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Ice cream laws face revamp in the battle against obesity in Ireland

March 4, 2017

Peter Singhatey Education, Health, Irish News Education, Health, Ice Cream, obesity, peter singhateh, Peter Singhatey Leave a comment

Irish ice cream laws dating back to 1952 are being revised in an effort to fight national obesity levels.

Health Promotion Minister Marcella Corcoran Kennedy has proposed to revoke the current Food Standards (Ice Cream) Regulations dating from 1952.

The planned changes will revise the content of milk-fat, milk solids and sugar content in ice cream.

One of the stipulations in the 1952 regulations states that ice cream must contain at least 10pc by weight of sugar.

This obviously presents problems for any company wishing to reduce the sugar content of its ice cream products, according to the FSAI.

It says the purpose of the proposed regulations is to revoke these compositional standards as soon as possible.

Having consulted other relevant Government departments and official agencies, it is considered that it is no longer fit for purpose and has largely been superseded by EU legislation, Ms Corcoran Kennedy said.

Recent research found that Ireland has the third highest consumption of ice cream per capita in Europe

Source: Ireland’s ice cream laws face revamp in the battle against obesity – Independent.ie

Smartphones, tablets and internet killing Irish marriages and family life

February 8, 2017

Peter Singhatey Education, Irish News, Research, Social Media Internet, Ireland, peter singhateh, Peter Singhatey, relationships, Research, smartphones 1 Comment

Forget affairs or simply falling out of love, technology is the biggest factor in the breakdown of Irish marriages, it’s claimed.

Family psychologist and UCD lecturer, Dr John Sharry, maintains the overuse of smartphones, tablets and the internet is having a devastating impact on relationships – and our sex lives.

Worryingly, our must-have gadgets are also ruining family life and the bonds between parents and their children.

Dr Sharry’s warnings are supported by counselling body Relationships Ireland, which claims 90% of couples seeking its help say technology is a big factor in their marriage troubles.

Source: Smartphones, tablets and internet killing Irish marriages and family life, warns expert – Irish Mirror Online

Deaths of Irish Students in Berkeley Balcony Collapse Cast Pall on Program – The New York Times

June 17, 2015

Peter Singhatey Irish News Balcony Collapse, Berkeley, Irish Students, J1 Visa, People & Society, Peter Singhatey Leave a comment

Deaths of Irish Students in Berkeley Balcony Collapse Cast Pall on Program – The New York Times.

“BERKELEY, Calif. — They come by the thousands — Irish students on work visas, many flocking to the West Coast to work in summer jobs by day and to enjoy the often raucous life in a college town at night. It was, for many, a rite of passage, one last summer to enjoy travel abroad before beginning a career.

But the work-visa program that allowed for the exchanges has in recent years become not just a source of aspiration, but also a source of embarrassment for Ireland, marked by a series of high-profile episodes involving drunken partying and the wrecking of apartments in places like San Francisco and Santa Barbara…”

Fighting female genital mutilation – Family News & Advice | Parenting, Marriage & Kids | The Irish Tim – Tue, Feb 04, 2014

February 5, 2014

Peter Singhatey Irish News Africa, Education, FGM, Gambia, Ireland, People & Society, peter singhateh Leave a comment

Fighting female genital mutilation – Family News & Advice | Parenting, Marriage & Kids | The Irish Tim – Tue, Feb 04, 2014.

In December 2012 the United Nations (UN) passed five resolutions condemning it. The motions were supported by all the countries in the African Union.

The procedure ranges in severity from a clitoridectomy, or the partial or total removal of the clitoris; excision, or the partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora; infibulations, or the narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of a covering seal with or without a clitoridectomy.

The procedure can lead to multiple problems later in life. Infections, urinary incontinence, infertility, pain during sex and childbirth are among the problems faced by women who have been subjected to FGM.

The UN estimates that 140 million women have suffered FGM, two million girls a year are still subjected to the process. In parts of the Horn of Africa, FGM rates are more than 90 per cent. ..

Dublin student wins Young Scientist for maths project – Science News | Daily News from The Irish Times – Fri, Jan 10, 2014

January 13, 2014

Peter Singhatey Irish News Education, Ireland, peter singhateh, Research Leave a comment

Dublin student wins Young Scientist for maths project – Science News | Daily News from The Irish Times – Fri, Jan 10, 2014.

A Dublin student who found answers to previously unsolved mathematical problems has won the 50th BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition at the RDS. Paul Clarke undertook months of research into complex mathematical theory to become the young scientist of the year.

A project by students from Kinsale seeking to understand people’s attitudes to older people in the work force took the prize for best group. The runner up individual award went to a Dublin student who developed a laboratory management system and the runner up group prize was claimed by students from Mayo who designed and built a gumshield communication device for managers and players…

Final phase of broadband in schools project – Education News | Primary, Secondary & Third Level | The Irish Time – Tue, Jan 07, 2014

January 7, 2014

Peter Singhatey Irish News Broadband Internet, Education, Ireland, peter singhateh Leave a comment

Final phase of broadband in schools project – Education News | Primary, Secondary & Third Level | The Irish Time – Tue, Jan 07, 2014.

Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte and Minister for Education RuairíQuinn announced that every secondary school will have access to 100Mbp/s connectivity by the beginning of the next school year, as they launched the final stage of the national project.

With high-speed broadband already installed in 516 schools through the project, yesterday’s announcement detailed a further 270 to be connected in counties Carlow, Cork, Kerry, Kilkenny, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow.

“Completing the final phase of the national programme will mean all our post-primary schools have been equipped with top class, future-proofed broadband,” said Mr Rabbitte.

“This will enable and motivate them to grasp the teaching and learning opportunities that the internet provides.”

Children from poorer homes ‘watch more TV and eat fattier foods’

December 4, 2013

Peter Singhatey Irish News Education, Health, obesity, People & Society, peter singhateh Leave a comment

Children from poorer homes ‘watch more TV and eat fattier foods’.

CHILDREN from disadvantaged homes consume 23pc more calories than better-off youngsters each day, and spend much more time in front of TV and computer screens.

A new Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) report highlights the widening health and social gap between Irish children by the time they are just five years old. It also lays bare the growing strain placed on families by the economic downturn. It reveals that the average five-year-old consumes approximately 1,500 calories per day, but children from less advantaged backgrounds, such as lower-income groups, consume 23pc more calories on average each day. And this higher calorie intake is clearly related to obesity rates. The report also shows that children whose mothers are educated to Junior Cert level or lower are more than twice as likely to be obese (9pc) as those whose mothers have a degree (4pc).

Doctors call for 20% budget tax on sugary drinks | Irish Examiner

October 7, 2013

Peter Singhatey Irish News Health, Ireland, obesity, People & Society, peter singhateh Leave a comment

Doctors call for 20% budget tax on sugary drinks | Irish Examiner.

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland also called for a review of how sugary drinks are promoted and the effect their consumption has, particularly on children.

Donal O’Shea warned that such drinks provide no nutritional benefits but are linked with weight gain.

“With one in four Irish schoolchildren classified as overweight or obese, we have an epidemic and the Government must take action,” said Prof O’Shea, a hospital consultant.

“There is widespread agreement among health professionals, now backed by a convincing body of evidence, that sugar-sweetened drinks, including sports drinks, and their pattern of consumption, are significant factors in weight gain and obesity, especially among children,” he said…