Month: October 2007

A STRANGE, tough day for Stephen Cunningham and he says as much as he wheels away from a small knot of Crusheen men as Tulla captain Michael Murphy is about to put his paws all over the Canon Hamilton.

Cunningham turns his back to the stand and runs his mind over the past 60 minutes of hurling. Still hard to stomach. Still impossible to explain.

“You’d have thought the experience of the past couple of years would have drove us over the line at the end,” he says. “Because we were hungry for it. Nobody knows how hungry we were. I just can’t put my finger on why we lost today. There’s something else missing and that’s what we’ve got to find out.”

Straight, honest answers. It’s just over five minutes since the final whis- tle shrilled across the park and the game is still fresh in Cunningham’s head, still waiting to be digested.

“You can look at it any way you

like, but today just wasn’t our day. It belonged to Tulla and we’re the ones who’ll have to live with that. Get- ting to a final is all fine, but today isn’t about losers. A final isn’t good enough for Crusheen any more. We

need to win one. We’ve got to win one. Ah, we’ve been knocking on the door, putting in the hard work, coming close and other management teams have done as well. But this is heartbreak. The lads put in a great

effort and everything but today is about winners. Nothing else.”

High up on the stand, Murphy is holding the cup over his head now and Cunningham allows himself a gaze towards the podium.

“In fairness to Tulla you have to hand it to them. They were a hungry team. We missed some frees – some of them weren’t easy – but we did have a few wides and they cost us. You need to get those. Most other days they were going over for us but today, they just didn’t.”

And at the break, when the game looked like it was moulded for Crusheen, did his team believe they could create history?

“Of course. During half-time we reckoned we were in good shape and wed come back out and try to push forward. It didn’t work out. We knew wed be up against it, but we believed wed do it. The early goal, the wides. They all add up.”

He turns and walks back to the gathering of Crusheen men. A small waterhole of understanding among an ocean of Tulla delight.

tribute to ‘the greatest goalman that ever clutched a ball’ has that affect on Tulla folk.

There was much more of the same near Dr Daly’s windswept hill on Sunday night, on the grand stage erected for the occasion of Tulla’s triumphant homecoming opposite

Corbett’s Menswear.

All because in wake of Tulla’s historic re-emergence as a hurling force, Karl Quinn took the micro- phone and pelted out

that the group feels that Aer Lingus has been in breech of European leg- islation namely article 95/93.

The group have pointed to a section of the 1993 regulation which says that “slots may be freely exchanged between air carriers from one route or type of service to another, by mu- tual agreement or as a result of a total or partial take-over or unilaterally.” This is called “flexibility mecha- Tbh ee Mae

The regulation goes on to clarify that the use of flexibility 1s limited

and cannot be used for slots to routes considered “vital” for the economic development of the region where the airport is located. Mr Geraghty said the group would also be asking if any impact study of the region had been done by the airline.

“We will also ask if the grandfather rights follow the route of the airline,” he said.

The group will ask the European public representatives if a mediator can be ap- pointed to help re- solve the difficulty at Shannon.

“We will be telling them that last year the Irish government owned the company

which holds he Irish airports slots to health. It sold 75 per cent of this company holding 25 per cent for strategic interest. The company is not trying to remove the route on one hand while the government is can- vassing support for a new company to acquire new slots from the very same co-ordinated airport on the other,’ he said.

FARMERS from all over the county began last week to benefit from ad- vanced payments under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme.

Nationwide some €533 million, representing a 50 per cent advanced payment, was made available to farmers from last Tuesday.

“T am particularly pleased that these payments, worth in excess of €533 million, have begun issuing today to some 113,500 farmers,” said the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mary Coughlan.

The payments are being made six weeks earlier than would otherwise be the case as a result of the success- ful outcome of her request to Com-

missioner Fischer Boel for an ad- vance payment in 2007 in response to the bad weather situation over the summer and the resultant farmer cash flow needs.

Minister Coughlan confirmed that advance payments would continue issuing up until November 30, with balancing payments issuing from | DY—fersia loro an

“While payments will continue to issue as individual cases become clear, | would again urge anybody who has received correspondence from my department highlighting problems in relation to their appli- cation, to respond without delay as, by doing so, these cases can then be processed to finality and payments issued,’ she continued.

“To date, over €231 million has been paid out under DAS, to about 94,000 farmers. DAS payments con- tinue to issue as cases are cleared and again, I urge farmers to respond to outstanding correspondence.

“In order to facilitate those farm- ers with specific queries relating to their SPS/DAS payments, I have had dedicated Lo-call numbers allocated in my department.”

Clare and Limerick farmers who wish to learn more should call KORY Perma evi Comm Or-U Asch ams eD we oes ers should call 1890 200502 and Tipperary farmers should call 1890 pm) e728

Meanwhile, Mary Coughlan has announced changes to the REPS sys- tem which she claims will make it

easier for farmers to move to REPS 4. Coughlan has confirmed that REPS 3 farmers who want to switch over to REPS 4 will now have two months after their anniversary dates to submit REPS 4 plans.

Up to now, farmers moving over to REPS 4 before their existing con- tracts were finished would have had to get their REPS 4 applications in before their anniversary dates.

“Getting the Commission to clear REPS 4 took a bit longer than we had hoped. So it was early August before I could launch the new scheme. At that stage we still had to finalise all the documentation, and much work had to be done to update the REPS system which planners use to pre- pare the maps,” she said.

KILMIHIL farmer and Clare IFA Farm Forestry Chairman, Martin Murphy, was last week awarded a Merit Award at the 20th annual RDS/Forest Service Irish Forestry Awards at Castletown House in Cel- bridge.

Murphy was presented with the award by Mary Wallace, Minister of State at the Department of Ag- riculture, Fisheries and Food, with responsibility for Forestry, at a cer- emony on Thursday evening.

The annual Irish Forestry Awards, which are sponsored by the Forest Service of the Department of Ag- riculture, Fisheries and Food, are organised by the RDS which has a long association with Irish forestry and agriculture.

Martin took the merit award in the Farm Forestry category with John McCartan from Kells taking first place.

The Bio-diverse Forest/Woodlands category was won by The Mission- ary Society of St Columbian in Meath with the merit award going to Joe Barry from Kildare.

Greenbelt Ltd from County Cavan was awarded the judges prize for their outstanding work while the special award, in recognition of an outstanding contribution to Irish Forestry, was made to John McCa- rthy of None So Hardy nurseries.

Meanwhile, 1n his role as Clare IFA Farm Forestry Chairman, Martin last week called on Clare REPS farmers to examine the benefits of the new Forest Environmental Protection Scheme (FEPS) which is available to farmers establishing new forests on REPS farms.

The scheme, in which forests will oLoMMeNI Elo) NL elec MmmyalNe Mm oOh ab KO)IDOsTo ILE-DI objectives which will go beyond those of the regular afforestation scheme, will pay farmers up to €200 per hectare over and above the ordi- nary forestry premium for a five year ererulOXee

The payment will compensate farm- ers for the REPS payments that they would normally forgo when transfer- ring REPS land into forestry.

“T hope that this scheme will en- courage REPS farmers to consider

planting some land – the FEPS pay- ment along with the 15 per cent in- crease in premium which IFA fre- cently secured through partnership, should make forestry more attractive to farmers who wouldn’t have con- sidered it as an option in the past,” he said.

The chairman warned farmers to carefully compare the merits of both FEPS and the regular afforestation scheme, “the afforestation scheme

may be more appropriate and ben- eficial over the longer term on many je vuseee

Against this background the IFA hosted a farm forestry meeting in the Auburn Lodge Hotel last night.

“Farmers who are considering planting should come to receive in- formation on increases in planting grants and premiums and the new FEPS Scheme,” he said.

‘Farmers who have already planted

should also come to get details on other forestry schemes and an update on the Clare Wood Energy Project, which will create a market for thin- nings in the county.”

MAYOR of Clare, Patricia McCa- rthy left the podium at Saturday’s Save Our Slots Rally to thunderous applause, having told Aer Lingus they “can’t give the two fingers to the mid-west’.

Mayor McCarthy was among a list of speakers who castigated Aer Lin- gus and the Government for the deci-

sion to move the Heathrow slots from Shannon to Belfast.

“My message is simple,” she told the gathered crowds. “Mr Mannion and Aer Lingus, you have made a big mis- take. You have given the two fingers to the Government but you won’t give the two fingers to the mid-west.”

She said that Aer Lingus was ped- dling a “myth and a lie that seat sales are going well in Belfast and the

Government ministers are peddling the same myths and lies.”

Her message for Dublin was, “We are not whingers in the mid-west. We have a problem and we’re getting up and doing something about it. Every- one recognises the injustice of what is happening except the elected Govern- ment. They have the solving of it. Ber- tie 1s the Great Fixer – let him come down here and fix our problem.”

Atlantic Connectivity Alliance’s Michael Vaughan lashed the Gov- ernment for having failed to prepare for the Aer Lingus decision. ““We in business believe there is an answer for those who fail to prepare – it’s a P45 and there are addresses in Dublin I would like to send those to today.”

He added that people should “re- member what has been achieved here. Remember the Flying Boats, remember the first Atlantic crossing. Remember Shannon Development and the Shannon Free Zone and give notice to those who have consigned us in the mid-west to the scrap heap – we will rise again!”

Deputy John Cregan, the only Fian- na Fail TD on the podium, was booed as he told the crowd of almost 10,000 people that he had “listened to your anger and | will be reporting back to the Taoiseach on the importance of this issue to the Shannon region.”

Also on the podium to speak in sup- port of the campaign were the Mayor of Limerick, Ger Fahy and the Ca- thaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Kevin Sheahan.

They were joined by Fine Gael TD, Kieran O’Donnell; Labour TD, Jan O’Sullivan; Impact official, Andy Pike; SIPTU’s Michael Halpenny; Limerick business woman and model agency director, Celia Holman-Lee; and former Munster and Ireland rug- by hero, Peter Clohessey.

THE Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey has stated that any Govern- ment protection of Heathrow slots would be regarded by the European Commission as a special right, which would be challenged before the Eu- ropean Court of Justice.

The minister has also stated that the Aer Lingus withdrawal of its Shan- non-Heathrow service “does not re- quire that a fundamental review of our aviation policy be undertaken or that a Green Paper be published”.

He said, “The main objective is to ensure that the three State airports have sufficient capacity to respond to the growth opportunities of a com- petitive airline sector and to provide vital international access.

“In fulfilling this objective, it is pro- posed to establish Cork and Shannon as independent airports, once finan- cial and operational readiness has been demonstrated under the State Airports Act 2004. In addition, the six regional airports have a key role to play in promoting regional devel- opment.

“The further key components of our strategy are to ensure that our aviation safety and security policies comply with, or exceed, the highest international standards and that the policy framework for air navigation services ensures that the require- ments of airlines for efficient rout- ings and the avoidance of delays are met as far as possible without com- promising safety.

In response to a second question from Limerick East deputy, Kieran O’Donnell, Minister Dempsey was unable to give a date as to when Gov-

ernment funding will be put in place for the full implementation of the €53 million mid-west tourism and economic development plan.

On the decision by BMI not to proceed with a Heathrow link from Shannon, Minister Dempsey said, “The decision by British Midland that it would not commence a Shan- non-Heathrow service was made public on October 4 and reported in the media the following day. I was made aware two days previously, on October 2, that the decision was likely to be negative.

AS MINISTER for Finance, Brian Cowen, cleared the way for a miserly budget this week with talk of ‘belt- tightening’, his cabinet colleague Agriculture Minister, Mary Cough- lan, was busy painting a rosy picture for Irish farmers come December 5.

Speaking following the publication of the 2008 Pre-Budget Outlook by the Tanaiste last week, Coughlan welcomed the proposed provision of €1.722 billion for the Department of Agriculture.

In addition, €110 million is being provided for the fisheries which, for technical reasons, 1s included in the Pre-Budget Outlook under the Vote for the Department of Communica-

tions, Marine and Natural Resourc- oe

“The Pre-Budget Outlook repre- sents a new approach to the annual Estimates procedure. The Outlook is drawn up on the basis of Exist- ing Level of Service and on Budget Day, 5th December, the Tanaiste will present any budgetary additions to- gether with his revenue proposals for 2008,” she said.

“It makes a great deal of sense to deal with expenditure and taxation in a single exercise. The allocation of €1.722 billion in the Pre-Budget Outlook was the practical expression of the Government’s commitment to the development of a modern, ef- ficient and sustainable agri-food in- dustry.

“The Minister said that the fund- ing reflected the Government’s and my own objectives for the sector as outlined in the various policy state- ments and agreements, including the National Development Plan, To- wards 2016 and the Rural Develop- ment Programme, 2007-2013.”

Apart from this voted expenditure, the Department of Agriculture will also disburse almost €1.4billion in EU direct payments and market sup- ports in 2008.

A number of areas have already been earmarked for substantial fund- ing including €17Imillion for food safety, animal health and welfare and plant health and more than €1billion for a range of measures under the Rural Development Programme and

for capital investment in the dairy, beef, sheepmeat and farm sectors.

Of this billion euro some €375mil- lion has been allocated for the Rural Environment Protection Scheme, €257million for Income Support in Disadvantaged Areas, €68million for Early Retirement and Installa- tion Aid Schemes, €12I] million for investment in the Forestry Sector and Bio-Energy and €183million for schemes of on-farm investment, 1n- cluding Farm Waste Management.

Along with this some €27million is provided to support the efforts of An Bord Bia to promote Irish pro- duce in overseas markets which, the Minister said, is more vital than ever in the face of increasing competition from non EU producers.

YOU’VE heard of the Chinese year of the sheep and the pig, well in agri- cultural circles at least 2008 has been branded as the International Year of the Potato.

The United Nations Food and Ag- riculture Organisation (FAQ), has taken on the task of celebrating the mighty spud, and to commemorate this initiative the Minister for Food and Horticulture at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Trevor Sargent, this week announced funding for the FAO.

“Ireland will provide significant funding, starting with an initial pay- ment of $150,000, to support the

activities of the UN Food and Agri- culture Organisation (FAQ), which is the lead United Nations’ agency for implementation of the International Year of the Potato,” he said.

“The coming year has been desig- nated as the United Nations’ Interna- tional Year of the Potato. Throughout the world, governments, scientists, farmers and others will focus on the potential of the potato to improve food security and nutrition and to reduce hunger and poverty. Ireland is committed to play a major part in view of the fact that the potato is the third most important food crop in the (ey ule B

“Funding provided by Ireland will go to support FAO activities. Ac-

tivities will include information gen- eration and dissemination through conferences and symposia to review research policies and chart the future direction of the sector.

“This will include a major confer- ence run by the International Potato Centre in Peru in March 2008 fo- cusing on the application of potato science for the poor. It is hoped to encourage action throughout the developing world to focus on potato systems including crop yields, exten- sion training on improved varieties and production systems.”

The mighty spud has noted the central role the potato has played in Irish History. The failure of the crop due to potato blight in 1845 led to a

famine that left 1.5 million dead and a further 1 million citizens forced to emigrate.

“Irish people have a deep memory of the effects of famine on our nation. Our history means we are acutely aware of the need to focus on the po- tato and the vital role that agriculture can play in improving nutrition and supporting food security,” continued Sargent.

To mark the Year of the Potato, Ireland will also organise a national programme of events for 2008 with an emphasis on nutrition. This will include activities for schools includ- ing a primary school competition that aims to promote both the aware- ness and the growing of the potato.

POPULATION experts are predict- ing a population surge in Kilrush in the coming years, despite a decade of overall population decline.

Economic decline in traditional em- ployment; limited opportunities in new emerging employment sectors; and an increase in employment op- portunities in urban areas such as En- nis and Shannon, Galway and Dublin has contributed to the fall in the local population that has been experienced.

However the number of people liv- ing in the town and its environs is ex- pected to rise.

Analysis of population trends for the Kilrush area shows a fluctuating but overall population decline between 1991 and 2006. However, it is esti- mated that the area covered by the new draft plan of the town will see a population increase from 2,657 in

2006 to 2,993 in 2014 and to 3,245 in 2020.

The population forecast projection 1s based on previous population trends in the periods, residential dwelling completions in the past five years and the Clare County Housing Strategy 2007 – 2012.

The population of Kilrush accord- ing to the 2006 census is currently at 2,657, a number that has been hotly disputed as being too low and fail- ing to take account of the large Polish population now living and working in the town.

The new Kilrush draft plan predicts a need for 153 additional new houses in the town during its life time and a further 121 houses during the life span of the following plan from 2014 to 2020.

These projections are based on a further declining household size esti- mated at 2.43 persons per household

by 2020. Such a reduction in size is attributable to such factors as frag- mentation of existing households and smaller family sizes.

The population in the rural area sur- rounding the plan will also have an impact in the development and sus- tainability of the west Clare capital.

The Kilrush rural area in contrast to the urban area, experienced an over- all increase in population from 543 in 1991 to 621 in 2006 which reflects a population increase of 78. Factors in- fluencing this trend include returning immigrants to retire or relocate to the area; the attraction of the western sea- board for people to relocate and live in the area, benefiting from the serv- ices offered by the town of Kilrush; and from good road links to Ennis al- lowing for easy commuting to places of employment like Ennis, Shannon and beyond.

The projected population growth of

157 in the Kilrush rural area trans- lates into an additional housing re- quirement of 56 permanent housing units, based on the projected house- hold size for the rural area of three per household and that the percentage of the population living in permanent private households opposed to those living in communal accommodation is 99 per cent. Census figures also show a decline in the zero to 18-year- old bracket with the population of un- der four year olds dropping by more than 26 per cent — between 2002 and 2006 while the older age groups increase slightly.

The implication from population structure figures against the projected erowth in population for the plan pe- riod is that growth that does occur will largely be a result of fragmentation of existing households and in-migration, rather than natural population growth within the plan area.