Month: September 2008

FEARS are growing in the Clare tourism sector that the overseas mar- keting budget, promised as part of the Open Skies agreement, will face the chop in this years early budget.

“We would like to make sure that the overseas marketing budgeting for tourism is not cut back and maybe we can even add to it. We have been Shown before that at times of crisis, if we spend the money on advertis- ing oversees we do feel the bounce from it,’ said Michael Vaughan of the Irish Hotel Federation.

“We need to insure that the Shan- non Airport Catchment Area Mar- keting fund, which was part and par- cel of the Open Skies agreement, be maintained.

“We are due €5 million in a mar- keting budget for four years, we have only seen one year of this and the

government has not as yet said that they will be delivering on the re- mainder.

The Irish Hotel Federation has also called on workers to “share the pain” when approaching wage talks.

‘We have a concern about the ris- ing cost of service – spending gener- ally should be maintained. We need to insure that major infrastructure projects like the N18 corridor from Galway to Ennis are not held up,’ continued Mr Vaughan.

‘We need to have a very modest ap- proach to wages at the moment. Our industry has undergone serious wage inflation in recent times.

‘We don’t want to see people disad- vantaged but we do feel that wage in- creases would be at a very minimum. A pay freeze would be something that we would hope to achieve but it is anegotiation situation and we will have to see what happens.”

THE transport sector is preparing itself for what could be a crippling blow should October’s budget bring an increased tax burden for the in- dustry. According to the Irish Haul- age Association, companies are currently operating on the brink of collapse and any further loss of com- petitiveness would spell disaster.

“T cant see how this budget can do anything at all to help the haul- age sector. They didn’t do anything when they had a surplus so I cant see how they are going to do anything now that they haven’t,” said Eugene Drennan of Spa Transport Ltd in En- nis and the Irish Road Haulage As- sociation.

“We would seriously hope that our cost are not risen either by excise on fuel or on VAT. We are caught very badly by the recession that is effect-

ing the world and also the recession that has crippled the building sector here in this country.”

A number of haulage companies in the region have already stopped trading, while others are operating on much decreased fleets.

“If our competitiveness is decreased anymore the trucks on the road will take a serious hit. This is not a profit- able business at the moment – there are people surviving right on the margins, there are people going out of business,’ continued Drennan.

‘Every business is struggling, peo- ple are just trying to cope as best they can, and if we get another set back from the government it will be a disaster. People are very worried that the government is going to take their feet out from under them with this budget.”

BUSINESS interests in Ennis have welcomed the Government decision to bring forward the 2009 budget in a bid to deal with the economic crisis.

Last week, Finance Minister, Brian Lenihan announced that the 2009 Budget will be revealed on October 14 and a number of initiatives de- signed to boost economic activity will be announced over the next few weeks.

Ennis Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer, Rita McInerney said that businesses will welcome the Governments’ action to take the reins to try and restore economic ac- tivity and consumer confidence.

“T believe this is a very positive move. There is a feeling that some- thing needs to be done.

“This shows that the Government

is taking control, it shows them in a pro-active role and will increase confidence.”

But the CEO warned that there are concerns about what measures will be announced to balance the public books.

“IT would be cautious in terms of cutbacks or reneging on things that have been promised for this region. I’m thinking in terms of things like the water supply and other infra- structural items. If these are not in place, then Ennis will not grow’, McInerney said.

She added that “infrastructure 1s the one area that is causing most con- cern and there can be no cutbacks in that area.”

The Chamber is ‘strong in the be- lief that if the infranstructure is there, “investors won’t be slow to do their job.”

THE Government has begun work in the 2009 budget even before a firm commitment has been given to capi- tal health programmes for this year.

And among the projects still not signed off for 2008 is the €39 mil- lion for the development of Ennis (lor) elejopleve

Last May, Health Minister Mary Harney promised a Clare deputa-

tion including Oireachtas members and mayors that the Capital Works Programme for 2008 would be pub- lished within weeks and despite ear- lier reports to the contrary, she was confident the long drawn out Ennis Project would be included.

Fine Gael TD Joe Carey said essen- tial investments in healthcare in the mid-west must not be the first casu- alty of the economic downturn.

“The Department of Health have

yet to publish their capital works programme for 2008, despite the fact that we are now almost three quar- ters of the way through the year.

At the end of May, Minister Harney promised funds for the redevelop- ment of Ennis General Hospital as part of the HSE Capital Development Programme 2008.

Since then there has been little mention of the promised €39 mil- lion, which is essential for the rede-

velopment of the hospital. There is the real chance now that the funding will be deferred until the 2009 Cap1- 0m OKO sear: DOD ES LoMMNN OORT: BIG

“T would have huge concerns that funding of essential health services in Clare will not be delivered. This Government has procrastinated on this issue since before the 2002 Gen- eral Election. The continued fail- ure to deliver much-needed funds for Ennis General Hospital makes

a mockery of government commit- ments. How can we believe anything this Government tells us?” asked the elo) vi ate

“The fact is that the Government did not prioritise the redevelopment of Ennis General Hospital up to this point, and they could easily have done so in times of plenty. So it does not bode well in times of economic tightening, that funding is still not forthcoming.”

WITH the poor weather showing no signs of clearing, The Department of Agriculture last week offered some relief to Clare farmers by lifting some of the restrictions on early up- land grazing in the Burren.

Clare TD and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Tony Killeen, confirmed on Thursday that the de- partment has sanctioned a once off lifting of the restriction placed on REPS 2 and 3 farmers from grazing animals in upland areas of the Bur- ren before October 1.

The north Clare TD confirmed that the decision had been taken in light

of the impact of animals grazing on lowland areas that have been ad- versely affected by record-breaking rainfall this year.

Minister Killeen said that partici- pation in REPS 2 and 3 is guided by traditional farming practices where- by animals are moved from lowland areas to upland grasslands during Aurea

“This year, however, we have wit- nessed extremely wet weather con- ditions, which have made the move- ment and grazing of cattle in lowland areas extremely difficult for farm- eI ae OLomnsy-b (Om

“T am delighted to confirm that the Department has agreed to lift the October Ist restriction on condition

that individual farmers notify the lo- cal Department of Agriculture office of their intention to move animals.

“The approval of once off early ac- cess to the firmer winterage lands in upland areas of the Burren will be of benefit to farmers, the environment and animal welfare.”

Minister of State Killeen pointed out that the Department’s decision comes just three weeks after Minis- ter Brendan Smith announced a six- week extension of the REPS slurry- spreading deadline.

Meanwhile, Clare Fine Gael TD, Joe Carey last week called on the Minister for Agriculture to extend the scheme for investment aid for Farm Waste Management. This

scheme has involved the building of slatted houses in order to comply with EU directives.

Over recent months, extreme weath- er conditions have hampered severe- ly building work. “Summer 2008 has been one of the worst on record for rainfall in Ireland. Records show it was the wettest August for 170 years with between 14 and 21 wet days during the month,” he said.

“There is no doubt that farmers have had a very difficult summer, with tillage farming, in particular, badly hit. We need to ensure that the farming community is given every assistance dealing with the weather conditions and the difficulties the ex- treme weather present.”

THE small Kilkenny parish of Danesfort will this month host the National Ploughing for the sixth time in it’s history. The countdown officially began last week for this year championships, which will take place from September 23 to 25.

This years championship will in- clude more than 900 trade stands, require more than 15 kilometres of trackway to be laid and feature a host of marquees and other infra- Name eneh cen

This years machinery exhibition promises to be bigger than ever with up to 15 tractors brands on show. The new Claas AXOS tractor range will be launched while Tanco will be launching three new products and

Hi-Spec will be showing the new XCEL 1250 spreader.

This year’s championships will play host to no less than 19 All Ire- land Ploughing finals over the course of the three days.

The Under-28 and Under-21 Cham- pions will be selected Tuesday while the Queen of the Plough and the Sen- ior Horse Champion will be selected Wednesday.

The Supreme Senior Conventional Champion selected over Wednes- day and Thursday, the Kverneland Reversible Champion selected from Thursday’s Reversible Test and these are just some of the finals taking je e-leror

The winner of the Supreme Conven- tional and the Kverneland Reversible will qualify to represent Ireland at

the World Ploughing Championships in Slovenia in 2009.

Wexford Ploughman Willie John Kehoe won a silver medal in the erassland competition at the World Contest in Austria recently and team mate John Whelan scooped fourth overall.

“We are delighted to be back in Kil- kenny on these magnificent farms of the Woodcock and Barry families,” said Managing Director of the NPA, Anna May McHugh at the official launch last week.

“Its been a terrible summer for farmers with at least 25 per cent of the harvest still to be cut but as you can see the site is in excellent condi- tion despite recent weather and we are looking forward to what’s shap- ing up to be one of our best events

to date.”

Meanwhile, Concern will be cel- ebrating its 40th birthday at this year’s Ploughing Championships. Chief Executive, Tom Arnold, said the agency is using the ploughing ex- hibit to thank the thousands of farm families for their generous support over the past four decades.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is also returning to the National Ploughing Championships this year as part of its campaign to promote road safety.

This year, the RSA will be offering 40,000 free high visibility vests for children and adults, in association atbe

A NEW campaign aimed at reducing heart attack and stroke in Clare has just been launched.

According to Health Promotion Officer Geri Quinn, local research shows that two out of three Clare adults over 35 are overweight, have high cholesterol and high blood pres- sure, all of which increase their risk of developing heart disease.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of chronic illness, dis- ability and early death in Ireland. 22 per cent of premature deaths (under age 65) are from cardiovascular dis- Cos

A person with high blood pressure or cholesterol feels well, looks well and rarely has any symptoms. How- ever, high blood pressure and cho- lesterol makes the heart and arteries work harder, causing damage over the years. This can lead to a heart at- tack or stroke.

Mr Quinn said, “Knowing your blood pressure and cholesterol is re- ally important. Blood pressure and

cholesterol can be controlled but first you need to know your numbers”. If you are over 30, the Irish Heart foun- dation recommends that you should have your blood pressure checked every two or three years.

During Heart Health Week, the Ennis Leisure Complex is offering a personalised fitness programme at the special price of only ©40. This includes blood pressure, lung capac- ity and flexibility checks and body composition assessment and a fit- ness programme is drawn up to suit the client’s individual needs. It also includes three free uses of the pool ZNO mcatenee

“Physical activity and stress reduc- tion help to lower blood pressure so we are delighted to work with the Ennis Leisure Complex to promote good heart health,” said Mr Quin

Heart Health Week is part of a three-week campaign to make Clare a healthier place. Clare sporting and health organisations including Clare Sports Partnership, the Clare branch of Mental Health Ireland, the En- nis Leisure Complex and the Clare Health Promotion Unit of the HSE will join forces to show three steps to

a healthy mind and a healthy body.

The campaign runs from September 22 to October 12. BNO OA Lered has a sep- Nel Kommn eI related message and there er Mee NUTS variety of activities, workshops and talks on of- fer, everything from rock climb- ing to sailing and brain training to laughter yoga.

INSPIRE – Munster’s biggest fashion event returns to the Crescent shop- ping centre in Limerick for the third successive year from this Thursday to Saturday, September 20.

The programme will include four free fashion shows as well as a “Demo Nite’ with demonstrations and ad- vice from hair, beauty and skincare professionals.

The fashion shows are a must-see for the latest up to the minute looks and prizes on offer include a Crescent

Shopping Centre makeover to the value of €1000 and a €150 voucher from Peter Mark at the Demo Nite, on Thursday at 6.45pm.

The fashion shows will be held on Friday at 2.45pm and 6.45pm and on Saturday at 11.30am and 3.30pm. Fashion expert Celia Holman Lee will help you choose the look you want from the many superb fashion stores at Crescent and you’ll also be in with a chance to win vouchers from Shaws and McCabes.

On Saturday, a judge from RSVP magazine will choose the Best

Dressed shopper at the Crescent GO TNKMA INOUE USM ADONI BESO RIAN IToaE:| €500 shopping voucher.

Pick up a form at the centre and pop your completed entry into the infor- mation booth in the centre concourse at the Crescent Shopping Centre be- fore Saturday.

EMPLOYMENT opportunities in Clare will be highlighted when over 300 jobs go on offer at the Western Development Commission’s Look- West.ie Expo on Thursday.

Last year’s event attracted over 500 visitors, all of them interested in working and living in the west. This year there will be a strong emphasis on the benefits of starting or expand- ing a business to the western region with a seminar on the supports avail- able and case studies of companies successfully operating in the west.

Commenting on the event, WDC chief executive Gillian Buckley said

that since the launch of the Look- West.ie campaign in November 2004, there were over 350,000 visits to the LookWest.ie website.

“Our partners from Clare County Council and Clare County Develop- ment Board, Enterprise Ireland, FAS and Shannon Development will be at the Expo to tell entrepreneurs how they can help those thinking of set- ting up a business in Clare.”

The Expo at the Alexander Hotel, Merrion Square, Dublin 2, starts at noon on Thursday and goes on all day until 9pm to give those at work the chance to attend. It’s open to individuals and companies and it’s free.

WercLammau rea ote potential export compa- nies are doing well, de- spite the recession.

He was commenting on reports that there have been 617 redundancies in Clare since the begin- ning of the year and that unemployment figures have risen in the county month on month.

He said that applications for assist- ance with start-up funding are still rolling in from all over Clare and ex- pansion and building plans are going ahead in many areas.

Enterprise Ireland is supporting 123 enterprises in the region, em- ploying 1,843 jobs, a net growth of 87 on this time last year (as can be seen in the table on the right).

In indigenous companies involved in manufacturing and internationally traded service, there has been a net gain of 395 jobs. Enterprise Ireland supported 20 companies in Clare to the tune of €3 million in 2008 , ind1- cating a healthy potential for invest- ment and growth, he said.

“We support community enterprise also and we have applications in from Ennistymon, who are looking

to employ a business development manager and from Kilrush for a new community enterprise building, to the tune of €2 million. There is still a healthy interest in start-up busi- ness, particularly in the international services sector,’ Mr Moloney added.

Another sector doing well is high-

potential start-ups which

look to international

trade from the outset.

These have the potential

to grow sales in excess of

€1 million and create 10

jobs in three years. The

enterprise agency 1S cur-

rently supporting 27 such

oyenhey-bavCow pom melomucscele)E

“The slump in the con-

struction sector has ac-

counted for a large number of jobs

losses but companies which have

found a niche market and companies

which are dealing internationally are still doing well,” he said.

‘People who have the best potential to do well from a start-up are those coming from a multi-national back- eround. We’re currently talking to people from companies like Avocent and Sykes who are interested in their own start-ups.”

Mr Moloney pointed out that ex- ports have risen nationally from €10 billion in 2003 to €13.18 billion in 2007. “This year’s figures will prob- ably be relatively static because of the strength of the dollar and for companies to hold their position would be a good result. But it’s not all gloom and doom,” he said.