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THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR in Ireland continued to slow down in October, an index from Ulster Bank shows.
The Contruction Purchasing Managers Index showed that the rate of decline had slowed a little last month when compared to September – but at 42.6 for October, it is still way off the mark for the 50 benchmark which indicated an expansion in activity in the area.
This is the tenth successive month in which the level of new business in the construction sector has fallen. As a consequence of the ongoing slide, construction firms also lowered the number of overall staff in October. On average, one in five of those surveyed for the Index had cut jobs last month. There was also a reduction in construction supplies purchased last month. Higher energy and fuel costs were also cited by respondents.
Equally worrying was the note that respondents to the Index recorded their lowest level of optimism in about two years that there might be an increase in activity over the next year.
Simon Barry, chief economist at Ulster Bank, said the Index shows “widespread weakness” in Irish construction, right across housing, commercial and most especially, civil engineering projects.
He said:
New orders continued to decline in October so activity and employment trends are not likely to show much improvement in the near-term. Adding to the woes of the sector, firms also reported rising input costs for the third consecutive month reflecting higher energy and fuel costs as well as some upward pressure on import costs from recent euro weakness. A paucity of new business and rising cost pressures looks to be impacting on confidence among respondents as they look ahead, with sentiment falling to its lowest level in two years last month.
Earlier last month, the European Union’s statistics office, released the figures for construction across the EU zone for the month of August. It found that production in the sector had risen by 0.7 per cent. Portugal, Hungary and Romania were showing the biggest upturn.
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I don’t have a vote in the Midlands North-West constituency, but I have to contradict the author of this article (who was supposed to be writing a straight-reporting article, rather than an opinion piece). Peter Casey IS correct when he says (what everybody else, including the Irish Government, knows) that “Ireland will be the only English-speaking country in the EU”, after Brexit. What is commonly understood by that statement is that Ireland will be an even more attractive country, for inward migration, because Ireland will be the only remaining EU country where English will be THE primary language of everything (business, education, culture, employment, etc), after the UK leaves the European Union. Therefore, if a person from another EU state wants to experience total immersion in English, the logical (and most bureaucracy-free) choice will be to move to Ireland.
Wanting total immersion in English, but trying to achieve this by moving to another EU country where English is a secondary, albeit widely-spoken, language, would not be a substitute for experiencing the essentially “no-alternative” (to English) environment in Ireland.
Also, while English is AN official language of Malta, and is spoken by many Maltese, the mother tongue of the people of Malta is Maltese. Maltese is, by far, the preferred language of Maltese people. It’s also safe to say that employment and educational possibilities are greater in Ireland than they would be in Malta (with its population of just 475,700 people and its much smaller economy).
@J. Reid: Casey is saying this because he is a bigoted racist hate merchant and it’s got nothing to to with speaking English, as the migrants he is referring to don’t speak English as the first language. Speaking English is not a draw for people that come from countries that haven’t got it as their language, ergo Casey is spouting bigoted hogwash again. He is simply climbing aboard with the far right racist anti-migrant stance, copying racist parties and bigots in the UK/US and EU whose raison detre is denigrating migrants with unbridled hate and falsehoods.
@KingCrisp:
Very well said
@KingCrisp: a bigot would be someone who is intolerant to the expressed views of others – irrespective of how reasoned or well founded they may be & is some who resorts to a rant of cliches instead of a reasoned and intelligent response.
Take a Bow – you’ve just passed the test.
@KingCrisp: Have you ever thought, even for a split second, that you might be wrong and that those who don’t agree with your world view, might be right?
You remind me me of George Bernard Shaw’s comment, “The great tragedy of Ireland is that the intelligent are full of self-doubt, and the fools are cock-sure of themselves”.
@Thomas Sheridan: Stating facts is simply stating facts. The DUP don’t like to be called bigots, but they are, it’s a fact.
@Josh Hanners: I’ve succinctly exposed Casey’s bigoted hate and idiotic flawed logic about English and migrants. Quoting Shaw can’t negate logic, or anything, as it’s simply a quote standing proudly on its own. Enjoy whatever world view that you want to, but I’m not too partial on bigotry and unbridled hatred(I’m sure you don’t , but Casey does).
@KingCrisp: think you just discovered you just hold ‘an opinion’.
@KingCrisp: maybe if you could explain in detail why you have decided in your humble opinion that Mr Casey is a racist? Rather than name calling and attaching labels. It would be helpful if you had an intelligent opinion based on detail. For example.
@pete: Casey is racist against migrants and Irish travellers. He is attacking them for political reason even though they have no bearing on Ireland and the political career that he is trying to get. The president has no powers over the governance of Ireland, yet he deliberately attacked/denigrated Travellers when he could have no effect over any policies. Travellers are ethically different to other Irish people and he was racist towards a sub-ethicity in Ireland. See my comment above where he is attacking migrants. This is racist as he is a joining in with UK/EU/US racists who attack foreign migrants for political gain. Racists say we are full we/can’t afford to have any migrants etc trying to scare toe populace with unbridled hate against migrants. Irish people faced the same hatred in the UK ‘No blacks, No Irish, No dogs’ and Casey is doing the same ‘No migrants’. He is using the same vile hatred that Irish and other migrants have faced. He is de facto anti-Irish as are all people who are anti-migrant/anti-traveller.
https://www.paveepoint.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/EthnicityLeaflet.pdf
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/catalonia-migrant-children-attack-racism-immigration-refugee-a8825621.html
@pete: A by the by he’s also deeply bigoted and xenophobic.
https://www.enar-eu.org/Racist-violence-and-discourses
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/brexiles-it-has-become-okay-to-make-racial-comments-in-uk-1.3800551
@KingCrisp: how did he attack travellers? In what context?
Just dont FF FG labour, for any hope of a future.
@@mdmak33: even less of a future with the buddies of the IRA
@@mdmak33: Voting for them will just stroke their egos making them think people accept their property tax, vulture funds, PPP which is just wasting tax payers money and banker bonuses as well, etc etc…
1. Ming. 2. Matt Carthy. Not sure on number 3 but it will be none of the above. I respect Mairead McGuinness but not the flag she flies under.
@Ned Flanders: ill be Matt Carthy 1. Ming 2. And I’m unsure after that… Maybe 3. goes to Cyril Brennan or Saoirse McHugh… I probably won’t give more than 4 a number on my ballot
@Ned Flanders: Mairead is an absolute excellent servant to Irish interests in the EU and is one of the most informed and intelligent meps we have. Not voting for her because she is tied to fg is madness t bh. If she was in my constituency she would get my vote but I’m surrounded by dross
@Ned Flanders: well another two wasters picking up fat Cheques and Ming doesn’t even believe in the E.U.
Casey is a real pos. You can’t just “cancel” immigration. Ridiculous. It’s just a broad argument that appeals to a certain type of unhappy people who blame their unhappiness on people they don’t even know. His talk about travellers is gone to his head. Clown.
@Ronan McDermott: while running for MEP too. Almost the most basic principle of how the EU operates is freedom of movement of goods and people. Like no debate or discussion on the matter and yet he feels this is all he has to sell himself on. The very position where he can do absolutely nothing on his first point. Bit ridiculous
@Ronan McDermott: well technically you can “cancel” immigration by implementing legislation that allows no people without a PPS number to domicile and work here.
@Mushy Peas: you can’t work here without a pps # .
Zzzzzz
http://maireadmcguinness.ie/2017/10/12/glyphosate-debate/
Speaking in the European Parliament following a public hearing on ‘The Monsanto Papers and Glyphosate’ she said: “In this hearing we heard nothing new, just a repeat of the scientific evidence and advice from our EU agencies, EFSA and ECHA that Glyphosate is not a carcinogen. This is advice and guidance that I accept.”
https://usrtk.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/1984-mouse-is-oncogenic.pdf
The fact that glyphosate is used to ripen rapes seed, grains and to protect potatoes from blight here should be a real concern in the up coming election…
The problem is Glyphosate allows GMO crops to be used and the only one who owns GMO organisms are the big companies. GMO is a big business and the EU will not ban Glyphosates thanks to lobbyists for it and GMO’s. I think this should be an election debate on it and it should be the corner stone of this EU Election as well especially with all the Glyphosate news stories in the media now?
https://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/05/08/hidden-viral-gene-discovered-in-gmo-crops/
In the debate about species disappearing due to global warming lets remember pesticides and herbicides as well? https://www.rt.com/news/bees-pesticides-pollen-study-553/
https://www.rt.com/usa/monsanto-bill-blunt-agriculture-006/
“Obama signs ‘Monsanto Protection Act’ written by Monsanto-sponsored senator
On Tuesday, Pres. Obama inked his name to H.R. 933, a continuing resolution spending bill approved in Congress days earlier. Buried 78 pages within the bill exists a provision that grossly protects biotech corporations such as the Missouri-based Monsanto Company from litigation.
With the president’s signature, agriculture giants that deal with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and genetically engineered (GE) seeds are given the go-ahead to continue to plant and sell man-made crops, even as questions remain largely unanswered about the health risks these types of products pose to consumers.
In light of approval from the House and Senate, more than 250,000 people signed a petition asking the president to veto the spending bill over the biotech rider tacked on, an item that has since been widely referred to as the “Monsanto Protection Act.”
We need to make climate change and environmental issues on top of the EU political agendas now. Has any candidate for these elections talked about this yet???
I agree that the Monsanto debate needs to be aired. Immigration is a distraction and their are far more profound issues but the candidates are playing to the gallery. Not the fault if political candidates but the fault of the voting public who are Me Feiners !!
Seems to me Peter Casey is the only candidate that is willing to face the issue of immigration.
Immigrants, specially Islamic Immigrants are destroying Europe, we need to close the borders.
There will be a big swing to the right in the EU next week, we need Ireland to be part of it.
have your say