Month: July 2007

FUNDING shortfalls have turned parts of Ennis into’ educational blackspots, according to Ennis West Partners Ltd.

According to CSO figures quoted in a letter by Ennis West to Ennis Town Council, 26 per cent of the people living in the Ennis West area of Cloughleigh, Drumbiggle and Hermitage have only had access to primary education or no formal edu- cation at all. This compares with 21 per cent for all of Clare and 22 per cent nationally. Nineteen per cent of those living in the same area have no third level qualification, compared to 24 per cent in Clare and 26 per cent nationally.

According to the letter “the future outlook can be considered to be neg- ative when one takes into account the prediction of the joint FAS/ESRI outlook 2004 that 60 per cent of the net new jobs created by the economy in 2010 and onwards will require a third level qualification.”

The organisation has claimed that a particular incidence of educational disadvantage has developed in the west of Ennis.

The organisation says inadequate and insecure funding has meant there has not been enough money to provide for the numbers of students

requiring assistance.

Ennis West Partners works with secondary schools in the town to proved educational support program- mnes for disadvantaged students.

Ennis West is currently assisting 350 students through study skills courses and assisted homework clubs in co-operation with schools.

The body is now applying to Ennis Town Council and local businesses for funding after Government fund- ing was withheld pending review of the service.

The letter states, ““We hope that you will be able to help us in this regard as we have an urgent need to raise the €12,000 necessary for the 2007 – 2008 school year. We have a strong belief that this work provides practi- cal assistance for our young people and that ultimately the whole town lores ees nL RS

Speaking at last night’s meeting of Ennis Town Council, mayor of En- nis Tommy Brennan said Ennis West must show the council its accounts.

He said, “We should look for a bal- ance sheet before we discuss this. The last time we asked all we got was a glossy brochure. Before we discuss this we have to find out why the De- jOx-NaBOOCs) OM Orc KCLULMmoy-(@) qu aeDeCeND Tome

Ennis West board member, Cllr Joe Reidy (FF) said the department was reviewing the scheme.

A LEADING economist has told an Ennis seminar on the property mar- ket that the current slowdown in the Irish housing market is very desir- able.

Speaking at the What Next seminar hosted by Propertyplus in Ennis at the weekend, chief economist with Friends First, Jim Power said, ““The slowdown is very desirable because the house price inflation of recent years could not and should not be

sustained for any longer, as it would then start to become seriously dan- gerous.”

Figures released on Friday show that property prices have dropped by 2.1 per cent this year.

Mr Power said, “My own belief over the next five years is that we will see annual house price inflation at around three per cent per annum. That represents a soft landing in the Irish housing market.

“I believe that it is the most likely and the most desirable scenario, be-

cause another couple of years of dou- ble digit growth of house price infla- tion would have definitely created a bubble that, in my view, would then be burst.”

Mr Power anticipates that there will be 80,000 house completions in Ire- land this year, down from 93,000 last year.

He said that this year “over the next five years, you are looking at growth at 3-3.5 per cent per annum.

“We are entering a more mod- ern economic growth environment

— that’s normal, that is the real world. Over the last 10 years, we have been involved in a huge level of catch-up, now caught up and we are now start- ing to settle down.

“Over the next five years, we are moving back to about 60,000 house completions. That represents a de- cline of over 30,000 completions. That is the reality and I feel that it is a very desirable reality because the number of housing completions had to come back.

“Otherwise, if you have another

three years of 90,000 plus housing completions, you are left with a ser1- ous bubble situation.”

Ennis auctioneer, Philip O’Reilly who organised the event at the Tem- ple Gate Hotel told the audience that the issue of having to pay stamp duty “is quite a scandal”.

He said, “For a couple purchasing a €600,000 home, they must pay a further €35,000. That is basically a net year’s salary. People have been passive about this in the past but not anymore.”

A FEAST of traditional music, song and dance will kick off this week when Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann beings a Series of seisiun all over the county.

Seisiun 1s a music trail through all four Provinces of Ireland where the visitor can join with local traditional musicians, singers, dancers and sto- rytellers for an evening of native en- tertainment. In the seven years since its highly successful re-introduc- tion in 2000, Seisiun has gone from

strength to strength and continues to entertain and delight audiences both visitors and locals alike.

In Clare there are four venues of- fering plenty of traditional enter- tainment most nights of the week throughout July and August.

In Ennis, on Tuesday and Satur- day nights, Cois na hAbhana will be the venue for music and dance. Teach Cheoil in Ennistymon will host events on Monday nights start- ing July 16, while Teach Cheoil in Corofin will run events on Thursday nights. On Wednesday nights Teach

Cheoil in Kilrush will be the venue for a lively seisiun.

For further information on seisiun in Ennis contact Frank Whelan on 086— §260300 or email ceoltrad@eircom. net. For information on events in En- nistymon telephone John Moloney on 065—7071467. In Kilrush telephone Siobhan Curran on 065—9052821 and for Comhaltas venues in Corofin contact Peggy Liddy on 065-6837762 or 065—6837676. Alternatively, you can go online for information on all the venues around Clare and nation- ally at http://comhaltas.ie/events.

CLARE County Council has de- clared that it has a number of serious concerns in relation to €15 million plans for a park and ride facility to serve the Cliffs of Moher.

The plan by the Mermaid Partner- ship has attracted a wave of objec- tions across the north Clare coastal village of Liscannor.

The planning application is seeking to construct the park and ride facility

with a retail and residential element which will consist of three buildings, 359 car-parking spaces and 10 bus- parking facilities.

The Mermaid Partnership is also seeking to construct 47 apartments in three storey blocks around a shared public square. The proposal also includes retail space units of 5,000 Square metres on two floors and smaller retail spaces off the public space totalling 1,322 square metres.

However, in a letter to the appli-

cants the council has stated that it is not favourably disposed to granting planning permission for the applica- tion as it currently stands.

The council’s concern relates to the piecemeal nature of the development of lands, the excessive floor space proposed, over-development of the site, scale and design of the proposed buildings, overlooking and overbear- ing adjacent private residences and DREN U BLOMNT-BKCLR YAS SSE

The council states, “The land on

which the development is proposed forms part of wider lands that are zoned for the purpose of a park n ride facility to serve the Cliffs of Moher.

The council also states that it, “has serious concerns that the proposed development by reason of its scale and building height will result in overlooking, overbearing and po- tential overshadowing to adjacent routes.”

It also has serious concerns in rela- tion to the retail element of the pro-

posed development.

Similarly the council has expressed concerns over the excessive density and scale of the proposal in a small AUN E Texon

As a result the council has request- ed the developer to provide for a de- velopment of a much reduced scale and of a design and layout which has regard to the context of the local ver- nacular of the adjacent village.

A decision is due on the application later this year.

that it would be the end of this month, at least, before it opens.

“It will be late July at the earliest before the Limerick Road to Lahi- nch Road part of the scheme is com- plete.

“IT gave the date for completion of the works at the June meeting in good faith, based on the programme presented to the council. All we can do is express disappointment and continue to encourage the contrac- Ko)

In his written response at the June meeting, Mr Carey stated that the current completion date for the Whole of the works “is around the end of August”.

But he confirmed yesterday that the date has been revised to “well into

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The eastern part of the by pass was opened last January diverting thou- sands of vehicles from Ennis each day.

However, without the final two phases of the scheme yet to open, En- nis is continuing to experience traffic snarl-ups with the thousands of cars going to west and north Clare each day.

Mr Carey said that the priority in constructing the final phases of the scheme was completing the rounda- bouts.

“This work is inevitably complex as it involves a high level of under- ground services, including Bord Gais, water and sewerage. It is a ted1- ous process.”

Mr Carey said that the council was quite happy with the work that had been completed by the contractor, GAMA Construction. He said, “It 1s a good project. It isn’t a quality issue, it is a timing issue.

“They (GAMA Construction) know the conditions and we know the con- ditions of the contract.”

The 97-page contract for the Ennis by pass project seen by

ENNIS Green Party councillor Don- al O’Bearra has claimed that there is no need to zone further land for housing in Ennis.

He made his comments following a workshop on planning and rezoning with planners which heard that there was already enough zoned land.

Councillors and planners have been holding workshops to adjudicate on 168 submissions on planning and rezoning in the county. The next workshop will be held tomorrow (Wednesday). The first workshop with councillors dealt with the first 13 submissions.

Cllr O’Bearra told The Clare Peo- ple yesterday: “The planners ex- plained that there is already enough land already zoned and I would be- lieve that when there is enough room within the Serviced Land Initiative (SLI) why do we need to zone more land for housing?

‘There is a need to get critical mass in order to get bus routes in place and that can’t be done if we continue to rezone lands.”

Cllr O’Bearra added: “I will be accepting the advice of the plan- ners that we don’t need to zone these lands because there is no need for it. The common good has to take prec- edence here and we must get away from the car-dependent culture that we have at the moment.

“The more land we zone for hous- ing in the outskirts of Ennis, the more car dependent we will be.”

The rezonings proposed for the En- nis and Environs Development Plan are to come before the July meeting of Clare County Council next Mon- day where councillors will be able to give directions to the County Man- ager, Alec Fleming on the various submissions before them.

Cllr O’Bearra alleged that planners were bullied into making rezoning decisions by councillors when draw- ing up the existing Ennis and Envi- rons Development Plan.

Asked if any such activity had tak- en place this time, Cllr O’Bearra said

4 y

no.

In total, developers seeking to prof- it from the property boom are seek- ing to rezone a total of 1,720 acres of land around Ennis to residential, mixed use, commercial and indus- were

The developers are seeking to re- zone 1,247 acres of land for hous- ing, 150 acres for mixed-use devel- opment, 115 acres for commercial development, 57 acres for industrial and 97 acres for low density residen- tial zoning.

RETURNING to the old traditional fleadh scene resulted 1n an economic boom for Kilmihil.

Even the questionable weather did not manage to dampen the enthusi- asm of the 15,000 people that crowd- ed into the west Clare village during IW NemWiere) Corte

Keen to bring music and enter- tainment back to the fleadh as well as strong competition, organisers of the Clare fleadh were overwhelmed with the support of the local people and the benefit of the festival to the town.

Local businessman Gerry Johnston

described the event as an overwhelm- ing SUCCESS.

“It was a great economic success for the village. It was good for retail and pubs,” he said.

The organising committee praised the support of the community and the street entertainment.

“We decided to have an old style fleadh. In the last ten years there had been an increase in the focus on com- petition, so this time a lot of people were Surprised to see so much around the place,’ said Vanessa Millar.

Local people provided free B and B for the musicians that arrived for the weekend to bring the music to the bars and streets.

that it was estab- lishing “a review of practices and procedures at Cappahard Long Stay Residence,’ on the Tulla Road, En- ah

The inquiry into care at the resi- dence, which cares for patients who are mentally ill, follows complaints made by members of Gerald Finn’s family from Kilrush.

The 69-year-old was admitted to Cappahard Lodge in December 2005 suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease and angina. It is believed that some of his family members raised more than 70 complaints relating to care of the pensioner during his stay at the home. Mr Finn died at the home on June 6, 2007.

Following his death, his funeral notice broadcast on local radio asked for donations in lieu of flowers to go towards the nursing home and the

Alzheimer’s Society.

In a brief statement last night the HSE West confirmed that the inves- tigation would be undertaken. It is expected to take place over the next few weeks.

‘The terms of reference are current- ly being drafted and it is hoped that it will commence shortly,” the HSE statement said. It also confirmed that the review of practices was being chaired by Dr. Donald Lyons, from the Mental Welfare Commission in Scotland.

Dr Lyons has been director of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland since October 2003. Until then he was a Consultant in Old Age Psychiatry and a Medical Manager in Glasgow. He is a member of the National Implementation Steering Group for the Adults with Incapac- ity (Scotland) Act 2000 and 1s also a spokesperson for the Royal College of Psychiatrists on this Act.

Cappahard Lodge was formerly a privately run nursing home, but a number of years ago was purchased by the then Mid Western Health Board to enhance elderly care serv- ices in the county.