We already have a post on how to apply for Lithuanian Visit Visa. This guide is created to help solve problems regarding the application of Lithuanian Study Visa in Nigeria.
What is Lithuanian Study Visa?
Lithuanian Study Visa is a category of Lithuanian Long Term Visa. It is meant for studying at a Lithuanian educational institution for more than 90 days.
Who Can Apply for Lithuanian Study Visa?
Has been granted admission to study in a higher institution or college in Lithuania and paid for course fees.
Has enough to finance himself through his stay in Lithuania.
Click here to fill an online application form in capital letter and print it out while ensuring to print out the barcode generated page along with it.
Click here to download and fill the top part of the OFII form. You should click here to download the English translation of the form and more information on how to fill it correctly.
Visit the Visa Application Centre (VAC) to submit forms alongside the supporting documents; to give your biometrics; and to pay a visa application fee of N21,905.
Two (2) dully filled and Signed Visa Application Forms.
1 3.5×4.5 colour passport photographs against a plain white background.
Valid Original Passport (valid for two years and containing at least two blank pages).
One copy of the passport front page and all relevant pages containing previous Schengen, UK, US, Canada Visas.
The following documents related to the academic aspect in Triplicate (three copies): letter of motivation (why did you choose France? What is the purpose of your study? What do intend to do studying?); Curriculum vitae; copy of the last diploma (WAEC and/or University certificates and transcripts), Copy of the acceptance/ admission letter from a French Academic Institution or a copy of your enrolment in a French Language Centre/Alliance Francais; Proof of payment of the course fees; Copy of scholarship letter if applicable.
The following financial guarantee documents in duplicate (two copies): Original bank statements for the past three months; Working certificate showing your salary or sponsor's salary, stamped by the chamber of commerce and 2 copies; In case you don't have own resources, financial guarantee form completed and signed by your sponsor, who must prove the he/she has sufficient and regular resources ( if applicable) + his passport front page copy and the page where passport's holder signature appears or copy of the scholarship letter if applicable.
Proof of Accommodation: Document indicating the place and condition of residency in France during the first 3 months (hotel reservation not accepted) and mentioning your name, the address of the accommodation, the dates covering the duration of your course or a letter of invitation, a proof of accommodation (electricity, water, gas bill etc.), a copy of identity card (international or national identity) of sponsor.
For minors (under 18) only: Parental Authorisation; Guarantee from the hosting person in France to take care of the student.
There is no Lithuanian Embassy in Nigeria. As instructed by Lithuania Government, all student from Nigeria should apply in Lithuania embassy in either Egypt or India. That means you will need to get the mentioned country visa to apply for your student visa. Though getting any of the countries visa won't be difficult as you will receive assistance from your school in Lithuania.
Applicants must submit their complete files at least three weeks before the intended date of departure.
You have questions to ask us about Lithuanian visas? Leave your comments below and we will surely attend to them.
Nice post to share.. Great article. Studying in Lithuania is a great option. Keep sharing such useful share.
Am currently studying in Philippines can I get visa from here?
Explicit write up… I appreciate this knowledge you pass down to Nigerians. May God continue to strengthen and increase you in all areas of your life.
Comment…is there work for people that travel to Lithuania for studying….
2. after paying the 21k at VAC… are we still going to pay another Fee at the embassy in Egypt (incase we decided to go through Egypt)..
and I need to speak with you on phone… help me with your number… I can't find it..
Comment…pls after getting the admission in Lithuania, how can I apply for India visa, and what type of visa, will I be applying for is it a conference or tourist. and if I should tell the India consulate that my intentions is going for Lithuania visa, what are my chances of getting the India visa. and how long those the visa processing time takes when I get to India for the Lithuania visa thanks.


The "LEGO Library" of SE Melbourne was originally from Sydney but moved to Melbourne in 1979. Although a serious collector of LEGO for around 20 years, she developed an even greater love for the plastic brick when her then young son also became an enthusiast.
"LEGO Library" prefers to store her LEGO bricks by part type so all similar parts are stored together. The rare colours, like the greens and purples, are stored together by colour as there are not many of them. The sorted parts are in drawers, the partially sorted are in plastic crates and the unsorted remainder are in plastic tubs with lids. She's hoping to eventually move everything into drawers and crates.
As an AFOL, "LEGO Library" loves having an excuse to play and build with LEGO. She really loves showing her builds and talking to other AFOLs and the public about LEGO. Despite loving to display her creations, her least favourite thing about being an AFOL is time and effort required to set up and pack up the displays.
Tony B. of Queensland is a long term resident of that state and only became interested in LEGO around 4 years ago. He doesn't really remember having many LEGO bricks as a child as they moved around a lot. It was his grandchildren, and their love of LEGO, that sparked his interest in the hobby. He says he was looking for a hobby at the time and he definitely found one he really liked. To date, he has mainly built in the medieval, fantasy, Arabian and ninja themes.
For his LEGO storage, Tony divides first in to the main colours and then into the type of part such as plates or bricks. He also separates the specialist pieces like LURPs and BURPs as he has large number of these. His preference is for clear tubs so he can easily see what is inside each one.
His favourite thing about being a LEGO fan is spending hours and hours just tinkering and building, and then rebuilding until he is happy with his creation. His least favourite part is not having enough space to sort, store and work with his LEGO bricks. He hopes one day to have a dedicated LEGO room.
Photos courtesy of Tony B.
The Bionicle range in 2003 was the impetus for Tim B. of Adelaide to revisit the hobby of LEGO building. He then ventured into the Creator theme with the 4954 Town House and the Ferrari racers series. From there it spread far and wide until he decided, while boxed sets are good, building MOCs and mosaics are much more fun.
Tim describes his LEGO storage system as being very "loose". In his words, "it's either there or over there or maybe in that box". Most of what he calls "standard parts", such as plate and brick, are sorted via colour and size into Fischer brand boxes. Once the quantities exceed these containers, he moves onto 5 litre storage tubs and then 60 litre tubs for things like 2×4 bricks. Smaller parts, of varying descriptions, sometimes become sorted into small non-colour specific trays, but usually they are tossed into the "to be sorted" pile, almost never to see the light of day again. He says that while this can be infuriating at times when he is hunting for that one specific piece, it does create a fun treasure hunt scenario where he find pieces that bring back memories of when he was looking for it 6 months earlier.
Tim's favourite part of being an AFOL is being able to share his creations and passions for the culture that surrounds LEGO with others who are yet to experience it. Whether that person is 9 or 99, being able to show them that LEGO is so much more than a box tucked away on a shelf gathering dust is really important to him. There is nothing sadder, for Tim, than seeing a set unopened, gathering dust, just because it might increase in value and be worth more than the original purchase price. LEGO sets should be built! Buy, Build and Enjoy! To counter this, Tim's other great frustration is not having enough parts to build the epic creations he has in his head. He always has to scale something back from where he wants it to be in order to keep it within his LEGO resources and budget.
Photos courtesy of Tim B.
Lee B. of Perth received his first LEGO set in the late 1970s when he was around eight years old. He was an avid collector of Classic Space (or Space as it was then) until the age of fourteen when he entered his Dark Ages. An act of generosity made him give away his entire collection to a single mother colleague when he was in his early twenties. He's pretty sure he felt noble at the time but the thought of rebuilding his collection via Bricklink brings tears to his eyes.
Although now a re sident of Perth, Western Australia, Lee was originally born in Nottingham, UK and emigrated with his family when he was five years old. Despite some early career temptations to move to Melbourne, he is firmly established in Perth with his kids and grandchildren. It was watching his children, four years ago, build a maze for a remote control T-Rex out of Duplo that finally delivered Lee out of his Dark Ages and on the path to becoming an AFOL.
Lee's storage philosophy centres on whatever cheap tubs will fit the parts he is trying to store, as well as divided trays and small tool trays from the local hardware store. In Lee's own words, "it's rather unwieldy and dispa rate". He believes this is possibly a physical manifestation of his building method – "a bit of a part-rummaging frenzy." His preference is to store by part rather than colour and he has a giant tub for all of the weird and/or enormous parts that won't fit in tiny tubs.
As an author, Lee believes his regular creative outlet is intensely textual and, as he can't paint, building with LEGO bricks gives him the opportunity to be visually creative and this is one of his favourite things about being a LEGO fan. Another of his favourite things is being able to build his own creations and he's still, after all these years, obsessed with space fighters and swooshable ships. Coming into the hobby and discovering Vic Vipers, Starfighters and GARCs is like being a kid in a candy shop.
The isolation of being an AFOL in Perth (the most isolated capital city in the world) is Lee's least favourite thing about being an AFOL. Lee says "there are lots of us in Perth but I've found opportunities to be in a face-to-face LUG and to get into displaying have been severely limited, and it seems like the social aspects of the hobby are highly rewarding for really organized LUGs like MUGs". He believes it's changing slowly thanks mostly to the Perth LEGO User Group (the Facebook LUG) who have semi-regular meetings. Lee recently had the opportunity to exhibit for the first time at the Bricktober display in Perth and he's now really excited about displaying at Brickvention in Melbourne in January – a chance to meet other AFOLs and to share his MOCs which he rarely shares, as his photographic skills are not good enough to upload his work to Flickr or MOC Pages.
Photos courtesy of Lee B.


I recently interviewed Brenda Corey Dunne about her newest book, Dependent. This was a big summer for Brenda and her family as they sold and bought houses, renovated the new one, and moved the whole family–horses and all–across Canada to her husband's new military posting. Somehow between the move, the new book launch, and discovering where to buy groceries and back to school clothes, Brenda found the time to answer a few of my questions.
In Dependent Ellen makes many sacrifices for her family and husband. Do you think that's typical of all women or something special about Ellen?
That's a tricky question to answer! I'm not a fan of the 'the woman's place is in the home' stereotype. Women should be able to do whatever they want. This is the 21st Century for goodness sake! And so many husbands make sacrifices for their wives careers.
But I DO believe women take on the nurturing role more often than men. And I live in a world of military relationships. It takes only quick mental review of all of my friends to realize that almost all of my married female friends and closer acquaintances have sacrificed for their husbands in some way. They've given up good paying jobs to follow their spouses. Most of them have had to start at the very beginning at least once in their careers. They've moved thousands of miles away from family and friends. They've scrubbed and staged houses over and over again for a quick sale. They've smiled bravely as their husband shouldered his bag and walked away for another deployment. And they've done it willingly.
Dependent exposes some of the unique challenges military families face. How can non-military families reach out and support military families more?
Another tricky question. Military families are often strong and proud. They don't want charity and they don't want pity. And they won't ask for help because that would be considered weakness…so they suffer in silence. I think the best way to support them is to put yourself in their shoes. Imagine you are a thousand miles away from home, your house is full of boxes, you have two toddlers and are pregnant with the third, and your hubby has just left for a two month 'refresher' course in a different state. What would you like most?
A friendly smile. A cup of coffee. Help getting the trash to the curb on the right day. Knowledge of where the local library is. Hot brownies. Someone to talk to while your kids play at the park. A line on a good daycare in town.
Really, the best way to help a military family is to extend the hand of friendship. I have made so many wonderful friends over my 25 years associated with the military. Some came and went, but most will always have a place in my heart. Those friendships have sometimes been my lifeline—the only thing that helped me cope when things went downhill. That kind of support is the priceless.
Without giving too much away, how do you imagine Ellen's life now?
I think Ellen is realizing that university is a lot different at 46 than it is at 19! I think she's dealing with different issues, still trying to figure out how everything works in her new life. Not sure I can give you much more than that!
Thanks, Brenda for stopping by. Click here to see my review of Dependent. Dependent by Brenda Corey Dunn is published by Jolly Fish Press and is available as a trade paperback or eBook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other purveyors of fine books.
Dependent, the stunning new novel by Brenda Corey Dunne, is an unusual coming of age story about a forty-five year old woman finding herself after making hard choices at nineteen that set the course of her life.
Ellen Michaels has been an officer's wife for twenty-five years. Living in the military's shadow, all of Ellen's decisions have been influenced by her husband John's career—where she lives, what she does, and who her friends are—as well as the choices she makes to protect her family. Lumped in with John's worldly goods as "dependents, furniture, and effects," it's profoundly shocking for Ellen to discover that with John's death her future is her own again.
Much of Dependent is told in flashback, and we see Ellen grow from a young teen to a mature woman. We see the struggles every young mother faces and typical challenges even the best marriages go through. With John's death we see the devastating effect of losing a partner and father. But Ellen also has a terrible secret she's kept for twenty-five years, and she fears this secret is what killed her husband.
Told from an insider's perspective, everything from early marriages, frequent moves, and long absences to the culture of rank and stiff upper lip is vividly portrayed. It's these military culture conventions—and the idea that everything is happy, happy, happy!—that keep Ellen prisoner until she finally realizes that she independent and powerful.
And when she does you're going to want to stand up and cheer.
But I'm not going to spoil it!
Dependent by Brenda Corey Dunn is published by Jolly Fish Press and is available as a trade paperback or eBook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other purveyors of fine books.
Someone was pound, pound, pounding on the side door. The vicious tiny attack poodles at my feet each peeked one eye open and went back to sleep. Wow, I thought. This must really be important! I quickly hit save, then back-up, then compile, then save again on my manuscript before dashing madly to the door.
A gas leak? A house on fire? Girl Scouts with cookies to sell? I flung open the door ready for anything except a wall of raging tie-dye waving a summons in my face.
"You're taking me to court?!" the mountain thundered.
"Court! Over some dry-cleaning and an ER bill." Johnny Worthen, author extraordinaire of Beatrysel and Eleanor, the Unseen was huffing and puffing like the Big Bad Wolf in acid-laced Technicolor.
"When my lawyer Sammy 'Light Finger' Calzone gets through with you, you won't have a coconut to crack!" Johnny snarled.
Like water on the Wicked Witch, Johnny melted. "You did?" he breathed.
On the back deck I cracked open a couple of Diet Cokes and poured them over ice.
"What? No bourbon?" Johnny sulked.
The power of metaphor, the energy of symbol, and a web of imagination. I wanted to embody the idea of potential radical change, put it within the most vulnerable creature I could imagine and make it all believable.
Eleanor, The Unseen, is a paranormal story, which suggests that something ain't right in it, but I wanted that something to be natural as opposed to supernatural. I based it on legends for historical grounding. Every culture I know has some kind of folktale about a shapeshifter, be it the werewolves of Transylvania, the Skinwalkers of the Navajo, or the Nimirika among the Shoshone. I approached that paranormal element within Eleanor from the idea that all these stories were right but wrong at the same time. These ancient peoples all witnessed the same thing, event, creature, what have you, but they didn't understand it. Their descriptions are full of fear and superstition and prejudice (a theme in the series) but what they have in common, a brush with something unusual, marvelous and scary, was right on point. There is a predator in their midst. The suggestion becomes then that the paranormal element in the story is old and familiar to mankind, but forgotten and dismissed because it is so rare and unstudied.
I wanted the miracle to be metaphor and symbol, a complication and not the story itself. The story is Eleanor, her tale, her trials as the ultimate outsider hiding in plain sight. She is a soup of contradictions, lost but found, loved but lonely, malleable but fixed, struggling with who she is, what she might be, and afraid of her own powers in the face of tragedy and hope. To compound the metaphor, it's placed at that time of life when young people become young adults and grow into what they are to be, those awkward socializing high school days. Eleanor is an exaggeration of the growing up, trying to fit in while being different.
Finally, keeping with the theme of change, I needed Eleanor's to hurt. Change is painful and her wonderful "gift" has costs — terrible, painful, frightening costs. It's not easy. It is not quick. She becomes helpless. And she is a slave to it. Thus is change. Change is not easy. Also, I think this simple symmetry of cost and benefit help to sell the concept and make it easier for the reader to suspend their disbelief and concentrate on the story.
While Eleanor prefers to hide rather than fight, she will when her back's against a wall. Do you think most bullied people are that way? Is there a snapping point?
Bullying is a social interaction that extends far beyond the microcosmic high school experience. It's a hierarchical thing, alpha males and females rising to the top of the herd by beating others down. I see it as a symptom of insecure people trying to gain some control over their lives. It's hard to pity them, but in the wide shots, you can and I try to.
The idea of fighting back is a tricky one for Eleanor. Her snapping point has less to do with what her bullies are doing to her than it does with her change of perception of her own worth and her future. She admits to herself that she's becoming reckless, fighting back when she'd always retreated before because at that point in the book, she has something to fight back for. She has hope. Most people would snap after a long history of abuse, a final straw thing, but for Eleanor it's an awakening inside her, a new idea of self-worth brought on by the simple affection of a single friend. When survival is no longer enough, the timid become bold.
There's a whole cannon of literary work about young girls transitioning from victim to victor, everything from Stephen King's Carrie to Alice Walker's The Color Purple to Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl. How does Eleanor add to the empowerment conversation?
There is a lot of Carrie in Eleanor, I admit that. The similarities struck me as I wrote my book, but there are important and fundamental differences between King's story and mine: his is horror. Mine is a fable.
I don't think Eleanor is a victor over her bullies. They are trials that shape her, complications that vex her, metaphor for an intolerant society but they are just some among the many troubles Eleanor faces. Because Eleanor has lived in fear her entire life and was forced to hide, she is fearful and passive. She reacts as a frightened animal might. Her achievements then, not to give too much away, are to take control of her life and become an active player in its events. It's the difference between being a scavenger and a hunter.
It is a complicated dynamic, the bullies and Eleanor, and not to give too big a tease, but it is explored in depth, passionately and lovingly, over the length of the series.
While many readers will focus on the developing love story between Eleanor and David, the love story that caught my heart was the relationship between Eleanor and her mother, Tabitha. Tell me about how this theme came about.
Yes. Absolutely. The original title for the book was not Eleanor, but Tabitha. The series was to be called Eleanor, but editors and publishers wanted Eleanor so Tabitha, Eleanor Book 1, become Eleanor, The Unseen Book 1. Whatcha' gunna to do? But so central was Tabitha to the book that she was in fact meant to be the title character.
The relationship between Eleanor and Tabitha is central to the book: two women, vulnerable and alone, broken and lost coming together, saving each other. It is a powerful symbol of love and acceptance, joy without conditions. The best of humanity – a mother's love. It is healing among death, growth during decay, the future from the past. Tabitha is the teacher and Eleanor the student and what is taught is the best our species has to offer.
I channeled my own grandmother into Tabitha, and other friends and family. I took from them the best I've seen in people facing the worst; the nobility and affection, strength during weakness, joy during pain. Tabitha's very personal to me.
Give me the links so readers can find you.
Any upcoming events? Just in case I need to serve you new papers.
Upcoming events? Serving papers? Well, uhm, I'll be at the "Process Server Lynching" on the 19th and the "Frivolous Lawsuit Retribution Society" meeting, gun sale and barbeque on the 5th. Don't forget the "How to Poison Your Neighbors" workshop on the 8th. I'll be presenting.
Otherwise check out my events page.
And make sure you come out to the Eleanor, The Unseen Book Launch on the 28th of June at Barnes & Noble in Sugarhouse. 12:00-3:00.
You could argue that all teenage girls are self-centered survivalist monsters at heart, at times unlovable, wholly malleable, and subject to the whims of the adults around them.
But in Eleanor's case these typical teen traits are a little more literal.
Eleanor the Unseen is the first in a trilogy by Johnny Worthen that explores love in many forms: redemptive, passionate, maternal, transformative, first, true, self, and sacrificial. It's a theme repeated in metaphor and action both gentle and terrifying. Johnny has a knack for drawing the reader into his world like a warm bath. Just don't get too comfortable. And for heaven's sake, don't close your eyes.
On the surface, Eleanor is a YA horror novel about a monster that flies under the radar masquerading as a shy Wyoming teen growing up in a small town on the edge of an Indian reservation. The town itself is a character with all its stifling contradictions playing a part in Eleanor's decisions as the plot progresses. David, a military kid, was Eleanor's best childhood friend who knew all her secrets and her heart—until he moved. In their sophomore year, David returns, and Eleanor can no longer hide behind her hair.
Despite its premise, Eleanor is a literary work that builds gradually. It echoes other great works including Grendel, I Heard the Owl Call My Name, and even To Kill a Mockingbird. But don't let that fool you. There are some horrific scenes in the story that showcase how very alien—and therefore human—the monster is. But rawer than the monster's survivalist thoughts and actions is Tabitha's debilitating cancer. Tabitha, Eleanor's foster mother, races against time to prepare her daughter for life without her. At the heart of the book is their symbiotic redemptive love, a love so strong that it has the power to work miracles.
But don't forget. Eleanor the Unseen is a horror story, too.
For me, the most realized characters in the story were Eleanor and Tabitha, which sometimes made other key characters like David seem a little underdeveloped in comparison. I also felt that the ending was rushed given the previous pace of the book, but I think I understand why: Johnny wants to hurry the reader past the clearing of the first course to the next tasty morsel in a lazy Sunday brunch. I spent a morning reading Eleanor in one delicious gulp; yes, it's that good.
Eleanor the Unseen by Johnny Worthen is published by Jolly Fish Press and is available for pre-order from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever fine books are sold. Eleanor's publication date is July 1, 2014.
You know when you read a book about teens and you think the author just didn't get it? Well, F.J.R. Titchenell gets video gaming, paintballing, Vespa riding, teenage tomboy angst, true love, the uses of theater paint—oh, and killing zombies.
Confessions of The Very First Zombie Slayer (That I Know Of) is awesome like that.
The story is told in a flashback diary format, a record written by teenage Cassie Fremont for future generations about the first week the dead came back to life. It's the story of being at ground zero when she accidentally kills her crush with a sawed-off paintball gun's pellet to the temple. Unable to spare a moment to wrap her mind around it, Cassie has to leap into action when Mark snaps back to life as one of the world's first zombies. An escape from jail—suprbat and psycho-bunny backpack filled with fireworks in tow—she begins a fantastic cross-country journey to reunite twin sisters.
Cassie is not about to wait to be rescued. She embodies what every teenage girl who would rather hang with the boys aspires to—wit and a can-do-buck-up-little-camper attitude. She calls herself a listener, but in reality she leads through example and rock-steady nerves. Cassie's bravery is in doing what she has to in the moment. She'll think about it later.
I'm going out on a limb here to say that this YA novel is less about a zombie apocalypse and more about finding yourself, learning to see what's right in front of you, grabbing life with both hands, and living in the moment. It's a love story about two people who would never have seen the rightness of each other until life stripped away everything unimportant. Yes, the zombies are there in all their classic want-brains-quick-hit-'em-with-a-headshot glory, but they serve as a catalyst and an inconvenience, a way for Cassie to show-off her bad self. Titchenell's touch is refreshingly soft. She trusts her reader to understand her characters through their quirks and reactions to situations rather than relying on a ton of exposition and backstory.
Confessions is a tale that can be read on many levels, and I love meta-fiction like this. While the narration is mostly straightforward, the situations are hilarious and dark. Cassie's first time driving a car is epic in both scope and tragedy, but she brushes it off with her trademarked that sucked, what's next aplomb. There are many moments like this that hint at a much larger story unraveling in the background.
Confessions of The Very First Zombie Slayer (That I Know Of) by F.J.R. Titchenell is published by Jolly Fish Press and is available in paperback and eBook formats from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retail outlets. Don't miss this one.
Jo Ann Schneider's debut novel New Sight, is a little hard to pin down. Not knowing much about it when I began it, after the first few chapters I thought, "Ah-ha! Sci-fi!" and settled down for thriller about futuristic drugs and big brother. 16 year old Lys Blake has an uncontrollable urge to rip people's eyes out and a new club drug is suspected. Cool. After a strong start, the plot turns and I found myself reading a lot of exposition about magical powers, technology, and cartels out to suppresses and control ancient gifts relating to sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.
When it comes to literature, I'm more of a right-brained reader and New Sight is definitely a left-brained read. For me, sometimes the action gets bogged down in making sure the reader understands all the nuances of the magic system and the larger issues at play. The story is compelling, but I found myself skimming to get to the good parts.
Having said that, you should know that I'm the kind of person who ignores the directions and jumps in. More thoughtful, methodical thinkers who want to see how the trap is being set—left-brained readers—will thoroughly enjoy New Sight and look forward to the next book in the series.
And now that I've got all the details down, I will, too!
New Sight by Jo Ann Schneider is published by Jolly Fish Press and is available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble in paperback and eBook.
From the popularity of movies like Fatal Attraction to the TLC reality series My Strange Addiction, it's no surprise that we're fascinated by the extreme forms love, hate, desire, fear, and need take. Little Visible Delight is an anthology of darkly twisted obsession tales written by eleven talented novelists from the Omnium Gatherum Media stable.
Like most anthologies, the stories are varied in tone, pacing, and style. A couple of them stand out for their literary echos: A Thousand Stitches by Kate Jonez and The Point by Johnny Worthen. I particularly enjoyed these two for the thought-provoking themes that stayed with me long after I'd read them.
The one that still keeps me up all night is JP by Brent Michael Kelly. You'll never look at people who carry little dogs everywhere the same way again.
The most difficult for me to relate to was An Unattributed Lyric, In Blood, On a Bathroom Wall by Ennis Drake. The story form is on the experimental side, and it explores the futility of trying to capture the human experience in literature. Perhaps it hits a little too close to home.
A special bonus and one of my favorite things about this analogy are the authors' notes at end of each story that explain their inspiration and how particular themes continually reoccur—obsess them, really—as writers.
Perfect for late night reading, Little Visible Delight is sure to take the reader on paths seldom traveled. Flashlight under the covers recommended.
Little Visible Delight is published by Omnium Gatherum Media and is available in paperback and eBook from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.


The Customer Service Charter provides information on what customer service you should expect to receive when contacting the CCPC and how you can help when contacting us.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) was established on 31 October 2014. Our mission is to use our knowledge, skills and statutory powers to promote competition and enhance consumer welfare. You can read about our work here.
As a public sector organisation, we are committed to providing a quality service to citizens and aim to do so by implementing this Customer Service Charter ("Charter"). This Charter sets out the standards of service which you can expect to receive from us, both as a member of the public and as a staff member of the CCPC. This Charter specifically relates to how we interact with you, and our conduct during those interactions.
Identify ourselves when answering the telephone. If your query cannot be dealt with immediately we will arrange a call back at a time convenient for you.
Respond promptly (within one working day) when a voice message is received. If staff are out of the office, voicemail will be activated which will include an alternative contact.
Give you the contact details of any relevant body or organisation that may be better placed to deal with your query.
We aim for all calls to our dedicated lines to be answered quickly during opening hours. Our consumer helpline is open Monday to Friday 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m., and our corporate line is open Monday to Friday 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
We will acknowledge receipt of written correspondence within five working days and we aim to provide you with a response to queries within 15 working days. Complex issues requiring significant investigation, research or resources are likely to take longer than 15 working days to be considered fully. Where this is the case, you will receive an update from us within 15 working days.
Queries we receive through Facebook and Twitter are responded to as soon as possible, usually within 24 hours during the working week.
Respect the confidentiality of any personal information you provide to us, and will only use it in accordance with the law.
Facilitate those persons who wish to correspond with us in Irish. We will reply in Irish if correspondence is received in Irish and publish a Language Scheme under the Official Languages Act 2003.
Treat all people equally and aim to provide a service that is available and understandable to all. If you have a disability and you need help accessing our services our Access Officer is happy to help. You can get in touch by calling (01) 402 5516 or by emailing accessmanager@ccpc.ie should you require assistance.
Apply the highest possible accessibility standards to our website and provide information using clear and simple language.
Ensure that clean, safe and appropriate meeting facilities are available for your visit.
Provide accurate and relevant information.
Provide your contact details if you require a response.
If you have been given a reference number, please mention it when contacting us about ongoing correspondence.
If you wish to meet with us, we ask you to make an appointment prior to visiting so we can ensure that a relevant member of staff with the right expertise is available. To make an appointment please call (01) 402 5500 or email info@ccpc.ie.
Treat our staff in the way you would like to be treated yourself.
Please note that staff of the CCPC are not obliged to deal with people who are offensive or abusive towards them. In the event that a person demonstrates this type of behaviour, our staff have been instructed to end the phone call or not to respond to the correspondence. Find out more about by reading our Unreasonable Contact Policy above.
If you are not happy with the service you have received, your first point of contact is the relevant line manager. You can ask to speak with, or have the matter referred to them. Once you ask for this, the staff member will refer you to the appropriate person or arrange for that person to contact you. If the issue remains unresolved or you feel the service you received didn't meet the standards outlined in this Customer Service Charter, you can appeal by lodging a formal complaint with our Quality Customer Service Manager or you can request a meeting with them using the contact form below.
The role of the Quality Customer Service Manager is to conduct a formal review of your complaint in respect of whether or not the CCPC's customer service commitments were met and not to adjudicate on the decision-making process of a staff member or Division. The Quality Customer Service Manager will independently examine a complaint from the perspective of our Customer Service Charter and having reviewed the information, determine whether our customer service commitments were met.
The Quality Customer Service Manager will acknowledge your complaint within five working days and try to resolve the issue within 10 working days. If we need to further investigate the matter, he/she will let you know and advise you when he/she expects to be able to provide a full response.
Following this internal process, if you still feel that you have been unfairly treated or are not satisfied with our response to your complaint, you may contact the Office of the Ombudsman.
If you would like to provide feedback on your experience of dealing with us, please use the form below. We regularly review the feedback we receive, as well as reviewing our processes to make sure we are living up to the commitments made in this Charter.
The CCPC does not act on behalf of individual consumers or businesses to resolve their complaints with businesses or organisations, nor do we provide legal advice. We do not make decisions on whether a breach of legislation has occurred as it is the role of the courts to determine whether illegal conduct has occurred.
This form is for feedback or complaints in relation to the CCPC service charter only. For all other issues please see the contact us page. This will ensure your query goes to the right area and is dealt with as quickly as possible.
An acknowledgement email from us.
A response to your query.
Bunaíodh an Coimisiún um Iomaíocht agus Cosaint Tomhaltóirí an 31 Deireadh Fómhair 2014. Is é ár misean ná ár n-eolas, ár gcuid scileanna agus ár gcumhachtaí reachtiúla a úsáid chun iomaíocht a chur chun cinn agus leas tomhaltóirí a fheabhsú. Is féidir leat léamh faoinár n-obair anseo.
A bheith ina eagraíocht san earnáil phoiblí, táimid tiomanta do sheirbhís ardchaighdeáin do shaoránaigh ar fáil agus d'aidhm déanamh amhlaidh a chur i bhfeidhm an Cairt Seirbhís do Chustaiméirí ("an Chairt"). Leagann an Chairt seo amach na caighdeáin seirbhíse ar féidir a bheith ag súil a fháil uainn, mar bhall den phobal agus mar bhall foirne na heagraíochta. Is sa Chairt go sonrach le gcaoi a idirghníomhú le leat, agus ár n-iompar le linn na idirghníomhaíochtaí.
Nuair a glaonna teileafóin a fhreagairt, a aithint dúinn féin. Más rud é nach féidir do cheist chóir déileáil leo láithreach déanfaimid socruithe glaoch ar ais ag am áisiúil duit.
Freagairt go pras (laistigh de lá oibre) nuair atá teachtaireacht teileafóin againn. Má tá an fhoireann amach as an oifig, beidh glórphoist a chur i ngníomh lena n-áireofar an teagmháil eile.
A thabhairt duit na sonraí teagmhála ar aon chomhlacht nó eagraíocht cuí a d'fhéadfadh sé lonnaithe níos fearr chun déileáil le do cheist.
Is mian linn do gach glaoch ar ár línte tiomnaithe le freagairt go tapa le linn uaireanta oscailte. Is é ár líne chabhrach do thomhaltóirí ar oscailt ó Luan go hAoine 9:00-06:00, agus is é ár líne a corparáideach ar oscailt ó Luan go hAoine 9:00-05:00.
Tabharfaimid admháil ar chomhfhreagras scríofa laistigh de chúig lá oibre agus mar aidhm againn a chur ar fáil duit le freagra ar cheisteanna taobh istigh de 15 lá oibre. Is dócha go níos faide ná 15 lá oibre a chur san áireamh go saincheisteanna casta gur gá dóibh imfhiosrú, taighde nó acmhainní suntasacha. Má éiríonn sé seo, gheobhaidh tú thabhairt cothrom le dáta uainn laistigh de 15 lá oibre.
Freagraítear do na fiosruithe a fhaighimid trí Facebook agus Twitter chomh luath agus is féidir – de ghnáth laistigh de 24 uair (Ach amháin deireadh seachtaine).
Bíodh meas agat ar aon fhaisnéis phearsanta a sholáthraíonn tú dúinn faoi rún, agus úsáidfidh sí ach amháin i gcomhréir leis an dlí.
Cabhair do dhaoine ar mian leo comhfhreagras a dhéanamh le linn as Gaeilge. Freagróimid i nGaeilge má fhaightear comhfhreagras i nGaeilge agus Scéim na Gaeilge a fhoilsiú faoi Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla 2003.
Caithfimid le gach duine go cothrom agus féachaint le seirbhís atá ar fáil agus intuigthe do chách. Má tá tú faoi mhíchumas agus cabhair ag teastáil uait rochtain a fháil ar ár seirbhísí Is é ár n-Oifigeach Rochtana sásta cabhrú leat. Is féidir leat dul i dteagmháil trí ghlaoch ar (01) 402 5516 nó trí ríomhphost a sheoladh accessmanager@ccpc.ie ba chóir cúnamh de dhíth ort.
Iarratas a dhéanamh ar na caighdeáin inrochtaineachta is airde is féidir ár suíomh gréasáin agus faisnéis a sholáthar i dteanga shoiléir shimplí.
A chinntiú go bhfuil glan, sábháilte agus ar dheis áiseanna cruinnithe ar fáil le haghaidh do chuairt.
Soláthair faisnéis chruinn agus ábhartha.
Soláthair sonraí teagmhála i do chomhfhreagras má theastaíonn freagra uait.
Luaigh an uimhir thagartha má tugadh ceann duitse nuair a dhéanann tú teagmháil linn faoi chomhfhreagras leanúnach.
Más mian leat chun bualadh leis an eagraíocht, iarraimid ort coinne a dhéanamh sula dtugann siad cuairt ionas gur féidir linn a chinntiú go bhfuil ball foirne ábhartha a bhfuil an saineolas ceart atá ar fáil. Chun coinne a dhéanamh glaoigh ar (01) 402 5500 nó info@ccpc.ie ríomhphost.
Caith lenár bhfoireann sa chaoi ar mhaith leat go gcaithfí leat féin.
Tóg faoi deara nil aon oibleagáid gur cheart d'fhoireann na CCPC chun déileáil le urghránna nó maslach i dtreo leo. Sa chás go léiríonn duine gcineál seo iompair, tá ár bhfoireann treoraíodh do deireadh an glaoch gutháin nó gan freagra a thabhairt ar an comhfhreagras. Tuilleadh eolais faoin trí a léamh ar an mBeartais Teagmhála Míréasúnta thuas.
Má bhíonn tú míshásta am ar bith leis an bpróiséis agus tú ag deileáil linn, is féidir leat a iarraidh labhairt le bainisteoir line nó an cás a chuir faoina bhráid. A luaithe agus a n-iarann tú é seo, tarchuirfidh ball foirne tú faoi bhráid an duine cuí, nó socróidh sé go rachaidh an duine úd i dteagmháil leat. Mura bhfuil tú sásta leis an tseirbhís a fuair tú agus má bhraitheann tú nach bhfuil sé de réir ár gCairt Seirbhíse, is féidir leat gearán a thaisceadh lenár mBainisteoir Seirbhísí Custaiméirí Ardchaighdeáin. Má tá an cheist gan réiteach nó a bhraitheann tú an tseirbhís a fuair tú, níor comhlíonadh na gcaighdeán atá leagtha amach sa Chairt um Sheirbhís do Chustaiméirí, is féidir leat achomharc a dhéanamh ag gearán foirmiúil a thaisceadh lenár mBainisteoir Seirbhísí Ardchaighdeáin do Chustaiméirí nó is féidir leat a iarraidh cruinniú leo baint úsáide as an teagmháil foirm.
Is é ról an Bhainisteoir Seirbhísí Custaiméirí Ardchaighdeáin athbhreithniú foirmiúil a dhéanamh ar an gcaoi a láimhseáladh do theagmháil agus lena linn sin, tá sé údaraíthe don Bhainisteoir an tsaincheist a ardú le ball foirne ar bith den Choimisiún. Déanfaidh an Bainisteoir Seirbhíse scrúdú neamhspleách ar ghearán ó thaobh dearcadh ár gCairt Seirbhíse agus tar éis an comhad a aithbreithnniú, cinnteoidh sé ar cloíodh lenár nósanna imeachta seirbhíse do chustaiméirí.
Déanfaimid adhmháil ar do ghearán laistigh de chúig lá oibre, agus déanfaimid iarracht chun an tsaincheist a réiteach laistigh de 10 lá oibre. Cuirfimid ar an eolas tú más rud é go gcaithfimid dul i mbun a thuilleadh taighde, agus cuirfimid scéala chugat nuair a bhíonn súil againn bheith in ann freagra iomlán a sholáthar.
Más rud é tar éis an phróisis inmheánaigh seo go mbraitheann tú go fóill gur caitheadh go míchóir leat nó nach bhfuil tú sásta lenár gcinneadh i leith do ghearáin, is féidir leat teagmháil a dhéanamh le hOifig an Ombudsman.
Más mian leat aiseolas a thabhairt ar do thaithí ag déileáil le linn,bain úsáid as an bhfoirm teagmhála. Táimid ag athbhreithniú rialta ar an aiseolas a fhaighimid, chomh maith le hathbhreithniú a ár bpróisis chun a chinntiú táimid ag maireachtáil suas go dtí na gealltanais a rinneadh sa Chairt seo. I gcás gach gnóthaí eile, féach an teagmháil linn leathanach.
The vast majority of people who contact us deal with us in a reasonable manner. Given the nature of the issues we deal with, people may be experiencing considerable stress and we do our utmost to understand and deal compassionately with this.
However, if someone does not act in a reasonable manner our staff are instructed to follow this policy. We cannot tolerate behaviour which is abusive, offensive, threatening or, due to the frequency of contact, accounts for a disproportionate use of time and resources that could be spent more effectively dealing with other issues or other members of the public.
Unreasonable persistence Persisting with an issue which has already been considered and closed. It may be manifested in different ways; for example, insisting that the issue be looked at again, re-framing it so as to present it as a new issue, persevering with an argument that has earlier been addressed or making contact numerous times over a short period of time, through one or more channels.
Unreasonable demands Expecting an outcome or approach that is unrealistic or disproportionate. An example would be demanding we consider an issue which is outside of our remit.
Unreasonable lack of co-operation For example, not identifying the issue clearly, not providing details in writing when requested, sending large volumes of potentially unnecessary material and expecting an immediate response, altering the nature of the issue midway through the investigation process or dishonesty in relation to facts.
Unreasonable arguments For example, exaggerating issues, presenting irrelevant and/or unreasonable arguments, placing too much emphasis on trivialities, insisting that their version of events be accepted as fact where there is no objective evidence to support this view or refusing to consider reasonable counter-arguments.
Unreasonable behaviour For example, threatening violence, abusing staff, rude or aggressive conduct or threatening self-harm. It also includes the unauthorised recording of conversations with CCPC staff and their broadcast or publication without express permission.
When we consider that a person's behaviour is unreasonable, we will tell them and ask them to change their behaviour.
Regardless of an individual's behaviour, we will act respectfully at all times.
*The CCPC acknowledges that this policy is based on that of the Office of the Ombudsman.
The Customer Action Plan is a three year plan to assist us in achieving our aim of excellent customer services. It tells you how we plan to provide the best possible service to everyone who contacts us.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) was established on 31 October 2014. Our mission is "to make markets work better for consumers and businesses". Our vision is for open and competitive markets where consumers are protected and empowered and businesses actively compete.
The CCPC has a broad mandate, with statutory responsibility for the enforcement of competition and consumer protection law. As well as our enforcement responsibilities, we have a responsibility to promote competition and consumer welfare.
We are responsible for enforcing Irish and European competition law in Ireland. We conduct investigations, and civil or criminal enforcement proceedings may follow where we find evidence of breaches of competition law.
We enforce a wide range of consumer protection legislation, mainly arising from EU Directives which were designed to protect consumers at all stages of a transaction. To address breaches of consumer protection legislation, the CCPC can select from a range of enforcement tools to tackle unacceptable practices that mislead, are unfair or harm consumers in other ways.
We must be notified about proposed mergers, acquisitions and takeovers which reach a certain turnover threshold, and all media mergers. We assess whether they are likely to result in a substantial lessening of competition in the affected markets. We may approve the transaction, block the transaction or impose conditions which will address our competition concerns.
We ensure that product safety standards are being complied with through the General Product Safety Directive and other related sector-specific regulations. We also share information about dangerous goods and enforcement measures across the EU through the RAPEX system.
On the 30 April 2016, the Grocery Goods Regulations took effect, placing obligations on grocery businesses in Ireland. The purpose of the Regulations is to facilitate greater certainty and transparency in the dealings between suppliers and grocery businesses. We are responsible for monitoring compliance with the Regulations, investigating complaints and, where appropriate, taking enforcement action.
Another function of the CCPC is responsibility for assessing applications from bodies who wish to become ADR entities. We will assess whether the entity qualifies as an ADR entity within the scope of the Regulations and complies with the quality requirements. We will maintain and publish a list of approved ADR entities.
We advise the Government, its agencies and public bodies on how proposed legislation or regulations could affect markets in terms of competition and/or consumer welfare.
We seek to foster a culture of compliance throughout the economy by helping businesses to take active steps to comply with the law.
We inform consumers of their rights by providing them with access to information when and where they need it. We also develop public awareness campaigns and participate in various forms of media to communicate our messages.
We have a specific role under legislation to provide personal finance information and education to consumers. The actions under this remit include providing information through our consumer helpline and website, conducting public awareness campaigns as well as working on financial education programmes for schools and workplaces.
The CCPC wishes to provide the best possible service to everyone who contacts us. We do this through the commitments to Quality Customer Service outlined below.
Principle: Publish a statement that outlines the nature and quality of service which customers can expect and display it prominently at the point of service delivery.
The CCPC is committed to providing a helpful, courteous and effective service to all customers. The standards of service customers can expect when interacting with us are outlined in our Customer Service Charter. The majority of customers contact the CCPC through our website or our helpline and therefore both the Charter and Action Plan are available on our website www.ccpc.ie. Both the Charter and Action Plan will be made available in hard copy, upon request.
Publish a Customer Service Charter and Customer Action Plan 2017 – 2020. Charter and Action Plan are available on our website and in hard copy upon request.
Encourage a customer service culture among staff through induction and training as appropriate. Staff familiarity with our commitments as evidenced by feedback.
Ensure all staff are aware and adhere to the commitments made. Feedback received from staff and external customers, customer service audit results.
Principle: Ensure the rights to equal treatment, established by equality legislation, and accommodate diversity, so as to contribute to equality for the groups covered by the equality legislation (under the grounds of gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religious belief, age, disability, race and membership of the Traveller Community). Identify and work to eliminate barriers to access to services for people experiencing poverty and social exclusion, and for those facing geographic barriers to services.
The CCPC is committed to delivering a service that is available to all. We are dedicated to ensuring that no one is discriminated against in their interactions with us.
Ensure that all customers are treated equally in line with legislation. Customer feedback.
Provide training to staff on equality and diversity matters, as required. Feedback on PMDS form.
Implementation of policies aimed at ensuring equal treatment of customers. Customer and management feedback.
Principle: Provide clean, accessible public offices that ensure privacy, comply with occupational and safety standards and, as part of this, facilitate access for people with disabilities and others with specific needs.
We pride ourselves in keeping our offices in a clean and safe condition, and we abide by health and safety standards. Our staff include a Safety Officer, Safety Representative, Fire Wardens and an Access Officer. The Access Officer co-ordinates any assistance that may be needed by those who have a disability. To assist us in ensuring privacy in discussions we encourage visitors to our office to make an appointment before visiting.
Monitor and maintain the safety and cleanliness of our offices. Offices are maintained to an acceptable standard.
Ensure appropriate meeting facilities are available for customer visits. Customer feedback.
Address health and safety issues at regular health and safety meetings. Number of meetings attended and issues addressed efficiently and effectively.
Maintain an appropriate number of trained safety staff. Appropriate number of adequately trained health and safety and fire officers available.
Refresher training provided in line with best practice.
All staff participate in emergency and evacuation drills. Fire drills held quarterly.
Level of adherence of staff with emergency evacuation procedures.
Evacuation report compiled post fire drills and issues addressed efficiently.
Premises is Disability Access Certified. Premises certified.
Principle: Take a proactive approach in providing information that is clear, timely and accurate, is available at all points of contact and meets the requirements of people with specific needs. Ensure that the potential offered by Information Technology is fully availed of and that the information available on Public Service websites follows the guidelines on web publication. Continue the drive for simplification of rules, regulations, forms, information leaflets and procedures.
The CCPC has two main points of information for external customers, our website and our helpline. The website provides clear and up to date information and is designed to meet high accessibility standards. In this regard, it follows guidelines set out by the W3C (the World Wide Web Consortium). The W3C WAI (Web Accessibility Initiative) produces accessibility guidelines that are an internationally recognised benchmark of accessibility. We make every effort to communicate with people in a way that is suitable to their needs, providing information in simple language that is easily understood. Our consumer helpline is another key avenue for providing information. Its function is to inform consumers by answering queries relating to general consumer rights, personal finance products/services and competition matters.
Provide as much useful information as possible through our website and follows W3C WAI guidelines. Customer feedback.
Use plain English written communications, keeping the use of technical or official terms and jargon to a minimum and where necessary explaining these terms. Customer Service audits.
Ensure all website contact methods are in working order. Regular functionality and accessibility checks.
All forms checked once a month.
All email addresses checked once a quarter.
Make staff information and updates on matters of interest available via the Intranet and internal newsletter where practicable. Staff feedback regarding availability and ease of access to information.
Principle: Deliver quality services with courtesy, sensitivity and the minimum delay, fostering a climate of mutual respect between provider and customer. Give contact names in all communications to ensure ease of on-going transactions.
The CCPC believes in treating everyone with respect and courtesy.
Answer the telephone promptly and identify ourselves when doing so. Customer feedback.
Ensure that when staff are out of the office, appropriate voicemail and out of office email messages are active. Audit of absence messages by staff.
Ensure that all staff provide their contact details in any correspondence to allow for easy follow up. Audit of correspondence.
Ensure written correspondence is acknowledged within five working days. Audit of correspondence.
Provide a response to correspondence within 15 working days. When this is not feasible due to the need for significant investigation, research or resources we will provide an update within 15 working days which will outline the expected time frame for the response. Audit of correspondence.
Answer queries received through social media within 24 hours during the working week, where practicable. Audit of correspondence.
Principle: Maintain a well-publicised, accessible, transparent and simple-to-use system of dealing with complaints about the quality of service provided.
We aim to provide a high quality service to everyone, however if on occasion we fail to meet the standards outlined in the Charter we have a simple and efficient complaints procedure in place, which is also outlined in the Charter.
Ensure all complaints are addressed promptly, fairly and in a consistent manner. Audit of complaint records.
Keep customers up to date by providing information on their complaint to them on an ongoing basis. Audit of complaint records.
Review the complaints procedure to ensure it is fit for purpose. Complaints procedure reviewed in line with customer feedback.
Principle: Similarly, maintain a formalised, well-publicised, accessible, transparent and simple-to-use system of appeal/review for customers who are dissatisfied with decisions in relation to services.
Should the complainant not be satisfied with the outcome of their initial complaint, the CCPC has a clear and simple appeals process. The customer can appeal the decision by writing to the Quality Customer Service Manager, and subsequently the Office of the Ombudsman.
Ensure staff are aware of the appeals process.
Ensure that the Quality Customer Service Manager acknowledges the complaint within five working days and tries to resolve the matter within 10 working days. Audit of appeals.
Principle: Provide a structured approach to meaningful consultation with, and participation by, the customer in relation to the development, delivery and review of services. Ensure meaningful evaluation of service delivery.
Consultation and feedback are important to us as they help us to understand customer expectations, requirements and any deficiencies in the services we provide. We have consulted staff in the preparation of this action plan to ensure it is realistic. Our Charter includes mechanisms for providing feedback on our service delivery on an ad-hoc basis.
Encourage customers to provide feedback. Customer feedback.
Develop and launch a Customer Service Survey to assess our performance under the Principles. Customer Service Survey conducted.
Take action based on feedback and results. Corrective action taken.
Use the results of the survey to form the basis of the next Plan. Next Plan addresses issues raised in the survey.
Consult staff in the preparation of the next plan. Staff survey to gather feedback and suggestions.
Principle: Provide quality services through Irish and/or bilingually and inform customers of their right to choose to be dealt with through one or other of the official languages.
Customers have the ability to interact with us through Irish if they so wish.
The CCPC will publish a Scheme under the Official Languages Act 2003 which will detail the services the CCPC will provide through Irish, through English, through both Irish and English. Up to date Scheme published and commitments implemented in line with timeframes in the Scheme.
Principle: Ensure that employees are recognised as internal customers and that they are properly supported and consulted with regard to service delivery issues.
We acknowledge that CCPC staff members are also customers, and therefore should receive a similar high standard of service to that of our external customers. We are committed to supporting our staff to enable the provision of an excellent service both internally and externally.
Provide staff access to information sources to assist them in their role and encourage knowledge sharing across the organisation.
Encourage open communication and consultation with all staff. Evidence of acting upon staff feedback, when appropriate.
Implement the CCPC's Organisation Development Strategy. Completion of projects and tasks detailed in the Organisational Development Programme.
Principle: Provide choice, where feasible, in service delivery including payment methods, location of contact points, opening hours and delivery times. Use available and emerging technologies to ensure maximum access and choice and quality of delivery.
The CCPC makes every effort to provide multiple ways for our customers to find information about us and to contact us.
Principle: Foster a more co-ordinated and integrated approach to delivery of public services.
The CCPC works in partnership with a range of organisations in Ireland and internationally including business groups, sector regulators, government departments and other competition and consumer bodies across the world.
Participate in the implementation of the Public Service Reform Programme.
Implementation of Public Sector reform initiatives.
Enter into formal agreements with other bodies to facilitate co-operation, information-sharing and effective investigation of consumer protection and competition issues. Number of agreements in place and usage of agreements.
Participate with Public Sector Networks where possible. Attendance and sharing knowledge at cross body meetings e.g. NCSSA meetings, DJEI working groups.
Continuous improvement is important to the CCPC. We are not happy to just operate under a set of standards. We will push for continuous improvement to ensure we provide the best service that we can. We will monitor our performance against the standards outlined to make sure we are achieving them, and take action if we are not.
In the final year of this Plan, we will develop a Customer Service Survey to assess our performance. The exact type and number of customers it will be sent to will be determined upon consultation with appropriate staff members. After collecting and analysing the results of the survey, we will draft a new Action Plan which will focus on the areas for improvement highlighted in the results.
Our Annual Report will have a dedicated Customer Service section, where we will report our progress against the set standards.


text:
El programa de reforestación y restauración que abrió la Fundación Jocotoco en el año 2004 ayuda a conservar una red de reservas. Jocotoco lleva a cabo un exitoso programa de reforestación y restauración de hábitats degradados dentro de su sistema de reservas.
BANDED GROUND-CUCKOO
ECOLOGICAL CORRIDOR
GOLDEN-PLUMED PARAKEET
PALE-HEADED BRUSHFINCH
ECUADENDRON PROJECT
REINTRODUCTION: GREAT GREEN MACAW
REFORESTATION - RESTORATION
TRAP CAMERAS
FOREST NETWORK HELPS CONSERVATION
The Banded Ground-Cuckoo (Neomorphus radiolosus) is an endemic bird of the Choco, one of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots globally. Fundación Jocotoco protects the Choco through the Canande and Tesoro Escondido Reserves.
Thanks to the support of Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) Fellowship we started a conservation project in 2018. The Banded Ground-Cuckoo is an endangered species, according to the IUCN. Furthermore, it is hard to find because it has a restricted range of distribution.
Therefore, we did a monitoring project in our Canande and Tesoro Escondido Reserves through playback. We also did community workshops to promote sustainable alternatives of income, such as ecotourism, sustainable cacao production, and bird watching.
We will soon work in a project supported by The Rufford Foundation to collect information of this rare species which will be shared in the community and scientifically. Eliana Montenegro, MSc student and EDGE Fellow, will lead this projects in the reserves of Fundación Jocotoco.
Trap cameras will be installed in key sites to have an estimate population and habitat preferences. The collected data will be used to further develop actions for conservation, such as stakeholder engagement, community involvement and connectivity of protected areas.
All the phases of this project will be carried out by the local community and park rangers of the reserves. They will be trained to use and monitor the trap cameras that will be located in eight transects.
This project would have a twofold effect in conservation. First, thanks to the gathered information, the community will become the main leaders in the protection of this species. Second, the scientific publications will motivate different actors of the society to get involved towards the conservation of the Banded Ground- Cuckoo.
Fundación Jocotoco maintains excellent relations with the communities that are around its reserve system, which support the conservation work of the organization. As part of its institutional policies, Jocotoco provides employment opportunities to people from local communities.
Jocotoco Foundation also has a successful relationship with National and Local authorities. The municipalities and sectional governments represent great allies for conservation work.
In the same way, Jocotoco works actively in awareness campaigns in the surrounding communities, aimed at adults, youth and children. It is worth mentioning that the organization was the pioneer in carrying out the awareness campaign to avoid the indiscriminate felling of Palma de Ramos and to avoid the loss of the Pericos home in 2004, which, in the beginning, focused on the provinces of the South of the country. At present, this campaign is carried out annually throughout the country and is managed by national authorities.
The Orces Parakeet (Pyrrhura orcesi), discovered in 1980 by members of Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco and described in 1988, is an endemic endangered bird in Ecuador. It is found only in the Andes of the provinces of Cañar, Azuay and El Oro.
Due to the accelerated loss of habitat suffered by this bird since the last century due to the expansion of the agricultural frontier, there is only 5% forest cover remaining, for this reason the populations of the species have been reduced to less than 1000 individuals, which is why it is considered as endangered by the IUCN.
The Buenaventura Reserve, the only protected area in the region, protects a population of about 240 individuals, which are monitored annually since 2002.
Both inside and around the Buenaventura Reserve, Jocotoco has established a system of artificial nests that have increased the population of the reserve by 30% in the last six years. Currently, the foundation aims to extend this program in private areas located around the reserve and promote the establishment of an ecological corridor that connects Buenaventura with the Cerro Azul area, 90 km away. This project seeks to increase the connectivity between patches of forest existing in the area, in order to allow greater genetic exchange between the parrots, as well as to increase the altitudinal range of available habitat, which will allow several species to face climate change challenges. The Ecological Corridor project has the support of several institutions, such as the Provincial government of El Oro, the Municipality of Piñas, the National Institute of Biodiversity and the University of Freiburg, Germany.
Kramer, J., Klauke, N, Bauer M. & H. Martin Schaefer (2016) No evidence for enforced alloparental care in a cooperatively breeding parrot. Ethology 122: 389-398.
Klauke, N., Jansen, J., Kramer, J. & H. M. Schaefer (2014): How to feed the multitude: food allocation rules in a cooperatively breeding parrot. Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology 68: 1037-1047
Klauke, N., Segelbacher, G. & H. M. Schaefer (2013): Reproductive success depends on the quality of helpers and on female experience in the endangered, cooperative The Gold Parakeet (Pyrrhura orcesi). Molecular Ecology 22: 2011-2027.
Lucas, M. N. Klauke, H. M. Schaefer, M. Heinrich & G. Segelbacher (2010): Isolation of eleven microsatellite loci in the Gold Parakeet (Pyrrhura orcesi). Molecular Ecology Resources 10: 751-754.
The Golden-plumed parakeet (Leptosittaca branickii) is a native species of the Cloud Forests of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. This bird is classified as vulnerable by IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature).
This species lives in areas of cloud forest and nests mainly in dead wax palm logs (Ceroxylon parvifrons). In Ecuador, this species is distributed in isolated groups located in the Andes of the south and north of the country. The main threat facing this species is the fragmentation of its habitat and shortage of natural nesting cavities due to the cutting of wax palms for the traditional celebration of Holy Week, which has caused a rapid and continuous decline in population figures in the last decades. Little is known about the ecology and natural history of this endangered species and restricted distribution in the country.
The Tapichalaca Reserve protects 3000 hectares of cloud forest and hosts the largest accessible population in the world of Golden-plumed parakeets. Since 2005, Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco, with the support of local governments, has developed a campaign that aims to reduce unsustainable exploitation of wax palm. Similarly, since 2008, Jocotoco installed 18 nest boxes in the Reserve to compensate for the shortage of nesting cavities available for this species. These nest boxes have been successfully occupied by Golden-plumed parakeets during their breeding season, as well as by other species of parrots such as the White-breasted parakeet (Pyrrhura albipectus).
During 2015, monitoring of artificial nests in the Tapichalaca reserve during the breeding season was carried out. A total of 15 nest boxes were occupied, resulting in 22 chicks. At present, 30 additional nest boxes were installed in the reserve and in nearby areas. The foundation conducts annual monitoring of the nests during the breeding season to record the reproductive success of the species.
The Pale-headed Brushfinch (Atlapetes pallidiceps), endangered and endemic species of Ecuador, has a world population of approximately 250 individuals, which are found only in the Yunguilla Reserve, property of Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco.
This brushfinch was re-discovered in the year 1999 in the Yungilla Reserve, with a population of 30 pairs (previously categorized as Critically Endangered). After several years of work and research on the conservation of this species, in 2009 it was possible to obtain a population increase of 100 couples, getting them to be in the category of Endangered for the year 2011.
The main threats that the species faces are the parasitism of their nests by another species of bird, the Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis), which reduces its reproductive success, and the risk of fire affecting its habitat.
As a result of Jocotoco's intense conservation efforts, the Pale-headed Brushfinch is one of the few species worldwide that has recovered from being critically endangered.
Jocotoco Foundation continuously performs studies on the Pale-headed Brushfinch. One of the most recent studies analyzed the decrease in genetic variability in the population of this species, which is found in the Yunguilla reserve.
Hartmann, S., Segelbacher, G., Juiña, M. E. & H. M. Schaefer (2015): Effects of habitat management can vary during the recovery of an endangered bird species. Biological Conservation: 192: 154-160.
Hartmann, S., Schaefer H. M. & G. Segelbacher: Genetic depletion at adaptive but not neutral loci in an endangered bird species. Molecular Ecology 23: 5712-5725.
Hartmann, S., Schaefer H. M. & G. Segelbacher (2014): Development of 12 microsatellite loci for the endangered Pale-headed Brushfinch (Atlapetes pallidiceps) and their cross-amplification in two co-occurring Brushfinches. J. Ornithol. 155: 835-839.
Krabbe N, Juina M, Sornoza AF (2011): Marked population increase in Pale-headed Brush-finch Atlapetes pallidiceps in response to cowbird control. J. Ornithol. 152, 219-222.
Oppel, S., H. M. Schaefer, V. Schmidt, & B. Schröder (2004): Habitat selection of the Pale-headed Brushfinch, Atlapetes pallidiceps, the role of interspecific competition, and implications for management. Biological Conservation 118: 33-40.
Oppel, S., H. M. Schaefer, V. Schmidt & B. Schröder (2004): How much suitable habitat is left for the last known population of the Pale-headed Brushfinch? Condor 106: 429-434.
Oppel, S., H. M. Schaefer, V. Schmidt & B. Schröder (2004): Cowbird parasitism of the Pale-headed Brush-Finch Atlapetes pallidiceps: Implications for conservation and management. Bird Conservation International 14: 63-75.
Krabbe, N. (2004): Pale-headed Brush-Finch Atlapetes pallidiceps (Birds: Emberizidae): notes on population size, habitat, vocalizations, feeding, interference competition, and conservation. Bird Conservation International 14: 77-86.
Oppel, S., H. M. Schaefer & V. Schmidt (2003): First description of the nest, eggs, and breeding behavior of the Pale-headed Brushfinch (Atlapetes pallidiceps) from Ecuador. Wilson Bulletin 115: 360-366.
Agreda, A., N. Krabbe, & O. Rodriguez. (1999): Pale-headed Brushfinch Atlapetes pallidiceps is
not extinct. Cotinga 11: 50-54.
The Canandé Reserve was visited by two prestigious botanists: Dr. Bente Klitgaard (Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew) and Dr. Pablo Lozano (Jocotoco Foundation and researcher of the Amazonian University of Puyo).
The Canandé reserve was visited by two prestigious botanists: Dr. Bente Klitgaard, of the Royal Botanic Garden of Kew, and Dr. Pablo Lozano, member of Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco and researcher of the Amazonian University of Puyo, who explored the reserve with the objective of carrying out a rapid assessment of the state of conservation of the forests in the area. One of the most important findings after their visit was the discovery of a previously unknown population of Ecuadendron acosta-solisianum D.A. Neill. This species is endemic to the Chocó area and locally known as "Guabo". Its wood is widely used in this area, which has led the species to its demise in other areas of Chocó.
This recently discovered population may be one of the last remnants of the species in Ecuador, and may also represent a last chance to guarantee the survival of the species. This Ecuadendron patch will serve as a study site for pollination issues, dispersal mechanisms, and germination and regeneration studies that will allow local environmental authorities to take measures to conserve this iconic species from Ecuador.
Currently, Canandé reserve staff is collecting seeds of the species and constructing a nursery with the objective of producing seedlings and planting them in different areas of the reserve.
Guacamayo verde mayor
Michael Moens
The Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus) is an Endangered species, with a world population of less than 3,700 individuals. It extends from the south of Guatemala to the southwest of Ecuador. The Ecuadorian subspecies guayaquilensis is Critically Endangered, with less than 30 individuals in the wild.
In Ecuador, the Great Green Macaw is found only in two known populations, in Esmeraldas and in the Chongòn-Colonche Mountain Range. The causes of its disappearance were the deforestation, causing the loss of its habitat, and the illegal traffic of species, since the Macaws were sold as pets.
Jocotoco Foundation works on the reintroduction and release of 10 macaws in the Ayampe Reserve (southwest of the Machalilla National Park, from where, it is believed that they disappeared 50 years ago), from the Jambelí Rescue Center, where the only program of reproduction in captivity of this species.
The project has five key stages to guarantee its success:
Transfer of the macaws from the Jambelí Rescue Center to a pre-adaptation cage in Ayampe
Pre-adaptation period of at least six weeks, in which seeds and fruits of native trees will be incorporated into the diet to familiarize the birds with the food available in the area
Gradual release that provides food and shelter for the birds in and around the release cage
Tracking by GPS telemetry of five individuals during three intensive months to evaluate their distribution area, and prevent possible people-fauna conflicts
Environmental education campaign that will be carried out before and after the liberation in all the neighboring communities.
The present project is a long-term reintroduction plan. We transfered another group in 2018 after the current ones seems to have successful adaptated, and we will initiate a nest boxes project to stimulate reproductive success.
The reforestation and restoration program that Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco opened in 2004 helps to conserve its reserve network.
Jocotoco carries out a successful program of reforestation and restoration of degraded habitats within its reserve system. In some cases, when the foundation acquires areas of critical habitat for the expansion of land, the properties contain degraded areas, the result of human activities such as the exploitation of wood and the constant advance of the agricultural border. Jocotoco started its reforestation projects in 2004, which have focused mainly on the reserves of Tapichalaca, Buenaventura, Jorupe and Yanacocha.
The foundation uses only local native species, and between 10 and 25 different species depending on the restored habitat. So far, Jocotoco Foundation has successfully planted more than 1,400,000 native trees of 130 species, restoring more than 3000 hectares of key habitat for countless birds and other species of flora and fauna, becoming a leading organization in ecosystem restoration in Ecuador.
Jocotoco Foundation maintains excellent relations with the communities that live and work around its reserve system. These communities are keen to support the conservation work of the organization. As part of its institutional policies, Jocotoco provides employment opportunities to people from local communities.
In the same way, Jocotoco works actively in awareness campaigns in the surrounding communities, aimed at adults, teens and children. It is worth mentioning that the organization was the pioneer in carrying out the awareness campaign to avoid the indiscriminate felling of Palma de Ramos and to avoid the loss of the Pericos home in 2004, which, in the beginning, focused on the provinces of the South of the country. At present, this campaign is carried out annually throughout the country and is managed by national authorities.
At the beginning of 2005, Jocotoco carried out a wildlife monitoring project using trap cameras in several of its reserves: Canandé, Yanacocha, Narupa, Antisanilla, Buenaventura, Tapichalaca and Jorupe.
ABOUT THE CAMERAS
The cameras allow to study and record data of several species of animals non-invasively through photographs, especially mammals, which due to their shyness or nocturnal habits are rarely observed.
The cameras have been placed in areas where mammal tracks have been recorded in the past or that have been identified as wildlife trails. The cameras are reviewed every two weeks and each of them includes important information such as date, place, time, phase of the moon and temperature.
So far, the camera trap project has recorded the presence of several species of mammals such as: Spectacled Bears, Puma, Jaguarundi, Ocelot, Giant Otter, Anteater, Deer, Andean Tapir, Andean Fox, among others. In the same way, it has been possible to register species of rare birds such as black Tinamou.
With an application and geo-reference system you can help the planet, Red Forestal and Jocotoco Foundation initiate a new pilot project for the conservation and reforestation of native trees.
Red Forestal is a foundation that seeks the protection and conservation of Ecuador's ecosystems and biodiversity. With their work they try to fight the loss of forests and habitats in the country and encourage people through their Facebook page to be environmentally aware. Felipe Kohler says "our engine is to do something that has meaning and has a vision for the future, for generations to come, we would like to form a team that likes to innovate and care about the environment."
For this reason, the Jocotoco Foundation and the Forest Network signed a cooperation agreement in which they commit themselves to carry out a pilot project with endemic trees in the Buenaventura Reserve, which starts this September. The objective of the project is that people can help the environment from the comfort of their home and anywhere in the world. This will be possible through the mobile application "Arbola" created by Red Forestal, is a social network where users can generate a profile and sponsor trees choosing their species (the application so far gives you to choose from 5 to 10 endemic species ), the area in which it will be planted and monitor its growth. René Rivas, reforestation director of Jocotoco, selected one hectare in the Buenaventura Reserve, which was delimited with the same georeferencing system through a submetric GPS.
For now, the goal is to plant a thousand trees and all donors can see the growth of the selected species as it is happening in real time.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl