News round up Monday September 6

THE University of Limerick and in particular, the Stokes Institute at the Plassey Campus, has received a financial boost of over €4 million after the prestigious faculty received first place from over 70 applicants in a European programme focusing on green energy and efficiency.Th EU hopes to generate 20 per cent of its electricity from renewable resources by 2020 and the project at UL aims to provide some 25 per cent of that. 

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REPORTS indicate that the Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan, will discuss the winding down of Anglo Irish Bank at a meeting with the European Competition Commissioner this Monday. The options before the commission were to wind Anglo down over a 10 year period or to split the bank in two, thus serving as a good bank to industry and a bad bank after the NAMA transfers. The Greens have said that the option to split the bank in two would be more costly despite government’s wish to favour that option. The State is believed to already be in loss to the tune of €25 billion after being forced to sell loans more quickly. 

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SOME 40% of adults have difficulty with everyday maths a recent study has shown. The National Adult Literacy Agency has revealed that four out of 10 could not answer correctly two questions from a primary school curriculum and four basic calculations. With 1000 participants, the results come as the concerns over the poor results in maths in this year’s leaving certificate. 

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