Month: December 2009

Council set to lift partial boil notice in Ennis

AN AMBITIOUS | new project, which aims to document the oral his- tory of the county, was launched in Ennis last week.

The Clare Oral History and Folk- lore group was formed in February and their latest project Cuimhneamh an Chlair or Memories of Clare aims to record, archive and share the memories or the older people living in the county.

The group has began a programme digital recording and already con- ducted more than fifty interviews with older people in Clare – includ- ing two 105-year-olds, one of whom, Margaret Hoey, passed away just two weeks after her life story.

According to Cormac McCarthy, Leas Cathaoirleach with Cuimh- neamh an Chlair, a huge amount has been achieved by the organisation in a relatively short time.

“Since February, we have worked extremely hard at developing a well planned, strategic and systematic in1- tiative. We had to begin by consult- ing with all relevant agencies and or- ganisations both across the country and internationally in order to ensure all our elements were developed ac- cording to best practice,” he said.

“The group have been busy with organising the professional training of all the Cuairteoiri, who have vol- unteered from across County Clare. In addition, Cuimhneamh an Chlair

have been invited to speak at many conferences including an interna- tional folklore conference in Kerry, a national oral history summer school at the University of Limerick, the Milwaukee Irish Festival and other lecture series across Clare.”

Since their formalisation, Cuimh- neamh an Chlair have recruited and professionally trained 25 volunteers

who have been contacting and visit- ing some of Clare’s oldest citizens in order to record their unique insight into a fading way of life in County ETc

Age Action Ireland have acknowI- edged the ‘Cuairt’ of visits by the group is an excellent way of docu- menting memories and endorsed the work of Cuimhneamh an Chlair in

the county.

“The resurrection of Cuairt will help to build social cohesion in com- munities across Clare by enhancing connections within towns, villages and townlands in the county and by highlighting the presence and the value of elderly people who re- side in different parts of Clare,” said Edel Greene, the Group Secretary of

Cuimhneamh an Chlair.

‘The primary aim of Cuimhneamh an Chlair is to record the precious memories of our elderly, while they PVeomS SOOM aloe me ne

Floor levels may have contributed to problem

under the Free- dom of Information Act, of the 11 staff members dealing directly with Traveller issues, seven have been transferred to other areas of the local authority since 2004, with two other retiring during that time.

No details were given on why such a high number of staff members re- ceived transfers to areas of the coun- cil which do not deal directly with

Traveller issues.

According to Traveller rights cam- paigner, Heather Rosen, this is part of a wider campaign to erode the stand- ing of Travellers when dealing with the local authority. She claims that the local authority have failed to replace a dedicated Traveller social worker even though the position has been va- cant for more then nine years.

“It’s not a good situation. When Clare County Council are issuing court proceedings against a Traveller family they can easily get the Envi- ronmental Health Officer out to say that the accommodation is not fit to live in, but, when Traveller families are desperately in need because of problems with accommodation, no-

one is ever sent out. All of a sudden they say that they don’t have the per- sonnel to examine the homes or they are not qualified,” said Rosen.

“There was a dedicated social worker in the Traveller Accommo- dation Unit until 2000 and when she left she was never replaced.”

According to Rosen, Clare County Council have begun a process which will bring to an end all local author- ity positions which deal only with OBE NON mp EoKe

‘From what I have heard there is not going to be anyone dealing directly with Travellers anymore. Travellers will be dealing directly with the gen- eral council staff even though their situations are drastically different

from anyone else who will walk into LoLeTaTeopmoLUbN Cen Dercamae

Clare County Council were con- tacted in relation with this story but no comment was received at the time of going to press. However, according to the the information received under the Freedom of Information Act, a number of the positions mentioned involved dealing with both Traveller and non-Traveller issues.

Meanwhile, a grandmother in her 5Os was rushed to hospital again this weekend after taking ill in her caravan. The woman, who suffered from epilepsy and asthma, has been engaged in a long running dispute with Clare County Council in search of accommodation.

LOW incomes families have been singled out by the Government and targeted for extra harsh treatment be- cause they don’t have a coherent voice within Irish society.

That is the opinion of Treasa Dovan- dor, founder of the Protest Against a Child Unfriendly Budget (PACUB) organisation, who believes _ that families have borne the brunt of last week’s budget.

The group, which gathered more than 16,000 signatures for a petition against the budget, feels that the deci- sion revealed last week will create a new poor in Ireland.

“We have had feedback from a lot of families who feel that on top of the loss of the Early Childcare Sup- plement and the 10 per cent cut, they have suffered a 50 per cent cut in the Government support for families. We don’t feel that any sector within so- ciety has been hit as hard. No one is

there to speak up for families and in particular low income families, there isn’t really a voice for people like us and that is why we set up this organi- sation in the first place,” said

“This budget mainly hit middle and low income families and will create a new poor in Ireland. It is a blunt instrument and something like a 10 per cent cut can send people spiraling below the poverty line and they won’t be caught.

“We are an easy target. Parents have

childcare issues and we have work is- sues. It is not easy for us to down tools and head off marching to Dublin like the pensioners did. For us parents who are carrying the shoulder of much of the cut, we seem to have no-one fight- ing our corner except for PACUB,”’ she continued.

“T think that maybe families have been beaten down and conditioned to accept cuts for the benefit of the coun- try. There is very little fight left in families. We have already taken our

hit – we have already paid our share. The public sector have seen levies and now a loss of pay and people in the private sector have seen large reduc- tions in pay and many have lost their jobs – myself included.

‘““We have paid more than our share for this mess that we had nothing to do with creating. Child poverty is now a massive concern in this country. One in seven children are on the poverty line in this country and that is before this cut in child benefit happens.

ENNIS Town Council has main- tained commercial rates at the current level of 65.45 per cent in its budget for PAUnTeR

It follows similar moves taken by Clare County Council and Shannon Town Council to also freeze rate lev- els.

Town Manager, Ger Dollard an-

nounced the decision at Ennis Town Council’s annual budget meeting last week. The decision is expected to serve as a boost to local business representatives who had _ lobbied the council to cut or freeze rates at present levels.

Mr Dollard also announced a reduc- tion in council spending for the year ahead and stated that there had been a significant reduction in income lev-

els. In his report, Mr Dollard stated, “The budget as presented provides for commercial rates to be maintained at the 2009 level and for parking charg- es also to remain at 2009 levels. The current rate for Ennis is at the lower end of the scale relative to similar sized towns around the country.

He added, “The draft budget pro- poses expenditure of €12,143,853 million, which is a reduction on the

amount provided in the budget for 2009. Overall income shows a sig- nificant reduction with a fall in in- come levels evident in many service areas and in Local Government Fund Grant Allocation. The provision for the County Demand in the budget is €2,983,000 which is a one per cent increase on 2009.

Welcoming the budget, Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) urged the council to

pursue government funding in order to purchase land for the development of local authority housing.

Cllr Michael Guillfoyle (Ind) urged people to recognise that the council did not have “pocketfuls of money” to spend in the year ahead.

Cllr Mary Howard (FG) acknow- eldged the difficult financial circum- stances in which the council had pre- pared its budget.

PARKING charges in Ennis have been frozen at the current level of €1.20 under Ennis Town Council’s budget for 2010.

Announcing the decision at last Thursday’s budget meeting, Town Manager, Ger Dollard also signalled the council’s intent to carry out a “major review of parking arrange- ments and charges in 2010”.

In his report, Mr Dollard stated that while parking income for 2009 is ahead of budget, “income from traffic fines is substantially down on anticipated budget levels for the year’.

He continued, “This would sug- gest a higher levels of compliance with parking regulations despite the temporary reduction in spaces due to works on the Ennis Flood Relief Scheme. These spaces will again be available for 2010. It 1s proposed to undertake a major review of park- ing arrangements and charges in 2010 and present separate proposals for consideration of council. No ad- ditional income has been assumed in the draft budget from such a re- aoa Ale

A proposal from Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) to reduce parking charges and to introduce free parking on Fridays from 2pm onwards was rejected.

Describing the budget as “very dif- ficult”, Cllr Flynn said new parking initiatives were needed to halt what he called the “drain” of shoppers from Ennis to Limerick and Gal- way. He claimed that the creation of 60 extra car park spaces in Parnell Street would generate a turnover of €1,100 per space.

Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) said Cllr Flynn’s proposal could not be in- troduced as councillors seeking to alter the budget had to also identify

matching proposals that would either raise revenue or reduce costs.

Cllr Flynn countered by rejecting Cllr Meaney’s claim that his propos- al was a “populist” one.

“T’m not being populist. I’m trying to be positive to promote the town,’ he said.

Mr Dollard told the meeting that the council has allocated €210,000 from its own resources to the 2010 roads programme.

He added, “The overall situation regarding roads will need to be re- viewed when road grants are notified in 2010 as there is evidence of sig- nificant work required as a result of the serious flooding that occurred in mid-November.

On the issue of the Ennis Inner Relief Road, Mr Dollard stated, “An arbitrator has been appointed under the Compulsory Purchase Order for the acquisition of the land required. It is expected that the arbitrator will report in mid-2010. Provision has been made in the draft budget under the provision of loan charges for this project. Loan approval will be required from the department to progress this scheme.”

AN Ennis man who was jailed for four years last month for a drugs of- fence has been handed an additional jail term for criminal damage.

Michael Clune (24), of John Paul Avenue, Ennis, pleaded guilty to a criminal damage charge arising out of an incident a year ago.

Ennis District Court was told on Friday that an apartment door was damaged. The accused admitted to gardai that he had been in the apart- ment.

The court was told that Clune is currently serving a four-year sen- tence, handed down in the circuit court last month for a drugs offence.

Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey said that her client was “acting un- der the influence of controlled sub- stances and alcohol” on the night in Ltn Coyne

“Unfortunately my client forced open the door,” she said, adding that the accused believed this was the apartment he had been in, earlier that night.

‘He had been drinking and had been anxious to get back into the flat where the party was on,’ she said.

Judge Joseph Mangan imposed a four-month jail term, to run consecu- tively to the four-year term Clune is currently serving.

He fixed a bond in the event of an appeal.

A COURT has heard that a man’s nose was broken and teeth were damaged during a pub incident in GR

The smallest items cause the biggest grievance