Broadband opportunity for Kerry
Up to 850 jobs could be created in Kerry with the roll-out of broadband to all areas this year, according to a report commissioned by mobile phone company 3.
The company, which is responsible for the roll-out of the National Broadband Scheme, claims that broadband in Kerry could have the potential to inject €40m a year to the local economy and help create up to 850 jobs.
The report by well-known economist, Jim Power, states that if one new SME set up in each electoral area where broadband is installed it would create up to 850 jobs in Kerry.
The roll-out of broadband for Kerry is undertaken by electoral divisions and a SME in each would create jobs and a cash boost to the local economy.
Computer courses for unemployed
The new MultiMedia Educational Facility at the KTI Centre at Deerpark, Killarney, is running a series of brief courses for people who are out of work which will prepare them on basic computer techniques.
There are also a number of more advanced courses available and the centre is equipped with 20 top range personal computers with the latest versions of the most widely-used software for applicants to work on.
The courses are provided by experienced FÁS instructors.
“The facility is aimed principally at the unemployed and the centre offers a quite atmosphere in which people can avail of supervised study conditions in which they can learn the basics, improve their existing skills or move on to further education,” administrator Kevin Fay said.
By Sinead Kelleher
Over 2,500 more people were signing on Kerry’s live register in February 2010 than in February 2009, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office.
In February 2009, 14,404 people were signing on, and this increased to 16,993 last month, representing a 17 per cent rise.
The figures for Kerry in February 2010 also show that there was a slight increase month on month in the figures, with 75 more people signing on in February than in January. The current total stands close to 17,000.
According to the CSO, breakdown of the Kerry offices also show that 6,538 signed on in Tralee in February 2010, a slight decrease from the 6,592 people signing on in January.
Kenmare also showed a slight decrease from 787 in January to 780 in February.
The rest of the areas showed an increase in the number of people signing on.
In Cahersiveen 736 people signed on in February 2010, in Dingle the figure was 864 and in Killorgin 1,391 signed on.
Killarney figures stand at 1,391 and Listowel at 3,108.
The breakdown also shows that the majority of people signing on in Kerry are men, with close to11,000 males signing on - the majority of which are aged 25 and over.
Just over 6,000 females are signing on in Kerry, with the majority aged over 25.
Newmarket rejects Kerry bid
Kerry Group’s offer to acquire the modern cheese manufacturing plant which was built by the small Newmarket Co-operative has been turned down by the shareholders of the North Cork creamery.
The bid, reported to have been as high as €23 million, would transfer the entire co-operative including the factory which was significantly upgraded at a cost of almost €17 million in 2009 to Kerry. Newmarket’s unit is capable of producing more than 30,000 tonnes of cheese annually and Kerry sees the acquisition as an opportunity to take control of a cheese manufacturing facility.
Despite being the proprietor of the number one cheese brand in Ireland, Charleville, Kerry does not operate a cheese plant of its own in the country despite taking over the Breeo range of brands last year. That deal brought Charleville as well as the Mitchelstown and Cavita product ranges under Kerry’s control.
The Co-op sold Newmarket Windfarms in 2008 to fund the improvements at the cheese factory and the sale of the enterprise would require a vote in favour of three quarters of the 680 shareholders.
offer
While there has been strong resistance in some quarters, the bulk of the shareholders in Newmarket are effectively ‘dry’ stakeholders in that they do not supply milk to the co-op. The initial offer has apparently been rejected by the board of Newmarket.
There are existing links between the dairy concerns in that Kerry buys cheese from the factory and also supplies some milk to Newmarket.
There was another development concerning an enterprise that mirrors Kerry Group plc on Wednesday with the announcement that Glanbia was in talks with its major shareholder, Glanbia Co-op Society, regarding the sale of the plc’s Irish operations including consumer products and agribusiness concerns to the co-operative.