The retail group teamed up with TV personality and entrepreneur, Aoibhín Garrihy, to launch the 2019 initiative at Airfield Estate, Dundrum, which this year sees the introduction of three categories for schools to enter – Best Health & Wellness Project, Best Tech Project, and Best Eco Project.

The €30,000 Gala Gifts for Schools prize fund will be divided across the categories, with each winning primary school being awarded €10,000.

Speaking at the launch, Aoibhín Garrihy commented: “The Gala Gifts for Schools initiative was hugely successful in 2018, and we were thrilled to award a very deserving Caherline National School in Caherconlish, Limerick with the top prize of €10,000.

“This year, with an even bigger prize fund, we’re hoping to receive hundreds of entries from Irish primary schools.  From health and wellness projects to ground-breaking technology and eco-projects, there are so many ways that Gala Gifts for Schools can make a difference to the winning schools.”

Primary schools from across Ireland are invited to enter the competition by submitting a 60-second video via the Gala website, telling Gala about a school project that they would carry out if they were to win the prize money.

Speaking about Gala Gifts for Schools, CEO of Gala Retail, Gary Desmond adds: “As a Convenience Group that operates in communities across Ireland, we could see the huge difference our cash gifts made to the three winning primary schools and their communities in 2018.

“This year, we wanted to build upon our Gala Gifts for Schools competition by increasing the overall fund to €30,000, and we’re hoping that schools throughout the country are ready to share their best project ideas with us. We’re looking for creative videos showcasing projects that could really make a difference to a school and to children’s educational experiences.”

The Gala Gifts for Schools competition is open for entries from Monday 2^nd September.  For more information, Ts & Cs and how to enter, visit www.gala.ie/giftsforschools. Deadline for entries is 8^th November 2019. 

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Leading Lights goes right into the heart of the communities around Inver’s forecourt network. The initiative was created to build an emotional connection between Inver’s forecourt partners, their community and the Inver brand.  All Leading Lights recipients are nominated by Inver’s forecourt partners and each forecourt has access to an annual fund to nominate one or two organizations.

Ronan Cooney, Inver’s partner in Coachford, Co. Cork, stated, ‘Inver’s connection to my local community through their annual Leading Lights programme is very positive.  We create an incredible amount of goodwill with this continued local support.’

The  Leading lights cheque presentations are made with the nominees, an Inver representative and Inver’s partners on their forecourt. The presentations and nominees stories are shared on their combined social media platforms.  To date there have been over 116 worthy recipients, including local schools, sports organizations, a fairy trail and sensory walk,  CPR lessons for children and new boats for a rowing club.

Inver’s partner, Brian Farrell in Ballina, Co. Tipperary, noted: “Inver’s leading Lights is a great initiative, it really immerses my business into the community and has helped build my business.  It creates a massive amount of goodwill, which is a huge plus.  I love it because there is nothing similar to it within our industry. In my opinion, it is singularly the greatest initiative I have ever come across in my career.’

“We are incredibly proud of our Leading Lights programme,” stated Chris O’Callaghan, Inver’s CEO.  “Our goal was to go right into the heart of Irish communities, to build strong roots between our brand and the communities our forecourt partners operate in. We were really invested in making a difference at a local level and I feel we have achieved that in 3 short years.

“The feedback is hugely positive and this initiative is growing beyond our expectations.  Leading Lights is well embedded within the business now and we look forward to continuing to make a difference.  It is a long term commitment we are making to our Inver forecourt partners and their communities and I look forward to seeing Leading Lights continue to grow and expand with the network.

“We are always excited to meet the nominees and hear their stories.  It is so inspiring to see how many people donate their skills, time and energy to give back to their hometown and community. The diversity of the nominees is always impressive as is the level of commitment people make to improve their community.

“Winning this year’s ‘Best Oil Company initiative 2019’ is a wonderful validation for Leading Lights and the commitment our forecourt partners have made to their community and the Inver Retail Brand.  2020 will be another exciting year and we look forward to sharing our ongoing leading lights journey on our social media platforms.  Join us @invercommunity and follow these uplifting stories!”

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However, a Revenue concession allowed the zero rate to be applied to certain types of vitamins, minerals and fish oils.  Following the recent budget, the zero VAT rate has been retained for vitamins and minerals, fortified foods, infant formula, baby foods, fortified cereals and yoghurts.

For details contact Irish revenue & Customs for their Tax and Duty Manual for Food Supplements and Certain Other Substances, or contact RGDATA for guidance.

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Rafal Winter pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing lottery scratch cards at Spar, The Crescent, Mulhuddart, on dates between July 2 and September 24, 2017. He had no previous convictions in Ireland or his native Poland.

Sentencing Winter, Judge Melanie Greally noted he had made great efforts to repay the €10,500 he had stolen from his former employers. A retail management company had contacted the Spar general manager about a discrepancy in scratch cards.

The manager reinstated a practice, which had been dropped by a previous boss, of counting the scratch cards every night. She then approached Winter while making her inquiries. He admitted responsibility in a private conversation.

Winter said he had been at a barbecue with friends who had been talking about money and pay rises and he became jealous. He admitted taking up to 30 books of scratch cards over several weeks and offered to resign and pay back the money lost to the shop. Winter presented himself to gardai and explained that he took between two and four scratch card books a week and scratched them all himself. He said he had asked for a pay rise but had not received one.

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The Directive is one of a number of initiatives at EU Level aimed at improving the transparency and fairness of the food supply chain. It is designed to protect weaker suppliers against unfair trading practises (UTPs) by stronger buyers in the food supply chain.  The Directive covers only agricultural and food products. It establishes turnover based categories of operators according to which protection is afforded.

Minister Creed said he welcomed the legislation. “It is a significant step towards ensuring more fairness in the food chain for those producers who are particularly vulnerable to unfair trading practices. It provides protection for farmers and small and mid-range businesses who have the least bargaining power and are least able to address UTPs without negative effects on their economic viability”.

The Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine is inviting submissions to a public consultation on the transposition of the UTP Directive. The closing date for the receipt of submissions is 13 December 2019.

RGDATA successfully campaigned to stop this Directive from banning wholesaler/retailer buying alliances. RGDATA has said it will review the final Directive and make a submission regarding its implementation by the Irish Government

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