Month: January 2013

RURAL-dwellers in Clare have the second highest rate of registration for septic tanks, despite fears that many households in the north and west of the county will be unfairly targeted for inspections.

According to the latest figures released by the Department of the Environment, 14,521 households in Clare have officially registered their septic tank. With an estimated 19,769 domestic septic tanks in the county, this amounts to a compliance rate in excess of 73 per cent.

This is the second highest compliance rate in the country, with only rural dwellers in Kerry having a higher percentage. Clare’s 73 per cent compliance is also far in excess of the national average which currently lies just above 60 per cent.

This is despite concerns that many rural-dwellers in Clare will be targeted for extra inspection by the Department of the Environment. With large numbers of houses in Clare situated in karst on limestone landscape, they are likely to be deemed as high-risk locations by the Depart- ment of the Environment. This could result in houses in these section of West and North Clare being targeted for extra inspections once the registration period is complete.

Under the 2012 legislation, homeowners who have a septic tank or other domestic waste-water treatment system need to register their system before February 1, 2013. Systems which are not registered before that date will be at increased risk of inspection.

The 73 per cent registration rate in Clare is well ahead of neighbouring authorities such as Galway County Council (50 per cent), Limerick County Council (57 per cent) and North Tipperary County Council 64 per cent.

A number of grants have been introduced to allowed septic tank owners to upgrade their systems. The grants cover up to 80 per cent of the cost for those earning up to € 50,000 to a maximum of € 4,000 and a 50 per cent grant for those earning between € 50,001 and € 75,000 up to € 2, 500.

If the remaining 5,000 Clare properties do not register their properties before the February 1 deadline, they will not be eligible to apply for the grant.

THE prospect of Ennis General Hospital becoming a rudderless satellite of the Limerick-centred Health Service Executive has raised its head following the revelation that the flagship facility of Clare’s health service has no manager as of Monday of this week.

Frank Keane, who acted as the onsite manager of Ennis General over the past three years, has vacated the position to take up a new appointment as maternity and child health directorate manager in Limerick.

In bidding farewell to Ennis, Mr Keane admitted that staff at Ennis General were “unsure and concerned” with the situation at the hospital, with a slew of public representatives fearing the worst for a facility that has been severely downgraded over the last number of years.

“Look at what happened when we had absentee landlords in Ireland,” blasted former Mid Western Health Board member Cllr Joe Arkins, before adding that “management of Ennis General Hospital from Limerick will be a complete disaster and shows what the HSE thinks of health services in Clare”.

These words have been echoed by HSE Forum West member, Brian Meaney, on the back of confirmation that the high dependency unit at Ennis General has been removed because of staffing difficulties at the hospital.

“There has been no inter-action, explanation or any other communication informing the elected members on the HSE West Forum of what is proposed,” said Cllr Meaney. “Ennis will be out in limbo, its cause will not be fully articulated at corporate governance level within the HSE Mid West.

“Frank Keane has done a fantastic job in progressing a number of projects and Ennis benefitted from his time there, but now we have no indication of what process is going to be put in place to manage a hospital like Ennis.

“If a manager is not appointed to Ennis it will remain rudderless and will be a further downgrading of a hospital that has been completely denuded of its service, which we have accepted. The fear is that the hospital will simply morph by inaction and auto-pilot into a minor injuries unit,” he added.

Mr Keane has said that Ennis General Hospital “has a future, but a different future” and that services at the facility “are going to evolve in 2013”.

As part of this process, the Accident and Emergency Unit, which was downgraded from a 24-hour to 12-hour (8am to 8pm) service in 2011, is set to become a medical assessment and local injuries unit. Tue22January13

SPECULATION is mounting over the future of one of the county’s bestknown hotels, the West County.

The Ennis hotel was listed for sale last July for between € 2.5 million to € 3 million.

Retail giant Tesco are thought to be interested in the site, which could see the area completely re-developed.

Tesco were put forward as the an- chor tenant for a proposed major retail development at Clare Road /Tobertascán.

Ennis Town Council has refused permission for the project put forward by Michael Lynch Ltd. That decision has been appealed to An Bord Pleannála.

Tesco did not respond to a request for a comment yesterday. A wellknown family-run hotel group in Leinster have also been linked with the West County, which could see substantial and much needed investment in the hotel. Staff at the West County will be eagerly awaiting the outcome of the sale.

Formerly the flagship hotel within the Lynch group of hotels, the West County was placed into receivership in February (2012).

It sits on a high-profile six-acre site on the southern approach road to Ennis town centre and its accommodation includes: 152 en-suite bedrooms; eight separate and interconnecting conference/ banqueting suites that can cater for up to 1,650 delegates; a modern leisure centre with a 20metre heated indoor pool, Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna.

The leisure club includes a gym with more than 1,000 local members. The bar and lounge has a capacity for around 500 people. The site can accommodate 450 parking spaces.

CBRE, the firm handling the sale of the hotel, has said there had been a lot of interest in the site.

CLARE schools are to “feel the squeeze” of reduced capitation grants announced as part of the budget, a meeting has heard.

At their monthly meeting in Ennis last week, members of Clare VEC discussed the likely impact of education cuts in Clare.

In a report to members, the Chief Executive Officer, George O’Callaghan, stated that the 2013 allocation to the VECs will be reduced by € 13.2 million.

“Notwithstanding the reduction there will be no reduction in the level of services provided in 2013. However VECs will be required to manage within their existing cash reserves on hand.”

Mr O’Callaghan told the meeting that there would be no changes to the overall teacher numbers or funding for Delivering Equality of Opportunity in School (DEIS). He said the number of resource teachers and special needs assistants have been maintained at 2012 levels.

Former Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Peter Considine (FF), told the meeting that the policy represented a cut. He said, “The numbers are being reduced and are being reduced substantially.”

Pupil teacher ratios for post leaving cert programmes will be harmonised with mainstream schools from 17:1 to 19:1.

Mr O’Callaghan explained, “This will result in a reduction of 200 PLC teaching posts and a saving of € 4 million in 2013 rising to € 12 million in a full year. However there should be no adverse impact on the number of PLC places available.”

Capitation grants for primary schools will be reduced by 0.5 per cent for primary school and by 2 per cent for secondary schools.

The new standard capitation rates will be € 176 for primary and € 306 for post primary schools.

Mr O’Callaghan said the grants are a vital source of funding for schools.

He added, “As the year goes on. We will begin to feel the squeeze.”

Commenting on the cuts to guidance counsellors in last year’s budget, Mr O’Callaghan said this had a “major impact” on schools.

“It looked innocuous enough at the time but it had a big impact,” he added.

The meeting heard that student contribution will rise by € 250 in 2013, 2014, and 2015 to a maximum of € 3,000.

There will also be a 3 per cent reduction in the income thresholds used when calculating entitlement student grants in 2013.

Mr O’Callaghan explained, “Between 1997 and 2009, the income limits were increased by an average of 4.7 per cent each year, in line with average industrial earnings. However the income limits over the past three years have remained unchanged despite and estimated drop in the average industrial wage of approximately 7.9 per cent.

CLAIMS that government support of Shannon Airport is in breach of EU competition laws have formally been brought to the attention of the European Commission by Fianna Fáil senator Marc Mac Sharry.

The Sligo senator who initially voiced his opposition to government plans for Shannon’s independence in December has pressed ahead with a threat to lodge a complaint to the Directorate General for Competition of the European Commission, saying support for Clare’s international air- port is tantamount to “unfairly distorting airport competition”.

Senator Mac Sharry made his move as he hit out at what he describes as the Government’s breach of European Competition Laws, in the “manipulation of a process which will ensure the demise of Ireland West Airport” at Knock.

“I am a supporter of Shannon Airport and any measures that can possibly assist in its growth and performance. However, measures announced by Minister Varadkar will unfairly pitch Shannon Airport against Knock, as it stands to benefit from an estimated total investment of € 300million.

“There is no national strategy on aviation. The Government must take a strategic approach to our airports and empower both Knock and Shannon to perform to their potential, as drivers of growth in the economy.”

“In supporting Shannon, yet ignoring Knock, the Government is unfairly distorting airport competition, but also destroying the potential of the Northwest region to flourish. It is anti-competitive and simply unlawful. The Government must therefore immediately commit to support Knock Airport, acknowledge its strategic importance to the national ef- fort and take steps to provide similar proportionate measures to level the playing field with Shannon.”

The complaint over government support of Shannon has been lodged with the Commission under Article 107 (1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.”

“We must take a strategic and fair approach to Aviation Policy; Shannon must be supported, but we must also provide support equally to Knock, to enable both to perform to their potential without distorting the consumer-friendly competition that rightly exists between the two,” said Senator Mac Sharry.

THE announcement that funding is finally to be granted for the construction of a rescue station for the Doolin Unit of the Irish Coastguard brings to an end a campaign lasting more than two decades.

Over the years, the Doolin Unit has grown into Ireland’s busiest unit of the Coastguard, regularly responding to multiple call-outs during busy days.

Long delays were experienced securing the land needed for the facility and gaining planning permission only for funding, which had been “ringfenced” by previous administrations, failing to materialise.

The campaign for a new centre has gathered momentum over the last 10 years. Indeed, the tragic deaths of three Clare youths in the waters off Doolin in November of 2005, and the week-long search which ensued, inadvertently did much to raise the issue in the public and political consciousness.

It was reported in The Clare People at the time that facilities were so cramped at Doolin that bodies recovered from the sea had to sometimes be stored in a small 25 by 30 foot room, which could also be in use by up to 18 Coastguard volunteers at the same time.

“This facility was deemed necessary in the mid-90s. Even then, more than 20 years ago, it was clear that this was badly needed,” said North Clare Senator, Martin Conway (FG).

“It was obvious even then the location was primitive. There were no changing facilities, no shower facilities, no facilities to lay out a body that had been recovered from the sea. A lot of equipment had to be located in the homes of volunteers, boats had to be located in the back of Mattie Shannon’s house.

“It was totally unacceptable given how busy the unit is and how strong the need is to put together a wellequipped crew quickly in an emergency situation. It was appalling to think that the busiest unit in the country was also one of the worst equipped.”

Funding for the facility was first announced by the Department of Transport and the OPW in 1997 – but this projected failed to materialise. Funding was also said to be “ringfenced” by several TDs and ministers during the Celtic Tiger period but this funding was found to have escaped from the fencing when issues surrounding the site and planning were resolved a number of years ago.

NEW figures show that a total of 15 people were killed or seriously injured on Clare roads in 2012.

Two people died as a result of fatal injury collisions while 13 people were seriously injured.

Both fatal crashes occurred in the Ennis area. There were six serious injury collisions in the Ennis and Ennistymon areas and one in Kilrush.

The figure represents a rise on the combined figure of 11 for 2011.

In total, 156 people have been killed or seriously injured on Clare’s roads since 2006. The highest number of road traffic collisions (37) occurred in 2007.

Gardaí arrested 12 people between December 17 (2012) and January 6 (2013), compared to 15 people during the same period 12 months ago.

No fatal traffic accidents occurred during Christmas but there were five non-serious injury traffic accidents, an increase of four on the same period last year.

Road accident statistics released by the Clare Garda Davison also showed that there were 36 incidents of material damage to vehicles during Christmas 2012.

In a statement, Gardaí said 2012 was a “tragic year for collisions in Western Roads”.

A Garda spokesman stated, “Fatal collisions have increased slightly to 35 deaths in 2012. Serious injury collisions increased by 40 per cent across the region. Both increases are significant in that they are running contrary to national trends. An Garda Síochana extends sympathy to the families of all concerned. The area of County Galway is of most concern where fatal collisions accounted for the tragic deaths of 18 people and serious injury collisions left 31 people with life changing injuries.”

Garda statistics show that 34.3 per cent of fatal collisions have occurred on Sundays; 25.7 per cent of fatal collisions have occurred on Fridays while 63 per cent of fatal collisions have occurred between 8am and 8pm.

Gardaí are reminding motorists to never drive while under the influence of alcohol/drugs; drivers and passengers to always wear safety belts; drivers to drive at safe and appropriate speed; avoid using mobile phones while driving.

Pedestrians and cyclists are encouraged to wear high visibility clothing.

THE first official meeting of Kilkee Fracking Concerned took place in the town last night and sub-groups are also currently being formed in Doonbeg, Mullagh and Carrigaholt.

This follows a dramatic increase in the activity of anti-Fracking campaigners in Clare over the last month, following the announcement by UK company Energi Oil that it intends to apply for a licence to begin testFracking in Clare in the spring of 2014.

More than 60 people turned out in Kilkee for a Fracking information meeting last week and a number of follow-up events are planned for West Clare in the coming months.

“There is a massive amount of interest in this on the ground in West Clare. Fracking is a real hot topic at the moment so there are new developments taking place all the time – so people really need to be aware of it,” said Lorraine Hughes of Clare Fracking Concerned.

“I think the word is getting out more and more to the people in West Clare. Fracking is a difficult issue for some people but more and more people are starting to take it seriously.”

While much of the publicity surrounding Fracking involves allegation that it can cause earthquakes due to the high pressure liquids used to shatter the shale rock and release the gas, the largest potential pollutant from Fracking in West Clare is likely to be the pollution of the water system with chemicals.

A public lecture on Fracking and on the geology of the West Clare shale will take place in Kilkee on Sunday, February 3.

“The shale rock is a lot shallower in Clare than in many other areas where Fracking is being considered. This raises even more questions about the integrity of the water in West Clare if this goes ahead,” continued Lorraine.

Councillors at Clare County Council voted unanimously to introduce a ban on Fracking into the Clare County Development Plan. This ban has not been introduced however, as the council claim that it does not have the legal power to ban any activity in the County Development Plan.

A local steering committee for the Kilkee group was due to be elected as part of last meeting – but the elections where not completed at the time of going to press.

AN ENNIS man who paid for a tumble dryer and a holiday to Wales using a credit card that did not belong to him has been fined € 500.

James Galbraith (45), with an address at 1 Lissaniska, Claureen, Ennis, appeared at Ennis District Court on Wednesday. He pleaded guilty to two charges of deception arising out of purchases made at two businesses in the town on May 29 (2012).

The court heard that on the day in question Mr Galbraith purchased a tumble dryer from an electrical appliance store in Ennis.

Inspector Tom Kennedy explained that the item was paid for using a credit card that did not belong to Mr Galbraith.

He explained that Mr Galbraith’s friend gave the credit card details over the phone to the shop in order to complete the transaction.

On the same day, Mr Galbraith entered a travel agency in Ennis and purchased a mobile home holiday in Pembrookshire, Wales costing € 946.

The court heard that the transaction was again completed by Mr Galbraith’s friend phoning in the credit card details to the shop.

Insp Kennedy said there was no link between the accused and the owner of the card. He said the card owner reported the matter to gardaí and Mr Galbraith was subsequently tracked down.

The court heard that Mr Galbraith has one previous conviction for a public order offence. Defence solicitor John Casey said his client had been owed money by his friend who is living in England. He said there was some difficulty with the repayment of the money so the friend told Mr Galbraith he could purchase goods using the credit card.

Mr Casey said his client was “totally unaware” there was anything wrong with the credit card. He said there had been no element of subterfuge and that the businesses involved knew who Mr Galbraith was and where he lived.

“Mr Galbraith never had a hope in hell of ever getting away with this”, Mr Casey added.

Mr Casey said his client had brought compensation of € 1300 to court to repay the injured party.

Asked by Judge Patrick Durcan if he believed there was a “certain innocence” on the accused’s part, Insp Kennedy said he could not accept that version of events.

He said that investigators working on similar deception cases had told him that such offences are “usually joint enterprises.”

Insp Kennedy said he would have “misgivings” about people who said they are innocent in such cases.

Judge Durcan said that while he accepted what Mr Casey said on his client’s behalf, he did not accept that Mr Galbraith was “totally innocent”.

He added, “This type of conduct was foolish in the extreme and reckless.”

Judge Durcan imposed fines of € 250 in respect of each charge.

A LITHUANIAN man who stole a laptop from a garage in Sixmilebridge has been fined € 250.

Deivydas Zigeus (35) took the HP laptop valued at € 500 from O’Malley Auto Marine, Cappa, Sixmilebridge on July 24 (2012).

Mr Zigeus, with an address at 133 Crann Nua, Portarlington, Laois, pleaded guilty to the charge of theft at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

Inspector Tom Kennedy said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed summary disposal of the case.

After hearing an outline of the facts, Judge Patrick Durcan accepted jurisdiction.

The court heard that Mr Zigeus and a friend went to the premises to have repairs carried out to a car. Insp Kennedy said that after a staff member worked on the engine, he noticed the laptop was missing.

The man suspected the two men and rang Shannon gardaí.

Gardaí called to the business and the laptop was discovered concealed in the rear foot-well of the car.

The property was returned undamaged.

Defence solicitor Daragh Hassett said his client, a former construction worker, was drunk when he committed the theft.

Mr Hassett added, “It seemed a good idea at the time. It was quite a sneaky thing to do.”

The court heard Mr Zigeus is a married father who has lived in Ireland for eight years. He has no previous convictions.

Mr Hassett said his client had been in custody for a number of days prior to his court appearance and had not liked the experience of being in prison.

Judge Durcan said Mr Zigeus used an opportunity to involve himself in a crime.

He imposed a fine of € 250.

Judge Durcan said the court abhors such crimes, which he added have become all too prevalent in Clare. AN Ennis man who admitted striking his wife with a child’s scooter has received a prison sentence. At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Thady Joyce (43), with an address at 114 Dun na hInse, Ennis, admitted to contravening a court imposed safety order, contrary to the domestic violence act. The court previously heard that Mr Joyce replied “I’m guilty” to charge after caution.”

“I want to go into custody with no intention of applying for bail,” he added.

Judge Patrick Durcan said that had been the first occasion that he had placed an accused person in custody on the application of the accused. Mr Joyce also declined the offer of legal representation and represented himself during proceedings. Inspector Tom Kennedy outlined details of the offence, which occurred on January 10. The court heard Mr Joyce smashed a number of picture frames, Waterford Crystal lamps and a flatscreen television in the house. Insp Kennedy said the accused also struck his wife with a child’s scooter.

The court heard Mr Joyce has 38 previous convictions, mainly for driving, drugs and public order offences. Insp Kennedy said the accused had no convictions under the domestic violence act. Asked by the judge if he wanted to say anything, Mr Joyce declined before adding, “I want you to sentence me and get it over with.” Judge Durcan imposed a 14-day prison sentence, backdating his order to January 11.