Category: News

LABOUR TD for Clare, Michael McNamara has signalled his opposition to rumoured € 100 million cuts to education spending in October’s budget.

In a statement, Deputy McNamara told a public meeting organised by the Irish National Teacher’s Organisation (INTO) that the “range and nature of the cuts proposed in the media in recent weeks are not acceptable”.

He continued, “I had a long conver- sation with the Minister for Education about that funding and schools big and small are at the limit of what they can endure. There is simply not a future for a further € 100m in cuts and savings to be found or anything near that amount.”

The statement was read by a spokeswoman. She told the meeting that Deputy McNamara was unable to attend Thursday’s meeting in the West County due to a prior commitment.

Fine Gael TD Pat Breen said no decisions had been taken on the exact level of cuts and tax increases in the budget. He added, “It is a challenge but as the Minister for Finance says, ‘we are going in the right direction’. At the moment all departments are putting together their budgets, including the Department of Education and Science.”

His party colleague, Deputy Joe Carey said, “It [education] certainly is a priority of mine. I will fight for ye as people here, as parents, as teachers. Education is so important for our country and our economy. I’ve listened to what ye have to say and I will certainly support ye.”

Referring to recent economic data that says Ireland has emerged from recession, Fine Gael Senator Martin Conway said, “I certainly want to see that coupled with a period of growth in investment in education in this country.

Fianna Fáíl TD and party spokesman on Transport, Tourism and Sport, Timmy Dooley, said he would like to see an easing of the cuts to school grants and minor works schemes. He added, “There has also been the increase in the student population but unfortunately there hasn’t been a requisite increase in the number of teachers to cater for that demand.”

ONE of Clare’s most popular tourist locations is to undergo a major facelift with the news that almost € 190,000 in government funding has been allocated to the Lahinch Promenade. Indeed, there was a second major funding boost for North Clare with the news that a further € 145,000 has been allocated towards the improvement of lighting in Liscannor.

Both allocations, which total € 323,000, were made available under the Department of Agriculture’s Marine Leisure and Marine Tourism Capital Infrastructure Development Programme.

The Lahinch allocation will be used to redevelop access and slipways and the Liscannor end of the promenade while the money earmarked for Liscannor itself will be used to totally replace the surface of the pier and improve public lighting.

“This is a big boost for Lahinch and Liscannor and it will also allow Clare County Council to keep on a number of their part-time workers throughout the winter,” said Senator Martin Conway (FG).

“This will greatly improve the look and the access in both locations and will hopefully encourage more of the tourists travelling to the Cliffs of Moher to stop off. I am asked over and over about the parking charges in Lahinch, and if they are being ringfenced, and maybe there is an issue there, but I am very happy to be able to welcome this funding at least.”

When parking charges were first introduced in Lahinch they were done under the condition that any proceeds from the charges would be reinvested in Lahinch.

This issue has been raised by a number of councillors at recent North Clare area meetings of Clare County Council, with specific attention being paid to the last of public toilet facilities in Lahinch and a the need for upgrade work, including basic security measures, on the Liscannor Road car park.

SATURDAY night fever is gripping the county as once again we travel in our thousands to back the Banner.

Up to 40,000 Clare supporters are expected in Croke Park for the 5pm throw-in and despite the relatively awkward scheduling of the replay, this has not affected the quest for tickets. Croke Park’s decision to reduce ticket prices for the replay has also added to the demand.

The team to play Cork in Saturday evening’s eagerly anticipated AllIreland hurling final replay will be named after training on Wednesday night and there are no late injury worries reported in the squad.

Due to the fact that there is no minor game preceding Saturday night’s game the GAA are urging support- ers to get into the ground in plenty of time for the 5pm start.

“With over 82,000 expected in Croke Park patrons should try and get there early because if the vast majority of spectators arrive just before the game, it is inevitable that processing that many people through the turnstiles in an orderly fashion could take time,” a spokesperson told The Clare People . Westmeath referee James McGrath will be the man in the middle for Saturday’s replay.

News of his appointment was greeted with a comment from Cork County Board Chairman Bob Ryan which stated that Cork would not have an issue with McGrath, despite his sending off of Cork star Patrick Horgan in the Munster final back in July, a red card that was later rescinded.

POSITIVE Ageing Week will be celebrated with a wide number of events around Clare from September 27 to October 5.

This is the 11th year Age Action has marked UN International Day of Older Persons, which takes place on October 1.

Clare County Library has compiled a programme of events to celebrate this very worthwhile week. In association with Bluebird Care, there will be a Positive Ageing Photo Exhibition on display in the De Valera Public Library, Ennis, from Monday, September 30, to Friday, October 11. The exhibition showcases older people getting out and enjoying life. Some are still working, while others are continuing to enjoy hobbies and some are captured passing on their skills to another generation. The exhibition has been displayed in art galleries, libraries, nursing homes, schools, town halls and businesses. It is made up of 28 images with 28 separate descriptions. It can be viewed during normal library opening hours so don’t miss your chance to see these inspiring photos.

To coincide with the exhibition’s residency in the library Bluebird Care will also present a ‘Safe at Home’ security seminar there on Tuesday, October 8, at 6pm. This seminar is one in a nationwide series of security seminars that Bluebird Care has organised in response to a growing fear among older people about security at home. It will be attended by local Community Policing members of An Garda Síochána, security consultants and community representatives. This is a free event and everyone is welcome.

Senior citizens will have an opportunity to get in touch with their artistic side at an art workshop entitled.

During Positive Ageing Week, and throughout the month of October, Clare County Library will take a small section of the Local Studies Library on tour when library staff will visit nursing homes and day centres throughout the county. A selection of ‘Clare Champion’ newspapers from times past will be transported, along with photographs and books, so that extracts can be read and discussed, evoking memories of times past. The newspapers are part of a complete set of ‘Clare Champions’ dating back to 1903 which are housed at the Local Studies Centre on Harmony Row, Ennis. They are available to the pub- lic for reference use.

Remember too that senior citizens can avail of free library membership in all of Clare County Library’s branches. For more information on these events and much more visit Clare County Library’s website at www. clarelibrary.ie or telephone 065 6821616.

A MYSTERIOUS two metre-long, phallic-shaped object has been creating a stir in North Clare since it was discovered imbedded in sand on Lahinch beach on Sunday.

The object, which has already been christened the ‘Lahinch Langer’, appeared on the southern end of the beach and has been baffling locals and tourists alike.

The heavy object, which was discovered lodged in heavy sand, not too far from the 12th tee at Lahinch Gold Club, appeared to be covered with a mixture of shells and tentacles prompting speculation that it may be a previously unclassified species of sea animals.

The object was yesterday examined by Dr Eamon Doyle of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark, who determined that the object is in fact a collection of thousand a crustaceans known as Goose Barnacles.

Goose Barnacles are unlike other crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters. Instead of crawling along the sea bed, they attach themselves to floating materials and filter food from the water.

“It is difficult to tell what they are attached to because there are so many of them. Normally you might see them attached to a log or even a floating piece of plastic, but I have never seen them in these numbers before,” he said.

“They need moving water to wash through so they can feed, so they don’t move around like other crustaceans. They are relatively common but this is the first time that I have seen them in these number.”

A large number of the Goose Barnacles were still alive yesterday but unless the colony is returned to the sea soon they will all die.

“There was a lot of people stopping to look at them. Up until I arrived yesterday, I don’t think anyone really knew what it was. They there was a lot of people interested and taking photographs but I don’t think they realised that they were Goose Barnacles,” continued Dr Doyle.

“They are still alive at the moment but they won’t last for long if they are not re-floated. The way that the log is buried in the band it is hard to see how they would be released, even in high tide. It is hard to know how long the would last.”

CLARE County Library will be hoisting the flag for children’s books once again this October, offering a month-long festival of authors, illustrators, artists and storytellers designed to spark the imagination of young readers all over the county.

Activities will be running in all libraries, including readings by popular authors, art and craft workshops, space “exploration” and puppet making, giving Clare’s young people countless opportunities to explore a wide array of books.

The festival gets a head start this year with the return to Glór Theatre, Ennis, of one of the world’s best-selling children’s and teenage authors Darren Shan, on September 26. ‘Zom-B’ is his new epic series, launched in September 2012 with a new book publishing every three months. The Ennis Book Shop will join with the library to promote the event selling copies of Darren’s latest book and others in the series on the day.

The second of the library’s book festival events taking place in Glór, this time on October 1, is a storytelling extravaganza by the master of tales, Niall de Burca.

Raised in the West, he emigrated at a young age and lived for many years in New Zealand where he married into a large Maori family. Now living in Dublin, Niall travels worldwide, inspiring people of all ages with his traditional and original tales.

Bestselling author, Michael Smith, whose biography for younger readers, ‘Tom Crean – Iceman’, led to the story being incorporated into the schools’ national curriculum, will be visiting Kilrush and Kilkee Libraries.

Sports Journalist Ger Siggins will introduce young readers to his love of rugby through his book ‘Rugby Spirit’ published last year by O’Brien Press.

Anna Carey is also a journalist who has written for the ‘Irish Times’, ‘Irish Independent’ and many other publications. Her first book, ‘The Real Rebecca’, was published in 2011, and won the Senior Children’s Book prize at the Irish Book Awards. To the delight of many readers, Rebecca returned in the sequel ‘Rebecca’s Rules’ in 2012. ‘Rebecca Rocks’ is book number three in the series.

Full details on www.clarelibrary. ie of all CBF events here in County Clare in October.

CLARE County Council yesterday decided to transfer almost € 4 million worth of property to a new government agency being set to act like a NAMA for local authorities.

It emerged at yesterday’s North Clare Area Meeting of Clare County Council that the local authority paid in excess of € 3.5 million for two parcels of land in Ennistymon in 2007.

The land, which totalled around 10 acres, was earmarked for the development of social housing, but only of the fraction of the land at Glen North in Ennistymon was ever developed.

The council is due to start repaying the loan used to purchase the land next year and face a bill in excess of € 260,000 for each year between 2014 and and 2034.

Councillors, including Lahinchbased Bill Slattery (FG), raised questions about how the decision was first made to spend the € 3.6 million on the land.

“To be hit with these figures today is something else. We have a 91 per cent take up in property tax in this country, and we are now being asked to pay back this money [€ 260,000 per year],” he said.

“This all happened before I was a member of this council but I am annoyed that this was a reserved function of the council. The councillors should have known that this much money was being spent back in 2007.”

Councillors yesterday agreed that they had no choice but to transfer the land, which is now worth a fraction of its original cost, to the new agency agency.

“We don’t really have an option but to transfer this land. We now need to ensure that the community groups, who all had plans to develop something on the land in 2007, get a chance to fulfill their plans with this new group,” said Cllr Michael Hillery (FF).

“A lot of community groups submitted plans for this land and we need to ensure these proposal are forwarded to the new agency and are given preferential treatment.”

Once the properties are transferred to the new agency, any arm of the Government – including the HSE and the gardaí – can apply to the agency for the use of the land.

Locals have been campaigning for a playground and a home soccer pitch for Sporting Ennistymon for a number of years.

SCORES of families who have been living in the shadow of the Ballyduff beg Waste Management Facility in Inagh for almost two decades are finally to be directly compensated by Clare County Council.

Councillors at yesterday’s meeting of Clare County Council agreed to take a new approach to dispersing the final € 108,000 tranche of the facilities controversial community fund.

The fund, which was set up as a means of compensating the people in Inagh and Kilnamona for the inconvenience of the waste facility, has been a source of local conflict for more than a decade.

The new scheme will see the final tranche of funding being ring-fenced for the 54 houses who live within a 1.5 kilometre of the centre of the dump. These houses will be invited to submit applications for € 2,000 for projects which will have a positive environmental impact.

“The issues of people, who are closest to the landfall, has always been disregarded up to now. Funds were appointed to every corner of Inagh and Kilnamona who never had to look at, or to deal with the landfill. Their case has never been heard up to now,” said Cllr Joe Arkins (FG).

“There were proposals in the past about a new waste treatment plant and a wind turbine in that local area – and all of those proposals were pushed aside. I want it to be clear that this is open to any environmental project that could have an environmental benefit.

“It is high time that the people effected by this are to be compensated.”

A spokesperson from Clare County Council confirmed that the finding will not go outside the buffer zone. If any of the 54 households do not apply for a portion of the € 108,000 funding – a second tranche will be set up to disperse the remainder.

CLARE people seeking to tax thei r cars face long queues at Clare County Council this week, as the deadline for the end of “gapping” looms next Monday.

The local authority has recorded a 50 per cent increase in numbers us ing the tax office since July and are expecting very high volumes over the past seven days.

From September 30, motorists will no longer be able to retrospectively declare their cars “off the road” and will instead be liable for the full cost of their car tax, since it was last taxed.

When this process, which is known as gapping, comes to an end next week, motorists will have to declare their car off the road in advance – or face paying thei r motor tax in full.

“The complexities of the new legislation has caused some confusion amongst members of the public which has led to a significant increase in the numbers of people attending the County’s primary Motor Tax Office on the New Road in Ennis,” said Fiona Mooney of the Motor Tax Department Office.

“The surge in applications has caused waiting times in the Motor Tax Office to increase and has led to a backlog in processing postal applications. Customers can avoid or shorten queues in a number of ways, including opting to renew the tax on thei r vehicles online, a service that is operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week at www. motortax.ie.

“Anyone who doesn’t have their PIN number, can click ‘PIN retrieval’ on the website and take it from there. Customers wanting to lodge completed off the road declarations, where they are not taxing the vehicle, can simply drop them into the motor tax post box at the motor tax office at Aras an Contae. They don’t need to wait in the queue.”

The council’s motor tax depar tment advises that anyone wanting to tax a vehicle that has been off the road, to complete a RF100A form and have it signed and stamped at a Garda station.

If members of the public have a car which is is cur rently off the road, and will continue to be off the road after September 30, the must complete both a RF100A and a RF150 form. The RF 150 does not need to be signed and stamped at a Garda station.

More detailed are available at the Motor Tax Office or from www. clarecoco.ie.

FIREARMS, ammunition, balaclavas, explosive components, including detonators and paperwork have been seized following a discovery made in East Clare at the weekend.

Gardaí unearthed the haul from a wooded area in Meelick on Friday evening last. An army bomb disposal team was called to examine the area before it could be declared safe.

The items found were taken away for a forensic and technical examination. Gardaí made no arrests following the seizure and the investigation is ongoing.

The haul, which included a gun, multiple rounds of ammunition, items that could be used in the production of explosive devices and some papers, was accidentally discovered in Glenagross Wood, by a member of the public at around 8pm on Friday night last. The man in question was walking his dog when the cache was found. On being informed of the weapons find, gardaí cordoned off the area in question and an army bomb disposal team was sent to Meelick from Cork.

The unit carried out an initial inspection of the find and the nearby area before it was subsequently declared safe and that part of the wood was reopened to the public a number of hours later, after gardaí had carried out a number of searches in the area.

The firearms and explosives were removed for forensic examination. No arrests have yet been made in the wake of the discovery but it understood the haul is suspected to be related to dissident republican activity, according to Garda sources.

The haul included balaclavas and some CS gas containers as well as a number of ammunition magazines.

Gardaí are also examining the possibility that the discovery could be related to dissident republican and criminal activity in the Limerick City area, the weapons and materials being discovered just inside the Clare border.

Until a full forensic examination is made of the materials and firearm found in the Meelick wood, gardaí will not be able to comment on how long they think the arms cache was hidden in Glenagross Wood.

The wooded area is a popular one with walkers and members of the public are urged to report any suspicious activity they see in the area to their local Garda station.