SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS COULD CREATE UP TO 25,000 NEW JOBS - An exercise in self-help is going on today in Dublin. A conference, entitled 'Catch the wave - getting on board with social entrepreneurship', at the Tallaght Stadium has the issue of social entrepreneurship and how to maximise job creation in its sights. The area could create 25,000 new jobs.
Jerr Boschee is the founder of the Institute for Social Entrepreneurs. He says that social entrepreneurship directly addresses social needs through its services or products and says that while the businesses are profit-making they are not-for-profit companies. As well as addressing the conference today, Mr Boschee will conduct a one day master class for about 80 budding social entrepreneurs and will meet with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation.
Chris Gordon is a social entrepreneur who is behind a new venture called '222'. This is a new all-island non-emergency services number that will provide the first 24/7 freephone number offering details on all non-emergency services here in the island on Ireland. He says he hopes the service will be up and running by September and says the service will be profitable and therefore sustainable.
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MORNING BRIEFS - The 24-member IMF executive board has been briefed on criminal charges against managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn yesterday and will monitor developments in the case, the fund said. The briefing was given by IMF acting managing director John Lipsky and IMF General Counsel Sean Hagan. No decisions were taken at the board meeting on Mr Strauss Kahn's future. Reuters says IMF board sources said there was a push by some countries represented at the board for a speedy resolution to Strauss-Kahn's future as head of the global lender, although others cautioned against judging him so soon. In the mean time Mr Strauss Kahn is residing is enduring his own austerity at Riker's Island jail in the Bronx at least until his next court appearance on Friday having been refused bail of $1m after the NYPD said he represented a flight threat.
*** After a 'record year' for Paddy Power last year, the company said the strong momentum has continued into 2011. In an interim management statement ahead of its AGM in Dublin today, Chairman Nigel Northridge said that group revenue is up 21% so far this year, on the back of 33% growth in online revenues and 7% growth in retail revenues. The board looks forward to the balance of 2011 and beyond with confidence...
*** In an interim management statement, UTV said that revenue in its radio Ireland division fell by 5% and it said that it expected that this trend will continue in May and June. After currency fluctuations the like for like decline was 3%. UTV owns Dublin's FM104 and Q102, Cork's 96FM and C013, Limerick's Live 95FM and LMFM in the Louth-Meath area.
*** On the currency markets, the euro is worth $1.4190 and 87.45 pence sterling.
