Category: News

DEVELOPING the quays in County Clare would not only give a boost to local communities and provide a public amenity to locals but it would also help drive local tourism.

That is according to Green Party councillor Brian Meaney who proposed, “a plan for the development of underutilized quays in Clare be commenced by Clare County Coun- cil in partnership with other relevant groups”. The development should include the use of the quays as a public amenity he said.

Cllr Meaney told last evening’s meeting of Clare County Council that each area of Clare has a quay be it on lakes or the Atlantic Ocean.

Supporting the motion, Cllr Oliver Garry (FG) said that any such project should also look at the islands including the seven in the estuary.

In her reply, Director of Services Ann Haugh said the council does not have funding for a plan to cover “the many quay facilities which exist around the county’s coastline”.

“Where funding opportunities become available to facilitate improvement of quay facilities in the county they are pursued. Where it is considered through local knowledge or otherwise that there are development opportunities in relation to particular quays, these can be notified to us and we will consider same,” she said.

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.

IT IS that time of year again – children are back at school, good intentioned individuals are joining gyms and the members of Clare County Council are discussing hedges.

Cllr Oliver Garry (FG) admitted that the issue arrives every year, as it still has to be resolved completely.

The West Clare councillor said that at previous meetings it was proposed to contact farming organisations and forestry groups to try and progress matters in this area.

“Could the Director of Services report to the members of the progress that’s being made, as this is a serious road safety matter all over the county?” he asked.

Under Section 70 of the Roads Act 1993, landowners and occupiers are responsible for trees and hedgerows on or inside their boundaries adjacent to public roads, and Clare County Council are the authority with the responsibility to ensure that public roads are kept free of obstructions which include overgrown hedgerows and verges.

There remains a grey area around issues of removed corners, hedges originating inside a boundary wall and growing on to the public are and roads with stone walls as margins.

Director of Services Ann Haugh confirmed, “Discussions have been held with the Irish Farmers Association and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association regarding the need for cooperation from landowners in terms of their responsibility.

“While landowners do have some concerns, the discussions were constructive and a response is presently awaited from both organisations. This response is expected within the next couple of weeks,” she said.

“We are hoping that the two organisations will come on board with the council and the gardaí in a public relations strategy with a view to being in a position to work constructively with landowners in the public interest.

“Equally I would hope that the debate pursuant to this of motion would generate constructive publicity to assist in persuading landowners to work in co-operation with the council and the gardaí on the matter.”

Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) raised some concerns that some of the letters sent out to landowners “seems quiet threatening”. He said they were not responsible for a hedge that grows over their wall.

Cllr Tom McInerney said very little progress has been made on the issue to date.

“I think it is very unfair to hold farmer responsible for hedges growing outside their walls.”

He questioned the fairness of people in rural Ireland paying the same charges as people in urban Ireland, who have footpaths outside their homes, and are then expected to cut hedges.

A MEMBER of Clare County Council has called for all surplus lands from the development of the Crusheen by-pass to be sold back to local landowners to prevent its use as “illegal encampments”.

Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) asked the Director for Service for Transportation to liaise with Galway County Council on the issue. He asked that “any portions of land acquired for the Crusheen by- pass, which were not completely used in the course of construction of the bypass” be sold back to local landowners, “rather than having them available for use as illegal encampments”.

“We cannot have people moving into the area upsetting people, farmers and the local community,” he said, adding that people who set up such encampments “should be taken to task”.

Supporting the motion Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said that there have been similar problems on the Ennis bypass.

MAKING sense of the “Personal Insolvency Bill” and how it will impact on “ordinary people” will be central to a public seminar being organised by Clare MABS and Citizens Information Service.

The seminar will take place tomorrow (Wednesday) in the Temple Gate Hotel Ennis from 9.45am.

The new personal insolvency regime including the reform of bankruptcy law will, in addition to providing new legal remedies, provide a significant incentive for financial institutions to develop and implement realistic agreements to resolve debt issues with their customers.

Legal rights group FLAC (Free Legal Advice Centres) gave a mixed reaction during the weekend to the Government’s launch of a new independent financial advice scheme for distressed mortgage holders, saying it raised many questions.

The scheme, launched by Social Protection Minister Joan Burton on Thursday, will allow mortgage holders in arrears to receive a free consultation with an accountant, paid for by the banks, on their situation. However, FLAC, expressed serious concerns about how the scheme will operate.

FLAC senior policy researcher Paul Joyce, who will adress the seminar in Ennis, said, “While FLAC welcomes any and all measures that will assist people in mortgage crisis, this scheme contains many holes from our perspective. If this scheme is meant to be implementing the Keane Report’s 2011 recommendations, it certainly falls far short of what was recommended back then.

“Where is the initial team of 100 advisors with financial, accounting and legal skills that would liaise with MABS?”

The new arrangement was launched as part of the three-point Mortgage Arrears Information and Advice Service, itself part of the Government’s four-pronged ‘Action Plan on Mortgage Debt’. However, FLAC said the action plan as revealed to date lacks coherence and transparency.

Paul Woulfe, Manager with the Citizens Information Centre in Clare, said, “The Mortgage Arrears Information Helpline, which has been operational since July, provides general mortgage arrears information and guidance to mortgage holders in particular those borrowers who are in arrears or pre-arrears on their residential property. The helpline also refers calls to other services such as the Money Advice and Budgeting Service, free legal aid centres and other relevant services. The helpline number is 0761 07 4050, Monday to Friday 9.30am-5pm.”

Other contributors include Dennis Corbett, Co-ordinator with Clare MABS, who will outline the role of the organisation in managing the Debt Relief Orders and David Williams, JW Williams and Co, who will outline The UK Experience and Personal Insolvency Arrangements. The seminar is free and is open to everyone. To register call 0761 075260 or email ennis@citinfo.ie.

THE enduring success story that is Ennis’ involvement with the National Tidy Towns competition is all down to the spirit of partnership in the county capital that producing consistently impressive results in the competition, year in year out.

That was the verdict delivered Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Peter Considine at the Helix on Monday as the county town was named the country’s Tidiest Large Urban Centre for the fourth time in seven years.

Since winning the overall national title in 2005 – only Clare’s second outright victory and first since Mountshannon on 1981 in the 54year history of the event – Ennis has won the Tidiest Large Urban Centre in 2006, 2007, 2009 and now 2012.

In hailing this latest achievement, Mayor Considine said Ennis’ award successes could not have been accomplished without the support of community groups, schools, residents associations, businesses and State agencies, in partnership with Ennis Town Council.

“This competition provides members of the local community with the opportunity to showcase their pride in their respective towns and villages,” he told The Clare People on Monday.

“The year-round work that has been put in by the Tidy Towns Committee and wider community has reaped dividends. It is evident from Ennis’ outstanding success in this year’s competition that the spirit of volunteerism and pride of place is very much alive in the county capital,” added Mayor Considine.

“These award successes mark the culmination of months of hard work by local volunteers and members of the Ennis Tidy Towns Committee to improve the appearance of the town and its environs,” said the chairperson of the Ennis Tidy Towns Committtee, Áine Purcell.

“The volunteers toiled throughout the summer months in various public areas to create and maintain flowerbeds, keeps streets tidy, cut grass and pick up litter. Retaining the Gold Medal also is a massive achievement for everybody concerned in Ennis,” she added.

Ennis town clerk Leonard Cleary noted that the Tidy Towns awards are the result of a collaborative effort by the local community and the business sector in Ennis.

“Despite the huge volume of people that live in and visit Ennis, this large town has successfully managed to retain its unique heritage charm and tidy appearance,” Mr Cleary said.

“This has been achieved through the combined efforts of residents and the business community, in conjunction with various regional and Government bodies, to enhance the town’s appearance,” he added.

THE Tidy Towns committee in Kilrush has expressed disappointment with its rate of improvement in this year’s competition, even though the west Clare capital had the distinction of winning a Gold Medal for the sixth successive year.

This disappointment was sounded out by Tidy Towns chairperson Paul Edson, who while expressing delight at the town’s latest Gold Medal achievement said that the failure to make the “big leap forward” they were looking for will concentrate minds over the next year.

“Our primary hope was that we would continue with the progress that we have made over the last number of years by winning gold,” said Mr Edson. “We did that and it is a huge achievement for us to win a Gold Medal for sixth year in a row. We are delighted and over the moon about retaining that medal, because it gets harder and harder every year. We are still there and we are hanging on to our gold medal and that’s great.

“We had an increase of one part from last year. We are slightly disappointed with that. We are happy to be moving forward, but we felt that the amount of work and effort that we put in actually deserved more than a one mark increase. We are going through the report to see what areas we need to improve on,” he added.

And, in making his comments about Kilrush’s overall mark of 304 points, Mr Edson said that the goal going forward remains becoming the third centre in the county – after Mountshannon and Ennis – to win the overall national title.

“Unfortunately we haven’t made a big leap forward,” he said. “We felt that with the amount of work and effort we put in during the year would deserve more than one extra mark. It wasn’t to be, so we have to look at the adjudicators report and redouble our efforts next year and come back fighting.

“Our next job is try to understand why we only collected one extra mark and why we didn’t do better for the amount of improvements that we did. Look at Moore Street for instance. Unfortunately we didn’t get any recognition from the judges for the work that was done on Moore Street. There’s no comment on those improvements.

“We feel we need to make a big song and dance about the work that we have done. We will review where the adjudicator has made his points and come back stronger next year. We want to win that overall award,” he added.

RESIDENTS of the Beechpark estate in Ennis have not seen any improvement in local services in almost 35 years as Clare County Council was forced to spend a “huge amount of resources” on a nearby Traveller accommodation site.

The contrast in spending was highlighted at yesterday’s meeting of councilors in the Ennis West Electoral Area.

Cllr Tony Mulqueen (FG) told the meeting that there are 22 houses in Beechpark.

He said one of the residents has lived there for 32 years and has not seen any investment to solve problems with street lighting, footpaths and potholes.

Cllr Mulqueen added that in that same period the council has spent huge resources on maintenance and security costs at the nearby Beechpark Traveller accommodation site, which was the subject of arson attacks in 2010.

Cllr Mulqueen was also critical of the National Roads Authority whom he said had failed to carry out repairs to the estate entrance following work on the N85 Western Relief Road.

He was speaking on a motion tabled by Cllr James Breen (Ind). Cllr Breen called on the council to finish and take over the Beechpark estate “in view of the fact that the council has drawn down the bond for close to 30 years”.

Cllr Breen told the meeting that it was his information that had a bond had been drawn down.

However, in her response, Helen Quinn, Senior Executive Planner, explained that a review of the bond database has been carried out and there is no record of a bond having been drawn for this development. Ms Quinn stated that the council is currently reviewing all planning applications that relate to the development to establish if the bond was attached to any element of the site.

She continued, “From the planning files that have been reviewed thus far, which includes the original applications dating back to 1976, 1977, it is noted that no bond conditions were attached. (It is noted that such conditions were attached re: the payment of contributions towards the expenditure being occurred by the council in improving the public water supply in the area to facilitate the development.)

She added, “However it is also noted that the majority of houses appear to have been developed by each individual owner as opposed to a developer. The development is not therefore a development in the conventional sense but a group of individual houses developed by owners of individual sites. The council will examine the history further to ascertain what is the appropriate course of action.”

Town Manager Ger Dollard said the introduction of household and septic tank charges has led residents to demand services from local authorities.

He said there are a number of estates across Clare in a similar situation to Beechpark.

The meeting heard that the council would raise the matter with the NRA.

THE Ennis Town Manager has defended Ennis Town Council’s record of investment in amenity facilities following criticisms over the Post Office Field.

Ger Dollard was speaking yesterday in response to comments made Cllr James Breen (Ind). In a motion tabled at the September meeting of councillors in the Ennis West Electoral area, Cllr Breen called on the council and the county manager “to take immediate steps to develop the Post Office Field at Bank Place and Bindon Street into a community area”.

Cllr Breen said the field is a “marvelous amenity” in the heart of the town that has been underused and underdeveloped for decades.

In his response, town clerk Leonard Cleary stated that the Post Office Field is a major natural resource for the town centre. “It is rich in wildlife and natural heritage. It offers significant potential for appropriate development. Previously the resource was considered as a proposed site for series of different functions. The issue of resources is key in moving any project forward. The Ennis Hub Town Strategy is currently being drafted by Ennis Town Council after considerable community consultation as part of the Ennis 2020 visioning exercise with University of Limerick,” he said.

“The hub strategy indicates strong support for the development of the post office field as an amenity area. It also presents this type of project as an opportunity for the town to re-orientate towards the great River Fergus resource, which bounds the field. A key challenge in implementing this action in the hub strategy regarding the post office field relates to the available financial resources. Any future proposals for the Post Office Field will in the first instance need to be considered by the elected members of Ennis Town Council.”

The field had been put forward as the site for a new library but the project was abandoned due to a lack of funding.

Mr Dollard said a consensus should be established about the future of the field. However he warned that it would be “a number of years before we have funds available to use”.

Cllr Breen said such a timescale was “unacceptable”, adding that it did not “argue” well for what Ennis Town Council had been doing at times when resources were available for the development of the field.

Mr Dollard said the Council invested hugely in amenities in Ennis, citing the money spent on Lees Road and Tim Smyth Park.

Town Engineer Eamon O’Dea told the meeting that field had only come into the ownership of the council within the last 10 years.

MOTORISTS and residents are “giving out stink” about ongoing roadworks in Spancillhill, a meeting has heard.

In a motion tabled at a meeting of councillors in the Ennis East Electoral Area, Cllr Sonny Scanlan (FG) asked when the “Spancilhill Road will be completed and re-opened as it causing a lot of anger and inconvenience to the residents”.

Cllr Scanlan told the meeting that he had received numerous complaints from people on the area “giving out stink about how long it is taking to finish the road”.

He said people are also giving out about the council. Senior engineer Tom Tiernan admitted that the “inconvenience that has been caused is regrettable”. He explained, “A number of issues have combined to create this situation – drainage management complexities, rock removal, the gradual erosion in a number of available staff and the incapacity to replace them etc. The objective at present is to restore two-way traffic in four to six weeks from now and to have completed the project by the end of this year.”

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said he too had received a high number of complaints about the length of the works. He said the road is one of the main arteries into Ennis and that the delay in completing the road “paints the council in a bad light”.

Mayor of Clare, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) said the delays are very unfair on motorists coming from East Clare.

Committee chairman Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) also urged the council to do what it can to expedite the project.