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{news from ireland } By April Drew
Ireland Gets $110 Billion Bailout n November 21, 2010 the Irish government signed off on a $110 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union (EU) in an effort to restabilize the crumbling economy and inject new hope into a country that rapidly lost its Celtic roar during the financial crisis. As part of a four-year, $20 billion plan to pay back the loan package to the IMF and the EU, the government announced an $8 billion budget in December bringing protesters out in droves. The country is now facing a general election. An election was first called for by the Green party, the junior party in the coalition government, in November. The Labour Party and Fine Gael also called for an immediate election to seek “political certainty.” Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Brian Cowen indicated an election would take place in early 2011 after the budgetary process was completed.
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ANTI-ABORTION LAW IN IRELAND TO BE REWRITTEN Ireland will be required to change its antiabortion laws after the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the current restrictions have in the past endangered the lives of Irish women. Ireland’s strict abortion laws regard the termination of a baby as illegal except if there is a substantial risk to a mother’s life. The court ruled that the laws violate Ireland’s constitution by failing to give permit abortions for women who have severe medical conditions. The issue was highlighted when a Lithuanian woman living in Ireland had a rare form of cancer and was forced to go to Britain to have an abortion after doctors in Ireland refused to terminate her pregnancy. The court ordered the Irish government to pay the woman $20,000. Mary Harney, the Irish health minister, insisted that legislation was the preferred option to a referendum. “I don’t want to pretend that there is an easy solution. We have to legislate, there’s no doubt about that,” she said.“This will take time as it is a highly sensitive and complex area.”
THOUSANDS WORLDWIDE CONSIDER THEMSELVES IRISH
Ireland’s Big Freeze Was a Nightmare A rctic weather hit Ireland with a bang in December, forcing airports to close, public transport to be suspended and thousands of homes across the country were left without water and heat for the holidays. In many parts of the country, pipes burst from freezing water. See photo above. Temperatures reached a record low of -18˚c. Severe ice and sleet were the cause of many accidents and some deaths. A Co Mayo man, John McCann, was found dead outside his home, apparently a victim of the extreme weather. It is believed that McCann, a
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single man in his late 40s, was dropped off near his home and may have fallen on the ice before he reached his house, located at the end of a lane. Ireland ran out of salt, and emergency supplies did not arrive in the country in time for the major freeze in December. Some 20,000 tons of salt arrived from Egypt and Morocco to help grit the roads but it still wasn’t enough. Ironically, 2010 was ranked in the top three warmest years since records began in 1850, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
Over a hundred thousand people around the world claimed Irish citizenship in 2010. Figures show that 115,000 people applied to Irish embassies in countries far and wide for Irish citizenship, citing the birth of a grandparent as their eligibility. The “Granny Rule” has been used for years by Republic of Ireland football managers to secure players from other countries who have Irish relations. Micheál Martin, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the demand for citizenship through an Irish grandparent has spiked over the past two years. “There has been an increased awareness of the rule since the Global Irish Economic Forum at Farmleigh with more of our citizens coming forward to claim the entitlement to call themselves Irish and to have the right to a passport,” said Martin. For people who are not entitled to Irish citizenship through the “Granny Rule” the Department of Foreign Affairs is developing a Certificate of Irish Heritage, which will allow millions of people with Irish heritage to form stronger links with the land of their ancestors.