I’d be keen to add that – at this stage – it’s only an expression of interest, as the championships are eight years away. However, I think it’s important that the FAI see the real excitement and enthusiasm that exists among the public for such an event to come to Ireland. From 2016 onwards, this tournament will have 24 countries participating instead of the 16 we currently see. Again, this is great news for the potential bid as there will be more countries, more fans and a bigger pie for the three countries to share. The upside is that, with two large world-class stadia already constructed, Ireland can definitely play a significant role in this bid without adding any further infrastructure.

Some say hindsight is seen with 20-20 vision but, with this, we can see that the future also needs 20-20 vision and, thankfully, the FAI seem to have that in abundance. I welcome this expression of interest and, while it’s only early stages, I’m glad they’re showing some ambition.

Senator Noone added: “It’s great to see Dublin Bus moving into the 21st Century like this. What needs to happen now is a tighter integration between transport systems in all respects. For instance, the ability to top up your Leap card within the Dublin Bus App would be a hugely desirable evolution. In addition, a faster online top-up of your leap card would also be desirable – currently it takes 24 hours to process, which can be counterproductive for some and – in this day and age – there’s no need for that”.

Senator concluded: “I welcome this development and, along with the 109 new real time bus information signs to be erected in the greater Dublin area, I hope that this allows more people to see public transport as a reliable, sustainable alternative to driving”.

I think that internships are a wonderful tool for allowing talented young graduates from a variety of fields to gain exposure to fields such as PR, public affairs, politics, journalism and a variety of jobs. However, as this survey underlines, many interns feel let down and undervalued during internships and placements. We need to work on improving this situation.

I believe that we need an internship charter to restore the public’s perception of internships, and a confidence that internships can help social mobility and – ultimately – help people secure gainful employment. The voluntary charter would be comprised of nine points, ranging from length of internship to suggestions on mentoring interns.

This is why I feel as though such a charter is important: internships can be a great tool, but their usefulness depends on the user – we just have to make sure they’re used correctly.

The first thing I’m doing as part of this charter is calling for the Government to opt into all of these points with their own JobBridge programme. We need to make sure that any internship position has not been previously advertised as a paid position and, if people spot breaches, that these breaches are reported in confidence.

Our job as a Government is to get Ireland working, but our job as legislators is also to make sure everybody in our society gets a fair shot, and is given the appropriate respect for their work too.

My proposed nine point internship charter:

1. Recruitment and Accessibility
Interns should be totally aware of the job details and recruitment process; this means the employers must provide a sufficient job description including working hours, holidays, pay or stipend and expenses cover if applicable and the eligibility criteria for the candidate. The lack of experience of candidates must also be accounted for in both the recruitment process and throughout the internship.

2. Acknowledgement of Internship as a ‘unique’ position
The internship must be a ‘unique’ position, particularly if there is no wage given, to any other position within the company. The advertisement of a similar job with a salary would breach this. Job details should be specific and interns should not take on the jobs of other employees who receive their own wage.

3. Length of Internship and Productive hours
Internships should be three months to six months depending on the exposure to the company that the intern will get within that duration of time. Graduate programmes last between one and two years and are typically paid programmes. Keeping an intern on longer for six months, particularly on a no wage basis, should only be done on the definite offer of future employment within the company.

Hours should also be flexible keeping in mind that interns might work a second part time job particularly if they are earning a low or no wage while interning. There should be an option for interns who work a second job to intern a three day week; this could mean that the length of the internship overall could be longer. Interns on a weekly stipend should work no more than an eight hour day in a five day week.

4. Personal development
Interns should undergo a performance appraisal like any other employee with an objective to help them learn rather than point out their mistakes in order to help with their own personal development within the firm. The appraisal should be used as a constructive tool to improve the ‘quality’ of the intern as well as the quality of their experience and gains. It will also provide a space where interns can give their feedback on the experience so far.

5. Pay/stipend
When establishing a pay rate for interns it is important to consult relevant legislation. Employers should pay interns travel expense and rent allowances depending on the living situation of the candidate at the very least.

6. Social responsibility:
There should be a social responsibility of the employer to ensure the social integration of the intern to ensure the quality of the experience. It is important interns are clued in to how the organization works and how the employees operate. Interns should be acknowledged by other employees and be able to communicate their thoughts in a helpful environment.

7. Mentorship/ training:
Interns should be assigned suitable mentors within the company for both work and social purposes. Mentorship and training should be implicitly carried out with the intern for at least half the internship to ensure the intern can complete his/her job appropriately as well as benefit from skills and experience for future career opportunities.

8. Diversity of job description/ intern input:
The interest and specific skills of interns should be acknowledged by employers. Unless the job is very specific to one division there should be an opportunity for interns to experience a diversity of divisions across the company; this will help the company gain the best form the intern in his/her skills and help the intern discover their strengths and what division suits them best.

9. Qualification:
The qualification is by far the most important part of the completing an internship as it will become an important tool for the intern to embark n future opportunities. The qualification received on completion of the internship will be in the form of a reference letter outlining exact capabilities of the intern, overall performance and skill set that the intern gained from the experience illustrated by the various jobs undertaking. It should outline any formal training his/her had.

An end interview between the employer and the intern would provide the intern with an overall feedback of the placement and give the employer an opportunity to gain feedback from the intern. An end interview would also consist of advice to the intern on their next steps in their careers.

That’s not to mention the three main political parties: Fine Gael, Labour and Fianna Fail.

The reality is that there are very few downsides to this treaty, while there are – for a small nation such as ours – many upsides. As we work through this transition period of recovery, confidence is a huge factor of taking us through our plans for the next two years: both domestic confidence in how our economy is being run and foreign confidence that Ireland is a safe place to invest. A ‘yes’ vote ensures confidence in this regard.

I will be working throughout Dublin South East to get a ‘Yes’ vote for May 31st. If you think you can help by volunteering to canvass or leaflet drop, please ring my office on 01 6183127 or email catherine.noone@oireachtas.ie .

It’s extremely worrying to hear reports this afternoon that GAME workers have been told they are to receive no redundancy or notice pay from the troubled company. There seems to be a disturbing trend emerging here, where firms in financial difficulty are reneging on their responsibilities with regards to their workers.

It is very disappointing to see retail chains taking this cavalier approach, and of course it has direct implications for taxpayers as well as the workers involved, as the State is left to pick up the bill. Sit-ins are already taking place at a number of GAME stores, as workers try to assert themselves against the will of the company and the administrators.

We saw recently in the case of La Senza when workers refused to back down, and eventually the administrators relented. So far, GAME workers have been treated appallingly. PricewaterhouseCoopers have been appointed as administrators, and I would urge them to work constructively with both management and workers at the company. Employees must get everything they are entitled to.

A dangerous precedent is being set for Irish retail workers, with a clear pattern emerging in recent months. It is completely unacceptable that a company can decide to shut its doors with no warning to staff, who now face the prospect of having no notice pay, and huge uncertainty over redundancy payments.

I have no doubt that the full mechanisms of the State will be made available to the GAME workers. It is now imperative that the administrators engage fairly with both sides to ensure the workers get what they deserve.

The Irish Heart Foundation warned earlier this week on the perils of pharmacies selling products that claim to offer a short cut to weight loss. I have serious reservations about these products; not only do they fail to offer long term solutions to managing your weight, they can put your health in danger by lacking the nutritional benefits of a balanced diet.

I know that there are many enticing products on the market offering a quick fix solution which are critically lacking in nutritional value. The only way to maintain a healthy weight is through regular exercise and a balanced diet.

Pharmacies are places where people go to get reliable medical advice. For many ailments it’s possible to have a chat to your pharmacist and get the appropriate product without going to your GP. But I believe pharmacists are compromising their professionalism by also offering products that have extremely dubious health benefits.

Pharmacies should be sources of expertise when it comes to health and wellbeing. Yet, they continue to sell meals and products that enhance their profit margin and which are nutritionally lacking. This can’t be considered good practice. I am calling on pharmacies to reconsider the sale of these products. I would also like us to consider whether restrictions on the sale of quick fix diet products should be implemented.

We need to ensure we are communicating clearly with the public at all times. The Irish people have shouldered a lot of the burden of the economic crisis in recent years, and I believe it is important that we make sure we explain how their hard earned taxes are spent.

There is a common misconception that if it wasn’t for the banking crisis, we wouldn’t have a deficit. This simply isn’t the case; aside from the cost of bailout out the banks, we are spending more than we are earning. Some clear information about the tax take, and where it is being spent could help to counteract this impression. For example, are most people aware that about a third of all Government spending went on social welfare payments in 2010?

An Edelman study of trust earlier this year showed that 77% of people wanted the Government to communicate honestly and frequently, but that only 11% think this is happening. The British Government has decided to publish personal tax statements to make the tax system more transparent and easier to understand. Perhaps we should consider something similar here.

I think that a better understanding of the challenges that we face as a Government might help to rationalise some of the difficult decisions we are taking as we face our responsibilities head on. The Irish startup company Getbulb.com have come up with an effective way of illustrating our tax intakes and outgoings, as outlined below. This is one of many ways we could use to communicate these details in a visual, appealing way.

Senator Noone stated: “As somebody who gives a decent amount every year to charity, I’m not entirely comfortable with the idea of people being paid per hour to stand with clipboards and attempt to sign people up for charitable direct debits. It seems counter to what charity is, and should be, all about”.

“Naturally, I should add that I am pro charities but certain unregulated methods are a step too far. I know charities are becoming more desperate as revenue drops but free reign is not the solution. There are many, many fantastic charities which don’t engage in this practice – and I’m keen to see us maintain our target for 0.7% of GNP going to overseas aid. However, there can be no doubt that something has to be done to curtail this avenue for charities – it is putting consumers off window shopping and, in the long run, it is damaging the brands of the charity”, the Senator added.
“Many of these fundraisers are using what I’d call underhand techniques: attempting to shake your hand, hug you, or even complimenting your dress sense.”

“I believe that charities do great work, however, I also believe that the practice of cajoling people on streets in towns and cities to sign up for direct debits is neither fair nor right and, as such, I believe we should look to regulate the practice”