Other News In Brief

Madigan Congratulates Element Pictures On BAFTA Success

Josepha Madigan, the Minister for Culture, Heritage and Gaeltacht has extended a message of congratulations to Element Pictures, an Irish film and television production company, on receiving several BAFTA awards.

The 2019 ceremony was held on Sunday evening, 10 February, and saw The Favourite, which was shot by an Irish cinematographer and partly post-produced in Dublin, win seven awards.

The accolades included Best Production Design and Best Original Screenplay.

Minister Madigan said: "The recognition received by Element Pictures for their co-production The Favourite, both at home and abroad, is richly deserved. It is fantastic to see Irish talent capturing the attention of both the public and the film industry at an international level. The award wins will further build on the Irish Film Industry success and boost our reputation internationally as a country rich in talent."

Consultation Begins On Dublin's Draft Climate Change Action Plan

Consultation is underway for Dublin City Council's draft action plan to tackle climate change.

The four local authorities in the area have developed the strategy in response to the challenges affecting those living in the region due to Dublin's changing climate.

The plan sets out how it will improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions across functions and operations, while making Dublin more adaptable to the current and future prospects of climate change.

The public are invited to submit proposals on the draft plan up until 25 March 2019.

It covers five key areas; Energy and Buildings, Transport, Flood Resilience, Nature-Based Solutions and Resource Management (waste and water) and has four key targets:

• 33% better energy use by the Council by 2020.

• 40% reduction in the Council's greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

• To make Dublin a climate resilient region, by reducing the impacts of future climate change-related events.

• To actively engage and inform citizens on climate change.

Labour Proposes Rise In Minimum Wage Rate

The Labour Party has proposed to the Low Pay Commission that the National Minimum Wage for 2019 should be €10.55 per hour this year, rising to €11.25 by 2020.

The current rate is €9.80 an hour. The call was made in a submission by the Party's Employment spokesperson Senator Ged Nash to the Low Pay Commission.

He explained: "Ireland has a problem with low pay with 22.5% of all workers (one of the highest proportions in the EU or OECD) in low paid employment. Work should always pay but the stark reality is that too many working families are reliant on welfare top-ups to make ends meet.

"The overall policy purpose of the National Minimum Wage should be to raise the incomes of workers so that no full-time worker is in what's considered to be low paid employment. In June 2000, the first statutory NMW rate was introduced and set at a level that corresponded to approximately two-thirds of the median average income. Eurostat defines 'low pay' as pay below two-thirds of median earnings.

"The original rate, and the proposition that it should be set at two-thirds of median hourly income was based on a recommendation by Ireland's National Minimum Wage Commission in 1998."



(JG/CM)