Month: August 2012

CHANGES in the school transport policy system allied to the increase in charges could have the most impact on families in South East Clare.

The Department of Education and Skills provides subsidised school transport for post-primary pupils who live more than 4.8 kilometres away from the appropriate school.

Responsibility for post-primary school transport was transferred from VECs to Bus Éireann in January.

According to Bus Éireann, from the commencement of the 2012/13 school year, the use of the Catchment Boundary Area (CB) System, as a means of determining eligibility, will cease for all pupils newly entering post-primary school.

From the 2012/13 school year, school transport eligibility for all pupils newly entering a post-primary school will be determined by the distance students reside from their nearest post-primary education centre, having regard to ethos and language.

According to one primary school teacher, the changes will start to effect families in the coming weeks.

Fianna Fáíl councillor Cathal Crowe, who teaches in Parteen National School, said he has already been approached by parents concerned over the potential cost implications of the new school transport policy.

He said, “I think in the next couple of weeks its going to be a big issue for parents when they start getting the paperwork. I’ve had one or two enquires so far but I think there’s going to be more.

“It’s probably going to affect students in the South East of the county more than other others. I know from talking to people in parts of East Clare, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to affect them too much. In South East Clare, you have a lot of students going to Limerick City and the spread of schools is massive. The enrollment system is also different in the sense that is more like the CAO, you have to give a list of preferences.”

He added, “Areas like Parteen, Meelick, Clonlara and even Sixmilebridge could be caught up by this. Some families could end up paying double what they normally pay.”

To be considered eligible for school transport, pupils must reside 4.8 kilometres or more from and be attend- ing their nearest post-primary education centre, as determined by the department and Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Bus Éireann state that pupils who are not eligible for school transport, under the above criteria, may apply for concessionary transport subject to a number of terms and conditions. These concessionary pupils will not be exempt from paying the annual charge nor will they count for the establishment or retention of a service, the company says.

Speaking last month, George O’Callaghan, CEO of Clare VEC, told a meeting that a significant number of school goers could be affected by the changes to school transport policy.

Remote area grants are payable by the department as a contribution towards private transport arrangements for eligible pupils for whom no transport service is available. These grants may also be paid for eligible pupils who live 3.2 kilometres or more from the nearest pick-up point for school transport.

The single annual charge has also been raised to € 350 per pupil. The maximum amount for a family is € 650 per year.

COMMUNITY groups in Ennis, Sixmilebridge and Gort have put together a list of proposals which they feel could increase the traffic on the Western Rail Corridor. The West on Track organisation have compiled the suggestions of community representatives at every stop along the Western Rail Corridor and are currently in negotiations with Iarnród Éireann about implementing some of the new ideas.

West On Track spokesperson Colmán Ó Raghallaigh confirmed yesterday that a working document had been completed but would not reveal details of any of the suggestions at this time. The Clare People understands that a number of initiatives, includ- ing five-day student commuter tickets from Ennis to Galway and Limerick, are currently being examined.

Other possible ideas on the table include the creation of commuter zones between Ennis and Limerick and Gort and Galway where reduced commuter fairs could be introduced.

This news comes following figures released last week which show a continued poor performance of the route between Ennis and Athenry. The significance of these figures has been questioned by West on Track, who say that figures have been presented selectively to undermine the project.

“We refute the notion that the Western Rail Corridor consists of a piece of track between Ennis and Athenry. Some elements of the corridor have been hugely successful and there are parts which do have room for improvement,” said Colmán Ó Raghallaigh from West on Track.

“We set up a working group this spring involving people from all communities along the route and they have put together a report and, using that report, we are working with Iarnród Éireann to see where improvements can be made.

“We have representatives from Ennis, Gort, Sixmilebridge and Athenry involved in putting this report together. We have met Iarnród Éireann to discuss it and we will be meeting them again very soon.

“We believe that Iarnród Éireann is now intent in getting the very best out of the railway. It is a matter of great regret that this wasn’t there from day one but it is better late than never.

“An example of this was seen recently when Iarnród Éireann ran extra rail services on the line for the Galway Races and the Volvo Ocean Race and they also operated services late at night – this was very successful. This was one of the proposals which was put to Iarnród Éireann, they did it, and it was a great success.”

RESCUE services in Kilkee had a busy afternoon on Saturday when two separate serious incidents took place in the village.

A woman in her 60s fell from the pier wall in the village just after 1pm on Saturday afternoon, while three divers also required urgent medical attention at the same time after a suspected case of the bends, also known as Decompression Sickness or Caisson Disease.

The woman, who was walking along Kilkee pier when the incident took place, is understood to have missed a step and fallen more than 10 feet to the rocky base of the pier. Her fall was partly broken by moss and seaweed at the pier base but she still sustained a number of broken bones in the incident as well as injuries to her head.

At the same time, three divers raised the alarm with the emergency services when they reported feeling sick after aborting a dive unexpectedly following a malfunction in their equipment.

Both the Kilkee Unit of the Irish Coast Guard and the Kilkee Marine Rescue Service responded to the incidents, while the HSE ambulance was also diverted to the scene.

The woman was treated at the scene but her injuries were serious enough to require the Shannon-based coast guard helicopter to be scrambled to Kilkee to airlift her to hospital in Galway.

The three divers, who were all members of a Limerick-based subaqua club, had returned to shore and changed out of their equipment when one reported feeling unwell. One of the divers had suffered an equipment malfunction and had been forced to resurface quickly.

For safety reasons, he was accompanied by two other divers while he resurfaced. Divers who are forced to resurface too quickly can suffer from the bends, because of the quick change in water pressure. This can lead to serious injury and even death and cause an embolism or a bleed in the brain.

All four injured parties were airlifted in the same helicopter to University College Hospital in Galway where they were treated for their injuries.

THE body tasked with dealing with disputes between third parties and landlords arising from allegations of anti-social behaviour says it has not received any complaints regarding rented properties in Clare in the last 18 months.

The Private Rental Tenancies Board (PRTB) received 2,060 applications in 2011, of which only four per cent related to anti-social behaviour.

In a statement yesterday, a spokeswoman said, “It would appear that none of these cases were from rented dwellings in County Clare.”

A spokeswoman explained that the PRTB can investigate allegations of anti-social behaviour within the limits of the act.”

She added, “The PRTB can, as a civil body, award damages against landlords, where such allegations are upheld. In order to take a case, a third party must provide evidence that they have already attempted to resolve the matter directly with the landlord. Allegations of a criminal nature, for instance drug taking, assault etc, should be reported to the Gardaí for investigation and prosecution through the courts.”

She stated, “Should a third party take a case to the PRTB in respect of these allegations, it should be noted that the tenancy can only be terminated by a landlord serving a valid notice of termination (NoT) on the tenant. The PRTB does not have the power under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 to order a landlord to serve a NoT or indeed to terminate a tenancy, without the landlord serving a valid NoT.

She continued, “As a quasi-judicial body, the PRTB must operate in a totally impartial manner between disputing parties so cannot offer advice to either party in relation to their dis- pute. However, the board has authorised PRTB management to prioritise cases where there are allegations of serious anti-social behaviour, for instances where there is threat to life or the fabrication of the dwelling.”

A spokesperson for the PRTB said it was “important” for people to take cases against landlords whose tennants consistently engage in anti-social behaviour.

Landlords are required to register properties with the PRTB within one month of tenancy. Failure to do so can result in a court appearance, a € 4,000 fine and/or six months in prison.

THE lack of a dedicated helicopter landing pad in Kilkee is putting lives at risk by delaying how quickly injured people can be airlifted to hospital. At present, the most suitable place for the Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter to land is at the first tee of Kilkee Golf Course, which must be cleared in full before a rescue operation can take place. A site for a dedicated helicopter landing pad was identified by locals more than 10 years ago but nothing has been done in the meantime to make the site a workable option. Following a number of high-profile accidents in the locality in recent weeks, Manuel di Lucia of the Kilkee Marine Rescue Service, believes that the site, which is in public ownership, could be made ready to receive emergency helicopter traffic for as little as € 30,000. “I don’t think that it’s good enough that here in the Kilkee area, where we have had some very serious incidents over the last couple of weeks, yet we don’t have a designated landing pad,” he said. “This wouldn’t cost a lot of money at all. For as little as € 30,000, they could put together a very workable landing pad which would not interfere with overhead wires and houses. “I think we need to invite the chief pilot from the Shannon-based coast guard helicopter, someone from the coast guard and someone from the Department of Transport down to meet with someone from Clare County Council to assess the site and see if it still fits the needs of the modern rescue helicopters. “This site would be closer to the rescue centre in Kilkee and it would be much easier to get there, so it would speed up the time it takes to get an injured person to hospital.”

THE power and importance of the local media in giving a voice to people throughout the county was highlighted at the annual Merriman Summer School which was staged in Lisdoonvarna last week.

Ennis woman Fiona Stack, who is general manager of Radio Kerry, showcased the significance of the local media in her lecture to the 45th Merriman Summer School that had as its theme ‘Thriving at the Crossroads: Rural Ireland in a Globalised World’.

Ms Stack said that local media fulfilled an important part of community life in rural Ireland, because it has “always been more answerable, had to be more responsible, had a sense of being around for the long haul”.

“Local media provides access to groups and voices that would never make it onto the national radar,” said Ms Stack. “All local issues are discussed and debated more, whether its concerns over cutbacks, local authority meetings, changes planned in local development plans, public meetings, or attempts to attract industry or tourists,” she added.

“It provides an important connection for exiles, a daily link to home and a means by which even if you do have to go away you can still stay part of the conversation, and when you do come home you can slip straight back in. Those links abroad can be called on for practical networking purposes for the benefit of an area.

“For anybody that doubts it, rural Ireland still has energy, still has community spirit, still has laughter, still has a future and still has many many stories to tell,” she added.

Ms Stack was one of number of keynote speakers at the Merriman School, which was chaired by former Director General of RTÉ, Bob Collins.

HE died 210 years ago, but renowned Ennis poet Thomas Dermody has been brought back from obscurity thanks to the work of University of Limerick academic Dr Michael Griffin, which was celebrated at the Merriman Summer School on Friday.

The Romantic-era poet, who was Clare’s answer to Robert Burns in the destructive lifestyle that he led and his literary genius, had his work republished and launched at the Merriman Summer School.

A critical edition of the Selected Wr itings of Ennis poet Thoma s Der mody (1775-1802), edited and introduced by Dr Michael Griffin of the School of Languages, Literature, Culture and Communication, and published by Field Day, was formally launched at the Royal Spa Hotel, Lisdoonvarna.

“He was much admired in his own time by leading figures in the political and literary cultures of Dublin and London for his prodigious tal- ents in poetry,” says Dr Griffin. “He published his first volume of verse in 1789 at the age of 14, but Dermody was also infamous for his selfdestructive lifestyle and he died in London at just the age of 27,” adds Dr Griffin.

According to Professor Seamus Deane, Dermody “is now seen in a more chastened spirit as a figure who flits uncertainly between Robert Burns and Thomas Moore, the great exemplars of those in whom a romantic nationalism and a liberal politics were key ingredients in the production of the new poetry”.

Professor Deane also said that the edition of his Selected Writings, edited by Dr Griffin, “defines his achievements and status with an unprecedented authority and precision”.

Dermody’s biographer James Grant Raymond said of him, “There is scarcely a style of composition in which he did not excel. The descriptive, the ludicrous, the didactic, the sublime — each, when occasion required, he treated with skill, with acute remark, imposing humour, profound reflection and lofty magnificence.”

In addition to a volume of verse published when he was 17, Dermody also published a pamphlet on the French Revolution in 1793, ‘The Rights of Justice or Rational Liberty’.

In 1806, James Grant Raymond published the ‘Life of Thomas Dermody, interspersed with pieces of original poetry’. He then went on, in 1807, to publish ‘The Harp of Erin, or the Poetical Works of the late Thomas Dermody’.

A NEW form of decentralisation was on the table for discussion in Lisdoonvarna over the weekend, as Fianna Fáil spokesman on Agriculture, Food and Community Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív, called for a reintroduction of the much maligned policy of his former government.

Deputy Ó Cuiv was speaking at the final major panel discussion of the Merriman Summer School alongside MEP Mairéad Mc Guinness at the Pavillion Theatre on Saturday evening. The theme of the discussion was ‘On the Land’ and Ó Cuiv suggested a new targeted form of decentralising as a means of invigorating rural areas.

The outspoken former Fianna Fáil deputy leader said that decentralisation could be carried out again on a more organised and incremental fashion over a longer period.

“I believe that the current Government should continue with a targeted programme of decentralisation,” he said. “Unfortunately, urban areas tend to be socially segregated and, in my view, that is a great ill in our society. Having grown up in Dublin and come to live in Cornamona, I have come to appreciate the strength of community life,” he said.

Speaking at the same event, MEP McGuinness said there was more to rural Ireland than septic tanks and turf-cutting rows. “In a globalised world, there is no room for a mentality of ‘they are for us or they are against us’,” she said.

The Director of this year’s Summer School, Chairman of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, Bob Collins, said this year’s summer school is about the very future of rural Ireland.

“In current economic conditions, where the easy optimism of a few short years ago has evaporated and where the enduring presence of institutions that have supported rural communities for almost two centuries can no longer be taken for granted, there is much on which to reflect,” he said.

A NOTE of hope for the future of Ireland was heralded by Professor Kevin Whelan at the Merriman Summer School in Lisdoonvarna last week. Professor Whelan, who is the Director of the Keough Naughton University of Notre Dame Centre in Dublin, opened this year’s Summer School at the Pavillion in Lisdoonvarna.

According to Whelan, rural communities in Clare and all over Ireland remain beautiful but should be developed with reference to the local environment and the work of previous generations, rather than through other ideas imposed from outside.

“Despite our efforts to exploit it, to ravage it and to neglect it, we still live on a beautiful island. We can re- store Ireland to itself and bequeath it to Irish people not yet born. We can all still open our minds, our eyes and our hearts to it,” he said.

“Seamus Heaney does this as he experiences the Flaggy Shore in the Burren in autumn. He says, ‘When the wind and the light are working off each other’ and ‘big soft buffetings come at the car sideways and catch the heart off guard and blow it open’.”

The theme of the 2012 Summer School was ‘Thriving at the Crossroads: Rural Ireland in a Globalised World’ and this put the focus of many contributors on both the positive and negative changes which impacted on rural Ireland during the Celtic Tiger years.

“The rural countryside is the cumulative creation of countless gen- erations of people living in a specific place, the sedimentation of culture from the stream of time,” continued Professor Whelan. “It nourishes deep social and psychological wellsprings by providing a sense of continuity. It remains too, an enduring source of spiritual and artistic inspiration, stimulating creativity in our best artists. It provides an inexhaustible font of ideas on how we can best use our land, sympathetic with the wider search for ecological sustainability and socio-economic well-being.

“The countryside is the dynamic arena in which the drama of human history, the never-ending dialogue of nature and culture, has been constantly played. Cultural landscapes embody the natural history of humankind, of a long and evolving relationship with landscape.”

THE life and times of Maeve Binchy are to be honoured in County Clare following the announcement of a new short story competition at this week’s Merriman Summer School in Lisdoonvarna.

The novelist, playwright and short story writer, who passed away on July 30 following a short illness, was a long-time supporter of the Merriman Summer School and had both visited and taken part in the event on numerous occasions.

The Merriman Short Story Competition will be run by the Merriman Summer School in conjunction with the Ennis Book Club Festival and the Irish Times .

With a first prize of € 1,000, it looks set to be one of the richest short story competitions taking place in Ireland next year.

The competition was announced by multi-Tony Award-winning director Garry Hynes of Druid Thea- tre in Lisdoonvarna on Sunday.

Speaking at the closing event of this year’s Summer School, Garry Hynes said that Maeve had given inspiration and confidence to many aspiring writers, and that this competition marked Maeve’s passing in a very appropriate way.

In 2005, Maeve Binchy wrote a special short story for the Brian Merriman bicentenary celebrations. The story, entitled ‘A Week in Summer’, was read by the author at that year’s Summer School in Lis- doonvarna and was recorded live. A limited edition of the story was subsequently published in CD and booklet form and Maeve donated the royalties from the US edition of this recording to the Cumann Merriman, while she also agreed that her donation be used to award a short story prize.

Entries for the competition must be original, unpublished and unbroadcast and should not be more than 2, 500 words in length. All entries must be set in Ireland. Stories may be written in Irish or the English language. The competition is confined to writers born in or living on the island of Ireland.

The closing date for entries is October 31, 2012. The winning story will be read at the 2013 Ennis Book Club Festival and will be published in the Irish Times .

Full rules for the competition will be published on September 15 on www.merriman.ie, www.ennisbookclubfestival.com and www. clarelibrary.ie.