Month: March 2009

PLEAS are being made in the Dail to extend time for tourism projects ap- plying for financial aid because the investors are being frozen out in the credit crunch.

Up to 30 schemes seeking tax breaks under the Mid-Shannon Tour- ism Investment Scheme were to have their applications completed by June 1 of this year.

But the credit squeeze means that most of those schemes cannot guar- antee their end of the funding, rul- ing them out of applying for the tax relief which has been built into their

oF Nerv E-haloyetcy

The Dail heard from Fine Gael TDs and senators in the mid-west that in- vestors are being hit in relation to their applications by the paralysis in the lending system.

The financial support announced in the 2007 budget was to provide tax breaks spread over seven years for new and refurbished tourism facili- ties other than accommodation.

It has been delayed for most of a year, going through the vetting proc- ess necessary with the EU.

Deputy Pat Breen (FG) said it was ‘‘a major blow for those caught in the situation. It is lunacy to jeopardise

projects like these which have the potential to create jobs in an eco- nomic crisis.”

The threat to the tourism projects 1s the second to emerge in recent times in relation to tourism earnings from Lough Derg.

East Clare’s most important source of income – tourism – could be seri- ously compromised if plans go ahead to take millions of litres of water out of the Shannon and Lough Derg to feed Dublin’s needs.

A presentation by Dublin City Council’s consultants on the pro- posed project did nothing to calm fears in the mid-west about plans to

drain 340 million litres of water a day out of the Shannon system.

The extra water is needed to meet the projected demand from Dublin up to 2031 and beyond.

Local representatives, ecologists, fisheries groups and the ESB have all added their voices to the concerns being expressed about the project.

“We don’t have anything like enough information about the im- pact which this could have on our water-ways,” said Killaloe council- lor, Tony O’Brien.

A MAN whoarrived into court drunk and repeatedly interrupted the judge has been sent to prison for a week. Daniel Higgins (50), of Woodgrove, Cloughleigh, Ennis, was before En-

nis District Court on Friday, where he faced motoring charges.

After speaking loudly from the back of the courtroom while anoth- er case was being dealt with, Judge Joseph Mangan asked was Higgins intoxicated and was told by a garda

that he was.

The judge warned Higgins not to disrupt the court again and said he would find him in contempt if he did not desist.

A few minutes later, Higgins again interrupted, asking the judge, “Are

you going to deal with my case now’? All ‘m up for is driving the car. I was insured.”

Judge Mangan said, “I find you’re in contempt of court, the reason be- ing arriving in court intoxicated and persistently interrupting the court.”

He asked him did he want an op- portunity to purge his contempt and Higgins then apologised and was told to “sit down quietly”’.

However, moments later, he again interrupted, and was jailed for seven CRASS

FIANNA Fail has announced the selection of a third candidate for the Ennis West electoral area.

Tom McNamara (56) from Kil- maley has joined Councillor Peter Considine and Garrett Greene in the line-up for the county council elec- tion.

Tom is a first time candidate who is a retired assistant director of nursing

with Clare Mental Health Services. He has been extremely active in the community in Kilmaley, helping to form the Kilmaley Development As- sociation ‘Meitheal’ in 1995, a body which he chaired for 12 years.

Tom believed it was necessary to form the association to provide a voice for the people of Kilmaley as they had no local representation on Clare County Council at the time. The purpose of Meitheal was to pro-

vide an outlet for the people of the parish to take control of their lives and make improvements for the local community. Over the years Meitheal and Tom have been very successful in achieving this goal, building 12 houses for the elderly of the parish along with a day centre that acco- modates 25 people a day, four days a week. They have also set up a FAS scheme which has helped to tidy the area, mending walls and footpaths,

as well as organising CPR training for 35 people and installing two defi- brillators in the parish.

Tom has also co-ordinated the in- stallation of a radio communication to help broadcast Mass to the elderly of the parish. He also chairs the field development committee for Kilma- ley GAA which is looking to secure two hurling fields for the centre of Kilmaley and has successfully raised €200,000 for this purpose to date.

THE developers of a €1 million cre- matorium in Shannon are to look for financial support as the economic climate is poised to present major stumbling blocks for their project.

The project has been given the green light by An Bord Pleanala, de- spite objections from local residents and local county councillor Gerry Flynn (Independent). It will be the third crematorium in Ireland, adding to existing facilities in Dublin and Core

The plan – which will include a chapel for 70 people – close to [lau- namanagh cemetery, has been on the cards for three years. Plans were in1- tially lodged in 2006, but were later revised, after queries were raised by county council planners. Its develop- ers, Shannon town councillor Sean Hillery and undertaker Tony McMa- hon, are disappointed that it took so long to achieve planning permission, but are relieved that the permission was granted.

They brought in consultants from the UK – involved in similar schemes worldwide – and an ecologist from Dublin, to assist with their plans.

Mr Hillery said that the developers will have to sit down and go back to Clare County Council, with a view to purchasing or leasing the land, on which to locate the crematorium.

Mr Hillery said the prospect of undertakers getting involved, finan- cially, in the crematorium, is a strong possibility.

“Some undertakers may take more than an interest in the crematorium. I’d say we will probably go down that road to collect money. We always in- tended to go down that road,” he said. He said the current recession “will make it much more difficult” to come up with the money for the project. “If there wasn’t a recession, we wouldn’t have to be selling shares,” he said.

‘“T have had that dream for 20 years and the location is ideal. I’ve been proven correct. The greatest ecolo- gists have come in now and said that.

I’m sorry it took so long, but on the other hand, I’m satisfied their con- cerns have been dealt with,” said Mr Hillery.

‘“Cremating will be much more cost effective than traditional burial,’ he Said.

“The grounds will be nice and secluded. There will be a concrete building and wall of remembrance,” he added.

NEW figures show that east Clare is the part of the county hardest hit by the recession.

Live register figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) yes- terday, show that there has been a 91 per cent rise in unemployment in the east Clare area.

Overall, between February of this year and February 2008, the numbers receiving welfare in the Tulla Social Welfare Office serving east Clare has increased from 610 to 1,168.

This compares to a 76 per cent in- crease across the county where the numbers on the live register have increased from 5,072 to 8,932 in the space of 12 months.

The figures from Ennis show there has been a 74 per cent increase go- ing from 2,946 in February 2008 to 5,136 in February 2009.

The figures for the north Clare area show that there was also a 74 per cent increase with the numbers on the live register increasing from 807 to 1,348.

The statistics relating to west Clare

show that the numbers in Kilrush on the live register increased from 709 to 1,216 — arise of 71 per cent.

Reacting to the figures yesterday, east Clare councillor, Cllr Colm W1- ley (FF) said, “These figures are of real concern and it is very serious. The indications are that it is going to get worse and I don’t know what exactly can be done about it at this stage.”

Cllr Wiley said that the companies located in east Clare, including Finsa and Olympus Diagnostica, “are hold- ing their own, but Finsa would be

vulnerable as it depends so much on the construction industry”.

Killaloe-based Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) also expressed his concern over the figures. He said, “East Clare is predominantly a tourist area and, in a world recession, they are the jobs most at threat.

“T would hope now that any tour- ism projects that are being proposed would be located in east Clare. | would also call on all the support agencies to provide assistance to any people considering start-up business- es in the area.”

IRISH companies are operating in economic circumstances that have never been seen before, and facing severe challenges in terms of both securing their business and retain- ing jobs. Maintaining and growing exports is critical.

Enterprise Ireland is looking to mo- bilise all of its national and interna- tional resources and 1s working with clients to help them address two key priorities right now – securing the vi- ability of their business, and maxim- ising their potential for growth.

Enterprise Ireland is running a special series of business workshops throughout the country for exporting client companies to help them ad- dress three key areas that can have a real impact on their ability to weath- er the current harsh trading environ- ment:

KEEPING crime patterns under re- view and creating a multi-faceted approach to tackling crime will be among the chief priorities for the Joint Policing Committee for the county.

The committee, which met for the first time yesterday, will consist of the county’s four TDs, council offi- cials, gardai, several councillors and community representatives.

‘The important thing is we keep under review the level and pattern of crime and anti-social behaviour and things like the misuse of alcohol and drugs,” said Cllr Joe Arkins, who is the chairman of the group.

‘Every corner of the county is rep- resented,’ he added.

He said that members of the public will be invited to some of the meet- ings, where they will be given the scope to express their views on issues of concern.

Fianna Fail TD Timmy Dooley said the forum would be “very useful. It will give gardai and politicians from across the county an opportunity to discuss issues of relevance to them. It has to be seen as a forum for devel- oping policy across the county.

“It is going to be a two-way proc- ess. Gardai and local people will work together towards a satisfactory outcome. Gardai need assistance in developing policy at a local level, for example with the county council to

develop speed limits in certain ar- eas,” said Deputy Dooley.

Fine Gael TD Joe Carey said he is hopeful the committee’s formation will be worthwhile.

“I’d be hopeful it would be opened up to the public. I think it will be a useful forum and will sort out issues in the county,” he said.

Cllr Pat Hayes (Fianna Fail) has been appointed vice-chairman of the committee. The other councillors on the committee are Bernard Han- rahan, Flan Garvey, Patrick Keane, Tony O’Brien, Cathal Crowe and

Pat McMahon (all Fianna Fail); Paul Murphy, Oliver Garry, John McIner- ney and Joe Cooney (all Fine Gael); Pascal Fitzgerald (Labour); Inde- pendent councillor Martin Lafferty and Brian Meaney (Green Party).

The current mayor of Clare, Cllr Madeleine Taylor-Quinn (FG) is also a member of the committee by virtue of being mayor.

County Manager Alec Fleming and Director of Services with the county council Tom Coughlan are also on the committee. The commu- nity members on the committee are

Stephen Walsh (East Clare Area Net- work) and Paul Gaughran and Rich- ard Cahill (Shannon Area Network).

The committee will meet every quarter and the next meeting will take place in July.

Car break-in arrests

RENEWED calls have been made for the Government to abolish its new air travel tax in a bid to protect hundreds of jobs in Shannon and Dublin airports.

Independent councillor and former Mayor of Clare, Patricia McCarthy issued the plea in response to Rya- nair’s renewed pledge to reverse its decision to axe services at the air- ports should the Government decide to abolish the €10 tax.

Ryanair called on the Government to scrap its flat rate €10 travel tax, which is due to be introduced on April | next.

“This tax will further devastate traffic and tourism at the Irish airports, and will result in major cuts to Ryanair’s flights, schedules and traffic at Cork and Shannon airports,” a spokesman for the airline said.

Ryanair recently announced its decision to reduce services at the airports with the expected loss of at least 300 jobs and a fall of two mil- lion passengers. The low-cost car- rier has publicly blamed the negative impact of the departure tax on travel bookings as the primary reason for its move. Cllr McCarthy said the Government must now immediately clarify whether it intends to remove

or at least reduce the tax.

“It is incumbent on Government to explain to the Irish public to what ex- tent the air travel tax is more benefi- cial to the economy than the signifi- cant jobs and revenue generated by the Ryanair services in question.

If the Government cannot justify this tax, then it should be held ac- countable for the loss of these jobs,” added Cllr McCarthy.

According to the Shannon-based public representative, ““Whether this is a manufactured excuse for with- drawing services or not, the airline has clearly said it will reverse its decision to axe services and jobs if the tax is

abolished. I believe that the benefits for the economy in having these serv- ices retained at Shannon and Dublin far outweigh the benefits associated with keeping this tax in place.”

Commenting on the Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan’s proposal to exclude smaller airports from the travel tax, Kieran O’ Donnell TD (FG Limerick East) said that the exclusion of Shannon is potentially hugely de- structive for the airport, Limerick and the entire mid-west region.

“T will be bringing this up in the Dail and I am calling on the Govern- ment to include Shannon Airport in the proposed exemption,” he said.

Killeen tells of his cancer battle