Head Shops

I welcome the banning by the government of certain 'legal highs' which are being sold in head shops under the Misuse of Drugs act . Although a close eye must be kept on any new emerging substances available in the future. We also need tighter consumer protection and planning laws in this area.

While we wait for this law to be enacted some facts about the Head Shop Phenomena are as follows:

More than 90 substances have been reported through the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)

This Market is demonstrating an ability to adapt quickly to control measures and production processes. Therefore product ranges and marketing approaches are highly innovative.

Many suppliers and manufactures use descriptions such as bath salts, incense or plant foods, They claim these substances are “ not intended for human consumption” as a way of getting around the drug laws. Legal highs are sold under a variety of names often with no or obscure ingredients listed on the packet so it is impossible to know what is being taken and how the user is going to react

Other legal highs are known as synthetic drugs. These are drugs created to get around the drug laws usually by modifying the chemical structure of existing drugs or by creating a new drug that can produce similar effects to illicit drugs but which can be sold legally.

The Internet has emerged as a new marketplace for psychoactive substances
Two European surveys in 2008 and 2009 showed that in 2008 there were 68 on-line shops which rose to 115 in 2009. These are spread across 17 countries with the majority (52%) located in the UK, followed by Netherlands (6%) and Germany (4%) Ireland accounted for 1%

Killarney Community Hospital Statue.

Killarney Community Hospital Statue.
It is of great concern to me, the removal of the statue from the Killarney Community Hospital.. This Christian symbol has been part of the hospital landscape and structure for countless years. This welcoming statue gave some reassurance and calmness to those who entered.
The wellness and wellbeing of patients is supported with this vision giving faith in the excellent support from the professional staff when they entered the doorway under the statue.
It is disappointing to me that the removal of the statue is upsetting to members of our community. The façade of the building and its skyline where the statue stood, was very much a recognised feature and integral part of historical Killarney. The statue should be restored in its original position.

Social Tourism

That this Council investigate the possibility of Social Tourism


The Concept of Social Tourism

Is to make tourist leisure accessible to the majority, including youth, families and elderly people,

And to provide quality tourism at attractive prices to as many people as possible.
Social tourism strengthens the tourism industry's revenue generation potential. It enables off-season tourism to be developed, particularly in regions where tourism is well developed but highly seasonal,
Social tourism encourages the creation of longer-lasting employment opportunities in the tourism sector by making it possible to extend such jobs beyond the respective peak season.

Calypso
The European Parliament approved the implementation of a Preparatory Action Plan known as Calypso through the European Commission in 2009.

The objective of Calypso is to promote the development of social tourism initiatives amongst the member states of the EU, given the importance of this industry, and the positive social and economic effects on the regions where it is carried out.
Participants must be nationals of EU Member States and Candidate Countries and must belong to one of the following categories of target groups:
a) over 65 years of age or pensioners / early retired citizens that receive pension benefits;
b) all youths aged between 18 and 30 years;
c) disabled adult citizens, together with one accompanying person (if needed);
d) families (children, parents and/or grandparents) certified by their country's coordinating authority as facing difficult social (financial, personal and/or disability) circumstances.
The adoption of this project, to which a one-million-euro budget has been granted, comes primarily as a consequence of an initiative presented by French and Spanish Members of the European Parliament.

Examples
FRANCE
the nationalised electricity grid -which allows
workers and their families to go away for their holidays at a reasonable cost.
Netherlands
Flanders Tourism Flanders spoke about the authority that the Flanders government had given Tourism Flanders to promote social tourism.
Spain
The Europe Senior Tourism program
This initiative by the Spanish government

The Spanish government would like to make it as easy as possible for you to enjoy your free time, which is why it is proposing that you take an active holiday during the winter in Spain, by organizing a full trip for which it will pay a portion of the expense.

Senior Holidays
Costa del Sol or Costa de la Luz
ONLY €365.00
including Flights and 4* Hotel
Depart Dublin or Cork
Travel: October – April
Only two requirements:
Be over 55 years old & Be resident in Ireland
Free rail travel vouchers to over-55s who are planning to holiday in Ireland should be put in place for the Autumn / Winter off season

Business tourism in 2010 Should also be part of Killarney marketing.

The development of new ‘social tourism’ programmes, as in other European countries, could expand our tourism market


• generate economic activity and growth
• improve tourism seasonality patterns
• strengthening full-time employment prospects
• increase the European citizenship

Supporting European tourism
The EU tourism industry generates more than 4% of the EU GDP, with about 2 million enterprises employing around 4% of the total labour force (approximately 8 million jobs). When related sectors are taken into account, the estimated contribution of tourism to GDP creation is much higher - tourism indirectly generates about 11% of the European Union's GDP and provides about 12% of the labour force
Approximately 1m American tourists visit Ireland every year. While overall tourism numbers dropped by 12% last year, the fall-off in US visitors was 2%. The 3.5m-strong British market dropped 16%.

Feeney’s €3.4m perk for tourists, Atlantic Philanthropies
Chuck Feeney, the billionaire philanthropist, is to co-fund a holiday voucher scheme to boost American tourism to Ireland next year.
He will support a scheme to offer $100 holiday vouchers to Americans planning a trip to Ireland.
“[Visitors] can combine it with discount flights or accommodation offers.”

boundary wall in Whitebridge

That this Council gives an update on the repairs needed for the boundary wall in Whitebridge.

Repair work will start on this wall soon