People of the West Encouraged to Vote in Final Judging

LookWest.ie, the Western Development Commission’s (WDC) online guide to living, working and doing business in Ireland’s Western Region, has been shortlisted for a Net Visionary e-Government Award which recognises enhanced interaction between government services and the general public.

Speaking about the awards Joanne Grehan of the WDC said: “We are delighted that LookWest.ie has been shortlisted by the judging panel of industry experts which included the Irish Internet Association, the digital division of The Irish Times and the Internet Marketing Unit of Enterprise Ireland, amongst others. Getting to this stage in the awards programme is recognition of the important role LookWest.ie plays in promoting the benefits and economic advantages of the West of Ireland.

“The overall winner in each category will be the website receiving the most votes from the public so we are now asking people from the Western Region, both those living here and those living elsewhere, to vote for LookWest.ie by clicking on http://www.iia.ie/net-visionary/vote/ Each person can only vote once so we are hoping that all those who have an affinity or link with the Western Region will log on and vote for LookWest.ie. Voting closes at midnight on April 30th and winners will be announced on May 20th.”

LookWest.ie, first launched in 2004, promotes the West as an attractive and economically-advantageous location for enterprise and is the definitive guide to living, working and doing business in Ireland’s Western Region. The website is aimed both at individuals and businesses in Ireland and overseas and is used by almost 20,000 visitors each month. It engages with an online international audience to promote all the benefits of the Western Region as well as being a valuable online resource for people living in the region and in other parts of Ireland.

The website features video case studies of people who have relocated or set up businesses in the Western Region and utilises all the latest social networking tools to engage with a wide audience. Social media channels include a monthly on-line newsletter, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. The website also offers RSS newsfeeds and features the latest in video technology via YouTube.

Other aspects of the website include a skills register (http://www.lookwest.ie/skills-register) where people can register their skills and experience to help create a profile of the talent, qualifications and expertise of people living in the West or considering a move here. The WDC believes that such a profile will strongly contribute to attracting jobs and business to the Region. It also encourages people who have an interesting story to tell about their relocation to the West or their experience of establishing a business here to share their experience by emailing info@lookwest.ie or going to http://www.lookwest.ie/case-study-application

“Using the latest in social networking tools, we have made the website very interactive so that we can connect directly with people. The expert panel of judges has recognised this too and now we hope that people from the West will support LookWest.ie’s promotion of the region by voting for us in the final stage of judging. It would be a great achievement for the West to win this prestigious award,” Ms Grehan concluded.

For further information please contact:

Joanne Grehan, Western Development Commission, 086 856 5802 or Angela Bane, Bane Mullarkey, 087 286 5217

 EUROPEAN BIO ENERGY PROJECT LAUNCHES WEBSITE – www.raslres.eu

RASLRES: REGIONAL APPROACHES TO STIMULATING LOCAL RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS

The RASLRES team today launched its project website www.raslres.eu. The RASLRES initiative seeks to create a future where local renewable bio energy resources provide local jobs and a thriving regional energy network.

RASLRES is a €3 million multi-national European bio-energy project led by the Western Development Commission (WDC), Ireland with partners in Sweden, Scotland, Northern Ireland. It is funded by the INTERREG IVB – Northern Periphery Programme.

Speaking earlier today at the launch of the website, Ian Brannigan, WDC and RASLRES Project Lead commented, “The launch of www.raslres.eu provides the European partnership with the opportunity to centralise and disseminate all information relating to the RASLRES bio energy project, which in turn will accelerate the intended development and take up of the commercial pilots currently in play. The site not only enables us to communicate effectively to all those involved in wood energy, bio energy crops and marine bio mass but also actively seeks input from those interested in getting involved in the renewable energy sector.”

“Additionally, it is a vehicle which allows us to learn from existing bio energy solutions, creating linkages and information exchanges across European country borders, showcasing success stories from the RASLRES project and stimulating growth in the renewable energy sector across the partner regions.” Brannigan added.

The RASLRES website is intended for use by:

•  Commercial, industrial or public sector users who are looking for information and contacts to achieve a greener, cheaper source of bio heat energy
•  Farmers or foresters looking for ways to make additional income from their land in the bio energy realm
•  Those interested in the development of bio-energy technology
•  Communities developing collaborative solutions to address local bio energy needs

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Ian Brannigan
Regional Development Manager
Western Development Commission
Tel: +353 (0)94 9861893
Mobile: +353 (0)86 6048012
Email: ianbrannigan@wdc.ie

NOTE TO THE EDITOR:

RASLRES is a project funded by the Northern Periphery Programme. The RASLRES project will:

• build awareness of opportunities for rural communities to produce and supply locally produced biomass (wood, seaweed and energy crops) to towns and cities
•  provide business development support to rural biomass producing communities
• development of biomass supply chains through direct business and community engagement
• RASLRES is an international partnership which includes:

• Western Development Commission – Ireland

• Action Renewables – Northern Ireland, UK

• Environmental Research Institute, North Highland College – Scotland

• Municipality of Norsjö – Sweden

• Oceanrainforest Ltd – Faroe Islands

• VTT, Technical Research Centre – Finland

RASLRES will conclude with a showcase of the outputs from all partner regions in December 2012.

SEOLANN TIONSCADAL BITHFHUINNIMH EORPACH LÁITHREÁN GRÉASÁIN – www.raslres.eu

RASLRES: CINEÁLACHA CUR CHUIGE RÉIGIÚNACHA CHUN RÉITIGH ÁITIÚLA MAIDIR LE FUINNEAMH IN-ATHNUAITE A SPREAGADH

Inniu sheol an fhoireann RASLRES a láithreán gréasáin tionscadail www.raslres.eu. Tá sé mar aidhm ag an tionscnamh RASLRES todhchaí a chruthú ina gcuirfidh acmhainní bithfhuinnimh in-athnuaite áitiúla poist áitiúla agus líonra fuinnimh réigiúnach rathúil ar fáil.

Is tionscadal bithfhuinnimh ilnáisiúnta Eorpach de luach €3 mhilliún é RASLRES atá á threorú ag Coimisiún Forbartha an Iarthair (WDC), Éire i gcomhar le comhpháirtithe sa tSualainn, san Albain agus i dTuaisceart Éireann. Tá an tionscnamh á mhaoiniú ag INTERREG IVB – Clár an Imill Thuaidh.

Agus é ag labhairt ag seoladh an láithreáin ghréasáin níos luaithe inniu, dúirt Ian Brannigan, WDC agus Ceannaire Tionscadail RASLRES, “Le seoladh www.raslres.eu, tugtar deis don chomhpháirtíocht Eorpach an fhaisnéis uile a bhaineann leis an tionscadal bithfhuinnimh RASLRES a lárú agus a scaipeadh, rud a luathóidh forbairt bheartaithe agus ráta glactha na dtreoirthionscadal tráchtála atá ar siúl i láthair na huaire. Ní amháin go gcuirfidh an láithreán ar ár gcumas cumarsáid éifeachtúil a dhéanamh le daoine le leas acu i bhfuinneamh adhmaid, i mbarraí bithfhuinnimh agus i mbithmhais mhara, ach iarrfaidh sé ionchur go gníomhach ó dhaoine a mbeadh spéis acu i bpáirt a ghlacadh san earnáil fuinnimh in-athnuaite.”

“Lena chois sin, is uirlis í a chuirfidh ar ár gcumas foghlaim ó réitigh bhithfhuinnimh atá ann cheana féin, trí naisc agus malartuithe faisnéise a bhunú trasna teorainneacha tíortha Eorpacha, trí scéalta rathúla ón tionscadal RASLRES a léiriú agus trí fhás a spreagadh san earnáil fuinnimh in-athnuaite sna réigiúin is comhpháirtithe,” a dúirt Brannigan freisin.

Beartaítear go n-úsáidfidh na daoine seo a leanas láithreán gréasáin RASLRES:

• Úsáideoirí san earnáil tráchtála, thionsclaíoch nó phoiblí atá ag lorg faisnéise agus teagmhálaithe chun teacht ar fhoinsí níos glaise, níos saoire d’fhuinneamh bith-theasa
• Feirmeoirí nó foraoiseoirí atá ag iarraidh ioncam breise a dhéanamh óna gcuid talún trí pháirt a ghlacadh sa réimse bithfhuinnimh
• Daoine le spéis acu i bhforbairt teicneolaíochta bithfhuinnimh
•  Pobail ag forbairt réiteach comhoibritheach chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar riachtanais bhithfhuinnimh áitiúla

TUILLEADH FAISNÉISE:

Ian Brannigan
Bainisteoir Forbartha Réigiúnaí
Coimisiún Forbartha an Iarthair
Teil: +353 (0)94 9861893
Fón póca: +353 (0)86 6048012
R-phost: ianbrannigan@wdc.ie

NÓTA DON EAGARTHÓIR:

Is tionscadal é RASLRES atá maoinithe ag Clár an Imill Thuaidh. Maidir leis an tionscadal RASLRES:

•  méadóidh sé feasacht ar na deiseanna atá ann do phobail tuaithe bithmhais áitiúil (adhmad, feamainn agus barraí fuinnimh) a tháirgeadh agus a sholáthar do bhailte agus do chathracha
•  cuirfidh sé tacaíocht forbartha gnó ar fáil do phobail áitiúla a tháirgfidh bithmhais
•  forbróidh sé slabhraí soláthair bithmhaise trí chaidreamh díreach a bhunú le gnóthais agus leis an bpobal
•  Is comhpháirtíocht idirnáisiúnta í RASLRES a bhfuil na grúpaí seo a leanas páirteach inti:

• Coimisiún Forbartha an Iarthair – Éire

• Action Renewables – Tuaisceart Éireann, an RA

• Environmental Research Institute, North Highland College – an Albain

• Bardas Norsjö – an tSualainn

• Oceanrainforest Teo – Oileáin Fharó

• VTT, Lárionad um Thaighde Teicniúil – an Fhionlainn

Nuair a chríochnófar RASLRES i mí na Nollag 2012, cuirfear aschuir na réigiún comhpháirteach uile ar taispeáint.