Water rates even for Churches

The councils have recently extended water rates to a wide array of businesses including churches. A recent water rates bill for a local church included euro 1.95 for water over a six month period plus a six month fixed administration charge of euro 49.50! Some churches don’t even have loos so the water rates cover the water used to clean the chalice and that’s it. Clearly in the States eyes, tough times call for desperate measures and including churches for water rates is a desperate measure.

Failte Ireland registered Bed and Breakfast and Self Catering Accommodation providers now have to pay water rates but the State forgets that there are endless operators existing without Failte Ireland Approval that escape the net. Moreover, there are now countless owners of apartments who are seeking to rent out their accommodation any way they can yet they don’t fall into the water rate regime as they are not registered. What is the difference between renting out an apartment long term and renting it week to week as self catering? Both are businesses and should be taxed equally.

There isn’t a level playing field for this new tax. Tax us all equally or not at all and for goodness sake, leave out taxing churches. If water is such a scarce commodity, why should I look out my window at people washing down their houses, cars, gardens and who knows what else with free water. Even if an accommodation provider only opens for a short season, we are subject to water rates all year around irrespective of whether we are open or not. So to avoid water rates when closed for the season, we either have to use our own wells or move to a private house elsewhere.

Failte Ireland – New Self Catering Approval Process

Failte Ireland have designed a new approval process for individual self catering properties. The scheme features a star rating classification system and new online application process.

TAMS (Tourism Accommodation Management Services) will be the organisation responsible for inspecting and approving new and existing properties of behalf of Failte Ireland, the tourist board.

Properties in the scheme will be eligible to use the term ‘Approved to Failte Ireland Standards’ and will continue to have access to www.discoverireland.ie

Failte Ireland South West launches e-business course for small accommodation providers

Failte Ireland South West has developed an e-business programme to help small accommodation providers integrate computers and the internet into the daily management and promotion of their tourism business.  The sessions will be run between April and June, 2008 and the locations will include Killarney, Dingle, Cork and Kinsale.  There are introductory courses for those not familiar with the internet and an intermediate programme which will include search engine optimisation, email management, how to book online and how to get found online.

A euro 50 fee applies for those participating in the programme.

West Cork Calling Tourism Group launches blog and revamped website

Kilbrogan House is part of West Cork Calling, a co-operative network of businesses spread across West Cork that offers a wide range of courses, activities and accommodation.  The group has been set up by the members themselves who were part of a Mergo initiative put together by Failte Ireland, the Irish Tourist Board.  The West Cork Calling network should enable the participants to market their products directly to the customer without sizeable individual advertising costs and/or costs associated with marketing via a third party.

Many local networks exist within towns in the region.  This group felt that a diverse network spread throughout the region would complement the local networks.  The ultimate aim of the group is to get members to work together to offer packages.

The network allows small and large businesses to participate together as the barrier to entry in terms of financial outlay is low and there is no exit barrier.  All the participants strive to achieve a common goal of attracting tourist to the region and at the same time offering first class products.  It is anticipated that the network will double in size over the next 12 months giving the customer an even wider choice of products and services.

For anybody interested the contact details are as follows:

www.westcorkcalling.com  and email: westcorkcalling@gmail.com

Kilbrogan House welcomes guests from Malta

Last year a group of six Canadian doctors spent three days with us. During the previous year they had spent their holidays at a self catering property on Gozo, an island off the coast of Malta. They highly recommended their holiday in Gozo so we made a careful note of this tip.

Yesterday we were fortunate to have Jacques and Melanie to stay. They both live in Luxemburg. Jacques is from Gozo so we were thrilled to hear first hand from a local about where and when to visit. His recommendation is to go in April when it is not too hot and when there aren’t too many tourists around.

We asked Jacques about Mintoff and he was most surprised that anybody here would even remember this former prime minister of Malta. Mintoff is still alive and is 91.

Jacques and Melanie went to Cork for the evening and ended up eating at Wagamama which they said was very good. (I didn’t even know that there was a ‘Wag’ in Cork)

Jacques has been using a tom tom gps to navigate his way around the Irish countryside.  He had downloaded irish software for the trip so that the mapping would be up-to-date.  However,  the tom tom let him down around Glencar in Kerry and they had a very tough time finding the way to their accommodation.  Luckily Bandon did feature on the tom tom!!