Month: November 2005

A REGROUPED, reorgan- ised and much more con- fident Fine Gael arrived in Cork at the weekend for its annual conference.

Among the upbeat group were hundreds of members from Clare, who are now looking to a second Dail seat in the constituency. In the af- termath of the de Valera re- tirement, the Fine Gael Party

was hoping to maximise its Ennis vote.

During the conference, party members and follow- ers cheered as their leader promised free GP services to under fives, €650 million in pre-school care and the es- tablishment of a new “super food authority”.

In a clear message to possi- ble coalition partners Labour, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny was adamant there would be

no increase in personal, cor- poration or capital taxes.

In what could be construed as a hand of friendship to an- other possible coalition part- ner, the party’s environment spokesperson said vehicles using energy-efficient fuels would be charged a lower Fede

Despite such suggestions, a possible alliance with the Green Party divided del- er ene

Controversy also arose when the party leader spelt out his vision for reform in the teaching of Irish.

The Mayo man controver- sially proposed to end com- pulsory Irish education for Leaving Cert students.

‘‘As one who speaks Irish, I believe we must acknowl- edge that our language is in trouble. Even though our young people receive, on average, 1,500 hours of

education in Irish, many are leaving school without any reasonable command of the language.

“Despite the fact that they teach Irish all through their schooling, only three out of 10 students of Irish attempt the honours paper in the Leaving Certificate. Worse still, thousands of them don’t even turn up for the exam every year,’ said Deputy oath

SILE de Valera has represented the Clare con- stituency since 1987. Born in Dublin in 1954, Minister de Valera was educated at Loretto Convent, Dublin and UCD, where she quali- fied as a career guidance teacher.

She was first elected to the Dail for the Dub- lin mid-county constituency, in the Fianna Fail landslide general election of 1977. She was the youngest TD elected that year.

In June 1979, she was elected to the Euro- pean Parliament for a five-year term. Later that year, de Valera was one of the Fianna Fail TDs who criticised the policies of Taoiseach,

Jack Lynch in relation to Northern Ireland and was a prominent supporter of Charles Haughey, who succeeded him as Taoiseach in December 19779.

She held her Dail seat until the 1981 Gen- eral Election, when the constituency bounda- ries were redrawn. She sought re-election in the new constituency of Dublin South. This caused tension within the Fianna Fail party locally, as one of the other candidates, Séa- mus Brennan, was a prominent opponent of Haughey. De Valera polled relatively well at that election, but narrowly lost to Niall An- drews. de Valera contested the constituency again at the February 1982 general election,

but she again failed to get elected, seeing her vote drop.

For the following general election in No- vember 1982, she transferred to Clare, where sitting TD, Bill Loughnane (a fellow sup- porter of Haughey), was standing down. Clare was the constituency that her grandfather, Eamon de Valera, had represented from 1917 until 1959. Again, she narrowly failed to get elected, but she remained living in the con- stituency, and in 1987 she was re-elected. She has been re-elected at every election since.

De Valera resigned the party whip from F1- anna Fail in 1993, due to the removal of the stopover at Shannon Airport. In 1994, the

new leader, Bertie Ahern, appointed her to the front bench. In 1997, she became Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands. In 2002, she lost her place at the Cabinet table but became a junior minister. She is currently Minister of State at the Department of Edu- cation & Science, with Special Responsibility for Adult Education, Youth Affairs and Edu- cational Disadvantage.

Last Thursday, Minister de Valera an- nounced her intention to stand down at the end of the current Dail term. She is a niece of Vivion de Valera and 1s a first cousin of the current Minister for Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon O Cuiv.

WEST Clare-based senator, Brendan Daly, claimed this week that no stone will be left unturned in Fianna Fail’s efforts to reclaim three seats in Clare in the next general election.

Twenty-four hours after his party colleague, Junior Minister, Sile de Valera announced her retirement from politics, Senator Daly was in defiant form last Friday, declaring, “There is going to be no stone un- turned to get back the three seats, no conceding anything to anyone at this stage.”

Less than a month ago, the former minister caused a surprise in some circles when he said he would be putting his name forward for cand1i- dature for the next general election at the Fianna Fail selection convention on January 9, 2006.

Now, assuming that he gets the green light from the Fianna Fail con- vention, Senator Daly looks to be a strong position to reclaim the Dail seat he lost in 2002 if Fianna Fail manages to hold onto its core vote in Clare in the next election.

Speaking at afunction at St Joseph’s Secondary School in Spanish Point last Friday — which was also attended by Minister de Valera – Senator Daly

continued, “Personally, it is impor- tant to win three seats. We are going all out for three seats, we have the policies to back it up, the candidates

In ebullient form, the Senator con- tinued, “We don’t know what the con- vention will throw up. At the end of the day when the convention is over

already declared are well-placed, we are going to put up a fight, we are not going to give up easily, we are gonna out ee

and if I am on that ticket, I would be confident of being elected. There is a very big area of west Clare used to having two TDs representing it.

“We have a challenge there to get back the seat we lost the last time, we’ve won and lost it several times. We had two and three-quarter quo- tas last time out and we will be chal- lenging very strong on the basis of the economic performance under the Government, and that we have three candidates who understand the prob- lems of the county. “The quality of life in this county is better than most. If you look at Clare’s economic per- formance, itis better than most coun- ties. Seventy per cent of our kids are going into college, which is much higher than any other county in I[re- land. We want to keep it that way.”

Last time out, Senator Daly lost his Dail seat to James Breen TD who resigned from Fianna Fail in the months prior to the election in order to run as an independent.

Senator Daly was first elected TD in 1973 and held onto his seat until 1992 and regained it in 1997. During his time in the Dail, Senator Daly has served in three Ministries- as Minister for Fisheries and Forestry, the Marine and for Social Welfare.

: “T know that there were all sorts of rumours circulating about my health, but I’m glad to be able to say that they have no foun- CR IB(eyNe

“It was not very pleasant, but being so long in po- litical life, you have to grow a thick skin and that is sadly the more unseemly side of politics. I just prefer to stay away from that kind of approach to politics.”

On reports that she was not working on the ground in the constituency, Minister de Valera said, “Maybe you put that down to political mischief making; after all, conventions are afoot and elections are down for 2007. You will always have rumours like that circu- lating.

“T don’t put too much emphasis on reports like that and I have been working as hard as I can.”

Minister de Valera said that her decision to retire from politics was “a leap of faith to try to have a sec- ond career”’.

The 50-year old stated that she had been thinking about retiring from politics “for quite some time’, but declined to state for how long.

Asked how her retirement would affect Fianna Fail’s election prospects in Clare in the next General Election, Minister de Valera said: ““No one is indis- pensable and Fianna Fail is lucky that they have some potential candidates who already have tremendous experience.

“It will be up to the Fianna Fail organisation when the convention comes on January 9 and depending on the choice, I will be only too happy to support those particularly candidates.”

Minister de Valera said that her record in Clare was for others to judge.

‘“T have worked very hard. If you go into public life, although there is a some sense of cynicism, working and knowing the system from the inside, certaintly to be re-elected you have to work very hard, you re- ally do.

“It is a tough existence, it means that you have less time for family, friends and hobbies. That is the choice you make and you make that willingly and I will have been in political life for 30 years by the time the next election comes around, so it is time to move on.”

Minister de Valera described her decision as a ‘life-changing one” and said that she now hopes to complete her PhD in psychology and also write a po- litical memoir.

In relation to her PhD, Minister de Valera said, “It is not possible to carry those particular interests along with a political life. I have had marvellous opportu- nities in my political life, serving as a front bench spokesperson, vice-president of Fianna Fail, a Minis- ter at the cabinet table and now a Junior Minister.

“It has been a great experience and I have every 1n- tention of working extremely hard for the remainder of my time as a TD.”

Asked if she was in any way disillusioned with poli- tics, Minister de Valera said, “Disillusioned? No, I have and will continue to have a tremendous interest in politics.”

THE mother of Lorna Mahony has expressed her frustration at delays in the process of ex- traditing David Naughton. Last week Geral- dine Mahony travelled to London to be at Bow Street Magistrates for an extradition hearing. However, the application could not be proc- essed as the necessary paperwork was not be- fore the court by the Irish authorities.

“This was his fourth appearance in court in relation to the extradition and they are still waiting on paperwork from Ireland,’ Mrs Ma- hony said. “The magistrate seemed puzzled by the delay and said he would contact the Irish judge who issued the order.”

She continued, “The whole thing is very frustrating. One section doesn’t appear to know what the other side is doing. We are two

years after the girls’ deaths and we are no fur- ther down the process. We have to fight for any information from the authorities.

‘Families need to know what is going on. If we had a trial date or were kept in the loop, that would improve things. It is over two years since Lorna and Stacey left Stacey’s house on that Friday night, and we are still waiting for answers as to what happened.”

Mrs Mahony added, “It gets harder. Every- one is struggling because it hurts too much. It seems so senseless and we have no idea what happened. The inquest was formally opened in June 2004, but was adjourned because of the criminal proceedings.”

Extradition proceedings have been adjourned to December 6. Mrs Mahony said, “I would hope that by then, the Irish authorities would have the proper paperwork in place”.

A RULING in the case of a Lisdoonvarna-based nXe)re group, accused of employing non-nationals without valid work permits in two of its ho- tels, will be made tomorrow (Wednesday).

In the first case of its kind in Clare last month, Ennis District Court heard from members of the Garda immi- eration bureau that 14 people, ranging in ages from 21 to 39, were employed at the Imperial and Hydro Hotels in Lisdoon- varna, without valid work permits, in September 2004.

The accused were William

O’Sullivan (manager of The Hydro), Geraldine Whyte (manageress of The Imperial), Marcus White, and The Hy- dro and Imperial hotels. The five accused denied a total of 36 charges against them.

The White Hotel Group ac- countant, Robert Hurley, told the court that people with- out work permits would not knowingly be employed. He said directions came from on high.

After hearing evidence over two days, Judge Joseph Man- gan dismissed the charges against Mr O’Sullivan and Ms Whyte, saying there was no evidence that either were

officers of the two defendant companies.

Defending solicitor Eugene O’Kelly said there was no evidence that Marcus White actively consented to the em- ployment of such people.

Inspector Michael Gal- lagher said two non-nationals were discovered “physically working” at one of the hotels.

Judge Mangan queried Whether there was evidence that Marcus White was direc- tor of both companies when the searches took place.

He adjourned the case to give the State the opportunity to prove he was director on WerLI@EcT oR

AN “EXCEPTIONALLY violent” Lithuanian man kicked and punched two gardai repeatedly as they tried to arrest him. Daryus Simkauskas (35), of 5 Aidan Park, Shannon, was convicted of assaulting two gardai and committing two public order offences, on October 2.

Gda Pat Broderick told Ennis Dis- trict Court he received a report of a domestic dispute at the home of

the accused. He went to the scene, where he saw five people. The part- ner of the accused, a woman in her thirties, had severe bruising to her right hand and said the accused had inflicted the wound. The accused had a lot of drink taken, became ag- gressive and started shouting.

‘IT asked him to leave the house. He did leave, but very reluctantly,’ said Gda Broderick.

Mr Simkauskas was then directed to leave the area, but tried to get in

the back gate. As Gda Broderick and Gda Conor McKeon were ar- resting him, a struggle ensued.

“He got away from me,” Gda Bro- derick said. “He took off his jacket, put up his hands and started throw- ing punches at both of us as we tried to affect his arrest. Fortunately, none of his blows landed. All three of us ended up on the ground”.

Gda Broderick was kicked to the back of the head and Gda McKeon kicked into the stomach. The ac-

cused was held down on the grass and handcuffed, but continued to kick out. Other gardai then arrived and it took five of them to put the accused into the personnel carrier.

‘He was exceptionally violent and it was a frightening situation to be in,’ said Gda Broderick.

Defending solicitor Caitriona Carmody said her client accepts his behaviour was completely un- acceptable. He moved to Ireland in October 2004 and currently works

at Shannon Aerospace.

Judge Leo Malone said the ac- cused’s behaviour was “outrageous’”’. He imposed a one-month sentence for the assault on Gda Broderick and suspended it on condition Mr Siumkauskas keeps the peace for two years. He remanded the accused on bail to appear again in January, to ascertain if he is suitable for com- munity service. Judge Malone im- posed fines totalling €450 for the two public order offences.

OVER €300,000 has been spent on storing an obsolete mast once proposed for Loop Head.

Throughout the 1990s, the Cross Loran C Action Group in west Clare staved off Gov- ernment efforts to erect the 720 ft Loran C mast. And in response to a Dail question, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey confirmed that it has cost €326,000 to store the mast over the past five years on the outskirts of Paris.

A spokesman for the Loran C group said this week, “Action should have been taken a number of years ago by the Government to dispose of the mast rather than continue to pay these storage costs.

“The reasons now being put forward by the Department as to why Loran C will not be go- ing ahead are the same reasons put forward by the Action Group ten years ago, the primary one being that no one would use the system. The Government knew this, yet persisted with the project at huge cost”.

Green Party councillor, Brian Meaney said, “This is an appalling squandering of money and further evidence of the Government’s lack of care in spending taxpayer’s money.”

Minister Dempsey confirmed that the mast will not be erected on Loop Head or any other Irish location: “Ireland, along with Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, has denounced the North West Europe and North Atlantic Loran C System – NELS – Agree- ment. Denunciation takes legal effect from December 31, 2005”’.

The mast, consisting of an antenna and transmitter, cost €1.9 million and was pur- chased by France and the Netherlands as per an international agreement. The Irish Govern- ment purchased 137 acres at Loop Head, cost-

ing €479,000, for the project, though €13,530 has been recouped in grazing rights over the past three years.

Since 1992, when plans for the mast were first announced, the proposal became ensnared in the planning and legal process due to strong opposition from the Cross Loran C Action Group on health and environmental grounds. Minister Dempsey confirmed that the project has cost €561,000 in legal and planning fees.

The development received the go-ahead from An Bord Pleanala in 1994. However, plans were frustrated by the action group af- ter High Court and Supreme Court victories in 1995 and 1996. In April 1998, the Supreme Court finally paved the way for construction of the mast. The Government agreed that special legislation would have to go before the Oire- achtas, but never moved to enact such legisla- tion. Ownership of the mast was transferred to France in April this year, with the agreement of the Netherlands.

Asked why the Government withdrew from the agreement governing Loran C, a Depart- ment spokesman said: “NELS failed to inter- est the EU in using Loran-C as an augmen- tation system to Galileo, aimed at reducing dependence on GPS. The project has also been hampered by the failure to mass-produce a low cost receiver.

“This placed the whole future of Loran C in doubt and all work on an Irish mast was suspended. A review of Ireland’s marine radio navigation policy was undertaken in Decem- ber 2002. This showed no overwhelming sup- port for Loran C among maritime users. Fol- lowing a Government decision in September 2004, Ireland denounced the agreement”.

He added that future use of the land will be decided upon after a six month winding up ere lorem

THE drive along the Clare coastline from The Cliffs of Moher to Bally- vaughan recently featured in the Sun- day Times top ten scenic drives in the world — little wonder then that prop- erty capitalising on the views along this dramatic stretch achieve top dol- lar prices.

Brand new on the market this week

is a detached house at Fanore, stand- ing on an elevated half-acre site. The uninterrupted views of the Aran Is- lands, Galway Bay and the stunning mountain scenery in Connemara can all be savoured from its ground floor reception rooms.

Priced at €600,000, the property is on the books with Open Door Prop- erties Ennistymon and selling agent Aine Hussey 1s expecting strong in-

terest from the holiday home market in this property.

The beauty of this house is that it isn’t remote, as it’s only a walk to the amenities at Fanore village. The developer is currently adding the fi- nal touches to the house, which will be finished to a top quality, turnkey standard. It will be sold with a mod- ern fitted kitchen including appli- ances, while the reception rooms will

have high quality wooden floors, and the family bathroom and the ensuite bathrooms will all be fully tiled.

The accommodation comprises four double bedrooms, all of which are en- suite. A very large open plan kitchen cum dining and living room, and a tasteful conservatory with cathedral style windows. There is also a utility room and a guest WC.

Aine Hussey expects strong interest

in the property not only from within the county but also from potential buyers in Dublin, Galway and Limer- ick. “It will appeal to those who want a holiday home close to a beach, with unbeatable views and importantly a new house, fully finished to a high standard, so they don’t have any of the hassle normally associated with house building themselves.

For full details contact 065 707283.

AN EAST Clare woman suffering from the chronic fatigue syndrome ME has suffered a major setback in preventing her house being demol- ished.

An Bord Pleanala has refused permission to Denise Mitchell of Aughinish, Ogonnelloe to retain the demountable house she erected without planning permission.

Clare County Council has served enforcement proceedings on Ms Mitchell, and the local authority can now request her to restore the site to

its original condition.

Ms Mitchell did not inform the council of her medical condition, but in a supporting letter to An Bord Pleanala, Dr Genevieve McGuire of the Scariff Medical Centre said, “This lady is suffering from myal- gic enphelopathy/chronic fatigue syndrome.

‘She tells me that she is hyper- sensitive to all forms of chemical pollution and, for this reason, has chosen to live in the relatively clean atmosphere of Aughinish, Ogonel- loe, Co. Clare.”

The board inspector “reluctantly”

recommended that planning permis- sion be refused. He stated that there was “no argument that the proposed development is obtrusive or impact- ing negatively on amenities. I con- sider it to be benign in impact with regard to the visual amenities of the area’.

However, the board ruled that the site of the proposed development was located in the vulnerable lake shore environs of Lough Derg, in an area identified in the Clare County Development Plan 2005 as under pressure from urban generated de- velopment.

“Tt is the policy of the planning authority, as set out in the Develop- ment Plan, to limit new residential development in this rural area to serve the permanent housing needs of local rural persons,” the inspec- tor continued.

“Tt is considered that the applicant does not come within the housing need criteria of the planning author- AA

The appeals board also ruled that “the proposed development would endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard, because access to the site 1s by way of a poorly surfaced,

substandard, narrow lane, which is unsuitable to serve additional hous- ing development”.

Councillor Brian Meaney (GP) said this week that he was disap- pointed for Ms Mitchell, but added, “The law is the law and changes should be made to the planning acts to deal with situations like this, though that would prove quite dif- Cove

“Enforcement has been generally haphazard and because you have a medical condition shouldn’t grant you a licence to breach planning Wise