Month: March 2007

A CLARE County Council official has moved to dispel suggestions made by a Shannon councillor, alleg- ing misappropriation of money.

Last week, Councillor Gerry Flynn (Ind) alleged that money relating to a Neighbourhood scheme in Shannon, which involved the felling, removal and planting of trees, was “misap- propriated” or “wasted”.

At a Shannon area meeting last Tuesday, Cllr Flynn addressed Ger Dollard – who is the Shannon Town manager – and said, “You took your eye off the ball and money was wast- ed. The money was taken out of the town. It’s an absolute disgrace what you let happen to this town.”

However, Mr Dollard said he hadn’t a notion what the councillor was talking about and said he was “talk- ing absolute nonsense.”

In a subsequent statement issued by Clare County Council, the allega- tions were rejected as “wild.” It stat- ed that Cllr Flynn’s statements were

“misleading.”

Mr Dollard said the cost of the project increased from €59,000 to €97,000, because there were addi- tional works involved, which were sought by the local community.

‘The main area of additional cost arose from the removal of timber residues off site.

‘This was not proposed as part of the scheme, but following consulta- tion with residents and councillors, a separate tender process was under- taken,” he said.

Mr Dollard said that Cllr Flynn was fully aware of the reasons behind the difference and that it was “mischie- vous” and “misleading” of him to suggest that the council had handled the situation wastefully.

Development Officer in Shannon, Padraig Mac Cormaic, described the councillor’s attack as “over the top and inaccurate”’.

He said that Cllr Flynn’s claim that the council had not been forthcom- ing in progress reports on the scheme was completely unfounded.

NORTH Clare’s Naomi O’Connell has reinforced her position as the most promising young singer in Ire- land, claiming first place and a bur- sary for €10,000 at the inaugural Count John McCormack competition at the Feis Ceoil over the weekend. Naomi is a former student of Mary

Immaculate Secondary School in Lisdoonvarna and soloist with the Lismorahaun Singers.

She won the award after completing a 20-minute programme, including songs in three different languages, and an interview in front a panel of judges.

“When I was given the award, I started crying. I know it is one of

those really corny things to go and do, but I couldn’t help it. My mother was here with me and my two teach- ers. It was just so happy,” said Nao- rape

Aside from the actual singing, each candidate was judged on their re- sponses to a series of judges’ ques- tions.

“They asked me about myself and

what I have done. I told them about winning the Veronica Dunne com- petition and what I had done with the prize money for that,’ she con- tinued.

“It was good that I was able to show them that I would be using the bur- sary for continuing my studies and that I wouldn’t be going out buying myself a car. They asked me where I saw myself in five years and I told them that, at that stage, I would like to have studied in France and in Italy and spent a year in America.

“I need to find the best teachers to continue my studies with. I have been so lucky with my teachers so far, with Archie down in Clare and Mary in Dublin.”

The John McCormack Bursary is sponsored by the [AWS Group and is run as part of the Feis Ceoil.

“People who put money into the arts like this are fantastic. We Just wouldn’t be able to do this without Wetoene

“T really couldn’t believe it, I’m over the moon. I felt really happy when I had finished singing. There was one piece which was a real Everest to sing, but it went so well,” she said.

“One of the judges told me after- ward that she knew how hard it was to sing that piece and I had sung it re- ally well. It was a great compliment,

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she said ‘I stopped the whole room’.

, was compiled and edited by Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology lecturer and Shell to

Sea spokesperson, Mark Garavan.

“The book is very much in the words of the men themselves. I inter- viewed all five of the men at length and this is the end product,” said Mr Gre Nee

“T think a lot of people may buy it out of a sense of sympathy or loyalty but when they began to read it they will be struck by the real power that is in the men’s story.

“This was an ongoing struggle for the men for five years before they ever went to prison. They had been struggling with this for a long with no attention being paid by politicians or the media.

“Prison was very difficult for them. You have to realise that they were men of the country. Three of them

were farmers who were used to open spaces and one f them had never even left the area before. The experience of being confined was one that was very powerful and emotional experi- ence for them,’ he continued.

“There is no end point at all yet, they all say that the campaign con- tinues. For them it is a health and safety issue, nothing else. They are all prepared to go back to prison again if that 1s what it takes.”

The Rossport Five and Mark Gara- van will be in the Sceal Eile Book- shop in Ennis to launch the book this Friday, March 30, at 6pm.

NEW bylaws are to be introduced in the next few months to govern all trading done in public areas in En- nistymon, Lisdoonvarna and Mil- town Malbay.

These bylaws will effect all year- round trading taking place, such as the Tuesday market in Ennistymon, as-well-as one off events such as the Willie Clancy Festival in Miltown and the Matchmaking in Lisdoon- VeNe IT

A new licensing system will be set up to limit the amount of space taken up by the casual traders. The laws will also make a permanent provision for the traders and prevent members of the public from parking in the areas provided during desig- nated trading hours.

Seven year round trading licenses will be made available for Ennisty- mon, while Miltown Malbay and Lis- doonvarna will get three apiece. The

licenses will cost €400 annually and each trader will be allowed to pur- chase a maximum of two licenses.

“IT would be supportive of limiting the amount of places available,’ said Councillor Martin Conway (FF).

“One of the traders has taken out substantial leverage over the council the last two or three years.”

It is hoped that the new system of regulation will help ease traffic con- gestion at busy times in the three towns as-well-as bring more order to the areas where people trade.

Traders will still be allowed to ap- ply for a special event licence to trade during occasions such as the Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay and the Matchmaking Fes- tival in Lisdoonvarna, but locations earmarked for year-round traders will be preserved for them during iW STonoMm BUDO

A condition on the year-round li- cence also states that traders must be in a position to trade before 10am or

cars can freely park on the spot.

Councillor Joe Arkins (FG) also proposed that the trading stands be required to face the footpath rather than the road, thus allowing people to shop without being an obstacle to traffic. This idea was shelved, how- ever, as it was felt that pedestrians may then be forced to use the road if the footpaths became over crowded.

Clare County Council’s move to place closer regulations on casual traders comes in the aftermath of a six month impass between the local authority and traders over the right to trade and busk at the Cliffs of Moher Visitors Centre. This long running dispute was eventually decided in favour of the local authority in the courts last month.

NORTH Clare County Councillors yesterday slammed the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources over its inaction 1n relation to a new sewage system in Doolin, describing it as ‘disrespectful’ and ‘uncaring’. The local area council is to write to all six Clare Oireachtas members, requesting that they use their influ- ence to speed up the process.

Five of the six councillors repre- senting north Clare raised question relating to the delay at yesterday’s meeting of the North Clare Area in Ennistymon. The delay surrounds getting a foreshore licence from the department in order to commence oyetsinmeleinceyee

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stopped the council from performing essential footpath and road repairs in the area which is now considered a hazard.

“It is a matter of extreme annoy- ance that the foreshore licence has not be given. It has been with the de- partment for three years, this delay is not Clare County Council’s fault.

“They cannot finalise the purchase of that land until the licence has been issued.

“The people of Doolin and Bally- vaughan have been waiting for three years now.

“It needs to be dealt with by the department and dealt with urgently,’ said Councillor Richard Nagle (FF).

A public meeting will take place on this matter in Doolin’s Russell Cen- tre next Monday, April 2, at 8pm.

CONSTRUCTION on the multi-mil- lion euro development of the Lahi- nch Prom is likely to get underway in August, it was revealed yesterday.

Members of Clare County Council met with representatives from con- sultant engineers Malachy Walsh and Partners yesterday to discuss the final plan for the development.

Responding to a question raised by Ennistymon Councillor Martin Con- way (FG) at yesterdays local area meeting, it was revealed that the final planning stage for the development is likely to continue for six months, with tender to be sought in late Sep- tember.

Funding of up to €800,000 has

been secured from Clare County Council to facilitate the development of toilets, showers and other tourist- related facilities on the town’s sea- front promenade.

This funding was made available as a result of the decision to double the cost of parking on the promenade and Liscannor Road car parks.

The money will go towards devel- oping toilet and shower facilities for visitors and the town’s expanding surfer population, as well as the re- development of lifeguard facilities on the beach.

While the main construction work will not begin until September at the earliest, work on the development of the new lifeguard hut is expected to commence in August.

A FIRST in a series of information evening about the use and potential benefits of IFA Broadband in Clare will take place this week. The meet- ing and demonstration will take place at the Doonbeg Community Development Centre on Wednes- day March 28 at 8pm and is aimed

at people from the whole Loophead area.

IFA Telecom is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Irish Farmers As- sociation which is dedicated to pro- viding the best possible value in telecommunications to members and associates. All profits made as a result of IFA Telecoms goes to help fund the work of the association on

behalf of its members.

“This is a service that rural com- munities have been crying out for. People are tired of waiting for Eir- com to update their local exchange to receive Broadband. The fact of the matter is that approximately 80 per cent of rural homes and businesses cannot get Broadband over their telephone line and this is not going

to change anytime soon,’ said Ray Breen, IFA Broadband Development Manager.

The IFA currently has a number of wireless access points around the Loophead area as well as Corofin, Kilfenora and Ruan. A new service is now in Kilmaley. For more info contact IFA Telecom by phone at O01 4265512.

IT EMERGED last week that the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) does not have a database in- cluding all food outlets in the coun- try, making it near impossible for any policing of the beef labelling legislation to take place.

It has also now emerged that the Minister for Health, Mary Harney, has signed off a further Statutory In- strument on beef labelling in the past three weeks, which should clarify any issues with the regulations.

The IFA President Padraig Walshe, met with the Chief Executive of the Food Safety Authority, John O’Brien,

in Dublin last week to express the “extreme dissatisfaction” that pro- ducers are feeling about the slow pace of implementation of country of origin beef labelling in restau- rants, pubs and catering outlets. ‘“Itis unacceptable that nine months after the legislation was introduced by the Government, no documenta- tion explaining the requirements and obligations under the law have been sent to the country’s 30,000 food outlets. Further delay in implement- ing this legislation cannot be toler- ated. The FSAI has assured the IFA that briefing material on the legisla- tion was now complete and would be sent to all establishments over the

next four weeks,” he said.

In addition to this, the FSAI said food outlets such as restaurants and hotels could expect to be inspected by Environmental Health Officers a number of times during the year and prosecutions will be taken if they are found not to be implementing the law on food labelling.

The FSAI also confirmed that they will be undertaking a comprehensive programme of advertising and infor- mation campaign for the public on country of origin beef labelling over the coming weeks.

Surveys conducted by the IFA last autumn indicated that up to two- thirds of restaurants, pubs and hotels

are not complying with country of origin beef labelling requirements.

The country of origin of beef reg- ulations state that a food business operator providing prepared beef to consumers shall not advertise the beef for sale or supply, present it for sale or supply, or sell or supply it un- less the country of or countries of origin of the beef is indicated at the point of advertisement, presenting, sale and supply in clear legible type on the advertisement, menu or other presentation used.

Concerns have been raised that beef from South American countries such as Brazil and Argentina is being sold as Irish beef.

AN APPEAL by the Director of Pub- lic Prosecutions against the sentence imposed on Ennis man Adam Keane, who has been convicted of rape, will be mentioned in court for the first WUSSLoM MON RMaslOomOnDaTe

The DPP lodged an appeal against the “undue leniency” of the sentence, to the Court of Criminal Appeal last

Friday. The appeal is unlikely to be heard for some time, but will be men- tioned in court today, just 15 days af- ter a three-year suspended term was handed down to Keane (20), of Bar- nageeha, Darragh, Ennis.

He was found guilty by a 10-2 jury majority of raping Mary Shannon (33), on the fifth day of his trial at the Central Criminal Court, last month.

The jury of three women and nine

men reached its decision after more than five hours of deliberations.

In imposing sentence, the trial judge, Mr Justice Paul Carney, said his decision was based on a previous ruling by the Court of Criminal Ap- peal. This ruling related to a sentence imposed by him in a similar case.

Mr Justice Carney said that the ap- peal was lost and the sentencing was set aside in its entirety.

“Having regard to the approach taken by the CCA to this type of of- fence in this type of case, I have to ask myself whether I would be com- fortable to imprison this young man who said it was out of character for him, but that if the DNA said he had done it, he wouldn’t shy away from his responsibility,’ he said.

Mary Shannon, who waived her right to anonymity in the wake of the sentence, was thrilled on hearing of the DPP’s decision.

She and her family held a protest, vigil and public meeting with politi- cians, in an effort to fight for justice for rape victims.

At a meeting with politicians last Thursday, her sister Sarah urged peo- ple to sign a petition calling for the law on rape sentences to be changed.

More than 5,000 people have signed the petition, which will be sent to the Minister for Justice, Michael Mc- Dowell.

Addressing a crowd of up to 50 family relatives and local politicians, Mary Shannon said, “I just feel that last week there was loads in the me- dia. This week it has come to a com- plete standstill.”

Councillor Brian Meaney (GP) told her, on advice from a legal friend, that it wouldn’t be worth her while to take a civil case against Mr Keane. She said, “This isn’t about money.”

can reveal that interpreters were required for 120 cases in the District Court in Clare last year, which compares with 30, in 2003.

A firm of interpreters has now been appointed to deal with the additional business both in Clare and around the country.

Previously, cases in Clare involving foreign nationals who required inter-

preters were dealt with by Con|[text], a Galway-based international trans- lation company, if certified by the presiding judge.

Now, for the first time, a contract has been signed with Dublin-based company Lionbridge.

The revelation comes in the wake of an Ennis solicitor raising an objec- tion to one particular interpreter be- ing involved in a case, at a sitting of Ennis District Court last week.

Solicitor Tara Godfrey said she had an objection to a particular translator, who was working with Con|[text].

She said her objection – in the case of a female foreign national, who is

accused of shoplifting – was not per- sonal, but that she couldn’t under- stand the translator.

“It is nothing personal. I cannot un- derstand her.

“IT am open to correction, but it is up to the court office to obtain an interpreter,’ she told Judge Joseph Mangan on Friday morning.

She said the charge would be con- tested, adding, “I do not want her in court for the contest. It is unfortunate and regrettable.”

Judge Joseph Mangan said he was noting the solicitor’s objection and told her she should liaise with the court office. He adjourned the case

for six weeks. A spokesperson for the courts serv- ice told