Month: May 2008

THE possibility of a mass exodus of the Brazilian community from Gort would have a devastating impact on the town, both economically and so- cially. That is the opinion of Adrian Feeney, who founded a Diploma in Community Development and Inte- eration in the village two years ago. With Brazilians now believed to number almost 40 per cent of the towns total population, Mr Feeney believes that a mass immigration brought about by a downturn in the

economy could turn Gort into a ghost town.

“Tt would have a devastating im- pact on Gort in a number of differ- ent ways. They are very much part of our community here as it is and they do contribute both socially and economically.

“They buy stuff in our shops, the rent houses in our community, it would have a real impact economi- cally as well as socially. They did put Gort on the map,’ said Mr Feeney, who is a former head of the Gort Chamber of Commerce.

According to research being com- piled by Brian McGrath of the De- part Political Science and Sociol- ogy at NUI, Galway, large levels of Gort’s Brazilian community are working without documentation in a black market. This puts them in a particularly vulnerable position fol- lowing the downturn in the economy and especially in the construction industry.

Mr Feeney believes that the prob- lem of undocumented Brazilians in Gort has been overstated and has im- proved greatly over the last number

of years.

“We ran the Community Devel- opment Diploma ourselves in Gort which insured that all their rights would be looked after. Especially people who would not have the best command of English,’ continued Weoteays

“T think that a lot of the problems regarding the black market and peo- ple getting exploited were redressed a year ago. There is no doubt that there are still people living in Gort who don’t have all their paperwork, but there will be repercussions for

anyone who doesn’t have their paper- work in any country.

“These people immigrated with their friends and family and there is no real doubt that there are people working in the black market. I think that the repercussion for them after the slowdown would be the same as everyone else employed in the con- struction industry.

“But the diploma was a very posi- tive step, it really highlighted the need for these guys to be legit but it was also about highlighting to the Brazilians their own rights.”

AN Ennis couple have been once more vindicated in their opposition to plans for a mixed-use development on the town’s historic Francis Street.

Last year, Ennis Town Council granted planning permission to Galvin Construction for a mixed-use development on a strategic site at the junction of Francis Street and Clon- road.

The proposal by Galvin Construc- tion Ltd was for the construction of a contemporary office building at the site.

The company had been trying to develop the site for a number of

years, but were stymied in their ef- forts by Vincent and Anne Coffey of Clonroad, who already had an objec- tions against development at the site upheld by An Bord Pleanala.

In 2004, it emerged that the Cof- feys withdrew their objection against an unrelated €20 million housing scheme at the Quin Road, Doora by Luxury Homes (Galway) Ltd af- ter the company paid them £85,000 (€107,930) and gave them two free sites.

The Coffeys operate a business adjacent to the site in Doora and ex- pressed concern over the impact the proposal would have on their devel- e)eeonle

They stated that at no time did they approach the developers with the intention of securing payment of money, gifts, consideration of other inducement.

The Coffeys have a material inter- est in the proposed Francis Street development as they own property adjacent to the site and claim that the scale, massing, design and setting is inappropriate and likely to under- mine wider development in the area.

In the assessment of the applica- tion, the board inspector stated that the proposed development accords with the thrust and emphasis of the Development Plan.

“It is, however, noted that both the

county engineer and town engineer have serious reservations about the development being premature given the need for improvements to the Francis Street pumping station and it is anticipated that construction work will commence in 2009.

‘In the circumstances, even though the planning authority do not feel the proposed improvement works have any bearing on the appeal site, it is considered the works could well have an impact on any future development and this needs to be clarified.”

The proposal was refused as the board considered it premature as 1m- provements are to be carried out to the Francis Street pumping station.

can reveal that three drivers in the county have amassed 12 penalty points and, as a result, have been banned from driv- ing for six months.

Twenty drivers have received 10 points each, two have received nine points, 61 motorists have amassed eight points, while seven drivers have got seven points each.

279 drivers have received six points, while 32 motorists have earned five points. One driver has four penalty points, while 48 Clare motorists have

received three points.

The single biggest amount of driv- ers – 7,142 – have two points, while 146 drivers have one point each, bringing the total number of drivers to 9,001.

Drivers who receive 12 points with- in three years are then banned from driving for six months.

Penalty points apply to 36 offences, including careless driving, crossing a continuous white line, not wearing a seatbelt and speeding.

Offending drivers are issued with fixed charge notices and if they pay the fine, the points are added to their licenses. However, they can contest their cases in court and, if success- ful, the points will not be added to NCJ P mB BLO eoe

The single biggest offence commit- ted by Clare drivers over the past two years was speeding. 8,360 drivers were caught for this. 1,075 drivers were caught for not wearing their seat belts, while 715 were detected driv- ing while using their mobile phones. 324 drivers in Clare received points for crossing continuous or broken white lines.

The next most significant offence was drivers failing to obey traffic lights (174), followed by failure to comply with traffic signs (121).

Several Clare drivers were also caught for overtaking, driving with- out reasonable consideration, fail- ing to stop before spot lines and not ensuring children were wearing seat ere) LiSe

The head of the Clare Garda Divi- sion Traffic Corps, Inspector John Galvin said it was disheartening that sO many drivers were ignoring the road traffic legislation.

“It is disappointing to see that peo- ple are continuing to breach the laws, despite the enforcement and public campaigns. It is putting people’s lives at risk,” he said.

“We are continuing to enforce the regulations. All gardai are doing it throughout the division,” added In- spector Galvin.

‘Expect to see us on the roads,” he WEN e Eee b

As part of a nationwide crackdown on motoring offences, the traffic corps in the Clare division increased significantly in size last year.

JUST days after the proposed N18 Gort-Crusheen bypass looked dead in the water, the Department of Trans- port has somehow come up with the cash to keep the project afloat.

Speaking last Friday in Galway, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon O’Cuiv said that he had received a firm com- mitment that construction works on the entire N18 upgrade, including the Gort bypass, would commence early next year.

Construction on the long muted by- pass was scheduled to begin in the first half of this year, and some 170 Clare and Galway farmers have en- tered into a negotiations for the com- pulsory purchase of land needed.

]Sr-Nu DCs SOU EcMmOeCOOLNeMmE OO CoMmBN EIB Ceyer-D Roads Authority (NRA) confirmed that they would not be in a position to begin work on the Gort bypass this year as planned because of a lack

of funds.

This sparked fears in the local farm- ing community the NRA and both Clare and Galway County Councils would attempt to undercut the price already offered to farmers.

Under the compulsory purchase order process, the NRA has frozen the value of the compensation for the land. The IFA’s Roads Project Team Leader, Jer Bergin, last week hosted a meeting of landowners effected by the bypass.

“This new road will affect the live- lihoods of over 170 landowners and will involve the construction of over 24 kilometers of new road,” he said.

However, the National Roads Au- thority confirmed that €20 million has been provided for works on the N-18 in 2008. They also confirmed that the bulk of this money will go towards land purchase. The remain- der will be spent on site surveys, an archaeological study of the route and advance work projects.

THE immediate future of Ennis General Hospital will be known in approximately two weeks when the health capital programme is pub- lished.

Clare’s four TDs said they were hopeful that funding for the hospital would be included in the critical list for this year after meeting with the Minister for Health, Mary Harney, last Thursday. All of Clare’s mayors were also in attendance.

Some months ago senior health of- ficials indicated they did not believe that the funding would materialise with the money being diverted in- stead to St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin.

Minister for State at the Depart- ment of Agriculture Tony Killeen (FF) said that it was obvious from the meeting that the Minister for Health would like the funding to be listed for this year on the National Development Plan HSE capital fund- ing 2006-2011, but ultimately the decision was with the Health Service Executive (HSE).

“T always believed that it would happen as part of that programme, it was only a question of when,” he said.

Fellow Fianna Fail TD Timmy Dooley said he “was delighted that the minister gave a very positive in- dication that the hospital construc- tion project was on the list”.

He was critical of members of the HSE who, he believed, “tried to put

the project on hold’, favouring Dub- lin projects.

“IT am prepared to monitor this and intervene again to ensure the project finally goes to construction,’ he said.

Fine Gael Deputy Pat Breen said he was Satisfied that the delegation final- ly “tied her down to a time frame”.

The deputy believes, however, that the project may not begin construc- tion until 2009, as the proposed ad- dition of a number of isolation wards could delay the process by three to four months.

“I am more confident after the meeting on this occasion because there is a lot of pressure coming from Fianna Fail councillors coming close

to the local and European elections,” he said.

Deputy Joe Carey (FG) said that the minister must adhere to the time frame of two weeks as given.

“The minister has now given us a set timescale of two weeks. She must now honour this. I will be holding the Government to account in Dail Eireann to finally deliver this much promised redevelopment of Ennis General Hospital.”

He also rejected HSE claims that recommendations of the report on the C-difficile outbreak could cause further delays.

A WOMAN who has 84 previous convictions added to her “appalling” record the theft of a pair of Podge and Rodge dolls and other items, a judge was told.

Emer O’Connell (25) of 93 Ab- beyvale, Corbally, pleaded guilty in Shannon District Court to steal- ing the dolls and other goods worth a total of €74 from Dunnes Stores, Shannon, on December 10.

She also pleaded guilty to stealing cosmetics worth €47 from Varden’s pharmacy in Newmarket-on-Fergus on December 15 and a bottle of bran- dy worth €30 from Shannon Knights Off-Licence also on December 10.

Her solicitor, Darragh Hassett, told Judge Joseph Mangan that the young woman has “an appalling record”. She had been “taking heroin on both dates. But she has turned a corner and is now on a methadone mainte- nance programme.

Mr Hassett told the court that his client has a child, who was put into care by the HSE but had recently been returned to her.

“If she goes to prison, it 1s a fact of life that drugs are available, despite the best efforts of the prison staff and, in all likelihood, she will be re- introduced to heroin.”

Judge Mangan remanded her is cus- tody until May 23 for reports on drug and alcohol abuse.

A 24-hour Ennis supermarket was forced to temporarily close after a security guard was ‘boxed into the eye’ and his assailant had to be re- strained by customers.

Bartlomiej Konieczko (24), a na- tive of Poland and with an address at Cornmarket Street, Mill Road, En- nis, was brought to court just hours after an incident in the early hours of last Friday.

Garda William Delaney told Ennis District Court that he arrested the ac- cused at 3.15am.

He was charged with assaulting Michal Rudowski, with engaging in threatening, abusive or insult- ing behaviour and with providing a false name and address to gardai, at Dunnes Stores, Ennis.

SW slemcleltbuMm cme) Cem Ner-lmee-NRee-NEAN (one called to Dunnes Stores, where they

spoke to security staff.

“They told me the accused had as- saulted one man on the door,’ said Gda Delaney.

He said gardai were told that the ac- cused had confronted a doorman and threatened him. He was then asked to leave the store.

‘He then hit him a box in the eye. It was captured on CCTV. He had to be restrained by customers,” said the garda. He said the store had to be closed and gardai were called.

‘He again hit out. He had to be re- strained. He threatened the injured party. He said he’d burn his house and kill his family. It was all said in Polish,” said the garda.

Gda Delaney said the accused gave an incorrect name and only after he was charged on Friday morning did he provide his correct details.

Defending solicitor Ted McCarthy said his client has lived in Ireland for

the past three years, two of which have been spent in Ennis.

“All of these events happened last evening under the influence of alco- hol,” he said.

He said that both the accused and injured man were Polish nationals and said there had been a “history of dislike between the two”.

“Ennis is a relatively small place. The Polish community in Ennis would know each other. They never got on. There is animosity between Nees 00 MaancT HIG MnO CemO) beri KOe

However, the garda said the door- man would say he did not know the accused, prior to this incident. The solicitor said his client would un- dertake to stay away from Dunnes Stores, if ordered to do so.

The accused was remanded in cus- tody for a week for gardai to establish if he had any previous convictions in his native country.

A MAN who took almost €8,000 worth of aluminium pallets from outside two businesses in Shannon believed he had the authority to do So, his solicitor told a court.

Patrick McNamara (29), of The Sta- bles, Lickadoon, Ballysheedy, Limer-

ick, admitted stealing 13 aluminium transportation pallets in the Smiths- town area of Shannon. He took eight of them from one premises and five from another, last September.

Garda Paul Coleman told Shannon District Court that the pallets are used to transport cargo in the airline industry. He said the pallets were left

outside the business premises and McNamara had sought permission to take them.

However, while truck drivers – who were on contract to the companies – told him the pallets were a nuisance, he did not have the authority to take possession of them.

He brought the pallets to Limerick

and sold them as scrap. While they were worth almost €8,000 new, he only got €530 from them.

The court was told that while management at both companies did not expect full compensation, they sought some compensation.

Defending solicitor Daragh Hassett said his client had collected pallets from various premises, over a two- year period. “He got the green light from the wrong people,” said the so- licitor.

Garda Coleman accepted that “there certainly wasn’t anything untoward in that he wasn’t coming during the night disguising his vehicle.”

Mr Hassett said his client “very much falls into the reckless category when it comes to the thefts. He was told in both locations they were a nuisance and could be taken.

‘“He’s not a thief by any stretch of the imagination, but accepts he has to plead guilty on the reckless aspect of it,” said Mr Hassett.

Judge Joseph Mangan adjourned the case for a year for the accused to come up with €3,000 in compensa- tion.

A 30-YEAR-OLD west Clare man has been extradited from the US to face a charge of sexual assault in Clare. The accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of sexually assaulting a female in west Clare in 2002.

He was extradited to Ireland last Wednesday and brought before Dub- lin District Court. He was remanded

in custody to appear before Ennis District Court on Friday.

At that court, his solicitor, William Cahir, applied for free legal aid for his client, who he said had been in custody for a number of weeks pend- ing the extradition from the US.

He said he was seeking bail for the accused. However, Inspector John Galvin said he would be opposing ey nOR

Mr Cahir said that a bench warrant

had been issued at Kilrush District Court in 2003. His client has been in the US since then and has received a PALI MOL UKOE

“His family have travelled over and back. His family were not given no- tice a bench warrant was still being pursued,” said the solicitor.

Mr Cahir said his client was will- ing to follow bail conditions that the State would impose.

“It appears the earliest he will face

trial 1s October or November as the June and July circuit court dates have already been fixed,” he said.

Judge Joseph Mangan refused bail and remanded the accused in custody to appear in court later this month.

Outlining his reasons for refusing to grant bail he said, “On grounds that he failed to answer bail in Kil- rush in 2003. The State had to pursue him outside the jurisdiction, and no reason has been given to the court.”

FIVE people have appeared in court, charged in connection with incidents involving three Traveller families in Ennis last week.

They were charged arising out of alleged offences on three days last week and all five were remanded in custody, after gardai objected to ey nUe

Michael Maughan (23), of Stone Court, Ennis, is charged with dam- aging a woman’s car at Dun na hIn- ise, Ennis, last Wednesday, May 14.

Patrick Molloy (18), of Gordon Drive, Cloughleigh, Ennis, is facing five charges. He is accused of dam- aging five cars last week – one at Dun

na hInise and four at Shalee Drive, J SyayAbEse

Christopher Mongans (22) and Thomas Mongans (20) of Shalee Drive, Ennis, and Michael Mongans (27), of Bridge View, Roslevan, are accused of having a machete with a sharply pointed blade, at Sandfield Road, Ennis, last Thursday.

The court was told that in reply to charge after caution, Mr Maughan replied, “I’m an innocent man.”

Inspector John Galvin told the court that there were a number of de- fendants “all related to the same set of circumstances. [ll be opposing bail in relation to all of them.”

He said he was opposing bail on the erounds that “gardai are very fearful

of the outcome of this feud. We have people working all week on this.”

‘We fear people themselves or in- nocent parties will get seriously in- jured,” said Inspector Galvin.

Mr Maughan’s solicitor William Cahir said his client would abide by strict bail conditions, if granted bail. He said the case will be fully con- tested.

Bail was refused after a woman claimed in court that Mr Maughan got out of a car at Dun na hInse last Wednesday with a “bell hook and a plank of wood in his hand” and went over to her car. Mr Cahir told the court that was “a fabrication’, his cli- ent “wasn’t anywhere near the area’.

Mr Cahir, who also represented

Patrick Molloy, said all of the charg- es would be fully contested. “It will be a particularly strong defence,” he Sr nLG

Solicitor Ted McCarthy, who rep- resented the Mongans, said he was applying for bail for all three.

Garda Jason Lardner then told the court that an incident occurred on the Sandfield Road area of Ennis the previous day.

‘A number of people got out of a car and went to attack another per- son,” he said. He said the people got back into the car, which the gardai searched. We found pieces of wood in the car,’ said the garda. He said that Christopher, Thomas and Michael Mongans were in the car.

Inspector Galvin said that inves- tigations were ongoing and further charges were likely.

‘Public safety is the reason we are objecting to bail,” he said.

Mr McCarthy said the charges will be contested and said his clients would undertake to abide by any conditions the court would have in mind.

However, Judge Mangan refused bail. “I have had an opportunity to- day to get a feel for the atmosphere surrounding these matters. What I’ve observed is a cause for concern,” he said. He said he was refusing bail, based on the gravity of the charges, the strength of the evidence and the concerns expressed by the State.