Category: News

A GROUP of councillors in Ennis are expected to recommend to unions that all teachers receive suicide awareness training. It comes after the Mayor of Ennis said plans to roll out the SAFETALK programme had received the backing of the Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn. Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) said Mr Quinn had told councillors to present their proposal to teachers’ unions during his visit to Ennis on Friday. “We would like to get support for it. The minister seemed to think it was a good idea,” added Cllr Guilfoyle. The issue of suicide awareness was raised at the June meeting of Ennis Town Council. Cllr Paul O’Shea (Lab) called on the council to request that the minister provide the SAFETALK programme to all teachers and school personnel in primary and secondary schools in Clare and throughout the State. Cllr O’Shea told the meeting that there is solid evidence that indicates that there is a higher risk of suicide during times of economic hardship. He said it would take 12 days to deliver training to teachers in all 135 primary and secondary schools in Clare. Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said that anyone going through a period of suicidal thoughts does so for 72 hours. He explained that a support group was available at Ennis General Hospital for people experiencing suicidal thoughts. Cllr Mary Howard (FG) told the meeting that she believed that anyone dealing with the public should take suicide awareness training. She told the meeting that she supported greater rollout of the SAFETALK programme. She added, “As a community, we can deal with it if step up to the plate.” Cllr Guilfoyle said the high incidence of suicide in Ireland is frightening. Tue12June12

A Judge has accepted jurisdiction of a case where a woman is alleged to have made a series of emergency calls to Ennis Garda Station.

Rachel Fogarty (21) with an address at Boher Road, Emly, Tippperary is charged with sending by means of a telecommunications systems, a message for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to another.

It is alleged that the offence took place on August 30 (2011) at a place unknown in the district area of Ennis District No. 12.

Ms Fogarty is charged under the postal and telecommunications act.

At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Inspector Tom Kennedy said the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed summary disposal of the case. He said it would be alleged that between 4.24am and 5.44am on the date in question, Ennis Garda Station received a total of eight 999 emergency calls.

Insp Kennedy said the gardaí were requested to attend a house in Hermitage though it was not clear why they were directed to do so.

He said gardaí discovered that the calls were allegedly made by Ms Fogarty.

Judge Patrick Durcan accepted jurisdiction. The case was adjounred until June 13.

A MAN has appeared in court charged with an offence under the child trafficking and pornography act.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

It is alleged that the man, a Pakistani national, did travel with the intention of meeting up with a child, having met up with and communicated with that child on two or more previous occasions with the intent of doing an act that would constitute sexual exploitation of that child, contrary to the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act.

The offence is alleged to have occurred in an area of Clare last July.

Detective Sergeant Kevin O’Hagan gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution. The court heard that the 30year-old man replied “no” to charge after caution. Judge Patrick Durcan refused an application for bail.

He imposed reporting restrictions. Judge Durcan ordered the neither the names of the child or the accused be published.

He also ordered that the location of the alleged offence not be disclosed.

The man was remanded in custody to appear again at Ennis District Court on June 13.

A MAN who allegedly threatened to kill a dentist in Ennis last month is to be sent forward for trial.

Eoin Hannan (39) with an address at 14 Kilrush Road, appeared at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

It is alleged that on May 10 (2012) at Merchant’s Square, Ennis Mr Hannan did without lawful excuse make a threat intending that a person believed their property would be damaged. Mr Hannan is also charged with allegedly making a threat to kill or cause harm to another man by means intending the other to believe it will be carried out, at Merchant’s Square on May 11 (2012).

Inspector Tom Kennedy said both charges would be proceeding on indictment.

He told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed trial on indictment.

Judge Patrick Durcan remanded the accused on continuing bail to appear again at Ennis District Court on July 4 for service of the book of evidence.

A 42-YEAR-OLD woman has appeared in court charged with assault causing harm to another woman near Ennis earlier this year.

Rose Joyce, with an address at 55 Abbeyville, Limerick Road, Ennis, is charged in relation to an incident at St Anthony’s Grove, Kildysart Road on April 6 (2012). Inspector Tom Kennedy told Ennis District Court on Wednesday that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed summary disposal of the matter.

He said it would be alleged that Ms Joyce went to St Anthony’s Grove to meet another woman. He said this woman was later found bleeding heavily from the head after an alleged assault.

Judge Patrick Durcan said he “reluctantly” accepted jurisdiction of the case. Ms Joyce was granted bail subject to a number of conditions. She was ordered to have no contact with the alleged injured party and to stay away from a certain named location. Another person, Brian Joyce (18), with an address at 55 Abbeyville, Limerick Road, Ennis, is charged with assault arising out of the same incident. He was granted bail subject to the same conditions.

Both accused were remanded on continuing bail until July 4.

AN apprentice electrician was put “under pressure” to sell cocaine in order to pay off a drug debt, a court has heard.

At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Gerard Griffin (18), formerly of 68 Abbeyville, Limerick Road, Ennis, pleaded guilty to having cocaine for sale or supply at the same address on December 14 (2011). The court heard that Mr Griffin has now moved to a new address.

Detective Garda Stephen Hession gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution. Mr Griffin made no reply to charge after caution, the court heard. Inspector Tom Kennedy said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed summary disposal of the matter.

He told the court that Gardaí conducted a search of a property Mr Gaffney had been renting on December 14 (2011). He said cocaine with an estimated value of € 1610 was found along with a quantity of selfsealing plastic “dealing” bags.

Detective Hession said that the accused owed money for cannabis and had been told to sell harder drugs to pay off the debt. He said Mr Gaffney had been “under pressure” to sell the drugs.

He said the accused had not made any monetary gain and has since broken away from a group of people he had associated with.

Insp Kennedy said Mr Griffin has no previous convictions.

Solicitor John Casey said his client had cooperated fully with gardaí. He said Mr Gaffney had been given “little or no choice” but to sell the drugs. Mr Casey said his client, an apprentice electrician, had not sold any of the cocaine and didn’t know how to. “He still has a debt to pay off. It has scared him”, he added.

Judge Patrick Durcan praised Mr Griffin’s family for the support they had given. Addressing the accused, he said, “You are very lucky to have gotten out of difficulty.”

He said Mr Griffin was on the road to a “better place.”

Judge Durcan added, “If you get to the top of the mountain then you have nothing to fear. Your record will not be affected.”

He ordered the preparation of a report from the Probation Services and remanded Mr Griffin on continuing bail to appear at Ennis District Court on July 24.

THREE different groups made up of 28 people have been charged with responsibility for coming up with a new blueprint for an independent Shannon Airport.

The final make-up of the Shannon Airport Steering Committee and two task forces was revealed on Thursday last in a joint statement issued by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar and Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton.

Together will overseeing the separation of Shannon from the Dublin Airport Authority, the three groups will also have responsibility for the re-alignment of tourism and enterprise support functions in the region.

The Steering Group is jointly chaired by Tom O’Mahony, Secretary General at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and John Murphy, Secretary General at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and will include senior officials from those Departments as well as the Departments of Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Environment, Community and Local Government.

The group has held its first meeting and is currently planning its work programme for the period ahead.

“The Government recently decided in principle to separate Shannon Airport from the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) and bring it together with Shannon Development to form a new entity with a commercial mandate in public ownership,” said Minister Varadkar.

“The Steering Group is charged with bringing forward proposals for the implementation of that decision, including the optimisation of the en- terprise development arrangements in the region, before the end of the year,” he added.

“We are delighted that so many high calibre people, experts in many different fields, are prepared to serve on the Steering Group and the two Task Forces along with the agencies,” said Minister Bruton. “We are grateful to them for giving of their time and effort to bring forward proposals for the implementation of the Government decision in relation to Shannon,” he added.

ENNIS Town Council has given the green light to a € 76,000 upgrade of coach parking facilities in the town centre.

The plan, which aims to boost the amount of bus tours stopping in Ennis, was adopted last week at the council’s June meeting.

According to a report from Town Manager Gerard Dollard, the scheme would involve the conversion of the lower part of Friar’s Walk car park to a coach park with coaches dropping off and picking up passengers adjacent to the County Museum.

A bus shelter is to be provided while a tap facility will be available to which coach operators could con nect a hose for coach washing purposes. A wastewater disposal facility would also be provided to enable operators to empty waste disposal units from the coach.

Mr Dollard explained, “The overall park would be monitored by CCTV that would be linked to the Glór centre where drivers would be able to remain for the duration of the passenger’s visit to the town. They would also be available to observe their coach on the CCTV monitors in Glór.”

Mr Dollard said further talks would now take place with coach operators and the business community “to ensure maximum benefit is derived from the scheme”.

The report states that Friar’s Walk has been vacant since the change from long stay parking to short stay parking was introduced in 2011. Mr Dollard said that the revenue loss to the council from the changes would be “minimal”.

The council’s traffic section estimates the average monthly loss in parking income would be € 484.80.

It will cost the council € 76,612 to carry out the upgrade with CCTV in- stallation (€ 32,000) accounting for most of the cost.

Mr Dollard said, “It is appreciated that progression of this project would represent a significant investment by Ennis Town Council. However this is a strategic initiative by the council to attract coach business to the town and must be seen in the wider context of economic benefit to the town area.” Members welcomed the scheme with Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) describing it as a “great initiative”.

Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) told the meeting that he believed the plan would bring more business to Ennis. Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) urged the council to consider an advanced booking system to facilitate use of the facility by camper vans.

He also proposed that car parks at Ennis Town Council and Clare County Council be opened for fans going to matches in Cusack Park.

“It could be a very effective use of a public space,” he said.

THE new five-man Shannon Airport steering committee appointed by Ministers Leo Varadker and Richard Bruton has been challenged by the Government “to bring forward specific proposals for the separation of Shannon Airport from the Dublin Airport Authority”.

The committee to be chaired by the departmental mental secretaries of the Minister Varadkar and Minister Bruton’s government departments has been charged with responsibility for five specific areas.

1. To review and assess the DAA plan, when submitted, for the operational and financial readiness of the DAA Group in a post-separation scenario;

2. To bring forward proposals for the transfer of Shannon Development’s functions in relation to indigenous enterprises and foreign direct investment to Enterprise Ireland (EI) and the IDA respectively and to ensure that a plan for the delivery of those functions in the region is developed by each agency.

3. To bring forward proposals for the transfer of Shannon Development’s tourism functions, including the Regional Tourism Offices, but excluding Shannon Heritage, to Fáilte Ireland.

4. To explore options and prepare proposals for the formation of the new entity of Shannon Airport and Shannon Development.

5. To assess the feasibility of creating an international aviation centre of excellence centred on Shannon Airport.

A joint-statement issued by Minis- ters Varadkar and Bruton said that structures have to be put in place new Shannon “to collaborate with IDA and Enterprise Ireland, using its property portfolio in conjunction with the airport business as a catalyst for the development of strategic sectoral opportunities for the region”.

The Steering Group will oversee the work of two Task Forces: an Aviation Business Development Task Force and a Change Management Task Force, both of which will report to the Steering Group.

The Aviation Business Development Task Force will be chaired by Rose Hynes who is a former member of the senior management team of Guinness Peat Aviation (GPA) and the boards of Aer Lingus Teo and Shannon Airport Authority, and who is the current chair of Bord Gáis Éireann.

This Task Force will seek out and evaluate aviation-linked business opportunities that could be associated with the new entity and bring forward proposals addressing all relevant issues in this regard.

The Change Management Task Force will be chaired by John Fitzgerald, former Dublin City Manager and current chair of the National Transport Authority, An Post and the Limerick Regeneration Project.

This Task Force will develop proposals for transitional arrangements and for the appropriate corporate, managerial and operational structures of the new entity, including matters related to IT, HR, Finance and property.

In addition, it will draw up proposals for the transfer of Shannon Development functions to the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and Failte Ireland.

PLANS have been put forward to create an annual ‘Democracy Day’ that would celebrate landmark political moments in Ennis that helped shape the development of modern Ireland.

Ennis Town Council has said it would welcome the input of local historical societies into the proposal that would be centered on the election of Daniel O’Connell in Clare in 1828.

The proposal was raised at last week’s council meeting as members debated a motion put forward by Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG).

He proposed that the council put in place an event or commemoration on July 5 each year to mark the significant role played Ennis has played in the development of modern Ireland.

He stated, “On that date in 1828 the world’s first democratic, peaceful revolution resulted in the Liberator, Daniel O’Connell being proclaimed elected as a Catholic to represent Clare in the British Parliament. Voters, who as tenants in defiance of their landlord’s wishes, marched from all over the county to Ennis to cast their vote to challenge the rule by which Catholics were not allowed to hold a seat in Parliament.”

Cllr Flynn told the meeting that July 5 should be declared ‘Democracy Day’ in Ennis. He said the event could be a big success. He said he had been approached by local historians about the proposal.

Town manager Gerard Dollard said that while the idea is a positive one, the council did not currently have the funding or resources to do it justice.

Cllr Peter Considine (FF) also welcomed the proposal and suggested that a decision be deferred until the council’s budget estimates meeting later in the year.

Town clerk Leonard Cleary said any commemoration would depend heavily on the involvement of local historical groups.