Encore Thursday 16th January, 2020 by Midlands 103

Liam kicked off the first of a series of 'Election shows' this week with a studio full of candidates and it proved to be a 'lively' debate!

Barry Cowen TD (Fianna Fáil) - Laois/Offaly

Brian Stanley TD (Sinn Féin) - Laois/Offaly

Cllr. John Clendennen (Fine Gael) (Not running, but speaking for the party)

Cllr. Ken Smollen (Irish Democratic Party) - Laois/Offaly

Cllr Louise Heavin (Green) - Longford/Westmeath

On today’s show, you’ll hear how former Taoiseach Brian Cowen is doing after suffering a suspected bled on the brain last July, and about the Westmeath farmer who was attacked and mauled by a suckler cow who had recently calved.

On today’s show you’ll hear from the Holocaust survivor who says he’s made peace with the past, you’ll find out about the new initiative to raise money for a midlands hospice and parents in Westmeath voice their concerns about delays to a new school.

A Holocaust survivor says he’s made peace with the past.

Tomi Reichental was just 9 years old when he was taken to Bergen Belsen concentration camp in Germany.

The 85 year old was in Tullamore last night to share his experience and he’s been speaking to Midlands 103’s Head of News Sinéad Hubble.

Ongoing delays to the completion of a Westmeath school are costing the taxpayer around €600,000.

The Principal of Curraghmore national school in Mullingar says that contingency plans such as rent of alternative facilities and an increase in design fees are proving costly.

Michael Molloy was speaking at a meeting in the town last night, which was organised by the Board of Management to inform the parents of their decision to freeze enrollment for this September. Education Minister Joe McHugh, the contractor and Westmeath County Council were all invited to attend - however none of them were present at the meeting.

Currently pupils of the school are split in different buildings in Kinnegad, St Loman's GAA centre and the old Curraghmore National School. Midland 103's Eoin O' Donoghue was there and he spoke with Michael Molloy about the impact the delays are having on the day to day running of the school.

The chairman of Offaly GAA believes an acute hospital is not the environment for someone who is near the end of their life.

Michael Duignan whose wife Edel died from cancer in 2009, was speaking at the launch of a new fundraising campaign to deliver a hospice for the region.

He says it's unbelievable that a region the size of the Midlands is not covered by a Level 3 Hospice.

The Tullamore Lions Club is behind the initiative and is urging farmers to rare young animals to be sold to raise funds for the Midland Hospice Building Fund.

The facility will cost around 8 to 10 million and will be based in Tullamore.

Mr Duignan says a hospice gives dignity to the people that need it

IDA investment in regions outside of Dublin increases by 30-40% in five years.

Ken Whitelaw is Regional Manager with the IDA joins Ronan in studio as IDA announce the numbers of people employed at IDA backed firms hit record levels in 2019. The inward investment promotion agency was formed 70 years ago and the results were the outcome of a ambitious 5 year strategy adopted by the agency, including a regional strategy. IDA says it has now achieved all the targets set out in its 2015-2019 strategy, including increasing investment in every region by 30-40%.

The importance of a culture of safety as statistics show construction deaths increased in 2019.

Breda Colgan of Salutem Advisory & Training discusses the latest HSA reports and emphasises the absolute need for a safety focused culture in all our companies.

Midlands Today with Will Faulkner, Thursday 16th January, 2020 by Midlands 103