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OVER 5,500 drivers in Clare have acquired penalty points since the points system was in- troduced three years ago, the vast majority of which have been for speeding.

Out of penalty points issued to 5,677 Clare motorists, 5,140 were for speeding; 478 were for drivers not wearing seatbelts; 24 were issued as a result of chil- dren in front seats of cars not wearing seatbelts; and 34 were for children in back seats not

wearing seatbelts.

There were no points issued to drivers with addresses in Clare for careless driving, or driving without insurance.

The head of the Clare traffic corps, Inspector Kevin Moyni- han, said that despite repeated warnings, drivers were continu- ing to speed. “People are still speeding and the number of fines imposed for speeding are certainly on a par with last year. There have been well over 400 fines for non-wearing of seatbelts so far this year,’ said Inspector

Moynihan. Figures obtained by

SHANNON-BASED pharmaceutical firm, Schwarz Pharma incurred a loss of over €6 million in its most recent accounts filed with the Companies Registration Office.

The loss arose from €11 million the company spent on financing a restructuring programme, which in- volved the redundancy of 70 staff in a programme launched two years ago.

The accounts for 2003 show that the company had an operating profit of just under €5 million on a turnover of €36 million. This was marginally up on the €4.63 million figure for 2002. However, profit was wiped out with the restructuring costs totalling €11.207 million.

The loss of €6 million was the first loss that Schwarz Pharma made in a number of years, during which the company accumulated profits of €33 million.

However, when accounts for 2004/5 are published, the profits are expected to be hit by the company in- vesting €6 million in new technology aimed at im- proving the company’s environmental performance.

The spend follows the company shutting down its production processes for six weeks earlier this year,

in response to local concerns over air emissions from the plant. The company is now compliant with its Inte- erated Pollution Control (IPC) licence.

The accounts also show that the company’s intan- gible assets are valued at €157 million at the end of 2003 — a massive increase of €84 million on the 2002 figure. Tangible assets stood at €35 million in 2003.

In an attached note, it’s stated that milestone pay- ments were made on the achievement of certain results involving research and development.

The company is in the process of a €70 million in- vestment at its plant over the next five years. The com- pany’s Director of Environment and Health and Safety, Dermot Hanrahan recently said that clinical trials in relation to new drugs “are going very well”.

It is upgrading its treatment plant and spending over €10 million on new equipment and the upgrading of existing equipment for new products.

Shannon owns the intellectual property and, corre- spondingly, the distribution rights for some of the new products and is currently preparing for the launch of these products. The first new product launched will be for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and is sched- uled for the end of 2005.

THE maritime town of Kilrush will delve back into its history this Sun- day, when the Western Yacht Club rerun a race first staged in the 1800s. In 1827, members of the then new yacht club decided to hold an all- encompassing __ regatta over a week on the Shan- non Estuary. The regatta started over a weekend at Kilrush and finished the following weekend in Limerick, with races held each day at the various ports on the Estuary. One of the major events at the time, was the long distance race known as the Glin Castle Race. It

started and finished at the castle. Usually, most of the Yachts would com- plete the course in some 12 to 14 hours.

This Saturday, the Western Yacht Club will re-run this “race”, with all its tidal challenges. Racing will follow the ISA Racing Rules, with first gun at 11.00 am Due to the time constraints of modern life, the course will be adjusted accord- ingly to suit wind, tide and yacht classes, so that yachts will finish at Glin Castle sometime around 4.30 pm. Staying with tradition, the presenta- tion will be at the castle that evening.

RESIDENTS of Inch _ have pledged to fight any attempt by telecommunications firm 02 to get planning permission for the construction of a phone mast in the area.

At a meeting of a newly formed campaign committee, local people expressed their staunch opposition to any pro- posed development. Residents also accused 02 of deliberately

advertising planning permis- sion on July 27, at the start of the Bank Holiday weekend and are concerned at the proposed sites proximity to the local pri- mary school.

“This campaign has all the hallmarks of a calculated at- tempt to minimize the likeli- hood of local people finding out about the proposed tower,” said Andrea Martin, committee secretary.

‘No one knows for sure what

the long term effects of expo- sure to non-ionizing radiation (NIR) will be. If mobile phones and base stations were pharma- ceutical drugs, they wouldn’t be licensed for use because not enough research has been car- ried out’, she said.

The community hopes that by raising awareness of the development, they will receive support from residents of sur- rounding communities.

“We’re committed to fighting

this the whole way if necessary, for the sake of our children, our families and our local environ- ment”, said Committee chair- man, John Devany.

A spokesperson for 02 stated ‘“‘we have tried to plan to locate in the best possible area in order to meet the demands of our cus- tomers and the concerns of local residents. The issue of safety is taken very seriously by 02 and we comply with all Irish, EU and Industry regulations”

A DUTCH tourist, Hen- drik Borduin, had a nar- row escape on Saturday night, when a large boul- der was thrown through the tent he was sleeping in, narrowly missing his head.

The boulder struck the tent’s central pole, which smashed and landed on Mr Borduin along with the heavy rock. He re- ceived injuries to his right leg and required medical

Pace elaleyee

Mr Borduin had been travelling through the Burren on bicycle and set up camp in Corofin late on Saturday evening. He was woken from his sleep at approximately mid- night by loud shouting from outside his tent.

“IT heard load voices and a young man sSay- ing ‘there is a bike over here’,’ he said. “There was 30 seconds of silence and then the boulder

crashed through the tent. I was luck that I had faced the tent the way I did, if it had hit my head I prob- ably would have died.”

“My experience in Ireland has been very positive up to this and the people in the B&B were very helpful. I don’t think this would put me off coming back to Ire- land but I will be nervous when I have to sleep in the tent again.”

The attack was reported to Gort Garda station.

this week that work had not started, as the contract had yet to be signed with the con- tractor, Michael McNamara & Co.

Mr Fleming said: “It is a very complex 35-year contract and the final details have yet to be signed off on.”

Mr Fleming stressed that there was no stumbling block in relation to the contract. He

said: “It hasn’t been signed off on yet due to the complexity of the contract. We would hope to coy sTeLeCe (oem mmol mane CO) MOA YAmolelmn-l

the same time, you cannot rush

these things as there are a lot of

technical issues involved.” Councillors were told that the

project should be completed by February 2007 and Mr Fleming this week expressed confidence that the deadline would be met. He said that work would com- mence on the project as soon as the contract is signed.

However, Clir Christy Curtin expressed disappointment that the local authority had fallen behind schedule.

“It is imperative that it is now moved forward and that the staff and the public can work in a unified building,” he said.

“I would still hold the Coun- cil to the deadline of February 2007 and I would also still in- sist that provision be made for an in-house legal department, because there is a cast-iron case for it.”

The delay is the latest in a project that first envisaged the council transforming Our Lady’s Hospital into its new HQ. However that plan was scrapped, due to the prohibitive costs of the project.

A FRESH attempt by a north Clare-based couple to save their restaurant building from demolition has been thwarted by Clare County Council.

The council’s Planning De- partment refused Wolfgang and Sibylle Dietl permission to retain as a language cen- tre the restaurant building they built without planning at Newtown, Ballyvaughan

In a decision on Friday, the council ruled that the bid to change the Holywell restau- rant into a language centre, comprising two classrooms, a study, games room and stu- dents’ dining area, was con- trary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

The council ruled that the development would seriously injure the visual amenities and natural integrity of the area and would create an un- desirable precedent for fur- ther commercial development on this site and in the Burren countryside.

The decision is the latest in a series of planning set- backs for the couple. In the past year, they were refused planning permission by the council and An Bord Pleanala for the retention of the restau- rant. This forced them to seek alternative premises for their business.

In a bid to avoid having the

restaurant building demol- ished and to expand their lan- guage school, the plans were lodged to retain the building as a language school.

The decision by the council represents a u-turn on their decision last year to allow the Dietls planning retention for the restaurant. This was only refused by An Bord Pleanala

after then competitors, Helen Laftan and Barry Richards of Tri na Cheile restaurant, ap- pealed the decision.

In their submission to the council on the current appli- cation, the Dietls’ consult- ants argued that the proposed change of use “will represent a significant reduction in the use of the site’.

They claimed that the pro- posal “will ease any existing pressures on local traffic and

VAUD ME ASSL MDO MSI OIUUM DO TCM NOE: T ME Le on-site waste water treatment systems will operate within the limits and constraints of the discharge license”’.

This week, Sibylle Dietl told