Month: September 2012

A DISTRICT court judge ordered the governor of Limerick Prison to appear before him to explain why a West Clare prisoner was not receiving treatment for drug addiction while serving his sentence.

Michael Sweeney, 15 Wood Road, Kilrush, was charged prior to Tuesday’s hearing of Kilrush District Court with stealing a mountain bike in April. The defendant, who is currently serving a three-year sentence, with 18 months suspended, for han- dling stolen goods, pleaded guilty to the charge.

In evidence to the court, Detective Garda Downes said that a red and white 24-gear mountain bike worth € 1,100 was stolen from a shed in Kilrush on April 13.

On April 17, gardaí repossessed the bike from a man who told them he purchased it from Mr Sweeney.

Mr Sweeney admitted to gardaí that he had the bike.

The court heard that the 24-yearold accused had a drug problem and it was the drugs that led him to theft.

“There is no treatment for drugs in prison but he will get it when he gets out,” his solicitor said.

When questioned by Judge Patrick Durkin, the prison officer accompanying Mr Sweeney said there was treatment available in Limerick Prison but Mr Sweeney was not receiving any. He did not know why.

The judge refused a report on the matter from the probation service.

“This country is struggling and gasping for breath because of reports and meetings,” he said.

He requested that the governor of Limerick Prison or a representative attend Ennis District Court the following day to explain why Mr Sweeney was not receiving treatment. “It is a complete travesty,” said Judge Durkin. “Once the matter is explained we can sentence.”

Assistant Governor Mark Kennedy appeared at Ennis District Court on Wednesday. Mr Kenendy told the court that Mr Sweeney had been seen by a medical team on his arrival at the prison. He said that on a scale of 1 to 12, Mr Sweeney had scored 3 for the amount of opiate in his body.

He said this was “very low”, similar to the amount of codeine found in a Nurofen tablet. Mr Kennedy said, “He wasn’t a chronic user of it (heroin).” He said Mr Sweeney would be receiving treatment for his addiction from Merchant’s Quay this week.

Defence solicitor Fiona Hehir said her client does need help at this stage of his life. Judge Durcan imposed a three-month prison sentence to run concurrent to his current sentence.

Judge Durcan wished Mr Sweeney the best of luck in fighting his addiction.

THE battle to prevent fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, taking place in Clare is back on following “extremely encouraging” results released by UK-based Enegi Oil last week. Preliminary studies carried out in the Doonbeg area have revealed the West Clare Basin has a higher degree of oil and gas than had been previously thought.

Share prices for Enegi Oil rose sharply following the release of the Doonbeg test results while a second company, Tamboran Resources, is now also understood to be looking at the possibility of fracking in the Clare Basin.

This has prompted an angry response from local anti-fracking campaigners who hosted a protests against fracking on Lahinch beach last week. Members of Clare Fracking Concerned, the West Clare Surf Club and members of the public came together to spell out their views to the Minister for Energy, Pat Rabbitte (LAB) and Enegi Oil last week.

“If fracking was to be allowed, it would threaten not only our drinking water but also the sheer beauty of West Clare. From Doonbeg to the Cliffs of Moher and beyond could be effected. Why risk any threat to all the natural beauty that already exists in Clare,” said Róisín Ní Gháirbhith of Clare Fracking Concerned.

“It would be detrimental to our environment but also and most important- ly our tourism industry. Who wants to visit Clare and see a big concrete slab the size of a football pitch every two kilometres all over the western part of the county? It could turn Clare into the ugliest county in Ireland instead of the most beautiful.”

Earlier this year, Clare County Council voted to change the County Development Plan to ban fracking from taking place in Clare.

The decision is largely meaningless, however, as the Minister for Energy, and not Clare County Council, is the planning authority for any large- scale energy projects such as the one proposed for the Clare Basin. The Clare People contacted Enegi Oil in relation to this article but no response was received at the time of going to press.

In a statement released by the company last week, chief executive Alan Minty said the latest results “strengthen our belief in the potential of the Clare Basin”.

CLARE farmers will be allowed to be buried on their own property in the future, provided Clare County Council gives the burial the thumbs up. The Department of the Environment have confirmed they there is no longer any statutory legislation preventing a Clare landowner being laid to rest on their own land. However, each home burial will have to receive official permission from Clare County Council before a burial can legally take place. Kilnamona farmer Cllr James Breen (Ind) says he now intends to apply to Clare County Council for permission to be buried on his farm when he passes away.

“I’m delighted with the news from the department and I can’t see any reason now why a local authority should not allow a farmer or his family to be buried on his own land if that is what they wish. I think that this is something that a lot of people will opt for in the future,” said Cllr Breen.

“It is a wish of my own – I want to be buried on my own land when I go to my eternal reward. You see farmers who love their land and the next thing they die and they have to go maybe 20 or 30 miles away to be buried. If they could, I think a lot of them would want to be buried on their own land. I can’t see the floodgates opening up but I think if anyone wants to be buried on their own land they they should now be allowed.”

In an official letter from the Department of the Environment to Clare County Council, it was confirmed that once environmental matters such as water contamination were taken care of, the department had no objection to Clare County Council granting approval for home burials to take place.

“I’ve no intention of dying just yet but when the time comes I will be getting buried on my farm. I have 40 acres in Kilnamona and I have identified one field where I would like to be laid to rest. It is entirely up to the rest of my family then if they would like to join me there after that,” continued Cllr Breen.

“There is nothing more sacred than a mans own land. The birds, the bees, the foxes, the wildlife will run wild over it. It is a sacred place.”

AN Ennis woman who was convicted of soliciting a man to murder her then partner would like to return to live in her native town again.

However, Sharon Collins is not planning on moving back to Ennis anytime soon. She was released from the Dochas women’s prison centre last Monday. Ms Collins is on temporary release and will not be on full release until her sentence ends in December.

The 48-year-old was jailed for six years in November 2008 after a jury found her guilty of soliciting a man to murder her partner, PJ Howard, and his two sons, Robert and Niall Howard, on August 15, 2006.

Her co-accused, Essam Eid, was also jailed for six years for demanding money with menace and handling stolen property.

Her solicitor, Patrick Moylan of O’Kelly Moylan Solicitors, said Ms Collins would like to return to live in Ennis again but is worried about the impact of media intrusion on her family.

He said, “She would like to return to the town. She has always been supported by her family and friends and that support has continued. However, she knows that the level of media attention her moving back to Ennis would bring on her family and friends would be unfair.”

The former administrative worker with Clare VEC has continued to maintain her innocence. Under the terms of her release, Ms Collins is not permitted to engage with or speak to the media until her full release in September.

She is currently working on two books that will focus on her experiences since 2006. Mr Moylan explained, “She is writing two books. One will be about the case and one will about her life inside prison.”

Neighbours are said to be unhappy with the level of media interest in the area. It is understood that a reporter from a Dublin tabloid was chased from a garden near the home of a relative of Ms Collins last week.

CLARE is the most expensive county in Ireland in which to purchase home heating oil. That is according to a countrywide survey carried out by the National Consumer Agency at the end of last month.

The survey makes depressing reading for financially stretched Clare families, especially those living in the Ennis area.

The national average price for 1,000 litres of delivered home heating oil was € 964.

However, Ennis recorded the high- est average price within a local area with the cost averaging out at € 974 – € 10 more than the national average and € 25 more expensive than the average cost of home heating oil in Dundalk, County Louth.

The National Consumer Agency conducted a telephone survey of 165 home heating oil suppliers on 29 August in 24 “delivery areas” across Ireland. The survey sought to quantify the price levels for the supply and delivery of 1,000 litres of kerosene (home heating oil).

When it came to surveying the Ennis area, the researchers found that there was just € 10 between the cheapest and most expensive 1,000 litres of oil.

Of the seven quotes sought in Ennis, the most expensive was € 980 while the least expensive was € 970.

The difference between the maximum and minimum quotes nationally was found to be € 85, as prices ranged from € 910 to € 995.

The lowest price, € 910, was recorded in the County Louth (Dundalk area), while the highest overall quote, € 995, was surveyed in Gal way County (East area).

The biggest difference between the minimum and maximum quote obtained within an individual area was found within the Louth, Dundalk area, € 80. The lowest range of € 10 was found in three areas including Ennis, Tralee/Kilarney, County Kerry and Sligo. While nationally the home heating oil pricing survey reveals that most consumers can make savings of around € 30 to € 40 if they shop around, in Ennis the saving is just € 10.

“You could save even more money if you haggle with your supplier rather than just accepting the first price they quote you. Once you have a couple of quotes, see if your own supplier can offer you a more competitive price. If not, you can switch to a more afford- able provider. It is also worth getting quotes from suppliers outside of your local area – they may be cheaper and happy to deliver to you,” a spokesperson for the NCA said.

“You can also reduce your energy bills by making some small changes in how you use energy in your home, for example, by reducing your heating to a comfortable 20°C. Lowering your thermostat by just 1°C can knock 10 per cent off your heating bill.”

The survey was published in the same week as an increase in the cost of electricity and gas was announced. THE PROVISION of a 10-bay bus parking facility and two free electric car (e-car) charging points in Ennis town centre are among a series of proposals included in Draft Bye-Laws for the Clare County Capital which go on public display this week. Ennis Town Council has prepared the Draft On-Street Pay and Display Bye-Laws 2012 in relation to the control and regulation of the parking of vehicles within the Town Boundary of Ennis. The Draft Bye-Laws go on public display tomorrow, Tuesday, Septem

ber 11.

Welcoming the publication of the Draft Bye-Laws, Mayor of Ennis Councillor Peter Considine said: “I warmly welcome any initiatives geared towards improving traffic flow in the town.

“I am particularly pleased with the proposal to allocate bus parking bays which will help to attract coach business to Ennis by facilitating operators with easier access to the town centre.”

Commenting on the proposed provision of two free e-car charging points, Mayor Considine said: “Drivers of environmentally-friendly e- cars travelling throughout County Clare will benefit by knowing that the charge points that are proposed will be available for their sole use. The charge points will also encourage road users across the County to consider an e-car as an alternative to petrol of diesel vehicles.”

The Draft Bus Park Bye-Laws include the provision of 10 spaces for bus parking only in Friars Walk, close to Glór Irish Music Centre. Parking will be permitted 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Meanwhile, two spaces are to be reserved for free electric car charging points, one each in Glór Car Park and Abbey Street Car Park. Two-hour parking will apply to the spaces.

Meanwhile, the Draft Bye-Laws provide for two-hour parking at 477 spaces between the hours of 9am and 6pm (Monday to Saturday) at Abbey Street (13), Bindon Street (38), Buttermarket (14), Dalcassian Drive (10), Francis Street (120), Gort Road (46), Harmony Row (20), Limerick Road (9), McNamara Park (20), New Road (11), Newbridge Road (14), station Road (67), Cottage Gardens (new) (7), Summerhill (12), Lifford Road (Kellys Corner) (10), and Turnpike Road (66).

Four-hour parking is proposed for a further 160 paces during the hours of 9am to 6pm (Monday to Saturday) at College Road (28), Mill Road (46), Drumbiggle Road (32), Cloughleigh Road (new) (36), and Simms Lane (18).

The Draft Bye-Laws go on display today, Tuesday, September 11, and a copy of same may be inspected at the offices of Ennis Town Council during normal office hours from Tuesday, September 11, to Thursday, October 11, or on its website at www. ennistowncouncil.ie.

CLARE County Council is now issuing leaflet information to Clare households in relation to the regis tration of domestic wastewater treatment systems.

This registration of septic tanks is proving as controversial as the household charge among mostly rural homeowners.

The local authority has been charged with ensuring people are well informed about the issue well before the February 1 deadline.

The Local Government Manage ment Agency (LGMA) has developed a central online registration system and will manage the system on a shared-service basis for the water services authorities, including Clare County Council.

All septic tanks and other types of treatment and disposal systems for domestic wastewater are to be registered not later than February 1, 2013. However, there are savings to be made by registering before the end of this month. Registration payments received by September 28 will be subject to a € 5 fee with the registra tion fee increasing to € 50 thereafter up to 1 February.

“Under the Act, owners of domestic waste water treatment systems are required to ensure that their systems are on the register,” explained Mr. Paul Moroney, Senior Engineer, Clare County Council.

“No decisions have been made regarding the numbers or locations of inspections to be carried out, or the risk-based criteria to be used when targeting those inspections. Inspec- tions under the new legislation will not commence until 2013 and the commencement of inspections will be publicised in the national and local media,” he added.

“You should take care not to allow uninvited persons, or persons claiming to be septic tank inspectors, to enter onto your property in advance of the launch of inspections. You will be formally notified by your water services authority if your domestic wastewater treatment system is to be inspected. Inspectors will be required to carry identification and you should ask for this to be presented to you,” he concluded.

The charge can be paid online at www.protectourwater.ie or by cheque/postal order/bank drafts at a local authority office. Registration forms may be obtained from public libraries, citizen information centres, Aras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, and at the following area offices: Kilrush, Shannon, Ennistymon, Scariff, Ennis and South East Clare. For further information, contact or Lo Call 1890 800 800 or visit www. protectourwater.ie.

PRIMARY schools across County Clare are now among the most overcrowded anywhere in the country.

These alarming statistics from primary education in the county have been revealed this week in new study published this week, prompting the county’s Irish National Teachers Organisation supremo to describe them as “a wake up” call for the Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn.

The figures show that now almost 90 per cent of primary pupils in the county are in classes that are greater than the European Union average.

And almost 90 per cent of pupils in Clare schools are in classes of 20 or more, while over a quarter are in “supersize” classes of 30 or more children.

The latest figures show that 27 per cent of primary pupils are in classes of 30 or more, which translates into 3656 pupils in the county being in classes of 30 or more. In addition to this, 58 per cent of pupils are in classes of 20 or more and 15 per cent of pupils are in classes under 20.

The INTO said the figures showed the impact of government cutbacks on the ground in schools. The General Secretary of the INTO, Sean McMahon, the county’s representative on the national executive, described the findings as a wake-up call for the minister. He said Irish class sizes were now the highest in the EU and called on the minister to stop the rise in over-crowded classes.

“Irish class sizes are back to where they were a decade ago and getting worse. In 2002, average class size in Ireland was 24.5m the same as it is today. More than one hundred thousand children (112,821) are in classes of 30 pupils or more, up 10 per cent on the previous year,” said Mr McMahon

The INTO General Secretary, Ms Sheila Nunan commented that the primary school classroom is the frontline of the education service.

“It is where most children spend the majority of their time,” said Ms. Nunan.

IN AN era when the HSE is relying more on air travel to attend serious emergencies in West Clare and other rural areas, concerns have been raised that one busy town is without a publicly designated helicopter pad.

The population of the seaside town of Kilkee also multiplies during the summer months, making the need for emergency access more urgent.

Mayor of the coastal town, Cllr Claire Haugh (FF) said that the need for the helicopter pad had to be a priority, especially as a support to the entire local emergency services.

Helicopter support has proven essential to voluntary organisations such as the Kilkee Marine and Rescue Service.

For many people rescued off the cliffs and in the sea, time is of the essence when it comes to accessing medical help.

Kilkee is more than 95 kilometres from the nearest Centre of Excellence at the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Dooradoyle, Limerick.

“For a coastal town like Kilkee, this is vital. We must take it on as a project for the coming year and ensure it is installed,” said Mayor Haugh. “We are now asking Clare County Council to get working on a helicopter pad in Kilkee. We have services here for emergencies yet we haven’t this necessary facility.”

Kilkee’s first citizens said that the cost of putting a helicopter pad is Kilkee is estimated at € 30,000.

“All we need to do is to find a designated area for the helicopters to land.”

She suggested that the area adjacent to the Garda Station, which had been spoken of before, would make an ideal location. “It would be just along the beach and beside the rescue centre,” she said.

The council must now contact the Department of Justice about the possible location.

“This has been in the mix for a few years. It is a very urgent thing. It is imperative we this facility fast,” said Mayor Haugh.

MEMBERS of Clare County Council voted by the smallest margin possible to overturn the advice of the county manager relating to the Shannon Town and Environs Local Area Plan 2012 to 2018.

In his report, Tom Coughlan recommended that land at Drumgeely Hill in Shannon be divided in two with part of it zoned community and part zoned open space. The Shannon members of the council objected to this element of the plan and proposed an amendment that would zone all of the land open space.

Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) raised concerns that there would be no space available for car park spaces should the land zoned community be used for a community centre.

“A community hall there would only serve a small catchments albeit an important group,” she said.

Cllr Sean McLoughlin (FG) also recommended voting for the amendment. He said, “I don’t think it is fair for these senior citizens (residents of Drumgeely Hill) to have to fight planning for the next five years of the plan.”

Cllr Gerry Flynn (Ind) called on all of his council colleagues to support the Shannon councillors move, as they, he said, had the local knowledge. He said many of the residents had spent 50 years living in the area.

“I hope the councillors can live with allowing them to continue to fight planning for the next number of years,” he added.

Senior planner with Clare County Council Gordon Daly said it was the belief of the planners that the split zoning gave the best option to that area of the community. He admitted that a lot of trust would have to be given to the planners should a planning application reach the council relating to that area.

The 15 members of Clare County Council present voted 12 to 11 in favour of the amendment and against the recommendation of the council executive.

Two councillors – Cllr James Breen (Ind) and Cllr Tony Mulqueen (FG) abstained.

THERE were five Clare centres awarded in the National Tidy Towns Awards initiative on Monday as the results for the 2012 competition were announced at a gala presentation in the Helix in Dublin.

Ennis, a former winner of the overall national title, led the way for the Banner County as the county capital was named the tidiest large urban centre in Ireland.

The other big winners, along with Ennis, were Ballynacally and Kilrush, who also produced Gold Medal performances, while Mountshannon, which won the overall title back in 1981, captured a Silver Medal, with Bronze going to Kilkee and Tuamgraney.

The results from the competition, which is now in its 54th year and attracted a record entry of 856, were announced by the Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan on Monday. Ennis was marked against strict adjudication criteria and beat off stiff competition from other large urban centres, such as Kilkenny City. It’s the fourth time that Ennis has been designated Ireland’s Tidiest Large Urban Centre, having won the award in 2006, 2008 and 2009.

Meanwhile, Ennis also retained the Clare County Award for the 14th successive year, while it has received its 12th Gold Medal in as many years.

Furthermore, the town was named overall winner of the Gum Litter Task Force National Award, a category in which Newmarket-on-Fergus was also a finalist. Ennis also won the Mid-West Endeavour Award, for which the villages of Connolly, Ballynacally and Mountshannon were also named finalists.

“The standards in County Clare were extremely high again this year and I am delighted to see that our county capital has received national recognition in numerous categories,” said Deputy Mayor of Clare, Cllr Pascal Fitzgerald, who attended the presentation ceremony in Dublin in the absence of Mayor of Clare, Cllr Pat Daly.

“I would like to congratulate all participants from Clare who have done their county proud. There was unprecedented interest in Tidy Towns this year, and I would urge everyone to participate in 2013,” he added.

Thirty-four Clare centres participated in the 2012 competition, the same number as last year, with O’Callaghan’s Mills coming in as a new entry, while Kilmurry did not take part. The only centre to fare worse in 2012 than it did in 2011 was Kilmihil as their overall score dropped from 266 to 265, while the biggest mover was Newmarket-onFergus as their score jumped by 18 from 256 to 274.