The Evolution of a Collective Response to Rural Underdevelopment

Versions of this paper were presented at The National Jobs Conference, April 23rd, 2010, Dunhill Ecopark, Ballyphilip, Co. Waterford and at the 2nd Irish Rural Studies Symposium, August 31st 2010, University College Cork. Thanks are due for comments and suggestions received from participants at both events.The downturn in the Irish economy coupled with high levels of unemployment has focused attention on the need to promote economic development throughout the economy. This paper provides case study evidence on one successful approach to rural economic development by outlining the evolution, outcomes and key capabilities involved in a collective action response to the challenge of rural underdevelopment in North West Connemara. Reviewing a fifty year period, the case study shows that collective action in the region has not only been a series of events, but more crucially from a development perspective, it is embedded as an institution and a process. Therefore, as a result of learning by this community over a fifty year period, a collective action response has evolved as a key strategy to overcome government and market failure in relation to rural development. This case provides a good example to other communities of how locality can be drawn upon and used as an advantage in an increasingly globalised environment and how a local community can seek to ameliorate the negative aspects of globalisation by harnessing its local resources. In broad policy terms, the implication is that there are public good benefits to be gained from assisting and encouraging local communities through the provision of finance and capability building support, to deliver collective action responses to their particular challenges

Manual versus powered toothbrushes for oral health; an update

Background: Plaque removal is a cornerstone in the prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases. Powered toothbrushes have been devised to assist in plaque removal. An earlier Cochrane systematic review found that only powered toothbrushes with a rotation-oscillation action were more effective at removing plaque and reducing gingivitis. That review requires updating to include recent trials. Objective: To compare the effects of manual and powered toothbrushes on plaque removal and gingival health. Method: We searched the Cochrane Oral Health Group Trials Register, CENTRAL; MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL to 9 March 2011. Manufacturers and authors were contacted for additional data. Trials were selected for random allocation of participants to use a manual or powered toothbrush. Participants were members of the public with uncompromised manual dexterity who brushed unsupervised for at least 4 weeks. There was no language restriction. Primary outcomes were plaque and gingivitis scores at the end of the trial. Assessment of methodological quality and data extraction were conducted in duplicate. Potential sources of heterogeneity were examined, along with sensitivity analyses for quality and publication bias. Results: Fifty trials, involving 4326 participants, provided data. Effect sizes, calculated as standardized mean difference (95% confidence intervals) for brushes with a rotation oscillation action were: 1 to 3 months >3 months Plaque -0.53 (-0.74 to -0.31) -0.66 (-1.28 to -0.03) Gingivitis -0.49 (-0.73 to -0.26) -0.34 (-0.56 to -0.11) This represents approximately 27% fewer sites with bleeding on probing in the long term. No other powered designs were consistently superior to manual toothbrushes. There was considerable heterogeneity between trials. Sensitivity analyses revealed the results to be robust when selecting trials of high quality. Conclusion: Rotation-oscillation powered toothbrushes remove plaque and reduce gingivitis more than manual brushes in the short and long term

Teagasc submission made in response to the Discussion document for the preparation of a National Policy Statement on the Bioeconomy

Teagasc SubmissionThis document is Teagasc’s response to the “Discussion Document for the Preparation of a National Policy Statement on the Bioeconomy” issued by the Department of the Taoiseach’s Economic Division in July 2017. It recognises the potential significance of the bioeconomy to Ireland, offers some policy and strategic insights from other countries, and identifies Teagasc’s role in supporting the development of the bioeconomy in Ireland

Teagasc submission made in response to the Discussion document for the preparation of a National Policy Statement on the Bioeconomy

Teagasc SubmissionThis document is Teagasc’s response to the “Discussion Document for the Preparation of a National Policy Statement on the Bioeconomy” issued by the Department of the Taoiseach’s Economic Division in July 2017. It recognises the potential significance of the bioeconomy to Ireland, offers some policy and strategic insights from other countries, and identifies Teagasc’s role in supporting the development of the bioeconomy in Ireland