10-08-2002
Green light given for MDA enterprise centre
The Mountmellick Development Association (MDA) are toasting the Government's response to an application to develop a new Community Enterprise Centre following yesterday's announcement by Tanaiste Mary Harney of a grant of €319,000.
Also among the recipients of the successful community enterprise centre projects to receive funding yesterday was the Laois Chamber of Commerce. The Tanaiste announced that the Chamber is to receive €9,000 under the initiative administered by Enterprise Ireland working in close co-operation with Shannon Development, FAS, the local authorities and County and City Enterprise Boards. The funding promised to the MDA represents the biggest grant allocated countrywide which totalled over €5million.
The money for the MDA was granted under the heading management and capital and means that the organisation can now make progress in making an enterprise centre a reality in Mountmellick.
Programme Manager Mary Dolan expressed her delight at the grant "We are delighted with the funding approval from Enterprise Ireland and would like to thank them for assisting us in continuing the MDA vision of creating local employment opportunities, in particular, Mr Nick Murnagh".
Ms Dolan explained that it is envisaged that tenants of the new centre will be setting up in business for the first time. "The unique feature of the centre is that it will provide those new businesses with a supported environment".
Access to an on site advisory service to deal with issues and problems will be available to them as well as practical needs such as training courses and administration.
"With a number of new business units under one roof we hope to reduce the sense of isolation that can often be felt by people embarking on a new business for the first time. MDA trust that in time these new businesses will increase employment opportunities for local people and the ultimate objective of rejuvenating the economy and quality of life for the people of Mountmellick and the surrounding areas will be achieved", concluded Ms Dolan.
The funding for the Laois Chamber of Commerce will be designated for a feasibility study to examine the possibility of an Enterprise Centre which will foster the development of new businesses in the area.
Chamber CEO Margaret Ryan confirmed that the grant amounts to about half the cost of the study which will look at the need for such a service, the identification of possible space, the examination of existing infrastructure and a study of the pool of employees available in the area. "We believe that there is a very big pool of employees that would to come back to Portlaoise to work", explained Ms Ryan.
Ms Ryan believes that there would be openings to promote industry to supply to larger industries both in Laois and its hinterland. "That includes Dublin", she said.
The remainder of the funding required for the feasibility study will have to be raised by the Chamber.
In announcing the grants, Tanaiste Mary Harney said that the funding will be used to provide infrastructural facilities to support the establishment of micro enterprises with local community participation.
Mountmellick Mardi Gras this weekend
National and international - as well as local attention is focusing on Mountmellick Mardi Gras Festival which is taking place this weekend from Friday, August 9 to Sunday, August 11.
The broadcast and print media is especially interested in the Air Guitar Competition scheduled for O'Connell Square on Saturday.
In essence, the competition is simulated guitar playing to a backing track of rock music.
The winner will, in a fortnight's time, travel to Helsinki in Finland to represent Ireland in the World Air Guitar Championships. So a lot is at stake and the contestants are busily rehearsing at secret locations.
On Friday night the Festival features another innovation - a race to find out who is the best waiter in the town. Each participant will carry a tray with two beer-filled tumblers and will be expected to down a glass of beer in each pub along the way - 11 in all. Time and amount of beer left in the tumblers at the end of the course will determine the winner.
Presiding over the Festival will be the Lord Mayor of Mountmellick. The Mayoral campaign is now in its final, hectic stage. There are three candidates, all of a high calibre: Mairead O'Mara of the Kirwan Park/Harbour Residents Association; James Blanc of the St. Vincent's Hospital Patient Benefit Fund; and Tom Westman of the GAA.
Proceeds from the campaign go to the candidates respective organisations and to the Festival Committee.
As Committee Chairman, Michael Gormley explains, the Festival uses its profits for the town's benefit, on providing extra Christmas lights, for example.
Festival Events
Friday, August 9. & pm indoor soccer tournament at Sports Complex. 8.15 pm, opening parade. 9pm waiters race followed by children's fancy dress and Guinness Jazz Band in O'Connell Square. 10.30 pm, spectacular firework display at MDA Business Park.
Saturday, August 10. Druid's Golf Society's Captain's day, visitors welcome. 2pm to 4pm children's show in concert hall with Bozo the Clown and the Amazing Magician. 4pm to 6pm, pavement painting competition and face painting. 8.30 to 10.30 pm Strength in Numbers live in O'Connell Square and Air Guitar Competition.
Sunday, August 11 9.30 an, indoor soccer tournament. 10.30 am vintage rally through town. 11 am, treasure hunt begins in the Square. 2 - 6 pm Mountmellick Work exhibition in Sports Complex and Monster Family Fun Day including tug o'war in Smith's Field. 7.30 - 9.30 pm Beat in the Street children's disco. 8.30 - 10 pm, Monster Bingo in the Owenass Hall.
It should be noted that this year's opening parade takes a new route assembling at Joseph's NS and St Patrick's NS proceeding up Connolly Street over the bridge into Parnell Street, through O'Connell Square, into Patrick Street and Emmet Street, and back to the Square via Twomey Park and Pattison's Estate.
Mountmellick enterprise awarded for employee excellence
A Mountmellick based company has landed a prestigious award, recognising the quality of its workforce.
Employees from the Mill Enterprise, based in Irishtown, received the FAS Excellence through People Award from Tanaiste Mary Harney at a special ceremony held in Dublin's Shelbourne Hotel earlier this month. Pat Dalton, FAS Manager for the Midlands Region Services to Business Unit (Athlone) presented the Excellence through people badges to each employee in the company at a celebration in the Heritage Hotel afterwards. The Mill emerged from an intensive assessment procedure with an overall score of 90 per cent. General Manager, Deirdre Rogers, who accepted the award with fellow employees Michelle Harrington and Sean Dunphy, said that it was the culmination of a process lasting eight months, involving every member of the company's workforce that helped to clinch the award.
"While other quality accreditation considers processes and systems, Excellence through People is the only Irish national standard uniquely dedicated to people. It shows that in terms of their professionalism, commitment and enterprise our workforce is a match for any in the country", she declared.
The award represents yet another milestone in what is becoming a remarkable success story since the Mill Enterprise was established seven years ago. In that time, the company - which assembles and packages large quantities of dental floss for export worldwide by Oral B - had more than trebled its workforce to over 100 people.
The Mill is part of Gandon Enterprises, the world's first group of businesses providing integrated employment opportunities for people with disabilities and non-disabled employees work side by side in an integrated working environment.
Ashley Balbirnie, Gandon Enterprises, Chief Executive, who was present at the awards presentation said "Many people were sceptical when Gandon was established by the Rehab Group in 1994 to create employment for people with disabilities through commercially viable business.
The success of the Mill and each of our other businesses has demonstrated conclusively that people with disabilities don't need token jobs, that they can prosper in firms that operate in highly competitive markets. The achievement of the Excellence through People accreditation by the Mill is yet further proof of this. The Mill has set a very high standard for our other businesses to follow".
