The Department of Health has announced that it will not extend the smoking ban to include e-cigarettes and vaping devices. RTE Prime Time learned last week that while the Department has examined whether or not to include such devices in the workplace-smoking ban, it determined that the evidence of harm caused by e-cigarettes wasn’t strong enough. The decision to allow the use of e-cigarettes indoors will be left to individual premises and business owners.
Irish TV presenter Kathryn Thomas has launched Centra's 'Walk the World' initiative to promote fitness and raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society's 'Action Against Breast Cancer' campaign. Thomas is encouraging people to come together and collectively walk 40,075km- the circumference of the earth.
Banana-importer Fyffes has released a new video telling the story of Dundalk FC, following the success of its first video, which attracted over 70,000 views within two weeks of its launch last year. The new production focuses on the importance of the club to the local community through interviews with supporters. It can be viewed on YouTube by clicking here
An Post has announced the launch of a range of stamp designs celebrating the five senses, describing them as mixing “augmented reality technology with lots of production magic”. A 70c stamp with strawberry adhesive gum will celebrate 'taste', while a €1.05 'touch' stamp will change colour when in contact with skin. The 'sight' stamp will be clear, and the 'hearing' stamp will make a noise when rubbed. Finally, the €2.80 'smell' stamp will feature a mint perfume.
Revenue has seized more than 111,000 cigarettes along with 67.5kg of unstamped roll-your-own tobacco in seizures in Cork and Dundalk. Revenue officers searched premises in the North of Cork city and in Dundalk, and discovered supplies of unstamped Excellence and 777 brand cigarettes, as well as unstamped Flandria tobacco. The retail value of this recent seizure is estimated at €86,400.
The Food and Agricultural Organisation’s most recent Food Price Index reveals that world food prices hit a seven-year low in August of this year, falling 5.2% from July’s figures. As a measure of the monthly change in global basket prices of cereals, vegetable oil, dairy, meat and sugar, the FAO Food Price Index now stands at 155 percentage points, with dairy alone falling by 13.6 points.
According to Oruna Foods North America, Kerrygold butter has reached the number three position in the U.S. market, up from fifth place in 2014. The president of Ornua Foods, Roisin Hennerty, said that Kerrygold's performance in 2015 has been exceptional, noting the importance of Ornua's work in North America and the Irish dairy sector in general.
According to recent figures compiled by the Financial Times, the price of common breakfast commodities are now at a five-year low. Wheat, milk, coffee, orange juice, sugar and lean hogs are all at their cheapest levels since 2010. Plentiful supplies in Columbia have seen coffee prices fall by 28% alone this year, while there has been a 22% fall in the cost of sugar.
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