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An asylum seeker protesting in Limerick last week, following the recent removal and transfer of several asylum seekers from the Mount Trenchard Direct Provision centre 

How many?

The Irish Refugee Council has conducted a study, called Counting The Cost, focusing on the experience that people previously in the Direct Provision system had when they attempted to  find work after they were granted permission to remain in Ireland.

The IRC based the report on interviews with 20 people – 11 men and nine women – who had been in the Direct Provision system for at least three years.

Seventeen of those interviewed had been in the Direct Provision system for five years or more, while three had been in the system for at least three years.

Readers should note that as asylum seekers in the Direct Provision system are not allowed work, those interviewed were trying to find work after many years of being excluded from the labour market.

The report found that, at the time of the interviews, only one person was in employment – working with autistic children. One other had been in two short-term jobs – three weeks as a pizza chef and four months in a meat factory.

This is despite the fact that many had experience before they came to Ireland:

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Those interviewed were also asked about what they believed were the reasons for their inability to find/get a job. The answers varied with the responses ranging from ‘gaps on their CV’ to ‘discrimination’:

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Meanwhile, although the study focused on the matter of employment, it also sheds light on the mental health issues related to the Direct Provision system.

For example, of those interviewed, two, at least, had tried to take their life while in the Direct Provision system, while others had self-harmed.

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In its conclusion, the IRC found:

“In light of the evidence presented in this study, it is clear that the asylum system is creating barriers and causing long-term harm, working against the benefits of both seeking international protection and the society into which they have been granted permission to live.”

Read the report in full here

Pic: Paula Geraghty

canal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIodXS1uqVs

A timelapse (recorded on April Fools day 2012) of a day’s marine traffic through the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal, which turns 100 this month.

You can also watch live footage of the Locks here.

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Meanwhile, almost a century ago…

A souvenir postcard from the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.

The-Kiss-of-the-Oceans

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(H/T: Spaghetti Hoop)

Spongebob

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSHmnvYRGT4]

What you may need to know

1. It’s SpongeBob Squarepants in glorious 3D. SpongeBob and the gang leave the water to save the world from an evil pirate with a magic book.

2. This time they have the second greatest rock musician/actor in the world in Slash.

3. Newly single Antonio Banderas in the house.

4. Ten years have passed since we first became men.

5. They pushed the movie release forward a week so not to coincide with the release of 50 Shades of Grey (2015). There is only so much matinee space to go around.

6. The movie poster is a nod to the oft-parodied Coppertone Sunscreen ad from the 50s.

7. Broadsheet Prognosis: we are all goofy goobers.

Release Date: February 2015

Alan Ruane cover

By Waterford-born Dublin-based designer/illustrator Alan Ruane.

He explainz:

“One of the things I enjoy and spend a lot of time doing in Dublin is running. It’s one of my favourite places to run around, there’s so many places to go, I’m always seeing new things and trying to go further and explore a bit more.”

Alan’s method:

“I usually start with a rough pencil doodle before moving over to the computer and completely ignoring what I’ve just done.”

This week’s Le Cool Dublin issue

Ciaran Le Cool, who has been with Le Cool Dublin from the start five years ago, leaves this week to spend more time with his moustache pursue OTHER plans. We wish him well. Read Ciaran’s poignant farewell here. Mmf.

poster-3

About time, says Karl furiously.

Cian O’Mahoney, writes:

“We [youth campaigners SpunOut.ie] have another in our popular series of charity table quizzes coming up, this time it will be based on all the Marvel movies to date.
The questions will be taken from all Marvel movies to date (not just ones related to the Avengers) so you better brush up on your Spider-man, X-Men, Iron-Man, Captain America, Thor, Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk, Punisher, Blade, Daredevil, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers and more!
We will have six question rounds, one picture round and a video round. There have been almost 40 movies based on Marvel comics since 1986, so you’d better start re-watching now!”

D2 Nightclub, 60 Harcourt Street, Dublin , Tuesday, September 2 at 7pm SHARP.

Marvel Table Quiz (SpunOut)

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People at a Bank of Ireland ATM in Raheny, Dublin

Breakingnews.ie reports:

Bank of Ireland has said it is aware of reports that many customers are yet to have their salaries transferred into their accounts this morning.
It follows reports from a number of public sector workers have not been paid into their accounts this morning.

Bank of Ireland investigating reports of unpaid public sector wages (Breaking News)

Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland

kevin

Spoken word giant Kevin Barrington’s ‘Genocide is My Man Utd’ directed by Mark Cantwell.

He’s using the classic 4-4-2 verse combination.

Kevin is performing on Sunday at 2pm on the Spoken Word stage in the Mindfield area of the Electric Picnic.

The football ground anyone?

Broadsheet.ie