www.impact.ie

work &lifeISSUE 3 • WINTER 2008

THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

IDENTITY CRISIS

THE FASTEST WAY HOME FROM WORKWHY WE NEED MATERNITY LEAVEDOWN IN THE HOLE WITH DUBLIN’S DRAINS CREWHOW TRAINING COULD REBOOT YOUR CAREERCOOL AND QUIRKY KILKENNYARE TV MAKEOVER SHOWS ANY USE?

Can your employer be trustedwith yourpersonaldata?

TOM WAITS. IRISH RUGBY. JAMES BOND. CANCER CARE. ENTERTAINING AT HOME. SURVIVING CHRISTMAS. MORE TREES PLEASE.BOOKS. YOUR TAX. COMPETITIONS. NEWS. AND LOTS MORE…

ALSO INSIDE

Competitions…

In this issue

3WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

work&life – Winter 2008

COVER FEATURES

8 FASTEST WAY TO WORK

Bicycle boy NIALL SHANAHANloses out in the Galway races.

13 DOWN AND DIRTY

We spend a day with the ladswho keep Dublin’s drainsworking.

16 MINDING OUR BUSINESS

Can we trust our employerswith our personal data asksBERNARD HARBOR.

18 BRINGING UP BABY

MARTINA O’LEARY meets thewomen and children who’vebenefitted from improvedmaternity leave.

21 GETTING AHEAD

Choosing the best course tohelp you succeed at work.

24 IN THE CITY

IMPACT’s tourism expertscheck out Kilkenny.

26 A NEW YOU?

TRISH O’MAHONY finds outwhether TV makeover showsare any use when it comes tochanging your look.

NEWS

42 KAY HANNIGAN

42 AER LINGUS

42 HEALTH DISPUTE

43 NEW PAY DEAL

43 DEAL AT A GLANCE

48Prize quiz. Win €50

48Crossword.Win €50.

501,000 saverbreaks withLynch hotels.

49Survey.Win €100.

REGULARS

6 IMPACT PEOPLE

Meet the woman who’s shavedher head for cancer care.

23 YOUR LETTERS

Put pen to paper and win €50.

28 BE GOOD TO YOURSELF

KAREN WARD on how tosurvive Christmas withoutlosing your mind.

30 IN THE KITCHEN

MARGARET HANNIGAN takesthe heat out of entertaining athome.

32 GARDENS

There’s space for trees in anygarden, no matter how smallsays JIMI BLAKE.

34 AT THE MOVIES

MORGAN O’BRIEN on how 007has changed to keep up withthe times.

36 MUSIC

How come it costs so much tosee a gig, asks RAYMONDCONNOLLY.

MORE REGULARS

38 BETWEEN THE COVERS

She’s an addiction worker,mother and journalist. NowJULIET BRESSAN haslaunched her first novel.

41 PARTY TIME

MARTINA O’LEARY on how toorganise that office party.

44 YOUR MONEY

It can be a taxing time forsingles. COLM RAPPLE onyour income tax options.

46 SPORT

KEVIN NOLAN foresees a newdawn for Irish rugby.

IMPACT is Ireland’s fastest growing trade union with almost 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

Full of goodnessEVERYONE’S BEEN talking about Tom Waits this summer and opinions vary widely. A quick straw poll in the Work & Life office produced opinions ranging from “who’s he?” to “I’d sell my son’s kidney for a ticket!”

On our music pages Raymond Connolly wonders why you have to go that far to afford a good night out. And, keeping with the Waits theme, Niall Shanhan goes ‘down in the hole’ with the IMPACT members who keep Dublin’s drains in order.

You loved Trish O’Mahony’s career advice on how to dress for work in the last issue. Now she’s agreed to do a regular fashion column and this month she’s exploring TV makeover shows. Are they really any practical use?

So far our travel features have focussed on Rome and Florida. This time we’re exploring some local treats as Martina O’Leary asks two IMPACT tourism experts to check out Kilkenny.

On a more serious note, Bernard Harbor looks at the huge amount of personal data we entrust to our employers and wonders whether they’re keeping it safe. We compare commuting options in Galway, with some surprising results, and outline your maternity leave rights.

And we’ve rounded up all the usual suspects on food, films, your money and your wellbeing, not to mention rugby, gardening and all the union news – including that new pay deal.

Once again, you’ve been sending in lots of comments about Work & Life. Thanks a million – and keep them coming. You could win €100 by returning the short survey on page 49.

Don’t forget to wrap up warm. It’s getting colder out now that summer’s over. What summer?

4 WInTer 2008

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 Moya nolan. Photo features IMPACT member Maria Dowd with children Seán, Fionn and Alanna.

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

Designed by: 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

10 years agoThe Punt is traded for the last time in December 1998 as the Euro is launched.

20 years agoIn October 1988 Magdalene College, Cambridge, admits women for the first time. In a bizarre protest, male students wear black arm bands and the porter flies a black flag.

50 years agoOn 11th October 1958, Pioneer 1 becomes the first spacecraft launched by newly-formed US space agency NASA. Meanwhile, Brendan Behan’s Borstal Boy is banned by the Censorship of Publications Board in November.

90 years agoAt 5am on 11th November 1918 an armistice dictated by the Allies is signed by the Germans. Six hours later World War I officially ends. A total of 140,000 Irishmen were killed in the conflict.

100 years agoHanna Sheehy-Skeffington becomes secretary of the newly formed Irish Women’s Franchise League on 11th November 1908. The Irish Transport Workers’ Union is formed on 29th December, with James Larkin as its general secretary.

That was then...

WHAT A different world it would be if public servants made the headlines every time they got something right.

Those of us who work hard delivering public services – day in, day out – are used to hateful headlines and outraged editorials every time the slightest thing goes wrong. But in August, Terry Prone wrote a glowing defence of our public services in her regular Irish Examiner column.

Why? Because she needed sandbags during the summer floods, phoned Fingal County Council, and got them. No bother, no questions asked.

Ms Prone went on to write that public servants were not responsible for the economic downturn and said: “It isn’t fair or acceptable to smear a huge swatch of the people of Ireland simply because of the source of their salary cheque.”

On the much-maligned administrators, she said: “Without them you would not get your free fuel as a pensioner or the tax disc for your car.”

Fair play to Terry. And fair play to the guy who delivered her sandbags. Simply by doing his job, he’s the best possible advert for quality public services. Just like thousands of Work & Life readers, every hour of every day.

If only other media critics thought this way when they use our roads, parks, libraries, hospitals, schools and colleges, etc, etc, etc…

5WOrk & LIFE: THE MAGAzINE FOr IMPACT MEMBErS

Publicservices: Therewhenyouneedthem.

Wouldn’t it be great if it was always like this? P

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How would you describe yourself?Lucky and optimistic.

What’s it like being a physiotherapist?I’m working as a physio since 1984. I did five years in community care and eventually, after two car crashes and an interview on crutches, they gave me a job in the hospital. I love my work and I get on well with the people I treat. I specialise in care of the elderly, female incontinence and nymphiaphimia, which is very relevant to me at the moment. I have a great team and they’ve been so good to me since I’ve been off sick – phoning me, calling ’round and sending flowers. They’ve been brilliant.

Tell us about the head shave.I shaved my hair because I have survived breast cancer. I was going to lose my hair anyway because I’m having chemotherapy and I thought it’s a way of raising money. My friends organised a gig for me for my birthday and we raised €1,400 for breast cancer care that night. I have continued fundraising with the head shave and have raised over €3,000 so far.

Where’s the money going?It’s for Drogheda’s Dochas Breast Care Unit, which I’m attending. The charity unit does breast cancer research and treatment.

Has your illness changed your outlook on life?Yes. For the first time in my life I’m feeling I can be selfish and get away with it! I just feel so lucky to have survived two car crashes, a bike accident and now cancer. And right now

I’m stress-free for the first time in years because I’m not at work and I’m not worrying about IMPACT. It’s allowing me to look after my health and think about my future.

What keeps you going?The fact that I’m surviving. I’ve been told I’m cancer-free already and I’m going through the treatment to make sure it doesn’t come back. I just feel lucky.

Have you always lived in the north east?Not at all. Mum and dad met in Long Island, New York and had three kids. We moved home to Dublin in 1970 and I worked in a shop. I just got used to pounds, shillings and pence when it changed to decimals. We moved to Navan when I was 12. I went to kindergarten in the States, primary school in Dublin, and secondary school in Navan. Then Trinity College for the physiotherapy and I’ve been working in Dundalk since 1984.

What are your interests?I’ve been involved in drama since I first came to Dundalk. I never wanted to do it, but got roped in by Gerry Ruddy who’s a staff officer in health. I’ve done loads of plays, travelled a little bit, and even striped on stage once - it was a farce, needless to say. Two adjudicators said it was the fastest strip they’d ever seen! We had great fun. We did a lot of comedy. A great bunch of people.

What about music?I love music. I love going to gigs and a lot of my friends are musicians. One of my ambitions is to learn to play the guitar while I’m off work.

6 WInter 2008

IMPACT people

Shorn but not forlornPhysiotherapist Mags Tuite is used to fighting on behalf of IMPACT members as a Dundalk union representative. Now she’s won her battle against breast cancer and, true to form, she’s using the experience to help others. Work & Life found out why she’s shaved her head for cancer care.

Do you have any funny habits?I’m a natural big mouth. I will say things that people are thinking and get away with it because, apparently, I say it nicely. I’ve also developed some very weird post-chemo eating habits. I’m still trying to give up the cigarettes. I have cut down, but I will definitely give them up.

What item can you not leave home without?I love jewellery. I won’t go anywhere without my jewellery. A lot of it is presents and that means a lot to me.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?The one place I’m yearning to go to is Australia.

If you could spend an afternoon with anyone, who would it be?Phil Lynott. I grew up with Thin Lizzy and I would love to have met him. I actually stood beside him at a gig once but he went mad when my cousin took a photo. So I didn’t get to talk to him.

Who inspires you?My mum. She’s an amazing woman. She’s the one that kept me on the straight and narrow all my life. Mum and dad are 75 but she still brings me food and wants to do my housework. Music also inspires me.

Who’s the greatest love of your life?I’m still waiting for him.

How did you get involved in the union?I joined IMPACT automatically when I started with the North Eastern Health Board and I became active in the union in

1990. By the early 2000s I was on the Health & Welfare divisional executive committee, but I had to step back because I couldn’t get time off work. I was branch secretary until I got sick. The Louth branch has been very good. But all the issues I’ve come across and dealt with have kept me involved. I hate inequity and I hate liars. And I’ve seen so much of it that I enjoy being able to react to it.

What’s the best thing about getting involved in the union?People I’ve met and the people I still meet.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?Go for it! It’s something I say to a lot of people. If I was giving advice, I’d tell girls to keep checking their breasts regularly.

What would you like to be remembered for?I suppose for being me and for having made a difference, And for my sense of fun. I need fun l

Interview by Martina O’Leary.

Photo: Crean Photography

You can helpYou can help Mags raise money for the Dochas Breast Care Unit. Send donations to AIB account: “Mags Tuite fundraising”. The Iban and account number are IE52 AIBK 932450 64404010. Or send cheques made payable to “Mags Tuite fundraising” to Work & Life, IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1.

FACT FILE

NAME Mags Tuite

AGE 45

BORN Long Island, New York

LIVES IN Dundalk

MARRIED? No

JOB Physiotherapist

LIKES Music, drama & walking.

7Work & LIfE: THE MAGAzINE for IMPACT MEMBErS

THIS IS not the article I set out to write. The plan was to conduct an ordinary commute with a competitive twist. We would race - car versus bus, versus bike - from a city centre to an average ‘new’ suburb during a busy evening rush hour to find out the best way to get home after a hard day’s work.

Six or seven kilometers. Nothing fancy. And we wanted to do it in any Irish city except Dublin. We chose Galway. We chose a Friday. I would ride the bike. It was supposed to be a doddle and our working assumption was: “Of course the bike will win.” Why else would I opt for the two-wheeled option?

In fairness, my commuting choice for work is generally a bicycle. Occasionally I’ll drive, but only if I really need to travel beyond the office. Sometimes I take public transport, and I am fortunate to have a choice between several bus routes and the Luas.

But, in Dublin, the bike is always faster. No matter what weather, traffic conditions or route, the bike will get from home to office in around 15 minutes. The best I can do in the car is 25 minutes. Public transport involves some walking at either end, so I have to allow an hour for that.

Based on this experience, I had assumed our ‘test’ would yield the same type of result. But Galway on a sunny Friday evening was to knock all my assumptions on the head.

NIALL SHANAHAN was sure he’d beat the Galway traffic on his bike. But you can’t always trust a Jackeen to find the quickest way home after a hard day’s work.

8 WINTer 2008

Home from work

Galway races

Peeved peddler Niall Shanahan (with bike) admits defeat to IMPACT members Sean Purtil and Helen Cousins.

9Work & Life: The magazine for imPaCT members

Driven crazyLooking at the wider picture, it is hard to beat the supremacy of the car. The last census, taken in 2006, showed that the number of people driving to work increased by over 225,000 between 2002 and 2006. of the 1.9 million workers in the state in april 2006, almost 1.1m drove a car to work.

When combined with workers who travelled to work as car passengers, a staggering seven out of ten of workers use private vehicles.

The numbers travelling to work by bike has actually declined by almost half from 60,000 to 36,000 over the same period. While recent figures for Dublin show cycling figures growing again after a decline, the absence of cyclists in galway was stark.

on the day of our experiment i cycled around the city, out to Doughiska, a newer suburb to the east of the city, and back again. in that time i counted five other cyclists. Two of them were tourists. There were very few bicycles parked around the city either.

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Sean Purtil looks confident as he gets behind the wheel.

10 winter 2008

Home from work

Sean Purtil, an iMPACt member who works at the training centre in Merlin Park Hospital, volunteered to be the car driver in our test. Sean’s knowledge of the city helped us decide on the route, and he warned me that cycling in Galway can be a hairy experience.

i’m well able to handle aggressive motorists in Dublin. But in Galway, Sean advised that this wasn’t necessarily the issue. “the biggest problem is that drivers here just don’t expect to see cyclists around town. they’re not looking out for them and there are no cycle lanes.”

iMPACt member Helen Cousins works with COPe, a community and voluntary body providing refuge and outreach services for women and children who experience domestic violence. By her own admission, Helen never takes the bus, so she considered this to be something of an adventure. “My daughter laughed when i told her i was doing this. She thinks i have a phobia about buses,” she said.

nationally, the proportion of commuters using buses fell from 6.7% to 6.1% between 2002 and 2006, even though the total number of bus users increased slightly.

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Anyone’s guesswe commenced our journey at eyre Square, and agreed to meet at the racing Lodge hotel in Doughiska. the total trip is just under seven kilometres. we estimated that my journey would be shortest. even navigating these roads through traffic

for the first time, 15 minutes seemed a reasonable bet.

Helen’s prediction for the bus was more pessimistic. “Hopefully no more than 90 minutes.” Sean really had no idea how long his journey would take. “Anything up to an hour, maybe?” it was anyone’s guess.

Across the country, the average journey time to work is 27.5 minutes. even though urban workers

travel shorter distances to work than those living in rural areas, traffic congestion means that they spend

more time commuting – 27.9 minutes compared with 26.8 minutes for rural workers.

rural-based workers travel an average of 21 kilometres, while those living in urban areas have an average journey to work of about 13. Our journey was little more than half the urban average.

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11Work & Life: The magazine for imPaCT members

The eyre square traffic was heaving. The buses were mobbed and everything moved very slowly. i was feeling sorry for my two volunteers.

as i made my way out on Lough atalia road, i joined a snaking queue of cars stretched out as far as i could see. Traffic was moving, but slowly. The absence of a cycle lane put me in a tight squeeze between the traffic and parked cars. i was still able to make progress, but i had to keep a close eye for car doors opening suddenly.

Turning right onto the Dublin road, the traffic seemed to open up and move more freely. i was reminded of sean’s warning about drivers not expecting to see cyclists when i had a close shave with a driver making a sudden dash out of the line of traffic into the left just as i drew level. The driver was oblivious to my presence, as she was struggling to steer the car with her knees as she lit a cigarette. “Those things’ll kill you,” i thought to myself.

Friday feelingPretty soon i was through the skerritt roundabout (there are a lot of roundabouts in galway) and merlin Park hospital appeared on my left. sean had suggested i take a short cut through the hospital, as the rear gate would be open. hoping he was right about this, i turned left into the hospital’s pleasantly deserted driveway. The sun had been out all day, a rare enough appearance for the summer, and it was getting warm. i was looking forward to some refreshment at the hotel.

emerging from the tranquil grounds of the hospital into merlin Park Lane, i turned left on to Doughiska road, and spotted the hotel at the bottom of the gentle downward slope. This was the home stretch and it had only taken 15 minutes.

but as the hotel loomed into view, so did two very familiar faces. it was sean and helen. This could not be happening! They both had expressions of mild jubilation, and clearly they were feeling sorry for me.sean had arrived first in his car, followed three minutes later by helen. i arrived two minutes later. it was close, but this was not what we had anticipated.

settling down to something cold from the bar, we discussed the results of our experiment. our photographer andrew joined in the discussion. everyone had a theory, and it boiled down to this: friday evening traffic in galway is much lighter than the rest of the week because fewer people – public and private use their cars on friday afternoons.

many of those who have parental leave opt to take it on fridays to spend more time with their kids. others build up their flexi-time as they seek to avoid monday to Thursday rush-hour traffic by working later and earlier – and finish earlier on a friday. others leave the car at home so they can have a couple of well-deserved pints after work.

Plus, the sun was out. The sun hadn’t been out for weeks.

i was tempted to think they were just trying to make me feel better, as i gloomily contemplated having to relate my tale of failure to my editor, and worse, my comrades in the cycling fraternity. but there is substance to their reasoning and i couldn’t argue with the results.

as workers employ all available means to improve their work-life balance, galway commuters are making sure that cyclists are the slowest things on the roads on friday evening. Just my luck.

Well, maybe not the slowest. a galwegian walking at average speed would take about an hour and ten minutes. but it’s a friendly city and i’m sure they’d be offered a lift. l

“ The driver was oblivious to my presence as she was struggling to steer the car with her knees as she lit a cigarette. ‘Those things’ll kill you, I thought to myself. ”

Helen Cousins takes to the bus, proving she has no phobia about public transport.

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12 WINTER 2008

13

Going underground

Way down in the hole

RAIN. IT’S been our constant com -panion for most of the summer. We’verun out of ways to describe it to eachother.

Office conversations about the weatherhave been reduced to a shrug of theshoulders and a roll of the eyes towarda duvet of grey cloud, as it depositsanother tropical shower.

But for a small crew of Dublin CityCouncil workers, the inclement weath -er has a greater significance.

The extra rain must drain off the cityand into the rivers and sea, through asubterranean network of channels,gates and coastal flaps. If a branch, adiscarded beer can or any loosematerial gets stuck in this intricatesystem, the effect can be catastrophic.

Flooded roads were a brief feature ofDublin’s wet summer but flooding wasshort-lived, and this crew played asignificant role in keeping it that way.

David Greene has worked for the citysince 1973. He is famed withinDublin City Council for his detailedknowledge of its undergrounddrainage system, which datesback to the Victorian urban drain -age schemes of the late 19th cen -tury. His colleagues Joe Magill andTrevor O’Neill have both worked withDavid for 10 years.

I was surprised to learn that this smallteam, with 55 years’ experiencebetween them, are the only crew oftheir kind. David explained: “There areother crews who pump drains withspecial machinery, and river crews thatdeal with any floating debris. But we’rethe only team that get down into thedrains”.

A typical week for David and his teamstarts with an inspection of the systemon Southside of the city, fromSandymount to the city centre. They

check that all of the coastal flaps arefree of debris and that there is nooverflow in the system. On Tuesday,they repeat the process from Howthinto the city.

If there’s a blockage, David descendsinto the tunnels at low tide to removeany debris. If the system is overflowing,they can divert water by closing thepenstocks - gates in the drains - andinform the pump station to stoppumping until the blockage iscleared.

Recent bad weather can pulllarger debris into thesystem. “The very heavyrain of recent weekscauses rivers to bursttheir banks, and treesare often uprootedand getcaught inthe

system,” he explains. The Met Officeissues regular updates and alerts tothe drainage department, based inMarrowbone Lane.

The job is not without its hazards, andthere is a strong emphasis on healthand safety procedures. Training inconfined space entry is regularlyupdated, and David carries a 30minute supply of oxygen and a gas

detector. “There are pock -ets of methane in the

waste material, andthey can be disturbedas you walk throughit. Any prolongedexposure to the gasis extremely danger -ous,” he says. �

NIALL SHANAHANmet the men whokeep the rain in the drains.

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David Greene.Going down the drain!

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

Going underground

14 WINTER 2008

Incidents are thankfully rare but therehave been tragedies, which have in -formed the precautions in place now.A build-up of gas in the system causedan explosion at the pumping station inRingsend in 1969, killing one of theworkers at the station. A memorialstands at the junction of Burgh Quayand Hawkins Street in memory tothose who lost their lives in May 1905,including constable Pat Sheehan, whowent into the drains in a bid to helptwo workers in difficulty.

The crew’s modern transport andequipment is a far cry from theirpredecessors. Trevor explains: “The oldcrews worked in pairs, and theytravelled up and down the city onbicycles. They had their picks and rodsstrapped to the bikes, worked in all

weathers and had no gas detec tors.”

David recalls his first descent into thesystem. “It was a new and very strangeexperience, but I grew to love it,” hesays with a broad grin.

Clarence Hotel. But the river was thechannel used by Viking ships to enterthe city, and provided them withdrinking water,” he says.

The potable water in the Poddle is aresource which David says remainsuntapped. “With our expanding popu -lation, water supply is a big issue.There has been a lot of controversyabout the city getting its water fromthe Shannon, but there is a sourcecloser to home.” And he gestures to amanhole on little Ship Street, wherethe Poddle is flowing furiously.

Donning his waders and safety equip -ment, he cheerfully descends into themanhole for our photographer, and itis clear from his expression that he’sstill enjoying life underground �

The old crews worked inpairs and travelled up anddown the city on bicycles.They had their picks and

rods strapped to the bikesand worked in all weathers.

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Pockets ofmethane canbe disturbedas you walkthrough andany prolongedexposure tothe gas isextremelydangerous.

Meet the team.Trevor O’Neill,

David Greene andJoe Magill.

He’s even featured in a 2007 UStelevision documentary about theunder ground life of cities, explainingthe historical significance of the riverPoddle. “The river flows under the city,exiting into the Liffey underneath the

More than ever, you need the protection of

your union.

www.impact.ie

There’s never been a better time to Join IMPACT

Dublin: Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1. Tel: 01-817-1500. Email: info@impact.ieCork: Father Matthew Quay, Cork. Tel: 021-425-5210. Email: impactcork@impact.ie

Galway: Unit 23, Sean Mulvoy Business Park, Sean Mulvoy Road, Galway. Tel: 091-778-031. Email: impactgalway@impact.ieSligo: 51 John Street, Sligo. Tel: 071-914-2400. Email: impactsligo@impact.ie

� Living standards threatened

� Public service cuts

� Pensions under attack

� Economy slowing

16 winter 2008

Could your boss give you an identity crisis?

In the era of identity theft, BERNARD HARBOR is amazed at

the amount of personal information we entrust to our employers.

LASt YeAr iMPACt member Caitríona Jones found a letter from health insurance company HSA ireland in her pigeon hole at Dublin airport. “My first impression – a false one – was that this had some relevance to my job because it contained my name and staff number, and it was delivered directly to me at work,” she says.

After a bit of digging, Caitríona found out that the Aer Lingus payroll section had sent the details of its entire staff to the company. “i was very annoyed. i didn’t give permission, so how could my employer decide to hand over my personal details?” she asked.

A number of her colleagues complained to the Data Protection Commissioner, the man responsible for policing how organisations handle our personal information, who rapped Aer Lingus over the knuckles for breaching confidentiality laws.

But the experience left Caitríona wondering. “that’s the one we found out about. But we just don’t know if there have been other breaches of our personal privacy,” she says.

Maybe she’s right to worry. Our employers hold just about every important piece of personal data we possess. Bank account details, medical and sickness records, home addresses and contact details, employment history, educational qualifications, our earnings and tax affairs, even our family circumstances and disciplinary records.

But can we trust them? in September, health workers woke up to the news that the HSe had ‘lost’ a laptop containing the potentially sensitive medical details of over 1,000 of its staff. Amazingly, the data wasn’t encrypted, although it did have password protection.

And, scarily, this wasn’t an isolated incident. the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CPAG) has managed to lose an incredible 16 laptops containing personal data in the last decade. none of the information was encrypted and the CPAG admits that at least three of the laptops contained information that could be misused, including the banking details and personal public service numbers of over 2,000 public servants.

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Annoyed: Aer Lingus gave personal data about Caitríona Jones to a private firm.

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The CPAG’s director of audit says it has now taken steps to improve data security, including using encryption and halting the transfer of personal data by email.

In Britain, unions feared for the personal safety of their members when a private contractor lost a computer disc containing the details of 5,000 prison officers.

Workers’ data protection

17Work & LIfe: The mAGAzIne for ImPACT memBers

Could your boss give you an identity crisis?“It is a breach that could ultimately cost the taxpayer millions of pounds because, if the information lost is personal and sensitive, it may well mean staff having to move prisons, move homes and relocate their families,” according to union leader Colin moses.

Back in Ireland, it recently emerged that a laptop containing sensitive information about 380,000 social welfare recipients went AWoL in the same year. This led Data Protection Commissioner Billy hawkes to demand that all major holders of personal data – including employers – “fully examine all their policies in relation to the collection and storage of data to ensure that incidents of this scale and nature can be avoided in the future.”

so what legal protections are available to staff? Before 2007 there was no law covering personal data kept by employers on paper files. only electronic data was protected. But that’s changed and, since last year, all current and former personal records are covered by data protection laws regardless of the format.

Under the Data Protection Act, any information about us that’s stored by another person or organisation, except An Garda síochána, can only be used with our permission – and only for purposes that we agree to. sometimes your permission is implicit. for instance, your employer can imply that it’s okay to use your

hr needs to know about relevant medical records or disabilities, and so on.

Big employers have been caught out in the past. following the 2001 teachers’ dispute, the department of education used confidential details about union membership to withhold pay increases from AsTI members on the grounds that they were in

breach of the national agreement and were, therefore, not entitled to a rise. The Data Commissioner raised the yellow card saying that the teachers concerned had passed on details of their union membership to facilitate subscription payments from source, and for no other reason.

Your employer is also obliged by law to keep your personal information secure. That means having effective data security procedures in place. This includes properly restricting access to data, using secure or encrypted electronic communications if necessary, even locking filing cabinets and shredding documents. The office of the Data Protection Commissioner will advise on this.

Under the law you also have the right to access all the information about you that your employer holds, and to correct it if it’s factually inaccurate. You are also entitled to have your name removed from direct marketing lists and, if you suffer loss through your employer’s carelessness, you can seek compensation through the courts.

I asked ImPACT general manager Paddy keating how safe our personal information really is in the hands of employers. “In reality, it varies from organisation to organisation. But a responsible employer can make the risk extremely small and the

“The way a private detective works is to bring unrelated information together. If you can do that through people’s carelessness,

you can build up a detailed picture.”

bank details to pay your wages into your account, or your salary details to pay your tax to the revenue Commissioners.

But they can’t give it – or sell it – to a third party, who might want to use it for direct marketing for instance. That’s where Aer Lingus fell foul of the Data Protection Commissioner after Caitríona received her letter from hsA.

They also have to ensure that personal data is kept up to date, an important issue when it comes to things like disciplinary records, appraisals, and references you might have provided when you interviewed for the job ten years ago.

And, even within their own organisations, employers are obliged to restrict access to your private data on a ‘need to know’ basis. only payroll staff need to know your salary and tax details. only

Data Protection Commissioner’s office will advise on – or even enforce – the necessary procedures,” he said.

But it’s a substantial task to keep personal data safe and secure. According to Paddy, you only have to watch a detective movie to see how seemingly useless information can be pieced together to cause a problem.

“The way a private detective works is to bring unrelated information together. If you can do that through people’s carelessness, you can build up a detailed picture. Pretty soon you may have an identity to steal. You’d have to be determined, very skilled, and pretty lucky, but it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility,” he says.

Get more information on your rights from www.dataprotection.ie l

Page title

18 WINTER 2008

We tend to look to the pastwith rose tinted glasses. ButMARTINA O’LEARY saysthings have changed for thebetter when it comes tomaternity leave.

BACK IN 1999 when IMPACT member GerNolan had her first child Luke, she got just 14weeks paid maternity leave. By the time hersecond son Fintan came along in 2005, shewas entitled to 18 weeks. But with her thirdchild, due this November, Ger will be entitledto 26 weeks paid leave.

This welcome increase in maternity leave isno accident. Paid leave for both parents hasbeen high on the agenda of Irish trade unionsfor many years, and the improvements havelargely been won during negotiations fornational agreements. Next time you hear thequestion: “What’s my union ever done forme?” remember our entitlement to paidmaternity leave has risen by over 30% in justeight years.

Ger Nolan, who works in Dublin arts devel -opment organisation Common Ground, saysthe latest increase is a real improve ment.

“The four-week difference between Luke andFintan was fairly marginal. Luke was onlythree and half months old, and Fintan wasfour months, when I returned to work. But thenew changes mean this time I’ll be off foralmost a year with paid maternity leave,unpaid maternity leave and annual leave. It’sgreat. The baby will be ten months old whenI go back to work and will be a lot moresettled and into more of a routine,” she says.

Luke was breast-fed and limited maternityleave meant he had to be weaned earlier thanGer would have liked. “I was working parttime when Fintan was born so I could breast-feed for longer. But it was draining, feedinghim and working. Being able to take longertime off helps a lot if you’re breast feeding. Itmakes a big difference to mother and baby,”she says.

Child care is also a big issue. “I would hateto have to put a three month old baby into acrèche five days a week. They are really justtiny tots. If the baby is older, at least they aremore robust,” says Ger.

With the economy shrinking and growingconcerns about competitiveness and Gov -ernment income, it’s unlikely that we’ll seefurther improvements for a while.

But the Irish Congress of Trade Unionscontinues to look for better provision. It wantspaid maternity leave increased by a furtherthree months to bring the full entitlement tonine months �

Your rights at work

Maternity matters

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WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 19

Maternity protection in a nutshellThe Maternity Protection Acts 1994 and 2004 apply to employees who are pregnant, haverecently given birth, or who are breast feeding. Its main provisions are:

� 26 consecutive weeks maternity leave with social welfare benefit

� Two weeks of this must be taken before the baby’s due date

� 16 weeks optional unpaid leave

� The right to return to work

� Paid time off for ante-natal and post-natal appointments

� Time off to attend ante-natal classes

� Dads entitled to time off to attend the last two classes

� Time off or reduced working hours for breastfeeding

� Leave for fathers if the mother dies within 24 weeks of the birth

� Protection from dismissal for pregnancy-related reasons.

Money mattersMost new mums are legally entitled to maternity benefit from the Department of SocialWelfare. The weekly rate is calculated by dividing your gross income by the number ofweeks actually worked in the year.

Maternity benefit is 80% of this amount, currently subject to a minimum of €221.80 anda maximum of €280.00 per week. Unions have negotiated better provisions in manyorganisations. For instance, most public servants get their full salary.

More information - www.equality.ie

Dads’ armyTHE BAD news is that dads aren’t legally entitled to paternity leave – paid or otherwise.But unions have negotiated some leave in certain organisations. Many public servants canget three days paid paternity leave, for instance. ICTU has sought a statutory entitlementto one month’s paid paternity leave. But no joy so far.

Baby breaksAER LINGUS pilot Maria Dowd has two sons, Seán (8) and Fionn (4) and a daughter,Alanna, who is two this November. She says increased maternity leave is a great im-provement, but feels it should be longer still.

“I think the woman shouldn’t have to go back until the baby is a year old,” she says.

Maria was lucky enough to be able to take leave for her second and third kids. “I took everytype of leave available to me including paid and unpaid and parental leave and Aer Lin-gus facilitated me with unpaid leave. I was so grateful for that.”

The experience with her first child Seán was horrendous. “It didn’t dawn on me that itwould be so difficult. I went back to work part-time, taking one day’s parental leave aweek. But he was only a tiny baby and I was still breast-feeding him. I was doing thetransatlantic route, so I wasaway for a few nights at atime. It was emotionally ter-rible and the separation wasvery difficult,” she says.

She decided never to repeatthe experience when she hadmore kids. “It was much eas-ier with Fionn and Alanna,although I was still breast- feeding Fionn when I re-turned to work. I hadfin ished breastfeeding Al -anna by the time my leaveended, and that workedwell,” she says.

Ger Nolan with Luke and Fintan.

Maria Dowd with Seán, Fionn and Alanna.

Photo: M

oya Nolan

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

The dark winter nightsapproach and you’retoying with the idea ofstarting a courseinstead of spendingevery evening in front ofthe TV. MARTINAO’LEARY helps you withthe decision.

THERE’S NO doubt that embarkingupon some ‘continuous professionaldevelopment’ can be good for yourcareer – and guaranteed to get the oldgrey matter in better shape.

But how do you get started whenthere’s such a mind-boggling range ofoptions available these days? You nameit and there’s probably a choice ofcourses on offer.

The first thing is to be clear about yourreasons for taking on some study? Do youwant to gain more skills to help in yourcurrent job or improve your promotionprospects? Or are you looking for a big leapinto a new career?

Maybe you just want to take up a new hobby or followan interest. That’s allowed too! But if you want to develop yourcareer, it’s worth choosing carefully.

If you want to get on in your present job, it might be worth talking to your linemanager or human resources about the kinds of things that might give you a leg-up. If your employeroperates a PMDS appraisal scheme, this is an obvious opportunity to raise the question. If not,try a quiet word with the boss.

If you want a career change, you need to consider the options and find out whetherformal professional qualifications are needed. Even if they aren’t, there mightbe key skills that you’ll need. Talk to people who work in the area to helpyou discover if it’s really for you – and find out what kinds of skills youneed to develop or brush up on.

Once you’ve decided what you want to learn about, the next step isto research the available courses. These days you can cut out a lotof the leg work by using the web. Then get hold of some pros -pectuses and study them – course content can vary quite a lot fromcollege to college, even on the same subject matter.

It’s okay to phone the college and talk to someone about the course.These days they are all keen to attract business, so think of yourself as avalued potential customer – not an errant schoolchild! But remember, theyhave a vested interest in your opting for their course so be sure to ‘shoparound’. And, whatever course you’re considering, it makes sense to talk tocurrent and past students if you can. �

The lesson for today is…

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 21

Your careerP

hoto: Dream

stime

22 WINTER 2008

To help you choose� What skills must I develop to get

that promotion?

� Do I need specific qualifications forthe career change I’m planning?

� Can I get an insight from someonewho’s done the course I’mconsidering?

� Can I stick a three-year course, orshould I start with something moremanageable?

� How much does it cost? (Don’t forgetto factor in books, exam fees andother costs).

� Will my employer help with fees orstudy time?

� Is there a free course available? FÁSmight be able to advise.

� Do I really see myself crossing townin the rain for a three-hour lectureafter work? Maybe distance learningmakes more sense.

� Hate the idea of exams? Maybe I canfind a project-based course.

� Now, which of my mates am I goingto press-gang into enrolling with me!

If you have family commitments, youmight need to sit down as a family andconsider this carefully. I did a two-yeardiploma course a couple of years agoand my four and seven year old girlsmade me feel guilty each time I left thehouse for the lecture hall!.

Money is always an issue, especiallythese days. It may be a case of‘speculate to accumulate’ but makesure you can manage the costs of acourse. And, remember, it may entailmore than the catalogue price if youhave to buy a lot of books and payexam fees.

Check with agencies like FÁS to seewhat free or affordable courses areavailable. If there’s a cost, see if it’spossible to get money from othersources. Many employers will considermaking a contribution to training andeducation costs if they are related tothe job.

And other organisations might bewilling to help. For instance, IMPACTgives small grants to membersundertaking certain industrial relationsand trade union courses. My motto isalways ask the question – you might besurprised at the positive answer.

If you’re nervous about going back tothe classroom, try to get a friend toenrol too. But don’t be put off. You’rebound to meet other students in thesame position and, before you know it,you’ll be glad you took the plunge.

Finally, try to get some fun out of it. Allwork and no play makes Jack or Jackiea very dull person. But doing a coursecan be a social thing too. Soon you’llbe learning new things and meetingnew people, developing your skills andgaining some personal fulfilment �

Also, think about the teaching andexamination methods on offer. Someof us need the companionship andsupport that comes with the classroomenvironment. Others find the flexibilityof distance learning suits better. Someof us relish group work and projects.For others, the old-style exam holds nofear! Courses vary widely in theirapproach so look at the options anddecide what’s best for you.

Time and moneyDoing any kind of course puts extrademands on your time and this willvary depending on the level andduration of the courses available. Behonest with yourself about how muchtime you can commit, rememberingthat you may have to study and doprojects and assessments as well assimply attend classes. Think about theduration of the courses on offer anddon’t bite off more than you can chew.

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Your career

Activity reallyhelps clients

I am an IMPACT mem berworking for the HSE asan activity nurse in a150-bed nursinghome, which pro videslong-stay, respite, and

day care facilities. Ourresidential clients have

various forms of dementiaand our day care clients come from ahome environment, often living in -depen dently.

I’ve been doing this with a colleague, acare assistant, since October 2006.We’ve learned so much along the way,from the clients, their relatives, andothers who work in the area of activityprovision.

We have also experienced both positiveand negative attitudes of staff. ‘Activ -ities’ is a relatively new concept withinmany HSE nursing homes and somestaff view our posts with a critical eye.Others understand the challenge ofthe job and its importance in the dailylives of our clients.

The establishment of activity nurses inpermanent HSE posts is a necessaryand a positive step forward in patientcare. I work in a ‘funded’ post. So, al -though I’m permanent, in the presentclimate, the post isn’t.

We are just two staff members tryingto provide activities for 150-plus daycare clients. We are also members ofthe Irish Association of Activity Nursesand Carers. This is a very active andmotivated group with a dedicatedcommittee who organise meetings,AGMs, website and education prog -rammes.

We find that the support offered byother members is invaluable. We shareideas and encourage one another. Weall realise that what we are doing is soimportant in the lives of the people wecome in contact with in our work.

We believe in what we do and can seethe difference it makes. Although manyof our clients may not rememberpartaking in our activity groups it’s allabout “enjoying the moment.”

Maggie Smyth, RGN/SCNKildare HSE branch

Squandered wealthDuring the dark years of apartheid aglorious anthem by Labi Siffre, adamning indictment of the waste andinjustice in South Africa at that time,included the words “you squander thewealth that’s mine.” �

STAR

LETTER

€50

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 23

PS

Your sayWe protested and boycotted SouthAfrican goods but always there was theone crumb of comfort – it could neverhappen to us. We enjoyed a democracywhere our elected government fosteredand empowered the aspirations of theordinary working person.

How silly we were!

Huge wealth, built on the backs ofordinary workers, has now vanished,squandered on failed decentralisation,failed electronic voting, failed madcappolicies dreamt up by overpaid pro -gramme managers and consultants.

Squandered on the millions we pay toprivate companies from whom we hiresubstandard prefabs instead of build -ing classrooms for our children or,indeed, paying school secretaries theminimum wage!

Oh, and now public servants are askedto pay the price with wage restraintbecause we have a pension scheme

where a clerical officer, after 42 yearsof blemish-free service, will ‘luxuriate’on a pension of €371 per week.

Jerry King, Mayo branch

You never write, you never phone...Work & Life pays €50 for the best letter published each month and €30 for therest. Let us know what you think aboutthe magazine or the issues it’s covered.Come to think of it, let us know yourviews on anything at all! Get out yourpen 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.

We only publish signed letters. Work & Life may edit your

letter for size.

Travel and trips

24 WINTER 2008

After our respective drives from Galwayand Dublin, the first pit stop was tograb an essential cup of coffee in theKilkenny Design Centre restaurant.“It’s lovely. Really relaxed and thewaitress offered to top up our coffeetwice in the short 30 minutes we spentthere,” said Niamh.

We crossed the road to Kilkenny castle.“The castle gardens are beautiful, withtheir roses, ornamental lake and thechildren’s playground,” said Medbh.We paid €5.30 each to do the castletour, (there are reductions for seniors,groups, students, children and famil -ies) under the stewardship of ourPolish guide Sebastian.

Relaxing in the

Marble

THE IDEA was to get the expert opinionof people with a thorough knowledgeof the tourist business, and review oneof Ireland’s most popular visitorattractions. So I went to Kilkenny andmet up with Medbh Killilea and NiamhEnglish, both senior travel advisorswith Fáilte Ireland’s Discover Irelandcentre in Galway.

As you drive into the Marble City you’reimmediately struck by the medievalbuildings all around you, from thecastle to Saint Canice’s cathedral andRoche House on Parliament Street. Itgives off a huge sense of history andculture.

The 50-minute tour passed in no time.“The amount of information you gotabout the castle history was immenseand really interesting. To think that theButler family sold the castle to the cityfor just £50 back in the early 1960s!Sebastian did a really good job – veryefficient and very clear. And the castleis so beautifully restored,” says Medbh.

MagnificentWith the tour finished, we strolledaround the beautiful grounds of ButlerHouse. Niamh hadn’t realised theywere open to the public. “They’remagnificent. You could easily spendhours around the castle with the

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MARTINA O’LEARY spent astress-free day wanderingaround Kilkenny city with twoIMPACT members who knowa good tourist town whenthey see one.

25

There was a good choice on the lunchmenu. The three of us each had a mainmeal and some side orders, sparklingwater and coffee, and the bill came to€57.00. Good value in my book, giventhe excellent food, service andatmosphere. With seating inside andout, you could easily spend a pleasantafternoon or evening in Zuni.

QuirkyWith bellies full,we headed toex plore whatKil kenny’s hasto offer in theshoppingdepartment.There’s a vastarray of excellent craft shops andquirky boutiques from the KilkennyDesign Centre, opposite the castle, toSerendipity boutique on lively KieranStreet. And lots more besides.

Before we knew it we’d spent well overan hour pottering around these greatoutlets, with only a small dint inMedbh’s credit card. We stopped off inthe Yard café, a tiny outdoor coffeeshop on Kieran Street, for the lastrefreshments of the day – again servedby friendly, efficient staff.

“The atmosphere is quite similar toGalway in a way, but more relaxed. It’sreally interesting. Kilkenny is quaintand clean with lots of places to eatoutside. It has its own definite char -

Cityacter. They have thought about every -thing, from the old fashioned streetlights to colourful flowers everywhere.Everything is in keeping,” said Niamh.

Medbh detected a romantic feel to thecity – maybe one reason why it’s sopopular for weekend breaks. “It doesn’tfeel like a city because it’s so relaxed.But it definitely deserves its status as a

city as there isso much to it,and the peopleare welcomingand warm. Onething I didnotice, workingin tourism, isthat everythingis very acc ess -ible. The castle,

shops, and restaurants, tourist officeand citizens’ advice bureau – it’s allclose together.

So the expert verdict? “Definitely!Without a doubt you could spend agreat weekend here. It’s several yearssince I was last in Kilkenny and it wasfor a girls night out. All we wereinterested in was the booze, the boysand the craic. That would be the lastthing on my mind now. While you canstill get that here, there’s a lot morebesides,” says Medbh.

We had a lovely day and the time justflew by. My one regret was that weweren’t going to benefit from thefamous Kilkenny nightlife. But there’salways next time! �

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

Child’s playTHE MARBLE city is not just forgrown-ups. There’s lots forchildren too.

Kilkenny Castle has extensivegardens and a playground.

Castlecomer Discovery Park, 20 min -utes out of the city, boasts 30 heac -tares of mixed woodlands and amultimedia centre where you can seeprehistoric amphibians swim, giantinsects fly and massive millipedescrawl.

Nore Valley Park Open Farm, ninekilometres out, has a range ofanimals and a playground and picnicarea.

The Reptile Village in Gowan is adedicated reptile zoo with over 100animals from crocodiles to cobras,geckos to giant spiders. Yuk!

Dunmore Cave contains some of thefinest calcite formations found in anyIrish cave. Just 10km from the city.

Photo: D

ylan Vaughan

Niamh English and Medbh Killilea enjoying Kilkenny.

Galway girl MedbhKillilea exploresKilkenny city.

playground and ButlerHouse gardens with thegoldfish pond,” she said.

A nice lunch is alwaysessential to a good dayout and there are plentyof excellent cafés, pubsand restaurants in thecity. We headed for ZuniRestaurant and Town -house on Patrick Street.It’s a popular restaurantwith the locals and isrecommended in theBridgestone guide. It’seasy to see why. �

“Kilkenny has its own definitecharacter. They have thought abouteverything, from the old fashioned

street lights to colourful flowerseverywhere. Everything is in keeping.”

You loved

Trish O’Mahony’s

career advice on

what to wear

to work. So now she’s

doing a regular new

Work & Life

fashion feature!

Looking good

26 WINTER 2008

Are TV makeover shows any practicaluse? TRISH O’MAHONY has a look atwhat’s good, what’s bad, and what’s thealternative.

HAVE YOU ever wished the experts could whisk you away inyour original form and bring you back shiny and new, burstingwith confidence with a brand new image and appearance?

Image is very high on the priority list for most women – andlots of men. And that’s why we’re hooked on TV makeovershows. They also make for pretty good viewing because peopleare impressed by improvements in ordinary people’s lives – beit a healthy bank account, a trendy garden or a stunning newface and wardrobe.

In one recent episode of How to look 10 years younger, the 44-year-old subject started out with an average street rating of50-something. By the end it had come down to 30-something!She’d gone from toothless, bedraggled and depressed to aconfident, attractive woman, with a mouth full of pearlywhites. Her new confidence led to dramatic changes in her lifeand she appeared to be happy with her new lot.

When I watched the Irish version Off the rails recently a youngfemale mechanic was dressing up for an awards night. Shehadn’t worn a dress or heels since her debs. The teamtransformed her from greasy overalls to glam chick, and shelapped up the attention. It won’t change her life but she gaineda beautiful confidence and promised her friends and familythey’d be seeing a lot more of her feminine form. No harm inany of that, I say. �

FIND THE KIT THAT FITS YOUR PERSONALITY.Top designers Fiona Cummins, Michelle McCarrol and Heather Finnwith their creations at the summer launch of Dublin Fashion Week.

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Operatio

Incidentally, Off the rails hasundergone its own internalmakeover for the autumn2008 sched ule.

The naked truthIn How to look good nakedGok Wan takes his subjectson the path of loving theirfaces and bodies. Dressingthem up in the latest fash -ions, giving them a nought ies hairstyle andsending them on their merry way – it’s a veryupbeat, jazzed-up affair. Wan’s approach seemsto run deeper than that, though. He seems toreally change how women see themselves,bringing them to a place where they appeargenuinely happy with their app earance. More ofthe same, please!

Participants in RTÉ’s Operation Trans formation,which majors on diet and exercise, all talk abouthow much the experience transforms themmentally – with renewed confidence and apositive approach to life – as well as physically.

The ugly truthBut there can be down sides too, particularlywith the shows like How to look 10 years youngerthat take the nip’n’tuck route. If you’re of thecowardly disposition, and a bit squeamish aboutneedles and knives, you’ll probably be againstthe thing from the outset. Apart from themedical risks involved it can become addictive.As soon as one flaw is rectified you move ontothe next, and the snag list becomes endless.This could be a vicious circle that never reallydelivers the self-esteem we crave.

In recent affluent times, spending on nips andtucks has become increasingly common witheven very young women dependent on botox andchemical peels. And that’s only the facial area!Without getting too serious, this approach raisesdeeper issues about a person’s self esteem.Appearance matters, but if you think it’s youronly mark of beauty you’ll never be truly happywith yourself.

27WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

production team are paying for a new wardrobe it probablytakes some of the pain out of it!

Then they go in search of the ‘perfect wardrobe’, the ‘perfect’hairstyle and ‘perfect’ makeup – as decided by the expertteam. The problem is that there’s no such thing as off-the-shelf ‘perfect’. Too often this approach lacks individuality andoverlooks the subject’s personality and lifestyle.

Alternative takeDo you really see yourself out there on the big screen, takingthe criticism or even invasive surgery, just to be turned outlooking like a replica of someone else? Well, not everyone isgoing to make it to the TV screen and maybe that’s just aswell.

But you can create your own transformation. If you’re a fan ofTrinny and Susannah, probably one of the longest runningprogrammes of this type, you’ll know the line: “Celebrate yourcurves, Love what you are.” Maybe that’s a bit simplistic, butit’s a good starting point.

We’d be far more content if we took a common sense, holisticapproach to beauty and see it as something much deeperthan the colour of our highlights, or the labels on our backs.In fairness to RTÉ’s How long will you live?, which runs the riskof being a bit boring and poor on visual impact, it deals withthe practical side of healthy living like stress factors and howto manage them.

People who are 100% happy with their appearance are hardto find. But in the long run, accepting ourselves physically,and striving to maintain a healthy lifestyle is far morerewarding than a quick makeover. Obviously we can’t deludeourselves. If we’re carrying a little too much weight – or toolittle – we need to take corrective action. Aiming to improveour appearance through a healthy diet, regular exercise, andenough sleep makes us look and feel better.

transformation

Do you really see yourself out thereon the big screen, taking the

criticism or even invasive surgeryjust to turn out looking like a

replica of someone else?

And maybe I’m grasping at straws here, but what about thelines on a person’s face showing years of laughter, addingcharacter, displaying life’s exper iences, growing old gracefullyand all that?

In fact, few makeover shows rely on cosmetic surgery toimprove their subjects. But many of them tend towards thehumiliating and invasive – ridiculing their subjects’ wardrobeand usually dumping every stitch in it. Then again, if the

And it’s important to consider our beauty regime over a longperiod. There’s no point in taking up the gym and being alltoned and body beautiful for Christmas. It’s a bit like buyingthe puppy – it needs to be for life.

As for those makeover shows: Take some with a large pinch ofsalt. Take others as sound advice. Above all, take what worksfor you – and ignore the rest. It’s an image, after all! �

on

Survive Christmas... and live to tell the tale!

It’s never too early to start planning if you want to take the stress out of Christmas. KAREN WARD advises.

28 winter 2008

Be good to yourself

CHriStMAS iS looming. it’s a wonderful time of year. A time of loving, giving, receiving. A happy family time. Or is it?

Christmas is a highly emotive time when all your emotions are practically tripled in strength – including the not-so-nice ones. it’s often a time when we feel we must conform to society’s version of what should happen on that one big day.

we can get caught up in a whirl of very expensive present buying, the need to have our home looking a certain way, and having to invite certain people around. At the end of it all we can be left feeling exhausted with frayed nerves and a sense of ‘what-was-all-that-about?’

So this year why not take the holistic approach and enjoy the festivities in the best possible way. the good news is that preparation is everything. it’s never too late to start.

Christmas shopping: Pleasure or pain?

Decide a present strategy in the family. if the family circle is increasing rapidly maybe a good idea is to just buy presents for the children or for each household. A Kris Kindle, where names go in a hat and each person just buys one bigger present, is a

great idea. it means that everyone receives one good present and you only have to buy once, cutting down on time and energy.

Make a list. this is very important. Know what you want to buy when you go shopping, or at least have a vague idea.

Plan your shopping route. there is nothing worse than being on Dublin’s busy Grafton Street when your next stop is in Henry Street. especially if you’ve already been there that morning.

never shop when you’re hungry or tired – or at peak shopping times. You’ll buy anything and regret it later.

Don’t buy things you like. Buy what ‘they’ will like.

Breathe! relax. Shopping for loved ones is meant to be fun. if you don’t like it then pick the present ideas and pay someone to do it for you – a good way for a young niece or nephew to make a few bob.

Christmas day traditions

when it comes to tradition, you might have a case for ‘out with the old, in with the new’.

Survive Christmas... and live to tell the tale!

29Work & Life: The magazine for imPaCT members

in other words, make new family traditions if old ones don’t suit any more. find out what others want to do, but choose where you want to be. stay at home if you fancy that. anyone with small children will find it easier.

Delegate and don’t do the martyr! if you’re hosting the dinner, it’s fine to allow others to help or bring certain dishes.

anticipate yearly ‘situations’. Yes, we all know the scenarios. how long will it take granny to ask why mary isn’t married, why Tom has long hair, and why Joe hasn’t brought in the logs?

Talk to the people involved or work around it. make it a private joke and smile when she comes out with the gem. or take Joe aside and help with the logs.

Stephen’s day

it’s up to you to decide whether stephen’s day is more of the same or a divine rest. but rule no.1 is that chef takes a day off. This is only fair and means valuable and much needed time out for the person that bore the brunt of Christmas day.

karen Ward, holistic therapist from

rTe’s health squad, is co-author

of The Health Squad Guide to Health

and Fitness. she runs her clinic in

smithfield, Dublin, treating her

treasured clients from a mind, body,

spirit and energetic perspective.

www.karenwardholistictherapist.com.

Why not have turkey curry and lots of fruit to eat? Christmas doesn’t have to mean the healthy eating plan goes out the window. after all it’s only one day. get back on track on stephen’s day and your body will thank you for it. Why not factor in an enjoyable exercise the family can do?

remember what Christmas is all about: Love, new birth, giving and receiving. so try to ensure that you get lots of opportunities to enjoy yourself.

New year – new you!

so how did last year’s new Year’s resolutions go? Did you eat healthier, exercise more, or just think about it? “if only i could motivate myself just to get started” is a familiar cry to us all. Well imagine you could cleanse your system, lose a few pounds and gain more energy before you even get to the gym.

Why not let a holistic approach to a new you make this a new Year with a difference? Check out the holistic hangover cures in the box. l

Holistic hangover cures• Line your stomach before the big night out. Thick vegetable soup, a baked potato or a whole meal brown bread sandwich are ideal.• Drink lots of water before, during and especially afterwards. remember the hangover is caused by dehydration. • a spritzer is a good drink as it combines water and white wine.• ginger tea is an excellent hangover cure.• Plan some exercise to get the blood and lymph moving. Try a stiff walk the next day. Team up with a friend and have a good festive chat too.

STORED ON my computer harddrive is a photo that encap -sulates the summer of 2008. Itshows the lone figure of myhusband, clad in his yellowoilskin jacket, bent anxiouslyover a barbecue, which issheltering under our gardenparasol in the endless teemingrain.

We took it through the windowas we didn’t dare open the doorfor fear of drenching ourguests. As successful barbe -cues go, it wasn’t.

This season the weather is irrelevant,apart from high winds blowing the roof

From the kitchen

30

The entertainme Christmas,Halloween, evenThanksgiving. As thehome hospitalityfocus moves indoors,MARGARETHANNIGAN givesexpert advice onpreparing the perfectdinner party.

Make it yourself

one) hospitality returns indoors. Thesecret of success is to stick with thethree Ps: Preparation, Preparation,Preparation.

Breadsticks (makes about 80)

For the dough you need:• 680g strong white flour• 50g butter• 2 sachets fast-acting

yeast• 3tbsp olive oil• 1 tsp salt• 1 tbsp sugar• 350-400ml lukewarm

water

needed). Let the dough sit for 5minutes, then knead for 10 minutes, orhalf that time in a mixer with a doughhook.

Let the dough relax for a few minutes.Lightly brush it with olive oil, cover withcling film and put in the fridge for 30minutes if you have the time (thedough will be easier to handle whencold, but can be used immediately). Ifyou don’t need 80 breadsticks, you canfreeze them raw for another time, oruse the dough for pizza bases.

Pick off small balls of dough – about15-20g – and on a clean dry surface,roll them out with your hands intosticks. Drizzle a tablespoon or two ofolive oil onto the work surface, roll thesticks in it to wet them, then roll themfor a second in your toppings. Place ona baking tray brushed with water andbake for 5-15 minutes depending onhow thick they are. Keep an eye onthem, as you want them crisp andgolden. Store in an airtight container,

Unlike Roy Keane, youcan’t pack up yourshin guards and headfor the airport if thedinner burns. Footballmay be the beautifulgame, butentertaining is an art.

There are no fail-safe recipes for a dinner party, so I’m giving you arecipe for breadsticks, guacamole, and tortilla chips. The breadsticksare gorgeous on their own, but are great with soups and dips, and thetortilla chips are so much better than anything in a packet. All can bemade early in the day, or late the day before.

Toppings: Use any combination of seasalt, chopped herbs, crushed cumin orcoriander seeds, sesame seeds,pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds or finelygrated parmesan.

Preheat oven to220C/425F/gas 7. Mixflour, salt and sugartogether in a bowl. Rub inthe butter. Add the oiland almost all the waterand mix to a loose dough(add flour or water if

off or guests being waylaid by home -less polar bears looking to borrowsome ice. As we turn away from thesun (and I am assured there still is

WINTER 2008

First, decide what youare going to serve. Itshould be somethingfamiliar, which you’reconfident you can cookwell, and that will suitthe occ asion. But do tryto establish if anyonehas any special dietaryneeds or allergies before -hand, and don’t expectvege tarians to happilychow down on ostrichsteaks just to suit you.

Keep it simple. Simplewell-prepared food, serv -ed in a calm, happy at -mos phere is alwaysbetter than five gourmetdishes served by a fretfulhostess and her terror -ised family. Aim for foodthat requires little lastminute attention; start -ers, desserts, dips,cheeseboards, frittatas,quiches, soups andsalads are all good andcan be prepared well inadvance. Try to picture

how the food will look on the plate.

Don’t forget the hardware end ofthings. Have you enough cutlery,

31

nt industry

WHITE WINE, beer, cider, andvodka should be cold as a pen -guin’s kiss, while red wine should

always be warm. Keep water onhand for anyone requiring alittle dilution, and make suremixers and ice are availablefor sprits, and liquers. Manyoff-licences and super mark -ets offer advice on whatwines to serve. And they can

supply glasses and ice.

Perfect 10Ten tips for a perfectdinner do.

1. Aim to have 70% of the workdone before anyone arrives.(This applies to everythingfrom a cup of coffee with caketo Christmas dinner for 20).

2. Make a check list and followit.

3. Check that all plates, glasses,cutlery, etc have not gonecamping in the garden with awould-be Indiana Jones.Sterilise as necessary.

4. Check the presses and fridgeto ensure all ingredients arepresent and correct.

5. Check for bottle-openers,corkscrews, lemons and ice.

6. Today is not the day to repaintthe hall, stairs and landing,give yourself a home perm, orinsulate the attic.

7. Set out your table early andmake it clear that anyone whomesses with it will bevaporised.

8. Delegate. And feel free to paysomeone to clean beforehandif it’s too much for you.

9. Yes, you can buy swankycakes, ice cream, deli goodsand anything else rather thanmake your own.

10. Relax. It’s only food.

A wordabout wine

and refresh in a medium oven for aminute or two if desired beforeserving.

Guacamole (for 6-8)

• 2 ripe avocadoes, peeled and stoned• 2 crushed cloves of garlic• 2tbsp olive oil (optional)• 2tbsp chopped coriander or parsley • Salt and pepper• Juice of half a lime or lemon

Mash everything together and put in abowl covered with clingfilm untilneeded.

Tortilla chips (for 6-8)

• Cut 8 tortillas into 8 segments each• Qtr tsp cayenne pepper (optional)• 25g grated parmesan cheese

(optional)• Salt

Heat up a deep fryer full of oil,or fill your deepest fryingpan. Mix the parmesan andpepper together. When theoil is hot, fry the wedgesuntil golden. Remove fromthe oil and, while still wet,sprinkle with salt or parm -esan/pepper mix. Yum.

glasses, plates, chairs? Do you havepretty dishes for serving? Will there bea theme? Your aim is to make yourguests comfortable, and allow them –and hopefully you - to enjoy them -selves.

Or, as Roy Keane so pithily put it inSaipan: Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.But unlike Roy, you can’t pack up yourshin guards and sunscreen and head tothe airport if the dinner burns. Re -mem ber, football may be the beautifulgame, but entertaining is an art.

Consider the kind of atmosphere youwant. Tidy away the debris of day-to-day life, and set up some soft lightsand candles – guaranteed to flattereven the homeliest among us.

Make sure everyone gets something todrink and nibble when they arrive.Consider the volume and content ofbackground music. Heavy metal won’tfoster conversation, and Enya has beenknown to cause migraine.

Above all, aim to have as much in placeas possible before the first guestarrives. Then you can be part of the funtoo, and not a red-faced, hystericalwreck who keeps apologising from thebottom of your crumpled apron �

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

Photo: D

reamstim

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recommend to people who have small gardens. It has amazing all year around interest. The old bark on its trunk and branches flakes and curls back to reveal cinnamon-coloured under bark, and the leaves show fine autumnal tints of orange and red. It’s worth spending decent money on a good Acer griseum as they can vary in quality considerably.

StunningPrunus serrula, or Tibetan cherry, is a stunning tree for a small garden. It forms a rounded head with dark green leaves that turn yellow to red in autumn. Its outstanding feature is the bark, which is shinny coppery-red and which peels away from the trunk. In spring it has small white flowers followed by tiny fruits in autumn. What more can you ask from a tree?

Betula utilis (fascination) is an outstanding medium-sized birch tree with an oval to conical shape. It has large dark green leaves and showy yellow catkins in spring. The bark colour is quite spectacular: orange peeling to peach-pink and cream.

I grew many different varieties of birch from seed and have planted them in a grove at the end of the garden. They look stunning in the morning with the sunrise behind their various coloured peeling barks.

ALL GARDENS, however small, need trees. Not just a token tree in the lawn, but trees used as part of the planting scheme to complement the other plants.

They can add to the garden in so many ways with diverse shapes and silhouettes, beautiful foliage, colourful flowers and interesting bark. At the same time they provide a habitat for wildlife and, of course, give fantastic hugs! And they help the environment by absorbing pollutants.

However, as with any garden plant, a tree should be selected not only for its features but also for its ability to thrive in the chosen situation. Selecting the right ones and using them to their best advantage can be a daunting prospect.

Malus ‘John Downie’ is productive as well as decorative. This crab apple is one of the best fruiting of the many varieties available. In early autumn it has pretty orange-red, egg-shaped fruits which can be used to make a delicious crab apple jelly. It has charming fragrant, white blossoms tinged with pink in late spring, and foliage that turns a good rich colour in autumn. It’s ideal for a small garden.

Acer griseum (the paper bark maple) is the tree I constantly

32 WINTER 2008

Beautiful trees add something special to any garden, big or small. But you need to choose well and pay attention to the prep work says JIMI BLAKE.

Trees Please

Green fingers

Paper bark maple (Acer griseum)

33Work & Life: The magazine for imPaCT members

For those with limited space, I suggest growing a tree in a container. realistically, any tree will eventually get too big for a container and will run out of room for its roots. When that happens, you can send the tree to country cousins where, hopefully, there will be room for the tree to grow to it heart’s content.

Choose as large a container as possible: one that is in proportion with the tree you have chosen and allows the tree to grow. Loam-based composts are heavier and better at holding water and nutrients, and are therefore always the best choice for container planting. I like to use compost called John Innes No.3, which is available in most garden centres.

Place 5cm (2”) of broken crocks or gravel over drainage holes and raise pots on feet in the winter to avoid water logging. A fresh top dressing each spring is important for the plant to thrive. simply remove 5cm ( 2”) of dry loose compost near the surface and replace it with some fresh compost mixed with some slow release fertiliser.

Potted fruitsFruit trees can be grown in pots as long as the trees are on dwarfing root stock. Apples, pears, plums, cherries, peaches and nectarines are all available on root stocks that will restrict their size.

amelanchier lamarckii or snowy mespilus is really a shrub that can be bought as a multi-stemmed plant. The leaves are coppery-red and silky when young, colouring richly in autumn. White flowers are scattered along the branches in the spring like snow when the young leaves are unfolding. again, this is another good candidate for a small garden.

Plant with carebare rooted and rooted balled trees are planted in the late autumn, winter and early spring when the plants are not in leaf. Desiccation and frost damage are two big reasons for a tree failing to live, so protect the roots before planting by slipping the roots or root ball into a loose plastic bag.

Trees purchased as container grown trees can be planted at any time of year. however, particular attention must be paid to watering if the trees are planted during the summer or in any dry spell. as with any plant, planting a tree well is the secret of a good garden.

Pho

to: d

ream

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m

“ Bone meal is good for the roots but my dog Fred tends to try digging the tree up when I add this! ”

Prep well Prepare your soil well, no matter what kind of soil you have. Dig out a hole much bigger than the roots of the tree: at least 30cm (12 inches) bigger in diameter than the root ball and 30cm (12 inches) deeper.

Thoroughly break up the soil at the bottom and sides of the hole using a fork. mix in your garden compost and/or well rotted manure, and a generous sprinkling of general slow-release fertilizer in the base of the hole and to back-fill around the tree roots. bone meal is good for the roots.

secure staking is essential. if the tree rocks from side to side in the ground, any new roots will be broken as they start to develop. always plant a tree at the same depth as it was in the container or the ground before you bought it and never plant a tree so deep that the graft (usually a bump low on the stem) is below ground.

Water in well and continue to water on a regular basis if it’s dry l

Trees for containersthe fruit trees most suitable for growing in containers are apples (on M27 rootstock) and pears (on Quince C root stock). the Cornet apple variety was developed in Ireland and is, therefore, well suited to our climate and only grows one to two inches per year. Position the tree in full sun or as much sun as you can possibly give it. Adequate feeding with a high potash fertiliser, like a liquid tomato feed, is essential every two weeks in the growing season to promote flowers and fruit.

It’s also very important never to let the pots dry out when their forming fruit, so no more holidays during the summer months! to avoid your fruit trees getting pot bound, repot every year or alternate year after leaf fall.

Coronet is a unique miniature apple tree developed specially for the small garden and patio. It crops in the first year, remains miniature permanently and is easy to grow. It grows no higher than 5 feet (1.5m) and no wider than 3 feet (1m).

The olive treeolea europea, the olive, thrives in poor dry soil. so it’s well suited to planting in a pot. Its attractive grey wood and silver-green foliage look good in a sunny position, giving that Mediterranean effect. It will respond well to trimming and pruning and might even produce the odd olive if we ever get a warm summer!

Crab apple blossoms

Tibetan cherry (Prunus serrula)

Crab apples

At the movies

34 WINTER 2008

QUANTUM OF Solace, the 22nd in -stalment of the James Bond series,is released on 31st October 31. WhileCasino Royale marked a comm erciallysuccessful reboot for the franchise,the series has had to continually re -appraise and reorient itself to keepapace with changes in cinemaculture. And not always successfully,

The changing spy genre has meantthe character of James Bond hasoften been forced to undergoreinvention to cater to audiences’shifting expec tations and tastes.

The origins of the spy film predatethe Bond movies, with AlfredHitchcock, more than most, helpingto popularise the genre in the 1930sand 1940s. In contrast to the laterimage of the dashing, debonairsecret agent, a favourite device ofHitchcock’s was to place ordinaryindividuals in a tangled web ofinternational intrigue, in, for example,The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)and The 39 Steps (1935).

This theme was revisited in theclassic North By Northwest (1958),with Cary Grant as an advertisingexecutive being pursued by amysterious organisation after beingmistakenly identified as a secretagent. In many respects, the light-hearted adventurous tone of the filmand the cool, dry wit of the leadingman prefigure the James Bondseries. Indeed, at one point Grant andHitchcock were considered as starand director, respectively, for aproposed Bond adaptation.

The name is Bond.Change Bond

Forget the girls and dry martinis.MORGAN O’BRIEN says Bond hasbeen shaken and stirred to keepup with its audience.

This never came to pass and Bondwas launched starring Sean Conneryin 1962, with the early instalmentsDr. No (1962), From Russia With Love(1963) and Goldfinger (1964),remaining perhaps the most fondlyremembered. The films quicklysettled into a recognisable narrativeformula, punc tuated with exoticlocations, high-tech gadgetry and astring of female conquests. The Bondfilms’ early succ ess saw a number ofimitators emerge including JamesCoburn’s turn as ‘Derek Flint’ andDean Martin’s Matt Helm series.

Concurrently, darker spy films emer -ged, even as far back as 1962 withthe release of the often overlookedclassic The Manchurian Candidate.Sub sequently, adaptations of John LeCarré’s The Spy Who Came In From theCold (1965) and The Deadly Affair(1966) and Len Deighton’s ‘HarryPalmer’ series offered a harsheralternative to the escapism of JamesBond. �

35WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

This realist interpretation seeped intothe New Hollywood cinema of the1970s, where 1960s Cold War par -anoia and the counter-cultural crit -ique of American society helpedproduce tense conspiracy based spythrillers such The Conversation(1974), The Parallax View (1974) andThree Days of the Condor (1975).

In this context Bond appeared inc -reasingly anachronistic from the mid-1970s particularly during the RogerMoore period, which saw the films’slip increasingly into lazy pastiche.

With Moore’s departure, TimothyDalton’s Bond ushered in a sombre,more violent interpretation of thecharacter. Ironically, the injection ofrealism did not sit well with aud -iences and Dalton’s outings in TheLiving Daylights (1987) and Licence toKill (1989) were not commercial succ -esses, leaving the future of thecharacter in doubt.

The thawing of the Cold War raisedquestions about the charactersrelevance. But the series was revivedin 1995 with Pierce Brosnan inGoldenEye. The film faced compet -ition – a year earlier Arnold Schwarz -en egger’s action comedy True Lies(1994) both parodied and paidhomage to the traditional Bondarchetype by juxtaposing the excitingrole of a secret agent with his mun -dane domestic life.

While GoldenEye initiated a successfulmodernisation of Bond, Brosnanwould be restricted by the uninspiringquality of subsequent films. The re -fined quality of Bond seemed onceagain out of step in the 21st century,a fact that appears to have beentacitly acknowledged by Brosnanwhen he played against type as anamoral MI-6 agent in 2001’s TheTailor of Panama.

However, it is the emergence of thehyperkinetic Jason Bourne series thathad the most obvious influence overCasino Royale (2005). The latterborrowed the tough-minded char -acter of the Bourne films, with theintroduction of Daniel Craig bringinga grittier, more brutal Bond. WhileCasino Royale arguably offered only afaint echo of the more enjoy ableBourne series, the film est ablished asfresh characterisation for the Bondcharacter that looks set to continuein the forthcoming Quantum of Sol -ace �

Bored by Bond? MORGAN O’BRIEN finds his own Quantum of Solacewith some non-Bond spy classics.

North By Northwest(1958)

Hitchcock’s classic tale of mistakenidentity features a series of iconicsequences including Cary Grant beingchased by a crop-dusting plane and aclimatic denouement atop MountRushmore.

Manchurian Candidate(1962)

Ahead of its time, this tenselyparanoiac spy story stars FrankSinatra as an Army intelligence officertrying to stop a brainwashedassassin. The film was the subject ofa far less satisfying remake in 2004.

The Conversation (1974)

Coppola’s classic thriller stars GeneHackman as an obsessivesurveillance expert attempting topiece together a distorted tapedconversation while being secretlyobserved.

True Lies (1994)

Before going off the deep end, so tospeak, with Titanic, James Camerondirected this action comedy withArnold Schwarzenegger as anadventurous secret agent whodoubles as a husband and father inhumdrum suburbia.

The Bourne Identity(2002)

The most obvious influence on therecent reinvention of James Bond,the film established the character ofthe amnesiac spy in a high-octaneand intelligent adventure. The serieshas continued to improve with TheBourne Supremacy (2004) and TheBourne Ultimatum (2007), and afourth film is due for release in 2010.

36 WINTER 2008

Play it loudMoney makes the rock world go around

When it comes to ticket prices,RAYMOND CONNOLLYreckons Dad Rock is becoming the new opera.

BACK IN the late 1970s, British pop magazineThe Face started life as the standard bearer ofthe New Romantics. For younger readers, it was atime when Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran wereconsidered cutting edge in some quarters, and MidgeUre was taken very seriously (especially by himself).

I think it was The Face that ran a piece on those bright youngthings abandoning the clubs and concert halls for operatheatres. “Opera is quite simply the most expensive enter -tainment available in London,” opined one powder-faced lad,through blood-red lipstick.

New Romanticism went belly up within weeks, followed a fewyears later by the magazine itself.

But these days, rock and pop is starting to outstrip opera inthe sky-high ticket prices stakes, in Ireland at least, with oneor two of this summer’s gigs sending diehards scurrying toarrange a second mortgage.

Everyone’s been talking about the great Tom Waits this yearand I’m no different. The announcement of his three-nightstint in the Phoenix Park sewed rapture among punters andjournalists alike.

Much was made of the gravel-voiced one’s Stasi-like operationto stop the ticket touts – spearheaded, no doubt, by thedecision to price tickets at a level that would send the averageDublin tout red with embarrassment or green with envy. Butthe €130+ ticket price drew almost no comment, proving thatmiddle-aged concert goers are the marketing niche that therecession cannot reach.

We had an earlier example with July 2007’s Barbra StreisandCelbridge fiasco, in which hapless ticket holders spent over€200 a skull to spend a few hours in a muddy traffic jam.Beware the risks when you shell out over the odds!

But top-priced Waits was where Raymond Connolly had todraw the line. When two concert tickets and a couple of beersstart edging towards the price of a romantic weekend in theEmirates Stadium, it’s time to call a halt. I can still rememberwhen this kind of thing was denounced as a sell out, ratherthan hailed as one, if you know what I mean.

I have to acknowledge that I’m out of kilter with the fan basehere. The three gigs sold out in less than five minutes andthose I know who stumped up for a night in the Ratcellar –Tom’s first trip to Dublin since the 1980s – reported a fullhouse enjoying a show worth every penny.

And, in fairness, the free download of tunes from the Glitterand Doom tour, available from Wait’s website, certainlysupports reports of a great gig.

But, aside from the Milton Freidman logic that you’re free tocharge what the market will bear, I can’t see why it needed tobe so dear. After all, earlier in the summer a brace of NickCave tickets was available for less than €100.

I stayed home with the extensive back catalogue and a crateof brown ale – and still had change out of a €50! �

Cash-strapped RAYMOND CONNOLLYruns through his fiscal top ten – withoutmentioning Pink Floyd!

1. Money’s Too Tight To Mention. The fabulous Valentine Brothersfailed to make an impression with this anti-Reaganomics soulclassic, but Simply Red took it to the top in the early 80s.

2. Money, Money, Money. Abba state the bleedin’ obvious in 1976.It’s a rich man’s world.

3. Buddy, Can You Spare A Dime? A 1932 million-seller for BingCrosby (you’d better believe it) since recorded by just abouteveryone else – including Tom Waits and Barbra Streisand.

4. M-O-N-E-Y. What do you need to get the girl? Lyle Lovett gives itto you straight.

5. She Works Hard For The Money. Donna Summer’s 1983 soulsmash demands respect for working women. So say all of us.

6. Mouldy Old Dough. With the demise of IMPACT News LieutenantPigeon may have thought they’d got their last mention in an Irishpublication. But we don’t treat old friends like that!

7. Easy Money. Allegedly Ricky Lee Jones and Tom Waits were morethan just good friends when this swing sensation appeared onher debut album in 1979.

8. Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots Of Money). Pet Shop Boys ironiccomment on Thatcher’s Britain. That’s what it says here. Honest.

9. Money (That’s What I Want). Forget the Beatles version. TheFlying Lizards made it their own on this 1979 post-punk version.

10. A Grand Don’t Come For Free. Mike Skinner gains a girlfriend,loses a grand and rents a DVD.

OCTOBER Gilbert O’Sullivan (Dublin), The Stranglers (Dublin), Cyndi Lauper(Cork and Dublin), The High Kings (Dublin), Spiritualized (Dublin),Michael Bolton (Dublin), The Chieftans (Mayo), Courtney Pine(Cork), Human League (Dublin), Al Green (Dublin), Elbow (Dublin),Aimee Mann (Dublin), Glenn Campbell (Dublin).

NOVEMBER Motorhead (Dublin), Luka Bloom (Dublin), Martha Wainwright(Dublin), Mercury Rev (Dublin), Randy Newman (Dublin), Paul Brady(Dublin), Goldfrapp (Dublin), Elaine Page (Dublin), Kanye West(Dublin), Paul Weller (Dublin), Bell X1 (Dublin), Herbie Hancock(Dublin), Primal Scream (Dublin), The Jimmy Cake (Dublin), Duffy(Dublin), Duke Special (Dublin), The Damned (Dublin), CamilleO’Sullivan (Dublin), Nouvelle Vague (Dublin).

DECEMBERRosin Murphy (Dublin), Dionne Warwick (Dublin), Billy Bragg(Dublin), Tracy Chapman (Dublin), The Stunning (Cork), The Script(Dublin), Bonnie Tyler (Letterkenny), Damien Dempsey (Dublin),Counting Crows (Dublin), Gogol Bordello (Dublin), Coldplay(Dublin), The Pogues (Dublin).

Winter gigs

37WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

Cash rich cellar dwellers

Solution DifficultSolution easy

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Across: 1. Proverb 5. Cerua 8. Scant 9. Nineveh 10. Asiarch 11. Oaten 12. Canada 14. Argali 17. Roses 19. Ancient 22. Arizona 23. Crete 24. Rated 25. Amassed.Down: 1. Pasta 2. Oration 3. Enter 4. Bansha 5. Contour 6. Rivot 7. Ashanti 12. Corsair 13. Discord 15. Ageless 16. Banana 18. Shirt 20. Cocoa 21. Trend.

Winter Soduko Solutions (From page 48.) Summer/Autumn Crossword Solutions

See page 48 for the competition winners from Issue 2

Middle-aged concertgoers could be the

marketing niche that therecession cannot reach.

My first book

38 WINTER 2008

DEBUT AUTHOR Juliet Bressan is oneof those people for whom the term‘multi-tasking’ must have beeninvented. This mother of two childrenalso works as a physician in HSEaddiction services, and her debut novelSnow White Turtle Doves was publishedin August.

Just to avoid being idle, Juliet alsoworks as a medical journalist andtelevision script advisor.

Her debut novel chronicles the exper -iences of Isabella, who leaves Dublinfor Manhattan to start a new life awayfrom teenage sweetheart and revol -utionary activist Harry. He lovesIsabella, but he also has a thing forSinéad who, in turn, is trying to helpher friend Moussa who’s caught up inthe hellish crossfire in Fallujah, Iraq.

Juliet’s novel sets out to explore theinner emotional turmoil that shapesthe lives of the protagonists against abackground of global chaos. Thecharacters are young, idealistic, artic -ulate and driven by furious passions.So what prompted Juliet to write it?

“I wanted to capture that time inhistory, just before the Iraq invasion. Ihad attended anti-war demonstrations

in New York, Dublin and London. I meta lot of people who opposed the warvery passionately. I had colleagues whohad worked in Iraq before the first Gulfwar in 1991, and a lot of medicalpeople became activists. I wanted togive a voice to these activists and theirexperiences,” she says.

The book has taken two years tocomplete, a process which has leftJuliet feeling exhausted. “I would writewhen the kids were doing theirhomework. I thought of it as a bigschool essay I needed to finish.”

Taking term-time leave from her workin HSE addiction services meant shecould complete the project whileminding the kids. Juliet just aboutavoided the HSE recruitment freeze,which could have prevented her returnto work. “I was very fortunate to havea supportive manager who places ahigh value on work-life balance. It’sbeen a difficult year and managementwas under a lot of pressure from theHSE. So I was lucky,” she says.

Juliet reckons the addiction servicehas lost a lot of good people since thefreeze was imposed last year. “A lot ofhighly skilled people have moved on.

The work itself is tough and stressful,so some colleagues have gone toexplore opportunities elsewhere partlybecause term-time is no longer anoption. Sadly, the people we treat arethe ones who suffer.”

The story traverses easily between NewYork, Iraq and various Irish locations inthis fast-paced novel, as the cast ofcharacters reflect on events biggerthan their own immediate concerns.Juliet says: “They are hopeful char -acters, and they desperately want theworld to be a better place. Some ofthem have witnessed terrible events,but they keep hoping.” �

War bird

NIALL SHANAHANcaught up withaddiction workerJULIET BRESSAN,who’s just publishedher first novel.

Snow WhiteTurtle Doves,published byPoolbeg, isavailable inall good bookshops.

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Book reviews

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 39

Going animal crackersMARGARET

HANNIGAN says thisanimal saga lacks thehuman touch.

WE BOUGHT A ZOOBenjamin Mee (Harper Collins, £16.99).

them. But, undeterred, they eventuallymoved in October 2006.

The book unfolds from there, vividlydescribing the logistics of running awildlife park. And, of course, the nitty-gritty of looking after allthose animals, includingthe intricacies of hidingbits of dead animals intrees to amuse the tigersand how to clear a nastycase of conjunctivitisfrom a tapir.

On the home front, Ben’s wife Kath -erine, who was battling cancer of thebrain, became an invalid needing full-time care and sadly succumbed beforetheir opening day.

So this is a story that has it all: Ad -

venture, danger, tragedy, and a heroicquest to save the zoo.

But unfortunately, the journalist inBenjamin Mee wins out over the manand the result is a fairly straightforward

account of events,rather than a per -sonal narrative.

There is humourand insight, buttoo much of thehuman side of thestory is left un -

explored. If you’ve seen the TV seriesBen’s Zoo on BBC2, then the bookprobably has little to add. If not, thiswill appeal to amateur David Atten -boroughs and would-be zoo-keep ers ofall ages.

DELIA BENNET is a witty writer whogives acerbic, tongue-in-cheek repliesin her regular advice column. She hasalso written some practical, householdguides in the style of Isabella Beeton’sBook of Household Management; thehousehold guide to the kitchen, thegarden and so on.

When she discovers that she only hasmonths to live, and will leave a hus -band and two very young daughtersbehind, Delia wishes there was asensible guide to what she must do. Soshe decides to chronicle the practical -ities of preparing for death in the sameefficient way she would prepare for anyother important event.

The story moves back and forwardbetween the present and the events ofher very early adulthood revealing apainful memory and why there is onelast journey she must make.

This is a surprisingly life-affirmingbook. Delia has a ‘why not me’ ratherthan a ‘why me’ attitude to what is

going on and clearly no-one can see thebeauty in the sounds, sights and thefeel of everyday life as well as someoneexperiencing them for the last time.

Kathryn Smith

More books on page 40.

Learn how to hide bits of dead

animals in trees to amuse the

tigers and clear a nasty case

of conjunctivitis from a tapir.

BENJAMIN Mee was living in the southof France in the spring of 2005,writing a book about humour inanimals. His children frolicked in thesun, his wife was a busy graphicdesigner, wine was cheap and the dayswere long. What could be better?

The, on a whim, his sister sent him abrochure advertising a zoo for sale inDartmoor, together with her masterplan to mobilise the rest of the family,including his 76-year-old mother, tobuy the run-down menagerie and livethere.

Now, just to be clear, this was a realworking zoo. It had 200 animals onsite including a jaguar, three tigers, acouple of lions – described by Mee as“loaded guns with brains” – and somebears heading up the scary carnivorelist.

Apart from their keen amateur interestand Ben’s science degree, none ofthem had a day’s experience behind

THE HOUSEHOLD GUIDE TO DYINGDebra Adelaide (Harper Collins, £14.99).

BOY AND MANNiall Williams (Harper Collins, £12.99).

IT’S AMAZING how much hyperbolic nonsense accumulatesaround a mod icum of success. Here we have Niall Williams’fourth book offered for review, and already he is described as “ADickens for the 21st century” and “The Irish Paulo Coelho” (as

if the world needs an other)!

That he has borr owed heavily from CharlesDickens is most clearly app arent in the char -acter of Ben Dack, who is an un ashamed re-

working of Joe Gargery from GreatExpec tations, while the good Reverend Holt,who appears later in the book, is cut fromthe same template as Bob Cratchitt and anendless cast of well-meaning Dickensianvicars and clerks.

Similarly, the main character, Jay, whohas left home, and gone out into the wideworld to find his father and forge his ownidentity, would have a lot in common withDavid Copperfield.

But I digress; you want to know what thebook is about, right?

Well, the story picks up where theprevious novel Boy in the World ended.Jay is now 17 and working in a fieldhospital in Ethiopia with SisterBridget, who rescued him from chaos

in London three years ago.

Meanwhile, Jay’s grandfather,irritat ingly referred to as TheMaster th roughout the book (Ikept thinking of David Carra -dine) is recuperating from a car

accident that took his memory,and almost his life. He resides withthe loq uac ious Mr Dack and hissaintly wife Josie, some timesflying kites but mostly just, um,well, waitingand oh, em,pondering.

Book reviews

40 WINTER 2008

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The story then con cerns itself with reuniting the Mas ter andJay, relying heavily on coinci dence and random chance toachieve this, and happily discarding any pretence at plausibilityor reality.

Williams is anxious to tackle big themes – our attitude to Africa,the plight of migrant workers, our global connect edness, theindefatigability of love – but his self-consciously lyrical writingand insistence on the guiding hand of God undermine a realexamination of the issues.

This is to Dickens what the lawnmower is to the Ferrari, andsomeone should be pursued under the Trades Description Actfor glibly tossing that out. Apart from that, it’s a feel-good,comforting, soft focus kind of read, which deserves to be takenfar less seriously than it is.

Margaret Hannigan

DISGUISE Hugo Hamilton (4th Estate, £12.99).

HUGO HAMILTON has dealt with the perception of identity inhis memoirs A Speckled People and The Sailor in the Wardrobeand this theme runs through his latest novel.

The story opens with a bombing in Berlin at the end of theSecond World War. A young woman loses her beloved two-year-old son. Later, on the road with her father, they come upon arefugee child, alone. The father urges his daughter to take thechild with her and bring him up as her own son.

Gregor accidently finds out about his origins many years laterand never forgives his mother for replacing his own, most likelyJewish, heritage with her own Catholic beliefs.

The setting of the novel is a summer day in 2008 when Gregoris gathering in apples with his ex-wife and son and their closefriends. He has led a bohemian lifestyle, a young rebel in Berlinin the sixties, a talented mus ician, a wanderer.

Many philosophical questions are posed. Isn’t belonging moreimportant than heritage? Isn’t love more valuable than freedom?Isn’t devotion worth being grateful for? This beautifully writtenbook does not answer these questions; that’s up to the reader.

Kathryn Smith

41

Festive season

� What time does thebar close?

� Is there entertainmentand, if so, when and whatkind?

� Are you in a separate room orsharing with other groups?

� Will they be shufflingyou out after an hour tomake room for anothersitting?

� Are taxis easy to organise?

Now it’s decision time. The trickis to book early, particularly ifyou’re catering for a large group.That way you’ll get a better venueand avoid disappointment and or-ganisational head aches furtherdown the line.

They’ll inevitably want a deposit, butthis will help you as taking a little cashfrom your colleagues early on will helpfirm up the numbers. Just like hotels, thisis the busiest time of year for DJs andbands. So you must book early if you wantdecent music.

It’s always an idea to ask the boss for a con-tribution – financial of course – towards theevent. All in the name of good employee re-lations!

If your venue is out of town, transport – oreven accommodation – may have to be or-ganised. The last thing you want is to have agreat night and then find no way to get home.That’s when things get messy.

Coming up to the big night, collect the last ofthe money. Don’t leave this until the final day,as the venue will be chasing you for final num-bers and you could well end up paying for no-shows.

All this work is for one thing – to make sureeveryone has an enjoyable, stress-free fun-packed night. There are also some dos anddon’ts to help ensure you don’t wake up thenext morning regretting something you’ve saidor done. But that’s another article! ENJOY.

not a party-pooper!Have a popping party

MARTINA O’LEARY has beencojouled into helping with theoffice party this year!

IT’S THAT time of year again. The papers arepacked with pages of party ads and the Christ-mas shops have opened in the big departmentstores. And in workplaces across the nation,hundreds are taking quick steps backwards astheir colleagues seek volunteers to organise theXmas bash.

I must have been sleeping this year and failedto backtrack quickly enough. One minute’scarelessness and now I find myself on theChristmas party committee, along with a fewother unfortunates.

Everyone loves a good party. Yet most of us –me included – hate the responsibility of havingto organise it. But someone has to do it or we’dall regret it if the season of good cheer cameand went without a decent hooley.

There are some basic rules involved in organis-ing any event and the first it to get some intel-ligence about what your party-goers want. If it’sa smallish office shindig, you can use informalgatherings like coffee breaks or lunch time togauge people’s preferences. For larger organi-sations you could ask for suggestions and helpvia email.

But make sure the event is geared towards yourparticular group. There’s no point in taking agroup of old age pensioners to an all-night rave,or a bunch of under-30s to a bingo night.

Get your hands on the vital info you need tomake your decisions. How much are people pre-pared to spend? What date suits most? Is it alunch or evening affair? A formal meal or justdrinks? How many people are interested ingoing? Will the boss stump up any cash to helpthe night along?

Find the appropriate venue by checking the webthen phoning a few likely spots. It can takesome time to make decisions, so it’s a goodidea to make a provisional booking with any es-tablishments you might use. It would be ashame to do all the homework only to find it’snot available anymore.

The key information you need to find out aboutthe venue is:

� How many can they cater for?

� How much is the meal?

� How much is the wine?

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

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Union business

42 winter 2008

Health dispute in LRCiMPACt neGOtiAtOrS achieved progress on a number of issues in the five-month-old dispute between iMPACt and the Health Service executive during intensive discussions in the Labour relations Commission in September.

All aspects of the dispute, including the outcome of the LrC talks, were being considered by the union’s Health & welfare divisional executive committee as Work & Life went to press.

the union has made progress on many of the issues that caused the dispute including unimplemented and broken agreements on working conditions, the use of agency staff, work-life balance and the HSe’s inconsistency in the filling of posts.

iMPACt also achieved a process for dealing with HSe vacancies as they arise, and another that will identify the number and location of ‘development posts’ – new posts approved to bring about promised improvements in services like disability.

the HSe staffing restrictions are now over a year old, and it is expected that next year will be even more difficult as costs rise and the public finances worsen.

Local cutsiMPACt HAS written to every city and county manager to say that any proposed changes in staff conditions should be subject to advance consultation. this follows the Local Authority national Partnership Advisory Group’s (LAnPAG) agreement to establish a forum to discuss proposed measures to meet the Government’s 3% payroll cuts.

Agency merger opposediCtU HAS demanded an urgent meeting with equality minister Dermot Ahern to protest at proposals to merge the State’s equality agencies. iMPACt and other unions have also raised the issue with the secretaries general of both the taoiseach’s office and the finance department.

HSE T&S attack iMPACt interVentiOn stopped HSe plans to abandon the established public service travel and subsistence agreement and replace it with worse provisions. But new management guidelines on the operation of the existing system are still likely to waste staff time and introduce more red tape, hitting services where health workers travel to meet community needs.

Eircom ownershipeirCOM COULD end up with a new owner in the coming months after Babcock & Brown said it was reviewing its management arrangement with the satellite fund that has direct ownership of the company. the union is monitoring developments.

Impossible choicesSCHOOL COMPLetiOn programme staff have reacted angrily to the education department’s demand for a 3% cut in payroll costs by 2009, which was announced at the end of August. Frontline services to 25,000 vulnerable school children could be badly affected by the proposed cuts, according to iMPACt’s Schools Completion Programme branch.

Sign up for IMPACT’s monthly e-bulletin on www.impact.ie.

News shorts

WE REPORTED on the retirement of our dear colleague Kay Hannigan in the last issue of work & Life. Sadly, three months on, we now have to report that Kay passed away at the end of August after a long and brave battle against cancer.

Anyone who’s ever visited the ground floor canteen of IMPACT’s Dublin office will have been greeted by Kay’s charming, unassuming, welcoming smile. Always one for some fun, Kay loved to dance the night away at many a union event, and brought a smile to the face of everyone she met.

She is very sadly missed and will always be remembered with love by all her colleagues and friends in the union and beyond. Everyone in IMPACT - members, activists and staff - extend their sincere sympathy to Kay’s family.

Kay Hannigan RIP

Aer LinGUS has distanced itself from reports that it will no longer use third party mediators in dispute situations. the company has told iMPACt that it will consult with staff and unions once new cost-cutting plans are finalised.

Management said: “where our proposals involve changes to contractual entitlements, and working agreements, we understand our requirement to negotiate and agree those changes, but we believe that is best achieved in face-to-face negotiations with the relevant representatives of Aer Lingus staff.” the assurance came in response to contact from iMPACt following speculation about what the airline had in mind after its announcement of substantial losses in the first six months of 2008.

Some reports claimed that the airline was locked in ‘intensive negotiations’ with unions when, in fact, no negotiations had taken place.

it was also claimed that Aer Lingus had told unions that it would no longer use third party mediators, like the Labour Court and Labour relations Commission, which have helped resolve tricky industrial relations problems in the past.

this prompted iMPACt deputy general secretary Shay Cody to write seeking clarification. the company’s human resource boss Liz white also confirmed that management was in the process of a ‘root and branch’ review of all aspects of the company business.

Aer Lingus will talk

IF RATIFIED, the proposed pay deal reached on 17th September will help stabilise the economy and protect incomes in a difficult economic period, according to IMPACT general secretary Peter McLoone.

Speaking at the close of negotiations, he said the

proposed deal, worth 6% over 21 months with an extra 0.5% for low paid workers, entailed a special sacrifice from public servants in the form of an 11-month pay freeze. There is also a three-month pay pause in the private sector and commercial semi-state companies.

But McLoone said it was the best deal available in the current economic and financial climate. “Most public servants understand the prevailing economic realities and want to protect services in a time of tight public finances,” he said.

Mr McLoone said it was very difficult to confidently predict inflation. “But the reality is that pay is unlikely to keep pace with inflation in the first year of the agreement, although it is likely to do so in the second year. But I believe IMPACT members understand the implications of rising unemployment and falling Government revenues,” he said.

Most current predictions suggest that inflation will be in the region of 4.5% for the year to 31st December 2008, and around 3% in 2009. McLoone said the deal represented “a tangible and responsible contribution to dealing with the challenges we face as workers, as public servants, and as a nation.”

The deal also includes a Government commitment to early legislation to tackle victimisation of union members in non-union companies. The new legislation will also stop anti-union employers offering “inducements” aimed at forcing people to give up their union membership.

It also sets out a package of public service modernisation proposals. This includes a reiteration of commitments to modernisation and change set out in Towards 2016, including the development of a more customer-focussed approach to public service delivery.

There’s also a commitment to the implementation of the principals in the OECD report on Irish public services and an undertaking by all parties to participate in the Health Forum, which was established to agree ways of improving health service delivery, including through the development of new working practices.

Get the full document plus a summary on www.impact.ie.

43WORk & LIFE: THE MAGAzInE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

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McLoone: Deal will help protect incomes.

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Deal at a glance• 6% pay rise over 21 months.

• Extra0.5%forthoseearning€11anhourorless.

• 11-month public service pay pause. Three-month pause in private sector.

• First 5% of benchmarking 2 awards paid from 1st September 2008.

• new forum on pay and conditions for school secretaries and caretakers.

• Increases linked to co-operation with ‘normal ongoing change’ and public service modernisation.

• Labour Court decides on disagreements on level of change required.

• Strengthened forum on community sector pay and pension issues.

• new laws to outlaw victimisation of union members by March 2009.

• Legislation promised – after review – to restore collective bargaining rights after Supreme Court’s Ryanair judgement. By June 2009.

• Joint review of benchmarking process.

• Reaffirms commitment to Towards 2016 modernisation provisions and “basic principals” of OECD review of public services.

• Strengthened Health Forum.

Proposed paymentsPublic service and non-commercial semi-states

1st September 2009 3.5%1st June 2010 2.5% (3%forthoseearninglessthan€11anhour)30th June 2010 Deal expires

Private sector and commercial semi-states

3 months after expiry of first phase of T16* 3.5%6 months later 2.5% (3%forthoseearninglessthan€11anhour)Deal expires 12 months after second payment.

note: payment dates vary.

Single income can mean more tax

couple have one or two incomes. The two-income couple, whether in a traditional marriage or not, tend to fare better than a single-income couple.

But while benefiting from the individualisation of income tax bands, many two-income couples have come to realise that the concession has its down side. It acts as a major disincentive for either partner to give up work to take on home duties. Yet that’s an option that is increasingly being forced on couples faced with fewer job opportunities and higher childcare and commuting costs.

It’s only when they start considering the option that they appreciate the full financial cost involved. Not only would they have to give up one of their incomes but they would also lose a valuable tax break.

Top taxBefore individualisation there was less incentive for both partners to stay at work in such circumstances since the income that was lost was generally being taxed at the top rate. The net loss in take-home pay wasn’t great. But now the net loss of one spouse giving up a job can be significant. That’s the downside of individualisation.

Take a couple – let’s call them Sean and Mary – who are expecting

Your money

SHOULD INCOME tax be levied on the basis of family income or individual income? It’s a question worth debating but it’s seldom asked today. There has been little or no discussion of the issue since 2000 when then Finance Minister, Charlie McCreevy, individualised tax bands. Even he seemed surprised at the political backlash which forced him to quickly introduce a special tax credit for stay-at-home spouses caring for children or others in the home.

It’s likely that Mr McCreevy intended to totally individualise the income tax system over time but the divisiveness of the issue has been all too clear since that first step was taken. None of his successors have broached the subject since.

Some assume that we have full individualisation, but of course we haven’t. It’s limited to the standard rate tax band and some tax credits. The most valuable personal tax credits and those for mortgage interest and rent relief are given on the basis of marital status. A single individual only gets half the credit of a married couple.

And, of course, the operative word is ‘married’. We may be moving towards a broader definition of ‘married couple’ but the Revenue still adopt the traditional one.

SiblingsIt’s not only same-sex couples who can lose out as a result, of course. Siblings living together can also be affected. Some of the inequities in capital acquisitions tax were removed when principle residents were exempted from the tax in certain circumstances. But only married couples, in the traditional sense, can avail of some income tax credits.

Not all single individuals lose out as a result. Indeed a same-sex couple, or two sisters living in the old family home, may pay less income tax on their joint incomes than a married couple on a similar income.

It depends not on married status but rather on whether the

44 WINTER 2008

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COLM RAPPLE says working couples should calculate the tax hit before considering moving to single-income status.

their first child. Both are currently working and have a joint income of €69,000. Sean earns €44,440 a year and Mary earns €25,000. As a two income couple they only pay tax at 20% on all of their joint income. But if Mary gave up her job and Sean tried to make up some of the shortfall in income by working overtime any extra money he earned would be subject to tax at 41%.

That’s how the individualisation of tax bands works. A double income couple can have earnings of up to €70,800 this year before coming onto the top tax rate of 41% while a single-income couple moves onto that top rate after the first €44,400.

45Work & Life: The MAgAzine for iMPACT MeMBerS

Married couples can opt to be taxed as if they were two single people, but unfortunately there is seldom, if ever, any monetary advantage in so doing unless they are legally separated.

There are three options facing two-income married couples. if they do nothing, they will be automatically taken to have opted for joint assessment. They are treated as a single unit for income tax. The second alternative, separate assessment, is a variant of that. The couple are still treated as a single taxable unit but are able to arrange a more equal sharing of their joint tax burden. The third alternative, single assessment, means opting to be treated as two single individuals. Let’s look at each of the options in more detail.

Joint assessment This is how most married couples are taxed. The highest earner will automatically get the benefit of the bulk of the couple’s joint tax free allowances. The lower earning spouse will normally only get his or her own PAYe credit – €1,830. That only applies if the lower earning spouse is wage earning and not working in the family company.

Under joint assessment, the couple is still legally taxed as one unit. either spouse can be nominated as the accountable person for tax purposes. The important point is that concessions not used by one spouse can be transferred to the other. The true legal liability for tax is worked out at the end of a tax year by way of a balancing statement which combines the two incomes.

if there is a wide difference between the two incomes it is possible that the PAYe system will result in too much tax being collected during the year. But it will be refunded at year end when the balancing statement is made out. The refunds are allocated between the spouses in proportion to the tax paid by each. Balancing statements are not prepared automatically so two income families, in particular, should do a rough calculation each year to see that they are not being overtaxed. if they are, tax returns should be speedily prepared and a balancing statement sought.

Separate assessment This is only a variation on joint assessment. either spouse can opt for it provided they notify the tax office before 1st April in the year of assessment. Separate assessment then continues until the tax

Taxed together? The options

if Mary gives up her job the couple also lose a PAYe tax credit worth €1,830 which more than offsets the €900 tax credit she would get as a stay-at-home carer.

Taking those tax credits into account Sean and Mary would need to have a single income of €73,129 a year to have the same take-home pay as they did on joint incomes of €69,000.

So becoming a single income family again can be a costly option in financial terms. individualisation creates a major disincentive for many couples who would consider doing their own child minding if the tax system was neutral as between the two choices. But it isn’t. it favours two income couples l

office is told otherwise by the spouse who first opted for it.

The total tax liability of the couple is not reduced in any way by separate assessment but most credits are evenly split between them. Personal, age and blind persons’ credits are evenly divided while other credits may be granted to the individual bearing the cost.

The important point is that any credits unused by one person can be passed back to the other. And the same is true for unused tax bands. So if the husband has moved into the 41c tax band while the wife still has not used up all of her 20c band, there is no loss. it will be sorted out when a balancing statement is prepared at the end of the year and a refund given. But it should be possible to avoid being overtaxed during the year by dividing the credits up broadly in proportion to each person’s income.

Separate assessment is the ideal option for couples on dissimilar incomes since it allows them to split their tax credits fairly between them. Under ordinary joint assessment, a low earner can very often find his or her income very heavily taxed since the higher earning spouse is getting the benefit of most of the tax credits. Separate assessment will not reduce their joint tax bill but it can ensure that the tax burden is more proportional to the couple’s individual income levels during the year.

Single assessment This is where the couple decide to be treated exactly as if they were two single people for tax purposes. Their tax liabilities are kept entirely separate. in general, there is no financial advantage to a couple in opting for single assessment.

if their incomes are about equal, the joint tax bill of a couple opting for single assessment may be no higher than if they opted for joint or separate assessment. But if one of their incomes is considerably higher than the other, they could end up with a higher tax bill because one spouse cannot pass on the benefit of unused credits or standard rate band to the other.

either spouse can serve notice on the taxman for single assessment at any time during the tax year. once served, the notice is applied to that year and all subsequent years until it is withdrawn. only the person who served the notice can withdraw it l

A new dawn for Irish rugby?

Sport

DECLAN KIDNEY has taken over the reins as Irish rugby’s head coach at an opportune time, an appointment that will see him steer the course for the nation until the next world cup.

The Munster man’s predecessor, Eddie O’Sullivan, presided over Ireland’s most impressive win-loss ratio. But despite all his successes the overall view of his tenure, particularly the concluding 18 months, was one of under-achievement and failure.

It is against this backdrop that Kidney will now look to remodel and re-launch Irish fortunes.

Despite the triple crown glories of 2004, 2006 and 2007, Ireland’s failure to annex their first grand slam since 1948 (our only grand slam), or to reach the last four of a world cup, left their dreams unfulfilled despite the talk of this being the ‘golden generation’.

O’Sullivan was, in many ways, the perfect predecessor for Kidney. He will be very careful to ensure he does not walk into the same landmines that characterised O’Sullivan’s final season.

O’Sullivan was portrayed as something of a dictator, but the composition of Kidney’s impressive-looking backroom staff suggests that he’ll invest plenty of trust in the expertise around him. However, in a results-driven sport like professional rugby only time will decide which methodology is better.

PotentKidney has surrounded himself with the potent forces of Alan Gaffney (backs coach), Les Kiss (defence coach), Gert Smal (forwards coach), Mark Tainton (kicking coach) and Paul McNaughton (manager) – each of whom it is hoped will strengthen specific aspects of Ireland’s on-field play.

McNaughton, a former international winger and inter-county Gaelic footballer with Wicklow, earned a reputation as a shrewd manager with Leinster and will have a close working relationship with Kidney.

46 WINTEr 2008

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A new national manager and back-room team may herald better times for Ireland say KevIn nolAn.

47Work & Life: The magazine for imPaCT members

“WhileIrelanddoesnothavethedeepestpoolofelitetalentinthe gamethereissufficientexistingtalentaswellasemergingforcesto suggestbrighterdaysonthehorizon.”

Ronan O’Gara: possibly the new Irish captain?

The days of having a few specialists kickers with ball in hand are numbered and Tainton began tackling the issue of improving the kicking dimension

of ireland’s game when the squad met for a four-day training camp in Cork during the summer.

The need for a kicking coach is heightened because the irb has put 13 experimental law variations (eLVs - a proposed set of amendments to the rugby union rules) on trial worldwide. some countries will struggle more than others with the eLV trial and it is anticipated that even greater demands will be placed on the fitness levels and kicking skills of players.

Uncompromisingforward coach smal, south africa’s forwards expert in

2004 when they triumphed in the tri-nation, looks to be an excellent addition and he will be determined to instil some

uncompromising characteristics in the green pack.

add in gaffney’s deep knowledge of the game (the domestic game in particular), as well as his tactical nous, with the Les kiss’s defensive

experience from his australian rugby league day and coaching with the stormers, bulls and new south Wales Waratahs, and the irish players

will be well catered for in all aspects of the game.

While ireland does not have the deepest pool of elite talent in the game there is sufficient existing talent as well as emerging forces to suggest brighter days

on the horizon.

rob kearney’s displays against australia and new zealand in this summer’s tour will massively increase the competition for the no 15 jersey while the emerging talents of Luke Dempsey, Cian healy and keith earls, and the more long-term potential of David Pollock, will give kidney plenty of food for thought.

for others, like shane Jennings, this year could make or break him at international level.

kidney has 25 years of coaching experience lodged in his account and has enjoyed consistent success during those days, particularly when leading munster to two heineken Cup glories in 2006 and 2008.

Challengehowever, his greatest ever challenge is ahead of him. The upcoming games

against Canada (Thomond Park stadium, 8th november), new zealand (Croke Park, 15th november) and argentina (Croke Park, 22nd november) will provide the first examinations and indications of his early work. The results of these games will determine ireland’s world ranking in December.

before then kidney has the potentially thorny issue of who he will hand the mantle of captaincy to. early speculation that Leinster’s decision to remove the captaincy from the shoulders of brian o’Driscoll would pave the way for a similar alteration at international level may prove wide of the mark.

but if kidney does decide to pass the honour and responsibility on he will not look further than either Paul o’Connell or ronan o’gara l

Across1. The Blackbird of Avondale (7)2. He led his people to the Prom-

ised land (5)8. Former Irish cycling star (5)9. American state (7)10. Bombastic or pompous in man-

ner (5)11. Greek goddess of peace (5)12. It might result in a minor

earthquake (6)14. To persecute; intimidate;

torment (6)17. Don; provide or endow with

special quality or power (5)19. State in the US deep south

sadly often noted for racism (7)22. Frequently war-ravaged country,

sometimes described as thecockpit of Europe (7)

23. In Greek legend the last king ofTroy (5)

24. This family were the chief oilbarons in old popular Americansoap (5)

25. Ireland’s largest river (7)

Down1. Capital city of France (5)2. Couch potatoes might do this (7)3. An occurrence; occasion (5)

48 WINTER 2008

15. Storytelling nights in the ancient middleeast (7)

16. Legendary ancient hero said to have in-troduced the phoenician alphabet intoGreece (6)

18. Union territory of north central India;also a city within that territory (5)

20. The brightest or principal star in a con-stellation; first letter of the Greek alpha-bet (5)

21. Capital city of Jordan (5)

Crossword composed by Sean Ua Ceannaigh, Wexford.

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 Christmas fund byanswering 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 Why has Mags Tuite shaved her head?

A To raise money for Dochas beast careunit

B To get rid of the lice

C It’s a fashion statement

2 How much maternity leave are we entitled to?

A 14 weeks

B 18 weeks

C 26 weeks

3 Kilkenny’s Zuni restaurant is in

A Coronation Street

B Patrick Street

C Henry Street

4 Juliet Bressan’s new novel is called

A Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

B Snow White Turtle Doves

C Snow White War Hawks

5 How many of us commute by car

A Over a million

B Under a million

C Too many

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 5thDecember 2008. The editor’s decision is final. That’s it!

WIN€50

Win Win Win

Prize quiz

4. Extensive Scottish landowners (6)5. Island off the western coast of

Morocco (7)6. Francis Ledwidge was this village’s

most famous son (5)7. Sometimes used in popular slang to

describe youngsters or cute craftypeople (7)

12. To shake or quiver (7)13. Outset; initiation; opportunity (7)

Easy

Winners! The winners from competitions in the Summer/Autumn issue were:

1 Quiz – Agnes Sinnott – Wexford County Council.

2 Udos oil – Tim O’Donoghue – Conservation Rangers

3 Harry the Hedgehog – Yvonne Guckian – VEC Branch

4 Crossword – Brian Roper – Dublin City Branch

5 Survey – Matthew Power – HSE Kilkenny

Lots more competitions to enter in this issue!

PRIZE CROSSWORD1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9

10 11

12 13 14 15

16

17 18 19 20 21

22 23

24 25

WIN€50

7 8 3

1 4

5 4 8

6 3

5 2 9 6 7

8 2

2 8 1

6 9

6 7 4

9 8 5 6

5 7 6 2 4 8

2 6 9 3 8

1 3 9

4 9 1 2 5

6 3 4 8 7 5

5 2 1 9

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

The survey

1. What did you think of the articles in the winter 2008issue of Work & Life ?

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Comments ________________________________________

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2. What did you think of the layout, style and pictures inthe winter 2008 issue of Work & Life?

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Comments ________________________________________

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3. What were your favourite three articles?

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4. What were your least favourite articles?

1 __________________________________________________

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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 �

I want less union news �

7. Any other comments? ______________________________

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Address ______________________________________________

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IMPACT branch ______________________________________

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

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 5th December 2008. The editor’s decision is final. That’s it!

49WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

Commercial membership servicesDISCLAIMER (Approved by CEC 10th December 2004)

IMPACT has facilitated the provision of a number of national membership services and discount schemes on behalf ofits members. These include Additional Voluntary Contribution Schemes (Pensions), Life Assurance, Salary Protectionin 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 variousservice providers, to seek the best possible deals for the widest possible sections of our membership. It is probable thatthe majority of members will get better value from these schemes than if they sought the same service individually. How-ever, this will not be true in all cases and there will be occasions where individual members may, because of their spe-cific circumstances, be able to get better value elsewhere. It is not possible always to ensure that all schemes will beaccessible equally to all members and the scheme underwriters will not depart totally from their normal actuarial or riskassessment procedures and rules. IMPACT does not make any claims as to the quality or reliability of any of these products/services and while advising mem-bers of the availability of the National Membership Services and Discount Schemes does not endorse or recommend anyparticular product or service. IMPACT's role is that of facilitator to ensure that such schemes are available to its members.All contracts are directly between the product/service provider and the individual member. IMPACT is not in any way aparty to these contracts and will not accept any responsibility or liability arising from any act or omission on the part of theproduct or service provider. Neither IMPACT nor any member of its staff receives any fees or commissions or other re-wards from these product or service providers arising from such schemes.While IMPACT does occasionally provide such product/service providers with limited information regarding IMPACTbranch and/or workplace representatives for the purpose of advertising such schemes, the Union does not make anypersonal 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 require-ments 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 aresult of any agreement or arrangement with IMPACT) directly to IMPACT members. The Union has no role whatsoeverin relation to such products or services. Likewise, other product or service providers may make offers directly to IMPACTmembers through advertisements in the Union newspaper or otherwise. These do not arise as a result of agreements orarrangements with IMPACT and the Union does not ask members to consider availing of such products/services and ac-cepts no responsibility whatsoever for any such offers.The product/service providers with which IMPACT has agreed the provision of membership services and/or discountschemes 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 Employ-ees.House Insurance – all Divisions. Salary Protection and Life Assurance – Civil Service andServices & Enterprises Divisions only.

Countdown Discount CardsDiscount cards-All Divisions

December 2004

WINTER 200850

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