EVERY WEEK, TheJournal.ie offers a selection of statistics and numerical nuggets to help you digest the week that has just passed.
€21.57 – The amount spent by Labour’s candidate in the Meath East by-election, Eoin Holmes, for every vote he received. SIPO data shows Holmes spent €23,988.64 but won only 1,112 votes. By comparison, the victorious Helen McEntee spent €29,842.59 to win 9,356 votes – €3.19 for each.
€69,000 – The amount that Dubliner Allan Dixon will be paid after securing the ‘best job in the world’. Dixon will will be an “outback adventurer” in the Northern Territory of Australia between August and December.
€311 million – The amount that Ireland’s city, county and town councils have had to write off in lost earnings from commercial rates between 2006 and 2010, after the occupiers of commercial premises went out of business.
92 cent – The approximate amount that each person living in Cork City pays in salary for their mayor. Catherine Clancy says her €100,000 salary “reflects the importance of the role”. Dubliners, by comparison, pay 12 cent apiece for their own mayor’s wage.
118 - The number of college students who are still waiting for a decision from SUSI on whether they’re getting a grant to cover last year’s college. The students are now stuck in limbo – unable to get their results from the colleges because their fees for first year have not been settled.
40 – The number of days for which Patrick Nulty served as an (official) Labour TD. He was elected on October 27 in 2011 but lost the party whip when voting against the Budget 40 days later. After another 563 days he yesterday announced he was leaving the party altogether.
38 – The number of people who have died, worldwide, from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome – the so-called ‘New SARS’. Most of the fatalities are in Saudi Arabia – but, worryingly, the disease seems to spread just as easily as SARS, and kills far more of its infected patients than SARS ever did.
896 - The number of acts passed by the Houses of the Oireachtas since the Supreme Court ruling in the X Case was issued in March 1992. Legislation to address the ruling, and enshrine a legal right to abortion in limited circumstances, was tabled in the Dáil this week.
7,777 – The number of days between the Supreme Court’s ruling in the X Case (March 5, 1992) and the introduction of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013 to the Dáil (June 20, 2013).
25 per cent – The approximate across-the-board cut in the resource and special education teaching hours for primary school pupils next year. The number of teachers being provided is the same – but the number of pupils who will need their help is shooting up.
21 per cent – The proportion of Irish households which did not pay the €100 household charge last year – and who will now face paying €200, on top of the property tax.
12.3 per cent – The proportion of Irish mortgages which are in arrears of 90 days or more on their payments. That’s 95,554 homes.
0 – The number of members of the British royal family who will be attending the London gaelic football team’s match against Leitrim tomorrow. Carrick-on-Shannon isn’t much of a draw, it seems. For what it’s worth, the Court Circular doesn’t show Queen Elizabeth as having any public appointments this weekend.
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