Category: News

HUNDREDS of jobs are set to be created in the North Clare area in the coming months following the Government’s decision to go ahead with the completion of the M18 motorway from Gort to Tuam.

The decision to complete the motorway, which currently stops at Gort, is expected to create 2, 500 jobs over three years of constructions – with 500 of those jobs coming in local services sector.

The proposal is conditional on the Government securing private investment to match funds from the National Pension Reserve Fund and a € 170 million loan for the scheme secured from the European Investment Bank.

The announcement was broadly welcome in Clare with Clare County Council, the Ennis Chamber of Commerce and all saying it will drive employment in the county. Providing private sector investment is forthcoming, construction on the motorway should begin in early 2013.

“This project will further enhance the road infrastructure in the West and Mid West providing further access to County Clare and playing an important role in attracting more customers to Shannon Airport,” said Rita McInerney, CEO of Ennis Chamber of Commerce.

Clare County Manager Tom Coughlan described the Gort to Tuam motorway as “critically important” for the development of the county.

“Like the Gort-Crusheen scheme, a project that Clare County Council was centrally involved in, the Gort to Tuam motorway will further enhance regional connectivity between Limerick, Shannon, Ennis and Galway,” he said.

The Director of Shannon Airport, Mary Considine, described the goahead for the completion of the M18 as a “significant boost” for Shannon Airport.

“The completion of the motorway to Galway and further to Tuam will significantly enhance travel times to and from Shannon Airport for our existing catchment and also open up a wider market for our services,” she said.

“Today we remain the only airport on the entire western seaboard with transatlantic services and connectivity into one of Europe’s four major hubs, Heathrow so this improvement in the road network will benefit many people accessing our services.”

A BUSINESSMAN has reached an agreement with Clare County Council over fire safety concerns at an apartment block in Ennis.

Oliver Moylan, with an address at Golf Links Road, Ennis, was brought to court after failing to comply with a fire safety notice issued by the Council in January.

The notice was issued to rectify deficiencies at a 10-room apartment building owned by Mr Moylan on O’Connell Street, Ennis.

The court previously heard that an inspection of the premises highlighted a number of deficiencies including inadequate means of escape and the placing of cooking facilities adjacent to doors.

The court had heard that individual apartments were not fitted with fire alarms while there was no central fire alarm for the apartment block. Both systems are required under fire safety regulations. Mr Moylan, who owns the Ennis Cash Company, had been given until last week to agree a schedule of works with the Council.

On Friday, Ennis District Court heard that an agreement had been reached between the parties.

Solicitor for the Council Rachael Leahy said the proposal put forward by the defendant’s engineer was “perfectly acceptable” to her client. She told the court that the fact that the building was now vacant meant the safety notice had been met.

The court heard that the premises are not to be occupied until approved by the fire officer. Ms Leahy made an application for costs. Judge Durcan struck out the matter with no order for costs. Judge Durcan had previously criticised evidence given in court by a Council witness.

Speaking on Friday, Judge Durcan said, “I was very unimpressed by the evidence of Clare County Council. I was quite appalled.”

A MAN described as a “good skin when he’s not fuelled up on drugs” has been sentenced to five months in prison for the theft of power tools from a garage in Kilrush earlier this year.

At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Jonathan Kenny (23), with an address at 1 Elm Drive Kilrush, pleaded guilty to theft of the items from a shed alongside a family home at Cappa Road, Kilrush on April 4.

Detective Garda Donal Corkery of Kilrush Garda Station told the court that Mr Kenny was spotted entering woods in Kilrush with items taken from the shed.

All of the property was recovered and Mr Kenny made a full admission to gardaí. The court heard that the garage was unlocked at the time.

Detective Corkery said that Mr Kenny has a total of 41 previous convictions. Solicitor Michael Ryan said the offence had been carried out in a “haphazard and disorganised” manner. He said that all of the items had been recovered. Mr Ryan said the murder of his client’s older brother in Kilrush in 2009 had a major effect on him. He said that Mr Kenny has a “very serious drug habit.”

He added, “When Jonathan Kenny is not fuelled up on drugs he is a relatively good skin, and I think the gardaí would agree on that point.”

He told the court that his client’s personal circumstances had been made more difficult by the availability of drugs in Kilrush. Mr Ryan said that despite the best efforts of gardaí in the West Clare town, “there is a willing availability of drugs”, a point acknowledged in court by Detective Corkery.

Mr Ryan added, “Given the circumstances, I do think the deck was stacked against him.”

He said there are situations in Kilrush where dealers are coming to people’s doors to push drugs on them.

“And then you get into trouble when you don’t have the money to pay for them”, he added. He urged the Court in passing sentence, to consider offering Mr Kenny “some light at the end of the tunnel.”

Judge Patrick Durcan said that he did not view life in terms of tunnels. “I see life in terms of day and night and in terms of good and evil”, he said. Judge Durcan said people are entitled to live their lives in peace and tranquility and to leave their tool sheds unlocked.

Referring to Mr Kenny’s offence, Judge Durcan said, “He was very anxious to get the goods that he had had stolen and he was eager to get them out of the way.”

He imposed a five-month prison sentence. Recognances were fixed in the event of an appeal.

Judge Durcan added, “I want the message to go out, not to the good skins of Kilrush, but to the bad skins that they will be met by this court with the harshest of penalties.”

BEACH users in North Clare have been asked to be on the look out for a rare barnacle which could revolutionise how some of the most complicated surgeries are carried out.

The rare goose barnacle, or Lepas anatifera, produces what has been described as a “natural underwater superglue” which could significant- ly change how surgeons approach operations if it can be synthetically produced.

A team of scientist from the Zoology Department at NUI, Galway are studying the barnacles adhesive properties – which allow it to attack itself to any surface, even a non-stick pan, in a wet or underwater environment.

The difficulty is that the Lepas anatifera live and breed in open wa- ter and living specimens are rarely found close to the shore. However, the research team has discovered a number of the barnacles alive on Fanore beach in North Clare.

It is as yet unclear why the barnacles seem to favour the beach at Fanore but the NUI, Galway scientists are appealing to anyone using the beach to be on the look-out for the rare animals. The barnacles emit a substance which hardens into a “strong cement” – consisting of a mixture of several proteins. The scientists hope to study the glands which the barnacles use to produce these proteins.

“We humans haven’t managed to create glues that can be used successfully in wet environments, but nature has done it over and over again,” said Jaimie-Leigh Jonker, who is involved in the research.

“Underwater adhesion is a largely non-existent technology and would be of particular benefit in medicine.

“In the course of surgical procedures mechanical attachments such as staples and stitches are often used, but strong glue that could be used in a wet environment and not damage living tissue would be far more suitable for many procedures.”

Anyone who comes across a suspected live goose barnacle is asked to call 091 493191 or visit facebook. com/TheAmazingGooseBarnacle.

SAINT Joseph’s Education Centre in Ennis was the scene of a new programme for Channel 5 shortly before the unit closed last month under Government financial restrictions.

Staff and students were chuffed to be hosts for the television crew along with Paddy Doherty, celebrity Big Brother winner, and Sally Bercow, wife of the Speaker of the House of Commons, who are central characters in the production. It is being filmed also in Hungary, Spain and Malaysia.

Paddy and the entire company visited other parts of Ireland meet- ing Travellers and researching his heritage in the course of filming. In the Ennis centre, which has been for many years a dedicated facility for Traveller training and education, there were takes such as showing his culinary art in the kitchen.

Paddy and his wife of 34 years, Roseanne, live in England. They have five children and fifteen grandchildren. He says his Irish roots are part of him. The centres in Ireland for Traveller education intrigued him, arousing a desire to get involved with some of the classes.

It was an exciting day at St. Joseph’s and Paddy was very popular among staff and students.

The Channel 5 programme will be screened in September, looking at Traveller and gypsy community life. Last August, Paddy was the third person to enter the ‘Celebrity Big Brother 2011’ house. He made it to the final and was crowned winner, beating Kerry Katona.

In January of this year he appeared in a two-part Channel 5 documen tary, ‘When Paddy met Sally,’ with former Big Brother housemate Sally Bercow.

The Ennis Traveller’s Training Centre was the first in the country. It started as part of a Combat Poverty Programme in 1974. At that time, it was located in the grounds of the Holy Family School, Ennis. In 1982 the centre moved to new building at the Gort road industrial estate.

St Joseph’s, which is located in the Gort Road industrial estate, will close as a traveler only training centre on June 29. The building closed as a traveler only training centre in May.

It is intended that the building will become the first all-purpose skills unit in Ennis.

CLARE Vocational Educational Committee (VEC) has expressed an interest in becoming patron of a school in Shannon. Shannon has been identified as one of 44 areas nationwide to be surveyed with a view to determining parental preferences regarding school patronage.

Chief Executive Officer George O’Callaghan told the July meeting of Clare VEC that the schools in Shannon to be divested have not been identified.

He said the VEC had previously expressed and interest in the patronage of two primary schools – Mol an Óige (Ennistymon) and Raheen Wood (Tuamgraney).

Committee member Flan Garvey proposed that Clare VEC apply to seek patronage, saying, “We are well capable of being patrons. It would be better than having an outsider coming in that does not have the same experience.” The proposal was seconded and formally adopted.

In response to a question from Cllr Cathal Crowe (FF) on the potential for clashes between Boards of Management and parents over patronage, Mr O’Callaghan said the process “would probably be driven in the main by parental preference”.

He added that Boards of Management would also have a role.

Mr O’Callaghan told the meeting that the survey process would take up to 12 months and that any patronage application would be taken up by the new Local and Education Training Boards, that will replace VECs.

In June, Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn announced an action plan in response to the report of the Advisory Group to the forum on patronage and pluralism in the primary sector.

In a report to members of Clare VEC, Mr O’Callaghan, explained, “It is proposed that surveys will be conducted by the department during the autumn in 44 identified areas with a view to determining parental preferences regarding school patronage in those areas.”

Mr O’Callaghan said that the department is now inviting expressions of interest from bodies who are not already patrons of schools in the 44 areas. He told the meeting that the process is also open to individuals.

He continued, “It will be assumed that all existing school patrons in these areas will wish to continue in this role unless they specifically notify the department to the contrary.”

Expressions of interest should be with the Forward Planning Section on Friday, July 27.

CLARE VEC has been urged to request the Minister for Education and Skills to employ local developers in school construction projects.

The call was made at last week’s VEC meeting by Commitee Chairman, Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind).

He said the Minister should be contacted regarding the awarding of contracts for school building projects.

Cllr Brennan acknowledged that the department is subject to EU rules on tendering. However he said that “where possible local developers should be used”.

“We are supposed to be doing everything we can to try and get people back to work,” he added.

He told the meeting that a firm from Northern Ireland had been employed for a project in Ennis.

CEO George O’Callaghan said the Department is bound by regulations on tendering.

Clare VEC has been asked by the Department of Education and Skills to provide support and assistance to Scoil na Mainstreach, Quin, in relation to the construction of a major extension to the school.

Mr O’Callaghan stated, “While the school retains ultimate responsibility of the project the VEC will also provide a check and overview on the process.”

Mr O’Callaghan told the meeting that the VEC would provide technical assistance to the school.

He said the VEC is already engaged in a process for new school extensions at VEC schools in Ennis and Killaloe and Shannon Comprehensive.

Clare VEC will receive a devolved grant for the projects – a 2813sq/m extension in Ennis and a 1800sq/m extension in Killaloe.

The Department of Education has predicted that enrolment at Ennis Community College will rise to 740 students in the near future, while enrolment at St Anne’s is expected to increase to 750.

A CLARE-BASED national organization that looks after the interests of over 100 carers groups around the country has rowed in with its support for a new strategy that has been devised by the Government and launched by Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

Caring for Carers Ireland has said that the new strategy called ‘The National Carers Strategy: Recognised, Supported, Empowered’, included commitments from all Government Departments to meet the demands and needs of Ireland’s growing number of family carers of all ages

“As far back as 1988, the Department of Health expressed its desire to enable older people to live with dignity and to be cared for as long as possible in their own homes,” said Mary McMahon, CEO of Caring for Carers Ireland. “24 years on, the Government has produced a strategy that we feel provides the framework that will guide the future of caring in the community and help to support a fair and equitable system for family carers in challenging times.

“There are over 74,000 males and 113,000 females registered as family carers in Ireland, including 4,288 carers under the age of 15, who collectively contribute € 2.5 billion to the national economy each year.”

The new strategy was produced by the Minister For Disability, Equality, Mental Health and Older People, Kathleen Lynch.

Brigid Barron, Innovation and Programme Manager, Caring for Carers Ireland, noted that the publication of the strategy is “timely” as the pressures faced by family carers through- out Ireland have never been greater.

She continued: “The demand for support mechanisms to be put in place for family carers are increasing on a daily basis as a result of early discharges from hospitals, the growing need for long-term care for Ireland’s ageing population and the increase in the numbers of people with complex health issues being cared for in their home by family members. This strategy is geared toward including family carers in care planning and decision making for those that they care for, and the promotion of supports and services to protect the physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing of carers.

“Caring for Carers Ireland, on behalf of its members, now looks forward to a speedy implementation of the proposals outlined in the Strategy,” Ms Barron concluded.

SHANNON’S ability to be transformed into a strategic freight logistics hub that would have direct connections to some of the world’s global logistics centres has been highlighted following a major thinktank that took place in London last week.

The Mid West Regional Authority (MWRA) and the Irish Exporters Association (IEA) have sounded out Shannon’s potential after meeting with international freight logistics experts in London this week to promote the mid-west region as a strategically located and sustainable freight logistics hub.

Through its participation in the EU co-funded Weastflows project, the MWRA chaired the meeting in London to discuss methods to promote the major North West European freight Gateways in terms of their connectivity to other European Gateways and onwards to the major global logistics hubs in the United States and Asia.

“The importance of an effective and well-managed Gateway for freight movements cannot be overstated for a peripheral European region, such as the mid-west,” explained Liam Conneally, Director of the MWRA.

“The Limerick-Shannon Gateway is at the heart of the region and is an important contributor to the economic development of the mid-west. Ireland’s exports continue to rise in 2012, despite the challenges faced by our key export markets, and our exporters rely on an efficient transport system to move their products within the North West Europe area and beyond.

“Furthermore, if Ireland is to meet its commitments in terms of reducing CO2 emissions, the region needs to learn the best methods for en- couraging modal shifts from road to more sustainable forms of freight transport,” he added. “The Weastflows project is seeking to improve and enhance freight logistics in North West Europe on a West-East axis. The project brings together experts from all sectors of the freight industry to work towards connecting and improving sustainable supply chains for the movement of freight. During the recent meeting in the UK, the MWRA promoted the LimerickShannon gateway, which as the most western gateway in the project has a key location for freight movements.”

Linda Newport, EU Projects Officer with MWRA, explained that the benefits for the mid-west region in participating in the Weastflows project include an opportunity to improve the connectivity from the region to the major North West Europe transport corridors, as well as an opportunity to test out the latest in innovative approaches to freight transportation via participation in pilot projects.

“The mid-west region is strategically located on the west coast of Ireland and is an important logistics hub in Ireland with the Shannon Estuary and Shannon International Airport. The Limerick-Shannon gateway is at the heart of the region and is an important contributor to the economic development of the region.

“Through our participation in the Weastflows project, the MWRA will work with the Irish Exporters Association and other partners to establish the Limerick-Shannon gateway as a sustainable gateway and improve links with the Seine gateway, the Liverpool-Manchester gateway and the London-Thames gateway, among others. It is anticipated that the results of the project will feed into the regional planning processes,” she added.

A PLAN for the development of the mid-west region for the next 20 years has been branded a “complete waste of money”.

The € 1.2 million Mid West Area Strategic Plan (MWASP) will cost Clare County Council € 184,000, yet local county councillors claim that its main concern is furthering the development of Limerick City at the expense of Clare.

Cllr PJ Kelly (FF), who is a member of the Mid West Regional Authority, is particularly critical of the plan stating, “It is a document that serves no purpose other than to further the needs of Limerick City.”

The plan is described as a “Planning Land Use and Transportation Strategy” that covers North Tipperary, Limerick City and Limerick County and County Clare.

However following the next local elections in 2014 Tipperary North will cease to exist, as it will be amalgamated with Tipperary South.

Cllr Kelly has now called for the plan to be reviewed if there is any “territorial change”.

Following the local authority changes in Tipperary, the Clare county councillor believes Tipperary North will have to be omitted or the South included making the current plan, which is in its final draft stage, nul and void.

Senior Planner with Clare County Council Gordon Daly told The Clare People that the MWASP was similar to strategies that have been prepared in other parts of the country.

Asked about the costings he explained, “The overall cost of the strategy over a four to five year period is € 1.2m. A grant of € 600,000 was received from the Department of Transport, primarily focused on the transportation and smarter travel assessments of the plan. This would have involved a substantial amount of survey work and traffic counts. The balance of the funding (€ 600,000) is shared between the four local authorities in the region on the basis of population. The overall cost to Clare County Council over the four to five year period is approximately € 184,000,” he said.

“Also, one of the main benefits of MWASP has been the development of an overall transport model which is available to the local authority for future traffic assessments and the model is available to Clare County Council and can be used by the council in the future,” added the senior planner.