Vice-President of the IPU, Kathy Maher, outlined, “Stress can manifest itself in the body in a number of different ways affecting a student’s health.  The flare-up of certain conditions, including skin related conditions, can add further stress to a student who may already be feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of sitting exams.

We are encouraging students to ask their pharmacist about any health concerns they may have.  It is also very important for students to do their best to try and manage their health and stress levels at this time by getting a good night’s sleep and eating healthy foods. ”

The Safe Guide to Exam Stress Ailments is available at www.ipu.ie.

IPU Safe Guide to help Students Minimise Symptoms of Minor Ailments

Pharmacists’ Top 10 Tips

1.    Stay Healthy – Eat regular, well-balanced, healthy meals.  If necessary, supplement your diet with a multi-vitamin to prevent getting run down.

2.    Headaches – Tension headaches can occur.  Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, study in a well-ventilated room and take regular breaks, particularly students who wear glasses or contact lenses so as not to strain their eyes.  Consult pharmacists before taking any medication for headaches.

3.    Dehydration – Make sure to drink lots of fluids throughout the day and during the exams.  Avoid too much coffee or stimulant drinks.

4.    Cold Sores – Apply a preventative cream as soon as possible and reapply the cream regularly.  Wash your hands before and after applying the cream to avoid the cold sore spreading.  Protect your lips with high factor lip balm.

5.    Stomach upsets – If the problem persists, your pharmacist can recommend an over-the-counter medicine.  If constipated, drink plenty of water and eat fruit and high fibre foods.  For diarrhoea, drink plenty of water and keep hydrated.  Ask your pharmacist for a remedy to help to replenish vital vitamins and minerals if diarrhoea is severe.

6.    Hay Fever – Hay fever sufferers should keep doors and windows closed in mid-morning and early evening when pollen levels peak.  Avoid studying outside.  If taking antihistamines make sure to take tablets that do not cause drowsiness.

7.    Asthma – Be extra vigilant in using inhalers correctly during exam time. Ask your pharmacist for advice on improving your inhaler technique. Make sure to have an ample supply of inhalers and bring one with you at all times so it can be used during the exam if required.

8.    Eczema – Keep your skin well moisturised with the cream prescribed by your doctor. Wear loose-fitting clothes that won’t aggravate the condition and cause the skin to itch or flare up further.

9.    Insomnia – Avoid products containing caffeine. Take some light exercise during the day or a bath or shower in order to relax before bedtime. Don’t study in bed as the brain will become over-stimulated. Set aside a period for relaxing during the study schedule.

10.   Muscular and Joint Discomfort – When revising, it is important to have a chair that provides good back support.  Avoid crossing legs or slouching over a desk.  Take frequent breaks when studying, walk around for a few moments or perform some light stretches.

 
Maria Whitmore
Client Director
GordonMRM
email: maria@gordonmrm.ie

Speaking at the Annual General Meeting of permanent tsb Group Holdings plc. (Wednesday 22nd May 2013), Chairman Alan Cook said the Group is competing again for mortgage business, car loans, educational loans and current accounts.

“We’ve been able to open the doors to lending through permanent tsb again,” said Mr Cook.

Mr Cook said the Group’s Bank plus Two strategy, designed to create three distinct businesses, shows it is making “real progress” in addressing its problems and taking decisive action to improve the position of customers and the taxpayer.

“Our strategy is now settled and clear. It is about creating three distinct businesses from the overall Group,” said Mr Cook.

“The first of these will be a viable, efficient and profitable bank – permanent tsb bank – that can lend money, service its customers’ needs and compete with the larger banks in Ireland.”

“Alongside the bank we have created two special business units – the Asset Management Unit for our challenging loans in Ireland and a ‘Non-Core’ unit. Through these units, we can provide a dedicated, sophisticated and sympathetic response to customers whose loans are in arrears or find a better home for those businesses that do not fit with our long-term strategy”.

Mr Cook said the Group has three major priorities:

• To restructure the business, creating a viable competitive banking force for the Irish marketplace.
• To work closely with customers in arrears to help them manage their challenges
• To use capital efficiently in the management of ‘Non-Core’ portfolios

“It has been another very challenging year for the Irish economy in general and for this company, along with many others.
But it has been one during which we have made real progress in addressing our problems and taking decisive action to help the position of our customers and the position of the taxpayer, who has invested so heavily in our business and whose support has been critical to us over the past number of years.”

Issued by
Ray Gordon
Gordon MRM
ray@gordonmrm.ie

Dr. Sadlier said that the IMO had debated the issue of abortion on a number of occasions and when it had done, it had found that that diversity of opinion that is seen in the wider community was “mirrored closely”  amongst its own members.  He noted that the official IMO position on the issue dates back 20 years to 1993 and states that the IMO endorses the principle of respect for all human life, born and unborn, and that it rejects abortion.

However addressing the Committee Dr. Sadlier said: “the IMO accepts that that whatever our own policy position might be, our members operate within a legal framework.  Therefore without turning our backs on the formal policy position we have adopted, we have an obligation to engage in the debate about the legal framework that is being established.”

He continued; “we understand that it is the role of the people through referendums and Deputies and Senators through the Oireachtas to frame the laws under which this country operates and …..we accept that the Government is now moving to introduce a legislative framework.”

Dr. Sadlier said that the IMO had concerns with the Head of the Bill as published which he identified  as follows:

• The patient’s health and welfare is paramount
• The legislation must provide adequate clarity and protection to healthcare professionals who have to operate under it.
• The legislation must be practical and realistic for application in a hospital environment
• The legislation must be sufficiently resourced
• Where issues of morals are concerned – such as abortion – the laws must provide adequate flexibility to ensure that an individual can abstain from engaging in an activity which he/she may deem, in conscience, to be immoral without jeopardising the right of the relevant patient to all the facilities and treatments which the law provides.

 
Dr. Sadlier also identified specific concerns in relation to the published Heads of the Bill.  These are available by email request from ray@gordonmrm.ie.

 
Issued by behalf of the IMO by:
Ray Gordon
Gordon MRM
ray@gordonmrm.ie

Work on the new 100 sq metre flagship site will begin later this month and it’s expected to be completed by September. One hundred people will be employed during the construction phase while 20 people will be employed full-time once the 24/7 station is fully operational.

Paul Candon, Marketing and Corporate Services Director at Topaz said the Company wanted to give customers, especially visitors to Ireland, a five star service.

“Nineteen million people travelled through Dublin airport last year – that’s over 50,000 a day – and not surprisingly our site there is one of the busiest in the country. We are renowned for our friendly and professional service but we also want to provide the most modern facilities in comfortable surroundings.

Whether customers are having the first retail experience of their visit to Ireland or leaving our shores we want to ensure it’s a hugely positive experience. The facilities at Dublin Airport are improving all the time and this investment shows our commitment to enhancing the customer’s experience” Mr Candon said.

The new site will feature live Departure/Arrival information which will be very useful for travellers. It will also have a cafe, hot food deli, Wi-Fi internet access, EV charger, car wash and a pay at pump facility.   “The investment by Topaz will revolutionise the forecourt offer at Dublin Airport and provide a much improved product,” said DAA’s Head of Commercial Revenue Hugh Madden.  “The new Topaz facility will be used not just by the travelling public, but also by the 15,000 people who work at the Dublin Airport campus. Dublin Airport has a significant permanent population employed by DAA, our airline customers, car hire firms, aircraft maintenance businesses, hotels and a host of other ancillary activities and this new service station will be an excellent addition to the facilities onsite” Mr Madden added.

 
DAA and Topaz have been working closely together on the planned revamp of the service station since Topaz was awarded the 15-year contract to operate the facility 14 months ago.

Wednesday 15th May 2013.

For Further Information
Contact Kieran Garry
Gordon MRM
kieran@gordonmrm.ie

• The IMO continues to engage in intensive discussions with the HSE and the Department of Health and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on key issues relating to the terms and conditions of our members.   We hope in the coming weeks to secure an agreement that we will put to our members.

• Our objective in these discussions has been to protect, to the greatest degree possible, the terms and conditions of our members while being conscious of the very difficult financial situation facing the country.  We have also been very conscious of the urgent need to make progress on the implementation of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) and tackling the overtime crisis in the NCHD sector (Non Consultant Hospital Doctors).

• It is important to state that no agreement has yet been reached on many of the critical issues.  However progress has been made on some important matters.

• The Government has agreed that the current situation on overtime in the NCHD sector is unsustainable.  Specifically we expect to secure a commitment that the Government will be compliant with the European Working Time Directive within 18 months (end 2014).  The excessive hours being worked by NCHDs is a critical issue in the health services and poses serious risks to NCHDs themselves and their patients.  Addressing this crisis is a key objective of the IMO.

• The Government has accepted our argument that significant savings in the payroll budget can be obtained by transferring certain tasks (such as phlebotomy) from NCHDs to Nursing Grades.  Together with the Government and the INMO we will participate in an evaluation process to quantify the scale of savings which can be achieved through this process.

• We believe that the savings which will follow from the transfer of certain work may lead to an improved agreement on overtime.

• On the broader issue of pay, the IMO argued strongly to remove the threat of pay cuts for our members earning over €65,000 not least because of the very substantial cuts which our members have already endured.  The silence of other Unions on this issue has clearly emboldened the Government to legislate if necessary to impose these cuts and in that context we do not expect to reach agreement on this issue.

• It does appear that while these inequitable cuts will go through, their impact will be somewhat softened by the payment as normal of the increment due after 1st July 2013 and the restoration of pay grades for those under €100,000 within 18 months of the conclusion of the agreement.

• Significantly, on a key priority issue for the IMO, we have secured agreement that the Government will enter discussions with the IMO to examine the issue of retention and career paths for doctors within the Irish health system and, in particular, the recruitment and retention of consultants.  This issue has been identified by our members as crucial for the future of the medical profession in Ireland.

Speaking today, Mr. Tweed said that the process over recent days confirmed that the IMO was right to walk out of the Croke Park II talks in late February; “we have had more engagement in the past week than we were able to get throughout the whole process of the Croke Park II talks and we’ve made important progress on some substantial issues.”

Tuesday 14th May 2013.

Ray Gordon
Gordon MRM

ray@gordonmrm.ie

Details of the auction on 16 May are as follows:

o Auction Size: €500 million
o Maturity: 19 Aug 2013
o ISIN Code: IE00B8V8CK29 (new line)
o Auction Opens: 09:30 a.m.
o Auction Closes: 10:30 a.m.
o Settlement Date: 20 May 2013

The auction will be conducted on the Bloomberg Auction System and is confined to recognized Primary Dealers and Eligible Counterparties. Bills will be listed on the Irish Stock Exchange and Primary Dealers are subject to the normal reporting obligations to the Exchange.

A non-competitive auction will immediately follow the competitive auction and will close on Thursday 16 May at 4 p.m.

For further information please see http://www.ntma.ie/business-areas/funding-and-debt-management/short-term-instruments/

Tuesday 14 May 2013

ntma@gordonmrm.ie

More than 75% of respondents said they had worked out how much they intend to pay.

Angela Keegan Managing Director of MyHome.ie said the fact 50% of property owners said they were going to use the figure in Revenue’s assessment was interesting.  ”Nobody likes paying taxes, especially new taxes and its clear many people disagree with the assessment they have received. However 43% of respondents in our survey said they were happy with Revenue’s assessment and even more – half of them – said they were going to use Revenue’s figure.

A further 8% said they were going to go with a higher figure. The findings would appear to support anecdotal evidence that Revenue generally erred on the lower side with their valuation bands” she said.

Ms Keegan said the fact that 3 out of 4 people had worked out how much they will pay was also very positive.  ”The survey shows that the Property Price Register was the most popular tool used by people to calculate their tax, closely followed by websites such as MyHome.ie and then the Revenue’s own guidelines.

People are clearly using multiple sources but it was interesting to note that 23% of respondents listed estate agent valuations while 18% said they were using a neighbour’s assessment. The latter may indicate that residents in some neighbourhoods are agreeing a joint approach” Ms Keegan said.

The fact local councils will be allowed to increase the property tax by up to 15% from September next year has been highlighted in the media in recent days. However fifty five per cent of respondents in this survey said they were opposed to local authorities being given more powers to set rates – with 44% in favour of such a move.

According to the survey 59% of respondents felt the tax discriminated against city dwellers while 41% didn’t. Over two thirds of respondents felt the money raised from the tax should only go to local amenities, 26% felt it should go to both local amenities and the exchequer while 6% felt it should go to the exchequer.

Seventy one per cent of those renting accommodation are opposed to the new tax while 29% agree with it. However – and not surprisingly – 92% said they would feel aggrieved if landlords pass on the property tax in the form of a rent increase.

It may be of some comfort to those renting that 61% of the landlords* who took part in the survey said they wouldn’t be passing on the tax to their tenants while 13% said they would. However that leaves a significant 26% in the undecided camp.

ENDS.

For Further Information
Contact Kieran Garry,
Gordon MRM,
kieran@gordonmrm.ie

Note to Editor

The findings are based on the responses of 1,532 people. The survey was carried out between Wednesday 1st of May and Friday 3rd of May 2013.

*One hundred and fifteen respondents described themselves as landlords.

 
Speaking today, Dr. Walley said that the IMO had warned the Government that there would be huge problems trying to extend free GP card coverage on the basis of health rather than income; “What patients with long-term illnesses, such as Diabetes, actually want and need is greater, structured resources at GP level to help them in the management of their chronic illnesses.  GPs did not stop this project; rather, the Government made the mistake of trying to implement a solution that would look good rather than one that would make a meaningful difference to patients with long-term illnesses.  This is all in the context that we have a raging epidemic of Obesity and Diabetes and the consequent increased morbidity and mortality from these problems.  We now have decades of international and Irish data indicating that General Practice is the cheapest, most effective place to manage chronic care issues, if appropriately resourced. Treating long-term illnesses at GP level rather than in hospitals has been proven to be beneficial for patients and more cost effective.”

 
Dr. Walley said that the failure would inevitably raise serious questions about the Government’s strategy for free GP care for all during the lifetime of this Government; “Given the Government’s failure to engage with GPs about the introduction of such a fundamental change to their contracts, I think the chances of seeing this change introduced in the term of this Government are remote, unless the Government talks to GPs, who need to be properly resourced so they can deliver the optimum service for patients.  The Minister should refocus his efforts on tackling the resource crisis in GP surgeries now so that patients could start seeing a meaningful improvement in their treatments.”

Wednesday 08th May 2013.

Issued by:
Ray Gordon
Gordon MRM
ray@gordonmrm.ie

 
Under the terms of the agreement, NAMA will sell the loan portfolio to the new joint venture entity, which will be 20% owned by NAMA and 80% owned by a consortium led by Starwood. Other members of the consortium include Key Capital Real Estate and Catalyst Capital.

 
The sale of the loan portfolio commenced in February 2013, with more than 60 parties actively participating in the process.  NAMA and Starwood entered into exclusive discussions in early April.

 
The structured sale enables NAMA to capitalise on the current robust interest from global investors in Irish commercial property assets and at the same time participate in the continuing recovery of the Irish commercial property market.

 
NAMA will provide a senior secured loan (vendor finance) to the joint venture, with an initial loan to value of less than 60%. The loan will carry a commercial rate of interest, and is expected to be repaid within five years.

 
Starwood is a global investment firm with a core focus on global real estate, and currently has more than $23 billion in assets under management. Its portfolio of assets includes the construction and real estate owned assets of the former Corus Bank, NA in the United States, in which it led a consortium of other partners.

 
Brendan McDonagh, CEO of NAMA commented: “NAMA is very happy with the successful outcome of the loan sale process and we welcome Starwood to partner with us in resolving the portfolio. The transaction has a number of innovative features, including NAMA vendor financing and equity participation.”

“We look forward to a successful working relationship with NAMA and are excited about this investment opportunity,” said Jeffrey Dishner, Senior Managing Director at Starwood. “Since 2009, Starwood has taken on over $7 billion in non-performing loans as a key part of our distressed investment strategy and demonstrated an ability to work in partnership with financial institutions throughout the world to successfully manage the portfolios to meet their needs while achieving strong investment results for our investors.”

 
NAMA engaged Eastdil Secured, to manage the sale on its behalf.

About Starwood Capital Group

Starwood Capital Group is a private, U.S.-based investment firm with a core focus on global real estate.  Since the group’s inception in 1991, the firm has raised nearly $19 billion of equity capital and, through its various funds, has invested $15 billion representing over $38 billion in assets.  Starwood Capital Group currently has over $23 billion of assets under management. Starwood Capital Group maintains offices in Greenwich, Atlanta, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Chicago, and affiliated offices in London, Luxembourg, Paris and Sao Paulo.  Starwood Capital Group has invested in nearly every class of real estate on a global basis, including office, retail, residential, senior housing, golf, hotels, resorts and industrial assets.  Starwood Capital Group and its affiliates have successfully executed an investment strategy that includes building enterprises around core real estate portfolios in both the private and public markets.  Additional information about Starwood Capital can be found at www.starwoodcapital.com.

About NAMA

NAMA was established by the Irish Government in late 2009 to acquire and manage eligible property loans from five Irish financial institutions

Subsequently, NAMA acquired 12,000 loans (secured by approximately 56,000 individual property units) involving about 800 debtor connections. Par debt at acquisition was approximately €74billion.

NAMA has a commercial mandate to obtain the best achievable financial return for the Irish State in the management and disposal of its acquired assets. It seeks to achieve a phased and orderly disposal of assets, either through direct sale of property assets by its debtors or through loan sales, depending on whichever is the more advantageous option in commercial terms.

Through asset sales by its debtors and its own loan sales, NAMA has generated €11.4 billion in cash flows since inception.

www.nama.ie

Media Contacts:

For Starwood Capital Group

Tom Johnson

Abernathy MacGregor Group

(212) 371-5999

For NAMA

Ray Gordon

Gordon MRM

ray@gordonmrm.ie

 
Ger Mitchell has confirmed that the new rates will be available to “switchers (people moving their mortgage from their current bank but not  selling their home) as well as First Time buyers and those simply selling their home and buying a new one.

 
The new rates available from Wednesday will be:

LTV Band   MVR Rates  PTSB Market Rank
<50%                3.95%                           1
<60%                4.05%                          2
<70%                4.15%                           1
<80%               4.20%                           1
<90%               4.45%                           1

 
The new rate model will replace the use of the Standard Variable Rate (SVR) for new customers.  That rate today stands at 4.34%.  (This rate is typically discounted for new business for a period of 12 months before reverting to the SVR for the remainder of the mortgage).

 
Speaking today Ger Mitchell, Director of Lending at permanent tsb, said; “This is a much more sophisticated pricing model for mortgages which will allow us to reward customers who have a lower risk profile while charging a higher rate from customers who represent a higher risk by virtue of the amount of money they are borrowing relative to the value of the property.”

The move will see permanent tsb bank take a leadership position in the market in key market segments; the bank will provide lowest rates in four of the five categories.

Monday 29th April 2013.

Issued by:
ray@gordonmrm.ie