Bernard Moffatt's blog

Report here from the Manx Government Facebook pages on the Chief Minister having aid to Nepal acknowledged:

“Chief Minister Howard Quayle, on behalf of the people of the Isle of Man, was delighted to receive this token of thanks for international development funding towards the work of Pahar Trust Nepal to provide schools and facilities for underprivileged Nepalese communities - specifically Shree Himalaya Secondary School”

While Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan MHK wants to make it more difficult for lone working parents to get Employed Persons Allowance (EPA) to supplement their inadequate wage his colleague Laurence Skelly MHK Minister for Enterprise is giving bundles of £5000 to the business sector.

The Chamber of Commerce is broadcasting a clarion call to its members to head to the Department of Enterprise trough and ‘get their snouts in it’ (link):

The Irish government are supporting an initiative whereby trawlers would bring recovered plastic waste to shore.

With small traces of micro plastics in three quarters of fish checked in a recent Ocean survey the government say its in the interests of the industry to support the scheme.

A report here (including audio) from RTEs Southern Editor Paschal Sheehey. A fishermen's spokesman says the scheme will be supported:

https://www.rte.ie/…/20…/0111/1022541-plastic-waste-trawler/

Bernard Moffatt

Celtic League

Attached below a query to the Chief Constable about the recent Treasury consultation on changes to Employed Persons Allowance (EPA)which would have raised the hours threshold for lone parents asking if the Constabulary contributed to this:

“The Chief Constable of the Isle of Man
Gary Roberts

CPHQ
Douglas

11th January 2019

By email:

Dear Chief Constable,

An Irish environmental umbrella group (The Environmental Pillar) which represents 26 national independent environmental non governmental organisations has expressed concern over government plans to manage the remote Skellig Islands of Co Kerry.

The Skelligs a priceless environmental asset famed for it bird and marine life which came to global fame when the location was used as a backdrop in one os the Star wars series of films,
Environmentalists expressed concern at the time about the potential for damage(link):

Several articles in the Irish media have celebrated the increase in the number of Corncrakes in 2018. However the publication Green News warns the numbers are still below the safe level for a threatened species. Interestingly the Green News item is illustrated by a photograph of one of the birds taken at Ballaugh Curragh in the Isle of Man (links):

https://greennews.ie/corncrake-numbers-still-not-safe-expe…/

This week marked the anniversary of the worst tanker tragedy in Ireland in which 51 people last their lives. Relatives of those who died at Whiddy Island Oil terminal in 1979 still feel let down by successive Irish governments.

The tragedy occurred when the French oil tanker ‘Betelgeuse’ exploded while discharging oil at the terminal in Bantry Bay (link Irish Times):

https://www.irishtimes.com/…/son-of-whiddy-island-disaster-…

Bernard Moffatt

Celtic League

Report here on Manx Radio about the delayed Manx Gas report. Leader of the Manx Gas protest group Barry Murphy cannot contain his anger and disappointment with government over this issue which has seen people enduring another winter of outlandish charges:

https://www.manxradio.com/…/delay-of-manx-gas-report-unacc…/

As the merits or otherwise of providing homes in Mann for a handful of refugees from Syria those living in the makeshift camps of Lebanon are facing one of the harshest winters ever experienced.

As this report from Ahram Online says refugees are burning clothes and plastic to keep warm:

Report here over a controversy between Egypt and the National Museum of Scotland over a casting stone purportedly said to come from the Great Pyramid of Giza. However a renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass disputes this

Scotland wants to keep the artefact although the circumstances of its legal removal from the original site are murky.

The National Museum of Scotland is falling back on the ‘if we didn’t take it it might have been lost’ argument.