May 2002

Release date: 28 May, 2002 New Report Highlights Needs of the Dependent Elderly A report, written by Dr. Eamon O'Shea of the Department of Economics, NUI Galway for the Council of Europe on "Improving the Quality of Life of Elderly Persons in Situations of Dependency", highlights the need for a socially functioning society as opposed to an economically functioning society, in terms of care of the elderly. The report, introduced at the World Assembly on Aging in Madrid in April 2002, will be formally presented to Governments at the European Conference on Aging in September 2002. It is predicted that the number of over-65s will double in the next thirty years and, within the elderly population, the oldest age categories are the fastest growing. Dependency, the report states, is likely to increase in line with the general ageing of the population in Europe, particularly dementia-related dependency, which is an increasing function of age. "It is important in light of these facts," says Dr. O'Shea "to look at the well-being and quality of life of all people as they grow older, including people with lifelong disabilities". The report gives a number of recommendations for improving the quality of life of dependent elderly people: The autonomy, integrity and dignity of elderly people must be taken into consideration at all times and participation and independence must be encouraged; Primary healthcare should be coordinated with social care and secondary care and delivered by appropriately trained staff; Home-based care for dependent elderly people should be delivered locally in a flexible manner within the framework of an integrated health and social care system; Day care centre and respite care provision should be expanded for all dependent elderly people, including people with dementia; People with dementia should receive services in appropriately designed environments from people who are specifically trained to deliver such care. The report places great emphasis on the importance of a social focus on care of dependent elderly people in later life. Therefore, an area of particular importance is that of family care. Family carers have a very important role to play in the care of dependent elderly people but, from a social viewpoint, they cannot be assumed to be a free resource. The report recommends that the needs of family carers be explicitly recognised through the granting of legislatively-based rights and the provision of appropriate information, training, respite and other support services. Other recommendations include special attention given to the development of a variety of geriatric medicine facilities including: day hospitals which cater to the individual needs of the dependent elderly; assessment and rehabilitation services; and high quality long-stay care in a variety of settings staffed by trained personnel. "At the heart of this report" said Dr. Eamon O'Shea, "is the recommendation that the prevention of dependency for elderly people should be a central tenet of health, social care and environmental policy throughout life. Overcoming ageist attitudes within society, for example, is a way of working towards preventing dependency in later life. What is important is that elderly people are treated as citizens with the same rights and responsibilities as younger people." The report concludes with the key message that full citizenship rights for all dependent elderly persons is crucial and these rights should be guaranteed by law. Solidarity must be collective and public if the full potential of elderly people with disabilities and their carers is to be realised. "This solidarity must be maintained and enhanced through dialogue and discussion amongst all of the social partners," said Dr. O'Shea " and these discussions should include the elderly themselves." --ENDS-- For further information:Maire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI Galway 091-750418

Release date: 21 May, 2002 Galway Research Team leads the way in Car Recycling Drive When it comes to recycling, Galway has led the country in recent years. Now, a Galway research team is leading the world in the recycling of cars. A new EU directive, set to come into force this month, will mean that cars will have to be recycled when they reach the end of their lives. The European End of Life Vehicle Directive aims to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill when cars are disposed of. A research group in the Computer Integrated Manufacturing Research Unit (CIMRU) in NUI, Galway, is working on a project to develop the most efficient methods of recycling cars. The CIMRU team is working on the basis that there is a hierarchy of options for dealing with old cars. The most preferable option is to reuse parts. Material and recycling comes next with disposal in landfill being the least preferred option. Currently, some 75% of the weight of cars is recycled with the remaining 25% sent to landfill. This waste accounts for 10% of all hazardous waste generated yearly in the EU. The disposal of fluids such as oil, brake fluid and petrol can cause serious pollution unless disposed of properly. Other materials including foam, plastics and wiring also qualify as hazardous waste which may have detrimental effects on the environment. The EU End of Life Directive aims to reduce the amount of hazardous waste being sent to landfill to 15% by 2006 and to 5% by 2015. To achieve this, car manufacturers will be encouraged to use more reusable and recyclable materials in their cars and also to design products that will be easier to recycle when they reach the end of their lives. The team in CIMRU will help by coming up with computerised methods of tracking these materials throughout the lifetime of the car. The Directive also proposes that all cars be depolluted before being recycled. This involves removing all oil, petrol, brake fluid and other such dangerous materials. Currently, there are between eight and nine million cars disposed of annually in Europe and 150,000 in Ireland. About 7% of these are illegally dumped as abandoned wrecks. In addition to coming up with a system that will deal with all these aspects of car recycling, the tools being developed in CIMRU can also be applied in other areas, such as in the disposal of hospital waste. According to Neil Ferguson, the project manager at CIMRU: "we, together with our Irish and European partners, will come up with systems that are primarily aimed at car recycling and hospital waste treatment. However, we will be developing methodologies that can also be applied to other areas. We are developing a suite of tools that can be used for end of life recovery across all sectors". ENDS Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI, Galway. Tel: 091-750418

Release date: 20 May, 2002 NUI Galway Professor appointed to Sierre Leone's Truth and Reconciliation Commission Professor William A. Schabas, director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the National University of Ireland, Galway, has been appointed by the President of Sierra Leone, Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, as a member of the country s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Commission, which will begin its fifteen-month mandate on 1 June 2002, is to create an impartial historical record of Sierra Leone s brutal civil war during the 1990s. The Commission is modelled on similar efforts in South Africa and Guatemala. It is also required to address the needs of victims and to promote reconciliation in the country. "Sierra Leone s Truth Commission is somewhat unique, in that it will operate in parallel with criminal prosecutions of the most serious offenders by the newly created Special Court", Professor Schabas explained. The Special Court was established in January by an agreement between Sierra Leone and the United Nations. "Truth commissions are increasingly recognised as useful and effective mechanisms to promote peace and reconciliation in societies emerging from conflict, and to combat impunity", said Professor Schabas. "They can ensure accountability where the more traditional approach of criminal prosecution is not possible. They are particularly effective in providing a voice for victims and in establishing what really took place." The Sierra Leone Truth Commission is made up of seven commissioners, four of them nationals of Sierra Leone, and three of them non-nationals who were nominated by Mary Robinson, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. In addition to Professor Schabas, the other non-nationals are Yasmin Louise Sooka, a former member of the South African Truth Commission, and Satang Ajaaraton Jow, former Gambian Minister of Education. During 2002 and 2003, Professor Schabas will travel regularly to Sierra Leone in order to carry out his functions as a commissioner. William Schabas is an internationally recognised specialist in international human rights law, with a particular expertise in the area of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. A prolific author, he has published twelve books on human rights subjects of which the most recent, An Introduction to the International Criminal Court, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2001. His work as a human rights monitor and investigator has taken him to such countries as Rwanda, Cambodia, Kosovo, Chechnya, the Sudan and El Salvador. A national of Canada, Professor Schabas has lived in Ireland since January 2000, when he took up the chair in human rights law at the National University of Ireland, Galway. For more information on the Truth Commission, see: http://www.sierra-leone.org/trc.html. Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press & Information Officer, NUI, Galway. Tel. 091 750418

Release date: 9 May, 2002 Minister identifies new Fish Species suitable for Commercial Farming while launching new Marine Research Programme The award of a massive €13 million to the Martin Ryan Institute at NUI, Galway by the Higher Education Authority has lead to a further €6 million being raised in what is a true example of a Public Private Partnership. Atlantic Philanthropies Ltd., based in the United States, has come on board to support an ambitious marine research programme that will build both scientific capability and the physical resources required to support it. The unique partnership continues a strong tradition of PPP at NUI Galway. Tony Ryan (of Ryan Air), led the trend when he funded the establishment of the MRI in 1992. Aquaculture research is one of the many areas of marine research in which the Martin Ryan Institute is involved. Aquaculture is one of the world's major growth industries and accounts for 25% of all fish landings. In Ireland, the sector has grown in output value from €51 million in 1994, to €97 million in 2000 and now employs 2,200 on a full and part-time basis. Salmon, mussels and oysters, have been successfully farmed since the 1970s. Now a new report identifies turbot, halibut and cod, as species with the best prospects for development in the immediate future. The report of the New Species Development Group will be launched by Mr. Frank Fahey, T.D., Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, today (Thursday, 9 May at 2.00 p.m.) in the Martin Ryan Institute, in NUI, Galway. Established by the Minister in December 2001, the Group was charged with drawing up an integrated plan of action designed to facilitate and accelerate the commercial cultivation of new species in the short term. To support the diversification by the aquaculture sector into the cultivation of new marine finfish species, the New Species Development Group has devised a Six Point Integrated Strategy which includes the following: Facilities Support the development of dedicated hatchery and juvenile management in Irish R&D facilities under the NDP, 2000-2006. Skills Build the Irish Human resource capacity, expertise and key skills in areas such as genetics, hatchery technology and management, fish health broodstock management and feed research Species State agencies to prioritise and fast-track the three main species –turbot, halibut and cod – in the hatchery, juvenile and growout phases, in partnership with private entrepreneurs. Partnership/Investment Build international alliances and promote international investment in new species Promotion/Marketing State agencies to promote the public image and market perception of Ireland as a location for Fish Health and Licencing Department of Marine & Natural Resources to adopt a proactive Fish Health and Licence strategy for management of new species. Mr. Declan Clarke of NUI, Galway's Martin Ryan Institute, who is Chairman of the New Species Development Group, says the report's recommendations present both a challenge and an opportunity to fast-track the development of aquaculture in Ireland. "Compared to countries such as Norway, Canada and France who have been to the forefront of new species diversification over the past decade, Ireland's aquaculture industry is relatively underdeveloped and we now have an opportunity to avail of the advances in new technologies, as well as consumer demand for continuity of supply and product consistency". One of the first major steps in building this required capacity in marine finfish R&D will be the establishment of Ireland's first cod hatchery at the MRI Carna Laboratories. As an initiative which is funded by the Údarás na Gaeltachta and the Marine Institute and is supported by Trouw Ireland Ltd and BIM, the collaborative nature of the project ensures a multidisciplinary input, both from a research and most importantly a commercial viewpoint. The major capital development programme being undertaken at the MRI Carna Laboratories, will facilitate just this type of collaborative research, both in the basic marine science fields and also on the more applied sector. Ends Information from:Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI, Galway. Tel. 091-750418; Mobile 087-2986582 Note for Editors: The term 'new species' in the Report refers to those species that are being considered for commercialisation, that are not in mainstream production and have the potential to sustainably contribute to the Irish economy within the coming decade, specifically they refer to marine finfish such as turbot, halibut and cod. In the context of new species covered in this report the financial investment required is estimated at €500,000 to €3 million. In evaluating the economic aspects of new species the following criteria apply: Reliability and cost of juvenile supply Detailed knowledge of costs of production and markets Growth rates achievable in ambient - Fish health and local environmental parameters The availability of local expertise Adequate information to devise a specification for a commercial plant New Fish Species prioritised for commercialisation: Turbot, Halibut and Cod. Turbot: The commercial farming of turbot is well established in Spain, France and Chile. Early turbot production trials in Ireland and Europe showed encouraging results and a commercial turbot farm is now established in Connemara. Halibut is a cold-water species, which is a high priced fish with an established market. Most research has been undertaken in Norway, Scotland and Iceland. Cod: Economic models draw parallels with salmon farming which is similar in terms of methodology and requirements. Studies undertaken in Norway indicate that costs must be significantly reduced to make the industry competitive with salmon farming. In addition to Turbot, Halibut and Cod, other finfish species considered to have potential for aquaculture include Haddock, Sea Bass and Hake The Irish domestic market for seafood is worth €110 million and Irish seafood exports were valued at €330 million in the year 2000. --------------------

Release date: 7 May, 2002 NUI Galway to address Market Efficiencies in the Road Freight Sector A team of researchers at the Department of Information Technology at NUI, Galway is currently investigating a unique approach to the improvement of efficiency in the haulage industry. The latest statistics* from the CSO show that the total vehicle kilometres travelled by Irish goods vehicles was 1,023 million, of which approximately 62% were on loaded journeys with the remaining 38% on empty journeys. Total activity in terms of tonnes-kilometres was 7,016 million, from which an estimate of 12.9 million was loaded journeys. The problem of 'empty running' and full utilisation of truck capacity is one that faces all hauliers with the average lading factor (capacity utilisation) at only 60%. The team at NUI, Galway is seeking to develop software that will enable the fleet manager to optimise route planning, fleet capacity and cost effectiveness. The proposed V-LAB (or Virtual Logistics Multi-Agent Broker) integrates the capabilities of mobile intelligent agents, AI-based optimisation, GPS positioning and time-stamping and distributed object technology. A prototype system is planned for the real time brokerage and co-ordination of 'on-the-move' road freight carriers. Over one billion tonne-kilometres of road freight transport is generated in the EU and in this market alone a 10% effective increase in capacity would mean a reduction of about 100 million tonne-kilometre journeys and significant reductions in CO2 emissions. "The research programme investigates the usage of innovative technology through the convergence of computing, communications and satellite-based positioning technologies to address the apparent inefficiency in the operation of road freight haulage" said Dr. Michael Madden of the Department of Information Technology, NUI, Galway. "A solution to this problem would mean very large and quantifiable benefits for fleet operators and indeed the economy as a whole." The product will serve as a broker between the fleet management agent and the manufacturers and shippers and will, through analysis of route planning, capacity, special requirements for haulage such as refrigeration, ensure that fleets are maximising capacity usage and increasing efficiency. Funding for the project of €500,000 was received from Enterprise Ireland. --ENDS— For further information: Maire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI, Galway. Tel. 091-750418 *CSO Road Freight Transport Survey 1999