A police station, like a post office, gives villages a sense of community and now that will be lessened as a result of the changes proposed.

We had a conversation with a Garda based in County Wexford recently who was investigating a crime in Waterford and he noted that, due to the jobs issues and the abuse of drugs and alcohol, there had been a jump in rural crime.

As we write this article, we’re awaiting the final details of yet another austerity Budget. Given how Waterford has suffered so much in this period with the recession, we’re appealing to shoppers in Waterford and the region to shop local this Christmas.

The new M9 motorway makes it easier to get to Dublin or Kilkenny, even Belfast and Northern Ireland can be reached in a day, but surely it’s better to keep our Euro in local circulation. Waterford needs more consumers and shoppers as unemployment levels sadly continue to rise.

Local businesses, finding it hard to pay ongoing costs from rent and rates to staff and overheads, now need every help possible.

The economy went into a nose dive, with the Fine Gael/Labour coalition of the time divided; with Dick Spring keen to keep spending levels maintained, which in turn led to political paralysis with Garret FitzGerald.
The then Minister Dukes, a in a bid to bridge the gap between both coalition leaders, attempted to improve the public finances by increasing taxation. And that did not work.

While disappointing, this news can hardly come as a surprise given the current economic circumstances. But nonetheless, it represents another kick in the teeth for Waterford, coming so soon after the merged VEC regional Headquarters was awarded to Wexford.

Needless to say, Dublin-centred interests are happy with the announcement given that 40 decentralisation projects have now been scrapped, with the vast majority of those jobs historically located in the capital.

That Munster kept the feel-good factor going on Saturday with a remarkable last gasp win over Northampton encapsulated the level of Irish pride and resolve which Michael D Higgins referenced at Dublin Castle.

That our soccer team has finally returned to the European Championship Finals for the first time in 24 years is a welcome development. Under Jack Charlton, the Boys in Green lifted the hearts of a county beset by economic difficulties.

In 2011, with the economy again in turmoil, our soccer team have put smiles across the faces of even those with a passing interest in the ‘beautiful game’.

And as was the case in Euro ’88, Italia ’90 and USA ’94, expect many soccer fans from Waterford to make the trip to Poland and Ukraine next summer.

To opt for higher VAT is a real blow to the retail sector, which is already suffering, apart from the near inflation-proof supermarket trade.

Higher alcohol taxes specific to off-licences, in a bid to stimulate improved business in public houses would surely have been worth considering, but instead we’re being told that increased VAT is what lies ahead.

This is surely a counter-productive measure, driving more people to avail of the black economy while leaving already struggling businesses set for an even greater fight to survival.

Topping the poll in 36 of the State’s 43 constituencies, the former Senator, TD and Arts Minister scooped up 700,000 first preferences, with his total vote exceeding one million, making him a clear winner.

However, Mr Higgins’s success, given that he was the only candidate to keep it ‘between the ditches’ during the campaign, was partly due to the shortcomings of the other six candidates.

Throughout the hustings, he and he alone struck a presidential tone, drawing on his political experience and his clear and concise knowledge of the role of President as guided by the Constitution.

For Fine Gael, the campaign was a disaster, with Gay Mitchell back at his MEP’s desk as this edition went to press.

Any of John Bruton, Mairead McGuinness or even late entry Pat Cox would have proven a more acceptable candidate not only for FG loyalists, but for non-FG voters.

And this programme deserves reference this week when set against the backdrop of increased drug use, criminality and the significant spike in the workload of our judges.

The city and county’s drug problem, particularly when it comes to heroin, has escalated over the past two years. The increased rate of robberies in recent months has also risen and has been widely linked to heroin use, with users seeking cash to fund their next ‘fix’.

But eight months into the lifetime of this Government, we have to ask what these bodies are actually doing to maintain existing employment, let alone creating an environment in which SMEs might prosper.

Three years ago, the German government availed of employment subsidies to assist many crisis-hit companies, so surely a similar stimulus should be provided here?

But that alone is not enough in an Irish context. Existing companies who wish to maintain staff numbers at a level which allow it to stay in business, need more help.

Credit from banks, again promised by the Fine Gael/Labour coalition, has not been as free-flowing as committed to prior to the election.

How can this be when, as the interviewed David McWilliams notes on pages 26 and 27, most of these banks are now in the ownership of the taxpayer?

Sean Gallagher seems a very capable man and his idea to promote jobs in Ireland during the Presidency is a good one.

Using the President on Trade Missions is an excellent proposal that would carry real weight in the USA and Asia, where Ireland must acquire investment funds.