9576: ECC IRELAND CALLS ON DISGRUNTLED PUBLIC TO GET IN TOUCH OVER JOURNEY CANCELLATIONS
Friday 31 July 2020
The European Consumer Centre is advising members of the public who have experienced flight cancellations to contact its website.
It says EU citizens whose flight, sea or land journey is cancelled due to Covid-19 have certain legal rights under EU Law.
Similar rights are not afforded to citizens outside the European Union.
Diana Valentine of ECC Ireland said more information and assistance can be had by logging on to eccireland.ie.
Interviewee: Diana Valentine | Clip duration: 0 minutes 20 seconds | Outwords: European Consumer Centre
9577: EU COMMISSION STEPS UP FIGHT TO TACKLE CHILD SEX ABUSE
Thursday 30 July 2020
The European Commission has launched a five-year strategy to improve the fight against child sex abuse.
It is estimated that 1 in 5 children in Europe are victim to some form of sexual violence.
Europol, the European policing agency, has found that the Covid-19 pandemic correlates with the increased sharing of abuse images online.
Grace Bolton, spokesperson for the EU Commission office in Ireland, says the fight against child abuse will be tackled in three ways.
Interviewee: Grace Bolton | Clip duration: 0 minutes 12 seconds | Outwords: in member States
9575: ECC IRELAND REPORTS INCREASE IN COMPLAINTS ON CANCELLED BOOKINGS
Wednesday 29 July 2020
The European Consumer Centre in Dublin says it has received over four thousand complaints a month since March over cancelled flights.
The majority of the Coronavirus-related complaints relate to refunds on bookings made earlier in the year.
Diana Valentine is Head of Press with ECC Ireland.
She says sea and land trips are also causing immense concern amongst consumers.
Interviewee: Diana Valentine | Clip duration: 0 minutes 15 seconds | Outwords: and land journeys
9574: COVID-19 SEES MASSIVE DECREASE IN EU TOURIST ACCOMMODATION NIGHTS
Friday 24 July 2020
The number of nights spent in tourist accommodation across Europe fell by 62 per cent in the month of March according to new figures from Eurostat.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, there was actually a small improvement in the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation with increases of 5% and 6% in January and February respectively.
Grace Bolton is Head of Press with the European Commission office in Dublin.
She says the new statistics reveal that April was one of the worst months ever on record for tourism accommodation in Europe.
Interviewee: Grace Bolton | Clip duration: 0 minutes 09 seconds | Outwords: in tourist accommodation
9572: EU APPROVES IRISH STATE-AID TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS
Thursday 23 July 2020
Irish plans to fund a reduction in carbon emissions have been given the green light by the European Commission.
The decision means companies can bid for contracts to install technologies that will reduce our carbon outputs by 70 per cent in the next ten years.
The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme, with an estimated total budget of between €7.2 billion and €12.5 billion, will run until 2025.
Tim Hayes of the European Commission office in Ireland says the decision will attract experts in the market place who will reduce our carbon output.
Interviewee: Tim Hayes | Clip duration: 0 minutes 19 seconds | Outwords: and do this
9573: IRELAND JUST BEHIND EU AVERAGE FOR BIRTHS OUTSIDE MARRIAGE
Wednesday 22 July 2020
Almost four out of every ten babies in Ireland are now born outside marriage.
The figure for Ireland of 38 per cent is below the EU average of 42 per cent, according to Eurostat.
The rate in Ireland is up from 31 per cent 20 years ago.
According to Grace Bolton of the European Commission office in Dublin, the lowest birth rate outside marriage is in Greece.
Interviewee: Grace Bolton | Clip duration: 0 minutes 08 seconds | Outwords: births outside marriage