A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Lowry still a GDLC director
A new annual return again showing Independent TD for North Tipperary Michael Lowry as a director of GDLC Business Consultants Ltd has been filed to the Companies Registration Office, reports Colm Keena.
Mr Lowry did not declare his directorship of the company in the Register of Members Interests for 2010, published by the Oireachtas recently, and last week told The Irish Timesthat a letter had been drafted for him, withdrawing him from the company.
The Companies Registration Office yesterday scanned for public viewing a new annual return for GDLC which was received by the office on April 15th. The annual return, for the period to February 21st, 2011, again states that Mr Lowry is one of four directors and holds one-quarter of the company’s shares.
Mr Lowry would not comment when contacted. A spokesman for the Oireachtas said it also had no comment to make.
The guidelines for TDs say they must declare any “directorships or shadow directorships of any company held by you at any time during the registration period concerned.” Mr Lowry said the company was set up for a particular purpose but had never traded. He refused to say what the intended purpose was.
Dublin singer up for Novello award
Conor O'Brien of Villagers was yesterday nominated for an Ivor Novello Award.
O'Brien has been shortlisted in the category of best song musically and lyrically for
Becoming a Jackalfrom the band's debut album. Villagers were last year nominated for, but did not win, the prestigious Mercury Music Prize.
O'Brien faces competition from Foals for
Spanish Saharaand the Everything Everything's
MY KZ, UR BF.
The Ivors recognise music writing and are presented by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. The awards will be presented in London on May 19th.
Electric car grant scheme begins
The €5,000 Government grant scheme for buyers of electric vehicles has been approved by Minister for Energy Pat Rabbitte.
Due to be introduced on January 1st by the previous minister, the delayed scheme began yesterday. All vehicles with CO2 emissions of less than 75g per km will be eligible for a purchase subsidy of up to €5,000 under the scheme. The department said it would also apply to all eligible vehicles sold between January 1st and the start of the scheme. But figures show that no new electric vehicles were put on the road during this period.