NO HARM IN KNOWING: Concern continue relief effort a year on from earthquake; Uisce Éireann announce 700 new jobs nationwide

Concern continues relief effort a year on from earthquake

It is a year since the earthquake in Turkey and Syria that killed 55,000 people and left millions homeless.

The Irish humanitarian charity Concern Worldwide is, however, still on the ground, continuing to support communities affected.

The two consecutive earthquakes of 7.6 and 7.7 magnitude struck south-east Türkiye and north-west Syria on the night of February 6 and there were hundreds of aftershocks.

Concern Worldwide’s team in Türkiye, who themselves lost loved ones in the disaster, assisted over 375,000 people by providing shelter, food, cash, clean water, sanitation, psychological and legal support.

"We grouped together and did what we could to help in the aftermath," said Concern’s Türkiye country director, Shahzad Jamil.

"Concern will continue to support the efforts of the Government of Türkiye until the affected populations have recovered from the disaster.

For more details about Concern’s work and ways to support its aid efforts in Türkiye and Syria, visit concern.net.

Uisce Éireann announce 700 new jobs nationwide

Uisce Éireann, Ireland’s national water authority, have announced they will be recruiting for 700 new jobs across the country.

The roles span a range of disciplines, offering opportunities for professionals, tradespeople at all levels, recent graduates, and skilled workers.

"These exciting opportunities will be available in the next year, with positions ready to be filled immediately," the authority said, adding that they are committed to providing ongoing training, and attractive compensation and benefits packages to ensure a secure and fulfilling work experience.

The jobs are located "in all counties" and will see staff recruited for front-line operations, science and engineering, administration, communications, management and IT. According to Uisce Éireann, this is the largest recruitment announcement it has made to date.

Uisce Éireann encourage interested individuals to visit water.ie/careers to explore and apply for the opportunities available in their areas.

Half of Irish parents unsure how to keep kids safe online

Over half (52%) of parents in Ireland do not feel confident about teaching their children how to stay safe online, according to research carried out by Amárach on behalf of Ireland’s online safety charity, CyberSafeKids.

To assist parents in the battle to keep their children safe, CyberSafeKids has produced a video and an online booklet and it is also to host a free online seminar on February 28.

Amárach’s survey of 900 parents of children aged 5-17 years was published last week to support the launch of the charity’s ‘Same Rules Apply’ awareness campaign, as part of Safer Internet Day.

The research reveals that more than 80% of parents believe it is their responsibility to keep their children safe online and more than a quarter of parents are extremely concerned about the risk of online grooming (29%), cyberbullying, (26%) and the risk of accessing pornography (25%). Accessing disturbing content relating to self-harming, (25%) and addiction to social media (16%) were also cited by parents as concerns.

Only 28% of parents are using parental controls to protect their children, and the data shows that 24% of children as young as six own smartphones. One fifth (21%) of all parents of children aged 5-17 said their children have been purposely excluded from a group chat or online event and 18% said their children had been called offensive names.

To support parents, CyberSafeKids’ campaign Same Rules Apply highlights the need to approach parenting children online in the same way that we approach parenting them offline – emphasising that the same parenting rules should be applied to both.

As part of the campaign, the charity has launched a video, ‘Same Rules Apply’. It has also produced an interactive online booklet, ‘Better Digital Parenting – A common sense approach to creating safer online experiences for your kids’.

A further measure is its ‘Better Digital Parenting’ event taking place online at 7.30pm on Wednesday February, 28. In this, Alex Cooney, CEO, CyberSafeKids, and Debbie Cullinane, child and adolescent psychotherapist, will join Jen Hogan, journalist and columnist with The Irish Times, to discuss the challenges, opportunities and risks facing parenting in the digital age.

See the video and booklet and register for the seminar at cybersafekids.ie.

‘The Energy Engage Code’

The Electricity Association of Ireland has moved to remind Irish energy consumers of the Energy Engage Code, which aims to ensure that domestic energy customers in arrears with their power bills will stay connected to their energy supply, if they are engaging with their supplier to manage the arrears.

The Energy Engage Code is a voluntary commitment that sets out how suppliers will help and support customers to manage their energy bills (electricity and gas). It is a coordinated industry-led approach and aims to encourage customers to communicate with their supplier, who will tell you about the supports available. The key principle underpinning the code is a firm commitment by suppliers that they will never disconnect an engaging customer.

The Suppliers signed up to this code are: Bord Gáis Energy, Electric Ireland, Energia, Flogas, Pinergy, Prepay Power, SSE Airtricity and Yuno Energy.

Under the Energy Engage Code, suppliers make the following promises to customers:

1. To help, no matter what your circumstances, as long as you actively engage with us.

2. To take the time to explain all the options available to help you manage your energy costs.

3. If you’re not in arrears but are concerned about your bills, we promise we will offer you:

• guidance and support on how to manage your bills

•· information on energy efficiency measures.

If you’re in arrears, we promise we will find a solution for debt that works for you and us.

4. To give you information about other agencies who can also support you, and ways to contact them.

5. If you engage with us actively and genuinely, we promise we will not disconnect you.

In addition to this commitment, suppliers have integrated these enhanced measures into all debt management processes including improved communications with customers and support agencies and a range of debt management and repayment options.

The Energy Engage Code can be downloaded from eaireland.com.

Siamang Gibbon Birth

Dublin Zoo is celebrating the birth of a rare baby siamang gibbon, born overnight on December 2. The new arrival marks an important milestone in Dublin Zoo’s conservation efforts, as parents Cahaya (14) and Luca (22) are genetically important to the European Endangered species programme.

The sex of the baby is still unknown, and it will be another few weeks before Dublin Zookeepers have the opportunity to get a closer look to determine that. The little siamang is clinging to its mother tightly and keepers have observed it suckling healthily from Cahaya.

Cahaya arrived at Dublin Zoo in 2014 and Luca in 2018. They forged a strong connection and have proven themselves to be wonderful parents for the new arrival. Cahaya is a confident mother, while quieter Luca has stayed close to her in his role as a protective father and partner.

Siamang gibbon babies are born hairless except for a small patch of black hair on top of their head. For that reason, mother and baby remained in their heated indoor habitat since birth to protect the baby from the cold winter temperatures. The keepers are confident that the infant is now strong enough to be introduced to the outdoor habitat the gibbons share with the Bornean orangutans.

The biggest threats to the siamang gibbons in the wild include habitat loss due to deforestation for the palm oil industry and opportunistic poaching. Their natural habitat is the mountain and lowland forests on the island of Sumatra, Malaysia and in small parts of Thailand.

Siamang gibbons are the largest of the gibbon species, often known as ‘lesser’ apes. They can weigh between 10–12kg and have large throat pouches which allow them to vocalise and sing, which can be heard at the Orangutan Rainforest in Dublin Zoo each morning. With black shaggy fur and very long arms, they are an agile species and are often found swinging from branch to branch.

Dublin Zoo is open seven days a week from 9.30am to 5pm. For further information on Dublin Zoo visit dublinzoo.ie.