facilitator to ensure that such schemes are available to its members. All contracts are directly betweenthe product/service provider and the individual member. IMPACT is not in any way a party to these contracts and will not accept any responsibility or liability arising from any act or omission on the partof the product or service provider. Neither IMPACT nor any member of its staff receives any fees or commissions or other rewards from these product or service providers arising from such schemes.

While IMPACT does occasionally provide such product/service providers with limited information regarding IMPACT branch and/or workplace representatives for the purpose of advertising such schemes,the Union does not make any personal data relating to individual Union members available to them for any purpose.

The Union requires that product/service providers agree to ensure that all such schemes comply with all lawful requirements including the Equal Status Act 2000.

Advertisements for agreed membership services will have an logo on them.

Some of the companies providing agreed membership services may offer other products or services (that are not as a result of any agreement or arrangement with IMPACT) directly to IMPACT members.The Union has no role whatsoever in relation to such products or services. Likewise, other product or service providers may make offers directly to IMPACT members through advertisements in the Unionnewspaper or otherwise. These do not arise as a result of agreements or arrangements with IMPACT and the Union does not ask members to consider availing of such products/services and accepts noresponsibility whatsoever for any such offers.

The product/service providers with which IMPACT has agreed the provision of membership services and/or discount schemes are as follows:

Brassington & Co. Ltd. Cornmarket Group Financial Services Ltd.Travel Insurance – all Divisions. Car Insurance – all Divisions.

Salary Protection and Life Assurance – Local Government and Health Divisions only.

Group Insurance Services (GIS) Marsh Financial Services Ltd.Car Insurance – all Divisions. AVC Schemes – all Divisions excluding Municipal Employees.House Insurance – all Divisions. Salary Protection and Life Assurance – Civil Service and Services & Enterprises Divisions only.

December 2004

DISCLAIMER (Approved by CEC 10th December 2004)

FACILITATED