Month: March 2008

in response to a Freedom of Information request show that there was never a prospect of the mid-west securing the €53 million sought since July 2006.

In January, the Ministers for Trans- port and Tourism announced details of an economic plan in advance of the ending of the stop-over the next month. The tourism minister, Sea- mus Brennan, stated that the monies involved would amount to €15 to €20 million over the next number of years.

A senior Department of Tourism official described the €53 million demand, made up of €44 million in Government aid over several years plus a once-off payment of €9 mil- lion, as “off the wall’.

“€44m over five years is off the wall. How much do we spend direct- ly or indirectly on marketing in Ire- land? Maybe that over four years?” he said.

He added that the Mid West Re- gional Authority demand for <€44 million “was always totally unrealis- tic and has done much to undermine the credibility of its broader case. If there are real marketing needs, these are likely to be far more modest. “The demands need to be tempered by realism and, of course, the strong possibility that major concessions to Shannon could give rise to copy- cat demands from other parts of the country. Throwing marketing money at Shannon is not the solution to the challenges facing it.” The memo, dating from early last year, goes on: “Also, the ongoing uncertainty about ‘open skies’ does mean that we have to avoid a situ- ation where we would embark on ‘open skies’ related initiatives only for them to go off at half cock due to delays in negotiations. “We understand that the Minister for Transport has a draft economic and tourism plan for Shannon, but the contents of that may not be earth Jerlaroowentee “If there are extra funds, this might allow for the implementation of the north American strategy in full, though in a convoluted way. “Our view is that marketing funds Should be for the wider catchment, be put through the super regions mecha- nism and be in accord with the north American strategy.” In March, an internal departmental memo stated that the proposed annu- al spend by the Mid-West Regional Authority “of €8.8m would actually exceed the entire marketing of Tour- ism Ireland in the US market which is, of course, to promote the entire island of Ireland”.

DOONBEG Golf Club has recorded sales of luxury suites totalling €68.8 million, it emerged yesterday.

The latest accounts for the US- owned Doonbeg Golf Club show that an operating loss of €2.9 million was recorded.

This has resulted in an accumulat- ed loss of €18 million. The company has received a capital contribution of €66 million.

In a statement yesterday, the club Stated, “Our enthusiasm for the future of Doonbeg Golf Club is mirrored by the 65 individuals who have to date purchased suites totalling €68.8m at Doonbeg. Indicative of the demand for these suites, even in the current climate, has been the closing of three sales in the past 30 days.

“The €2.9m ‘loss’ as stated in the annual corporate accounts for 2006, reflects continued investment into the facilities, the future and our ex- oo aCeI Dene Rm

“During 2006, Doonbeg Golf Club employed over 240 staff in the high season, of which 120 are full-time personnel. With our first year of operations in 2007, however, these numbers increased marginally.”

The accounts show that the size of the golf club’s business has increased from €27 million in 2005 to €39 million in 2006, resulting in gross profit increasing from €5 million to €11 million.

The accounts also show that staff costs dramatically increased in 2006

when €4.5 million was paid out, compared to €1.8 million in 2005.

According to the club, “Golf activ- ity remains very strong, with over 20,000 rounds played in 2006 and a 15 per cent increase to almost 24,000 rounds in 2007.”

For 2007, operating revenues have increased over 30 per cent. Our in- vestment in the facilities and our commitment to the future has con- tinued strongly.

“Currently we are in the final plan- ning stages for a 14,000 sq.ft.con- ference and banqueting facility that upon completion – which is antici- pated for 2010 – will be a wonderful addition to the existing facilities and which will afford us the opportunity to take on the many largescale func-

tions such as weddings and large dinners about which we are continu- ously being contacted.”

The statement continues, “2006 was an extremely important year for Doonbeg Golf Club and its US com- pany, Kiawah Development Partners (K DP). May 2006 saw the successful opening of The Lodge, Doonbeg’s first 47 suites, the Longroom restau- rant, Darby’s pub, the Whitehorses Spa and the golf club member ar- Crh

The company points out that the overall investment in the project, including the club, resort and suite facilities, is approaching €150 mil- lion.

through the Freedom of Informa- tion Act show that a commitment to provide €20 million over five years was deleted from two earlier drafts and did not appear in the final plan that was published in January.

Drafts circulated within Govern- ment in September and December stated, “It is intended to provide ad- ditional funds, over and above ex- isting commitments in the National Development Plan, of €20 million over five years, for a targeted Tour- ism Ireland-led overseas marketing campaign for the wider catchment of Shannon airport from Kerry to Don- egal.”

However, the line was deleted from the plan that was published in Janu- ary. It is not clear why. However, a senior Department of Tourism offi- cial pointed out in an internal memo in November, “In estimates discus- sion with the Minister for Finance, I understand that there has been a pos- itive indication of funds for a special marketing push for the area in 2008, which, as you recall, featured in the plan considered by Government.

“However, there 1s no commitment from Finance for a multi-annual programme. In the circumstances, we are operating on the basis that approval for such marketing pro- gramme has to be obtained in the context of a Government decision on the wider plan.”

The strongest statement that the Minister for Tourism, Seamus Bren-

nan could make on the funding of the plan was in an accompanying press release last January when he said, “This initiative amounts to an anticipated €15 to €20 million over the next few years and will be imple- mented by Tourism Ireland.”

The plan was ready for publication last July with the department making plans to translate the plan into Irish.

It is not clear why it was delayed since not all records were released. The delay in publishing the plan also led to concerns within the De- partment of Tourism. In an internal memo last January, a senior official stated, “In the absence of any an- nouncement about the ‘plan’, there is a clear vacuum on the ground. This will be and is being filled by ad-hoc

eroupings driven by various organi- sational agendas.

“Despite all of the talk in the latter part of last year about the need to be nimble and innovative, there is little evidence of any new thinking from those who shout loudest about the need for it.

“Surveying the scene as it currently exists, I have little doubt that we will, within the very near future, see some other ‘group’ make a pitch for control of the marketing moneys.

They will, almost certainly, pro- duce their own marketing plan and demand funding for it.

In the absence of a decision to re- lease the funds and let TI get on with their job of putting together a cam- paign, in consultation with the in- dustry, the forces of incoherence will just gather momentum.

“The budget was about six weeks ago. That gave us the funds. What we don’t have is the green light to go spend them. this delay is most unfor- tunate. We have lost the winter. We stand to lose the spring also.

“With the best will in the world, it will be mid to late February before we can Start to roll out campaigns in the US. Given the loss of time, what we may end up doing there is seek- ing to build, incrementally, demand for travel next winter.

“FOR first-time buyers, the property market has appeared more than a lit- tle overwhelming recently. However the misconception that the market has out-priced itself is now waning as a robust buyer’s market emerges,” said Liam Daly of Joseph Daly Prop- erty Partners.

He added, “The first-time buyer market has appeared to be particu- larly sensitive to changes in property prices, lending rates and the general feeling in the market.

‘However, with prices of some new and second-hand houses being cut by as much as 20 per cent and with rents in Ireland peaking at an all-time high in 2007, it makes sense for potential first-time buyers to now take that first step on the property ladder.”

He believes there has been “much scaremongering in the media of late which doesn’t actually translate when you look at the appropriate fig- ures. Cuts in interest rates and falling

house prices should be encouraging new buyers to feel optimistic again.

“Recent trends in the rental prop- erty market have seen more prop- erties become available yet rental property prices are not decreasing. Static house prices are delivering first-time buyers an opportunity to escape from the rent trap and get a firm foothold on the property lad- der,’ claimed Liam.

To assist first-time buyers in mak- ing the transition from tenant to homeowner, Property Partners has devised First Step, a guide aimed at buyers looking to purchase their first home.

The in-depth guide investigates such issues as house-hunting, or- ganising finance, mortgage options, expected costs, and includes a glos- sary of terms. Copies are available free by visiting the Property Partners Joseph Daly office or via the newly- launched Property Partners website at WwWww.propertypartners.ie or by phoning 065 6893257.

SERIOUS questions have emerged as to the HSE’s commitment to the future of Ennis General Hospital as the long promised hospital upgrade has been put on the long finger.

Five months after planning was granted for the first phase of the €39 million upgrade, the HSE has still

not sent the plans to tender.

This week, the health service ad- mitted that the upgrade was depend- ent on the much feared Teamwork Report which was set up to review acute services in the mid-west. It also admitted that the plans for the hospital have been put on hold unless additional funding can be found.

A total of €39 million had been

included in last year’s capital budget for the project.

The HSE announcement flies in the face of reassurances made by the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health before the last General Election.

Speaking in the Dail, Deputy Tim- my Dooley (FF) said, “Towards the end of last week, I was approached by a friend who works within the health

sector who advised me that the HSE has or is about to remove the planned upgrade at the Mid West Regional Hospital at Ennis from the national development plan of the HSE’s capi- tal works programme for 2007-11.”

He said that the HSE has tried to stop the development at every oppor- tunity by putting forward “the notion of value-for-money audits, cost-ben- efit analyses etc and has tried at every opportunity to block the project”’.

“What I want is a commitment that this project will go to tender this year. It is not acceptable to take mon- ey that is planned for the mid-west to use it to solve problems in Dublin,” he said.

Speaking during the same debate, Clare Deputy Pat Breen (FG) re- minded the Tulla TD that he was in government.

Meanwhile, the HSE released a statement that said it had submitted the 2008 capital plan to the depart- ment for approval.

“When the other acute priorities, which have no contractual commit- ments, are taken into account…there are some projects which will have to be delayed for a year or so or may have to be put on hold unless addi- tional funding can be identified or they can be substituted for another project in the plan.

“In the context of the capital fund- ing available this year, existing con- tractual commitments, competing national priorities and cash flow projections, the Ennis project is one such project.”

FIANNA Fail county councillors know that their future in politics will go the way of Ennis General Hospital and fear a wipeout.

With just 15 months until the next local election, the nervy politicians are only too aware of the fate that faces them if work on the hospital does not progress soon.

As the future for the hospital looks progressively bleak, the 15 council- lors fear for their seats.

iio Omi OeconorlENinocrley

of the Government party, the group secretary of the Fianna Fail council- lors in Clare, Pat Daly (FF), said that unless the development of the hospi- tal takes place “the local Fianna Fail councillors will be wiped out”.

The man who also works for Clare’s most senior politician, Junior Min- ister Tony Killeen, said that all the councillors agreed with his letter to Sean Dorgan.

“I can assure you that if the Team- work Hospital Acute Review is not positive, it will create a huge embar- rassment for the Fianna Fail party in

County Clare,” he told the general secretary.

“At this stage, it is only rumour but the HSE are not denying that this de- velopment could be delayed by up to two years. Prior to the General Elec- tion, the Taoiseach visited Clare and confirmed that the €39 million in- vestment would be going ahead.

“For the past two years, the HSE have been playing around with plan- ning briefs and designs for the up- grade of the hospital. It went to the planning stage with Ennis Town Council and in 2007 full planning

permission was acquired.

‘So here we are now. The Govern- ment allocated €39 million for the upgrade of the hospital, the local authority gave the go-ahead for full planning permission and it is held up by the HSE through the Teamwork Report,” wrote Cllr Daly.

“I urge you to get the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste to intervene by imme- diately contacting Professor Drumm and insisting that this €39 million be allocated for the original purpose, the development of Ennis General Hospital.”

A GREEN Party politician and one- time PRO of the Ennis General Hos- pital Development Committee has asked if the time has come to recon- sider protesting for the county hospi- tal’s future.

Instead, Cllr Brian Meaney has sug- gested that it may be time to consider fundraising for the hospital so that the HSE cannot use its budget deficit of approximately €2 million as an excuse to downgrade the hospital.

“No one is going to supply that from the central fund. So has it be- come time to fundraise?” he asked.

The frustrated councillor, who 1s also one of Clare’s four representa- tives on the HSE West Forum, said that he received numerous assur- ances from the HSE that the review of acute services (The Teamwork Re- port) would not affect the upgrade.

“The HSE have since informed me that the opposite is, indeed, the case and the review will determine how, when or if the proposed upgrade will

take place,” he said. “A deception has taken place. The HSE are implicated in conspiring with the political system they seek to distance themselves from, in order to ensure a specific outcome in the last general election.”

Cllr Meaney has written to Clare’s four Oireachtas members asking them to ensure that the HSE sign off on the proposed upgrade of Ennis General Hospital.

“The project is before the National Estates office, who are refusing to sign off until the review of acute

services is published,’ he wrote.

In his letter Cllr Meaney states, “The ongoing delay in progressing the upgrade of Ennis General Hospi- tal is making the project less viable. The projected cost, as of now, in or- der to complete the project has been put at €46 million, yet there is only €39 million allocated.

‘Please use your offices to further an outcome from the estates office of the HSE, so that the people who de- pend on these services know where they stand in the future,” he said.

THE annual West Clare Kidney Walk is growing in momentum every year.

In its eighth year the walk is now a staple part of the west Clare events calendar.

This year more than 500 people are expected to take part in the charity walk from Kilrush to Cooraclare.

Organised by the West Clare Kid- ney Support Group in association with the Clare branch of the Irish Kidney Association, the West Clare Kidney Walk is expected to attract a lot of support during the May bank holiday weekend.

To date the 10 kilometre walk has

raised almost half a million, which has gone towards providing facilities for kidney dialysis and transplant pa- tients at Limerick Regional Hospital, Beaumont Hospital and the Respite Centre at Tramore.

All proceeds from this year’s event will be donated to the Renal Support Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin.

The support centre, which is oper- ating for seven years, 1s located in the erounds of Beaumont Hospital all year round. It provides free accom- modation for all its residents, which include families of patients from out- side Dublin, and patients who have to travel long distance to see their consultant as an outpatient.

The centre arranges a counselling

service as required by outpatients and their families and preference for accommodation is given to families of patients receiving transplants and families of the seriously ill.

Speaking at the launch of the West Clare Kidney Walk, WCKSG chair- man Cllr Tom Prendeville and Car- mel Mc Cormack, Chairperson of the Clare Branch of the Irish Kidney Association issued an open invita- tion to members of the public to par- ticipate in the event.

Cllr Prendeville said that in places like west Clare there was a growing awareness of the problem in access- ing kidney dialysis and transplant OI KeLerere NK ee

“It is important that the public

should support this fundraiser aimed at providing better facilities for kid- ney patients. The Renal Support Centre at Beaumont is a particularly worthy cause as it accommodated the families of patients during kid- ney treatments,’ he said.

Sponsorship cards are available from any of the committee members including Flan Carmody, Vincent O’Halloran, Ruth Callinan, Ann Tubridy’s, Marie Culligan, Michelle Gallery Bernie Tubridy, Paudie Ney- lon, Carmel McCormack and Tom Prendeville and from committee members of the Clare branch of the Irish Kidney Association.

The 10-kilometre walk will take place on Sunday, May 4.

Werelmm ats couldn’t rent the house next door as a result of the unsightly local authority property.

Mr Casey said that he bought No 2 St Senan’s Terrace in Kilrush seven years ago as a rental property.

The property owner ran into diffi- culty however when the neighbouring house No | was vacated a few years ago. Soon after the front garden was being used for illegal dumping.

‘“T have been over there cleaning it up a number of times. I have killed rats over there, but I am not doing

anymore. I have been to the council numerous times to complain.

“If you have rubbish in front of your house then the council would fine you €100. I am living next door to a dump,” he said.

“It is a lovely street. I was born and reared there and that is why I brought a house there.”

Mr Casey said that he offered to buy the house from the council and renovate it.

A spokesperson for Kilrush Town Council said, “It is the policy of Kil- rush Town Council to carry out an investigation within two days of an incident of illegal dumping being re- jOLey a Keren

“Notwithstanding the fact that No 1 St Senan’s Terrace is owned by Kilrush Town Council, no report of illegal dumping at this location has

been received in the offices of Kil- rush Town Council to date in 2008. There has been previous illegal dumping at this location and Kilrush Town Council have previously taken action which involved an investiga- tion and removal of all items illegal- ly dumped,” she said.

Kilrush Town Clerk Fiona Mooney admitted that Kilrush has as prob- lem with illegal dumping – as has a number of small towns.

The town clerk said that people are dumping at a number of locations around the west Clare capital includ- ing the town centre and at the bottle bank.

The controversial house, No 1 St Senan’s Terrace, has been the subject of a public meeting.

At the January monthly meeting counillors were told that in Decem-

ber 2006 the Department of The Environment, Heritage and Local Government allocated funding for remedial work on numbers 5, 9 and 17, which has since been completed.

Between 2004 and 2006 all of the council’s houses in St Senan’s Ter- race with the exception of number | had central heating installed.

In January Ms Mooney told the council that No 1 was derelict and for structural reasons could not be RAMUDMOYISELSLem

“A demolish and infill develop- ment is possible at this location. A preliminary approach with regard to possible development of the land to the rear has been made. It is prudent for the council to await the outcome of this, before proceeding with the planned demolition and infill devel- opment at No | St Senan’s Terrace.”

NORTH Clare romantics take note, a special Moonlight to Midnight walk has been organised to take place on the Flaggy Shore next month.

The walk, which will take place on April 18, will be undertaken in complete darkness except for the moonlight and a few guiding torches placed along the way to add atmos- joa ken

All the money from the event will go towards the Irish Red Cross.

“It is going to be a very relaxed, kind of serene night. We will have no light, no nothing. The full moon

is out that night so we are going to meet at the Flaggy Shore at half nine and we are going to start rambling at 10,” said organiser Joe Queally.

“It’s about four and a half miles of aramble, maybe five. Just to add a bit of extra atmosphere to the occasion we are going to have a few old fash- ioned lanterns placed along the way.

“We are going to have music on the beach as well. As people pass by in the moonlight we have a flute player and a violin player going as well. They are just to help to get the stones talking and get the ocean talking as well. We are hoping it’s going to be a bit of a fairytale night.

The Moonlight to Midnight walk was officially launched in Linane’s of Bellharbour last week.

“It would be a great night for peo- ple to look to renew old friendships, a night to help the Red Cross or for young people just to get out there and enjoy themselves, to hold hands and walk,’ continued Joe.

“It’s nota long walk and we will be taking it very handy as well. More of a stroll. We will be keeping the group fairly together, no one will be flying off in front, but we want people to have their privacy to be together in the group.

“It’s a nice relaxing walk for eve-

ryone. It would be a great walk for people who want to walk it on their own, clear their head and find peace in their head. It should be a very spe- cial night.”

All people need to do to take part is to get a Sponsorship card from Joe and collect €100 worth of sponsor- ship for the Red Cross. For more in- formation or to collect a sponsorship card, contact Joe on 087-6260301.