Month: April 2007

A MAN found with two bags of heroin and a number of syringes in a brown envelope told a court that he didn’t know what was in the envelope when it was given to him.

And the man found holding the drugs had been previously convicted of dan- gerous driving in an accident in which his girlfriend was killed, the court

heard.

Brian Green of Corrovorrin Avenue, Ennis, pleaded guilty to possession of the drug before Ennis District Court.

Judge Joseph Mangan heard that the heroin had a street value of about €50.

The defendant’s solicitor, Tara God- frey, said her client “was given the en- velope by another person. He wasn’t aware of what was in it when it was handed over. He was pulled by the

Gardai five minutes later.”

The solicitor told Judge Mangan that the 31-year old had “‘never had any op- portunity to train at anything before, Now he has an opportunity to train as a scaffolder”’.

Godfrey said that of seven previous convictions which her client had, one was for dangerous driving.

“It caused the death of his girlfriend and he has never fully got over it. He’s

attended Narcotics Anonymous,” she ree

Judge Mangan adjourned sentencing until July 13 to allow a probation report be prepared but he told the probation officer that he wanted more than a re- port.

“Unless he is willing to undergo a thorough course, including assessment and treatment, he’s looking at a custo- dial sentence,’ the judge said.

ALMOST 100 new jobs have been announced in Shannon with two new companies coming into the Free Zone.

Minister for Labour Affairs, Mr Tony Killeen TD, will today announce the establishment of two new companies at Shannon Free Zone which between them will create 97 new jobs over the next five years.

Supported by Shannon Development, the new companies are White Horse Insurance Ireland Ltd who are bring- ing 52 new jobs and PC Tools Software who will hire 45 new staff.

Making the announcement, Minister Killeen said, “It is a wonderful vote of confidence in Shannon Free Zone that two world class companies have decid- ed to establish bases here. White Horse Insurance Ireland Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the global MyTravel Group plc, a major player in some of the most active markets for package holidays and other leisure travel serv-

ices, and PC Tools Software, a global leader in innovative software products designed for securing, protecting and maintaining Windows operating sys- oats

Welcoming the two new companies to the Shannon Free Zone, Mr Kevin Thompstone, Chief Executive, Shan- non Development, said: “The two in- vestments announced today represent the further development of two key

Strategic sectors for Shannon Free Zone – Insurance and E-Commerce. We are delighted to welcome White Horse Insurance Ireland Ltd to the Free Zone. They join the growing clus- ter of insurance operations at Shannon, now employing almost 700 people. PC Tools Software will also be a strong addition to the emerging e-commerce sector at Shannon.”

The two new companies were attract- ed to the Shannon Free Zone through the co-operative work of Shannon Development and IDA Ireland. More than 7,200 people are employed in 110 companies there, generating over €3.3 billion in annual sales. Shannon Development is currently preparing a comprehensive master plan for a major regeneration programme at the Free Zone to guarantee its continued com- petitive edge into the future.

A MAJOR new tourism plan for the Shannon Region is to be unveiled later this month. Shannon Develop- ment, the regional tourism authority will unveil its new tourism market- ing plans at a seminar it 1s hosting for members of the Shannon region tour- ism industry.

The seminar will be held at the South Court Hotel, Limerick on Thursday, April 26.

“The performance of the tourism sector 1n 2006 has been good and we want to build on this in 2007 and the coming years and let the industry know our exciting new plans,” said John King, Heritage and Tourism D1- rector, Shannon Development.

Shannon Development is due to an- nounce its detailed 2007-2008 region- al tourism plans at the seminar. The plan will highlight key challenges facing global tourism and how that will impact on the tourism industry in the Shannon region. Part of the pres- entation will involve an overview of the plans for the promotion and devel- opment of the industry by Shannon Development Tourism over the com- ing year.

Shaun Quinn, CEO Failte Ireland and Paul O’ Toole, CEO Tourism Ire- land will also give detailed presenta- tions covering the key activities of both agencies for 2007. In addition to the key note speakers, the main execu- tives from all agencies will be present at the events to discuss specific issues

such as training, international promo- tion, and product development. The seminar is free and open to all. Reg- istration for the event is at 9.00am for a 9.30am start and will continue until lpm.

Commenting on the seminar, John King, Heritage and Tourism Director, Shannon Development, said “Tourism is now the largest indigenous Irish In- dustry, accounting for over €450 mil- lion of direct tourism expenditure in this region alone, and will be central to the future economic development of the west. I would strongly encour- age tourism industry members to at- tend this event to get a full briefing on the activities of the tourism agencies, and use the forum to raise issues spe- cific to their business or sector.”

FIVE hundred and fifty workers at Shannon airport have until next Monday to decide whether they wish to accept a voluntary redundancy deal at the airport.

Letters sent out to workers by the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) stated that the workers had until April 23 to sign “an irrevocable agreement of exit” if they wish to take the redundancy deal.

In order for the €36 million sur-

vival plan to work, the SAA requires 200 workers or more to leave.

Information sessions on pensions and the tax implications for indi- viduals will continue at the airport WDA (e1o).@

Those with 24 or more years of ex- perience who opt to leave the SAA will receive over €100,000 while the 350 workers who remain will receive a payment of €16,000.

The deal is expected to save the SAA €10 million per annum.

In the new revamped Shannon air- port, international retail organisa-

tion HMS Host has secured the con- tract to operate five retail outlets at Shannon.

The company already serves 70 airports around the world, including Cork airport.

The arrival of HMS Host into Shan- non also increases the chances of Shannon having the first Starbucks coffee shop 1n county Clare.

A Starbucks operating under li- cense from HMS Host opened in Cork airport last year. Most of the Irish outlets of the popular Ameri- can coffee chain are in Dublin.

HMS Host has already advertised for senior managerial positions in- cluding Business Controller, Finan- cial Administrator, Food and Bev- erage Manager and is hoping to be trading in Shannon airport this com- ing summer.

The deal for a restructured Shan- non earlier this month secured the overwhelming endorsement of the unions at the airport where 84% of SIPTU voted in favour of the plan.

Talks on the deal commenced al- most two years ago and the slow progress has prevented the Shannon

Airport Authority (SAA) from lodg- ing a business plan with Government in order to become an independent entity.

In January, workers at Shannon overwhelmingly voted down a pre- vious survival plan valued at €34 million.

However, marathon negotiations under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) last month at the airport resulted in the SAA agreeing to provide an addi- tional €2 million to a revised sur- ane Nm) E- bee

THE Deputy Mayor of Ennis has expressed his anger about the provi- sion of subsidised and free water to householders in Galway while local people have been paying for bottled water since a boil notice was intro- duced two years ago.

Councillor Brian Meaney (GP) be- lieves that the “political situation in Galway is what is driving the dif- ference in Government reaction be-

tween the two constituencies”.

‘There is a lot of anger at the differ- ence in treating the water consumers in Clare and Galway. The water crisis has been on going in Galway for the last six weeks. Why wasn’t subsidised water made available to the consum- ers of the Ennis supply six weeks into the crisis that has existed here for the last two years?” he asked.

A cautionary boil notice, affecting around 30,000 people, has been in place for the past two years in En-

nis, Clarecastle, Crusheen, Barefield, Doora, Drumcliffe, Spancilhill and Group Water Schemes on the supply.

Vulnerable sectors of the commu- nity, including patients with weak immune systems, infants and pre- school children, have been advised to continue to boil tap water before eyetsieueeyelaceyee

Previous contaminations of the En- nis water supply occurred after heavy rain following significant spells of dry weather just like in Galway.

Councillor Meaney accused the Government of total indifference on the issue and warned that Ennis could soon be in a similar situation to Galway.

“Despite the installation of a filtra- tion system, the boil notice has been in operation in Ennis and the sur- rounding area for the past two years. Cryptosporidium is already in the water supply and it may only be a matter of time before levels surge and an outbreak occurs like that which is

now affecting Galway,” he said.

The councillor added, “Confidence in the Ennis water supply is low and bottled water is expensive. It seems that this problem is of little conse- quence to the Government, unless the problem becomes so bad that it may cost them votes.

“A lack of infrastructure and a fail- ure to update a dated water supply that leaks millions of litres of water a day, has led to the situation we find ourselves in today.”

TWO west Clare communities are this week grieving the loss of two young friends who were tragically killed in a road crash at the week- end.

Eoin Glynn (21) from Shanaway, Miltown Malbay and Shane Donnel- lan (17), from Kilmore, Knock, were

killed when the van in which they were travelling left the road, close to Kilmihil, shortly before 5am on Sunday.

Two others, who were also in the van at the time, survived the crash.

Mike Morrissey (20), from Kilmur- ry McMahon is in a Serious condition at Limerick Regional Hospital with internal injuries, while Enda O’ Leary

(24), from Kilmihil, sustained multi- ple fractures to his leg. The accident happened on the main Ennis/Kul- rush road, close to Goldburn Bridge. Their black Volkswagen transporter van veered out of control and hit a hedge, before plunging into a field some distance away. The four young men, who were in the front seat, were not wearing seatbelts and were flung

from the car.

They had earlier socialised at a friend’s 2lst birthday party in Knock. They had returned to a house in Kilmihil before leaving the house and heading in the direction of Kil- rush. Gardai in Kilrush are appeal- ing for witnesses.

THE Association Secondary Teach- ers in Ireland (ASTI) 1s today to be- gin legal action against the Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin, over the appointment of a school manager at Seamount Secondary School in ree

The Rescue Seamount Campaign and the ASTI last week accused the

minister of acting illegally by ap- pointing a school manager, instead of replacing the board of management at Seamount.

Both groups have accused the edu- cation minister of acting unlawfully in her decision to allow the board of management to be dissolved. Last Tuesday, they gave her seven days to withdraw her approval.

“This issue is not about the future

of the school. Even if the school is only opened for another 5 years, it is essential that there is a board of management,” said Jane Joyce of the Rescue Seamount Campaign.

“It gives parents a stake in how the school is run. When we sent our children here, we did so on the un- derstanding that there would be a board of management and that is not the case. This is not what we signed

up for,” she added.

The Rescue Seamount Campaign and ASTI have received separate legal advice suggesting that the min- ister has acted unlawfully in her de- cision to allow the school’s trustees, the Sisters of Mercy, to dissolve the board.

Responding, a Department of Edu- cation spokeswoman said that Minis- ter Hanafin acted lawfully in accord- ance with the 1998 Mercy Act.

“The Mercy Order, as patron of Seamount College, notified the min- ister of its decision not to appoint a new board of management when the term of office of the outgoing board expired,” said the spokeswoman.

“The Education Act 1998 provides that a patron may, subject to the ap- proval of the minister, appoint any person or body of persons as the patron thinks fit to perform the func- tions of a board of management.

‘As the patron had decided not to appoint a new board of management, the minister has, at the request of the patron, conveyed the necessary ap- proval, under section 16 of the Edu- cation Act, for the appointment of a manager to perform the functions of the board of management.”

The future of Seamount College has been in doubt since the Sisters of Mercy announced its intention to phase out the school over a period of five years, last October.

The Rescue Seamount Campaign has been appealing for the Sisters of Mercy to give them more time to ne- gotiate the construction of a new co- education school by the Department of Education in Kinvara.

ALMOST €60 million in funding was allocated to Irish forestry plan- tation holders for 2007, representa- tion one of the largest payments ever made in the history of the state. Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Mary Wal- lace, made the announcement last week of €57 million to be allocated to the 15,000 forestry plantations na- tionwide. This is the annual forestry premium payment under the Forest- ry programme of the Department of Agriculture and Food. With the aver- age size of forestry holdings being in the region of eight hectares, and the average payment per forest-owner will be approximately €3,800. “New planting of forestry is vital

to sustain the forestry sector into the years ahead and it is important that the package on offer is most attrac- tive to landowners,” said Minister AWETEE Teron

“I was particularly pleased there- fore that planting grant levels have increased in some cases by up to 25 per cent in the last two years, while the annual forestry premium paid to farm foresters has increased by 15 per cent, with a new maximum pay- ment of up to €574 per hectare per annum.”

In addition to this the newly intro- duced Forest Environment Protec- tion Scheme (FEPS) providing a top up grant of €200 per hectare bring- ing the €574 per hectare to €774 per hectare per annum. This scheme was designed to encourage the establish-

ment of high nature value forestry on farms that participate in REPS.

“Properly planned forestry is one of the most environmentally friendly end-uses to which we can put our land, directly affecting the sequestra- tion of carbon from the atmosphere. Forestry in Ireland already delivers a significant range of environmental goods in addition to its timber out- jouulm

“I believe that every landowner should seriously examine forestry as a land use option taking into account the returns, both short and long term, and how it would fit in with their cur- rent enterprises and activities.”

Meanwhile, Minister Wallace also warned forest owners about the risk of forest fires in the coming weeks. Every spring in Ireland, several hun-

dred hectares of forests and wood- land are destroyed by fire.

Recent good weather conditions indicate a serious risk of forest fires over the next few days and weeks.

‘Forest owners have a duty to make themselves aware of these threats and to take appropriate actions to se- cure the safety of their forest invest- ments,” she said.

“The highest risk period occurs between February and June, when eround vegetation is dead and dry following winter. The areas at high- est risk from wildfire tend to be lo- cated adjacent to or within moorland areas. Prolonged dry periods and seasonal high winds in spring help create ideal conditions for wildfire to spread quickly through highly flam- mable moorland vegetation.”

THE vote by staff at Shannon Air- port to accept the airport authority’s restructuring deal has been widely welcomed.

The Clare County Development Board described the result of the bal- lot by SIPTU members as a, “defin- ing moment for the future develop- ment of the local airport”.

The ballot followed last month’s agreement reached between airport trade unions and management.

Councillor Patricia McCarthy (Ind) acknowledged that 200 jobs would go

under the restructuring plan.

“T am confident that these jobs will be compensated for by the new serv- ice providers at the airport,” said Cllr McCarthy, Cathaoirleach of the County Development Board.

Tom Coughlan, Director of the board said that it looked forward to working with the Shannon Airport Authority to promote Shannon Air- port.

“With passenger numbers last year of 3.6 million, the County Develop- ment Board sees ongoing investment in the development of the airport as critical in determining the growth

potential of County Clare and the entire Shannon region. Shannon In- ternational Airport is at the heart of the success of the Atlantic Corridor and is fundamental to its potential to deliver innovation, economic growth, and a competitive industrial and tour- ism base,” he said.

Limerick Chamber of Commerce also welcomed the result. Chief Ex- ecutive, Maria Kelly said that with the advent of Open Skies, it had “become even more critical that the Airport reduces their cost base to be- come more competitive and attract new business”.

Shannon Airport management and the Dublin Airport Authority were among the first to react to the news on the vote. It will allow savings of €10m annually for the airport.

Shannon Airport Authority Execu- tive Chairman, Pat Shanahan said the acceptance was the “next step to en- suring Shannon Airport has a viable platform from which to grow. I would like to acknowledge the commitment shown by staff representatives”.

He added that the “implementation of the programme is vital if Shannon Airport is to successfully meet the challenges of Open Skies”.

MORE potential problems for farm- ers in relation to the N18& Ennis by-pass emerged this week as lo- cal farming leaders put pressure on Clare County Council over what they described as roadside fencing. During a meeting with Clare Coun- ty Council officials the chairperson of the IFA in Clare, Seamus Murphy, expressed his concern for motorists if the problem is not rectified in the

near future.

“Under the terms of the National Roads Agreement which was negoti- ated by IFA with the National Roads Authority, all local authorities are required to construct ‘stock-proof’ fencing,’ said Mr Murphy.

“However much of the fencing along the new motorway remains unfinished and a significant number of gates still have to be erected.

“As the grass grazing season starts again many farmers are about to let

their livestock out in the fields. Clare County Council must immediately inspect all roadside fencing and gen- eral accommodation works and en- sure all livestock are fenced in and motorists using the new N18 Ennis by-pass are not put in danger.”

This is not the first standoff be- tween Clare IFA and Clare County Council over work on the bypass. Earlier this years a group from the farming organisation met with rep- resentatives from the local authority

and the main contractors, GAMA Construction, to discuss a number of farms which had been flooded as a result of run off waters from the by- eee

The main section of the Ennis bypass opened earlier this year, on budget and ahead of schedule. The rest of the project, including link roads into different parts of the town, are due for completion this week to meet the project deadline of April ae