Category: News

THE economic downturn has brought about an increased number of unfair dismissals cases in the county, one of the county’s leading business organizations has claimed this week.

The Shannon Chamber of Commerce has sounded out its concerns over the growth in the amount of cases in the county being referred to the Employment Appeals Tribunal over the past two years.

In a statement issued to The Cla re People this week, Shannon Chamber chief executive, Helen Downes said that, “2009 witnessed a 73 per cent increase in the number of cases re ferred to the Employment Appeals Tribunal and the volume of cases referred to the Tribunal in 2010 was equally worrying”.

And, because of this trend the chamber of commerce has been prompted to organise an event to address unfair dismissal obligations and redundancy management.

The event, which is sponsored and supported by Career Decisions Ireland and Zimmer, will be held at Zimmer’s facility in Shannon on Thursday, May 17, from 8am to 10am.

“It’s critically important therefore for companies to be fully aware of the implications of the Unfair Dismissals Acts and their requirements under the Redundancy Payments Acts,” said Ms Downes.

“This seminar will provide information on what constitutes a fair or a constructive dismissal, the steps a company can take to minimise exposure to an unfair dismissal claim, trends in dismissals, a company’s requirements under the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967-2007 and how to effectively manage a redundancy process.”

The event will be of interest to HR practitioners, managers and busi- ness owners. It’s part of a series of workshops being organised this year by Shannon Chamber to address human resources and employment law. It also fits in with the Chamber’s new HR Forum, which involves senior HR professionals from across sectors in the Shannon Region.

The Forum was set up to share best practice research and thinking in HR and Employment Law, develop a network amongst HR professionals in the Shannon Region.

PREPARATIONS are underway to mark the 25th anniversary of the twinning of Ennis and Phoenix, Arizona. A marching band from Saint Mary’s Catholic High School in Phoenix, Arizona, has accepted an invitation to play in the 2013 St Patrick’s Day Parade in Ennis.

The visit will form part of the celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of twinning between the town of Ennis and the US city of Phoenix.

According to TJ Waters, Chairperson of the Ennis Phoenix Twinning Board, “We are delighted that St. Mary’s High School band will march in Ennis on St. Patrick’s Day next year. It will be great to welcome the high-school students and their teachers to Ennis.”

The band is made up of 25 students from 9th to 12th grades. Since the formation of the twinning relationship between Ennis and Phoenix in 1988, civic and community leaders from both sides of the Atlantic have visited each other and developed strong ties and personal friendships.

The focus has been on commercial, cultural and civic activities. Oppor- tunities for trade and education links have been promoted and developed and tourism and enterprise potential has been highlighted.

The proposed visit coincides with the theme for next year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is ‘Ennis – a Musical Town’.

Members of the Ennis Phoenix Twinning Board will be contacting schools in the Ennis area in coming weeks to outline their plans for St Patrick’s weekend in Ennis in 2013 and to encourage as many school bands as possible to participate in the parade.

According to Cllr Michael Guilfoyle, Mayor of Ennis, “It is very important that we celebrate the strong connection between Ennis and Phoenix. This is a real and enduring association that deserves support and encouragement. Congratulations to all of those who have been involved over the past 25 years.”

A new website has also been launched to highlight the twinning arrangement. Log on to www.ennisphoenix.com to find out more about the work of the Ennis Phoenix Twinning Board or to find out how to get involved in the 25th anniversary celebrations.

THE COST of providing Traveller accommodation in Clare has been described as “disproportionately high” and “unsustainable”.

Clare County Council are seeking to amend its current Traveller Accommodation Programme, which runs until 2013.

The proposed amendment, which has gone on public display, states that the council has spent € 20 mil- lion on the construction of 10 permanent group development schemes throughout the county, in addition to other housing supports.

It states, “Three new group schemes were constructed as part of the current 2009-2013 programme, two in Ennistymon at Ballymacraven and at Glen North, and one in Ennis at Knockanean.”

The amendment notes, “The council and the members of the LTACC (Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee) recognise that the group scheme programme has had disappointing results, as reflected in the number of vacancies (currently 16 units or 25 per cent of all units provided), the high level of transfer requests (currently 13 households or 27 per cent of all current tenancies in group schemes) and the loss of units through arson (5 or 7.9 per cent of all units provided).”

Concern has previously been expressed over the high cost of providing and maintaining Traveller accommodation in Clare.

The document states, “The disproportionately high resources that the council is expending on the maintenance and management of Travellerspecific accommodation is unsustainable and negatively impacts on the capacity of the council to achieve the objectives of the programme.”

Under the proposed amendment, the council will close a temporary site at the Quin Road after the existing family there is relocated.

It continues, “It is the council’s policy to apply its rent arrears policy to all tenants. This is in the interests of equity, consistency and in the interests of promoting sustainable communities.”

Traveller tenants will be encouraged to participate in estate management programmes while the council’s antisocial behaviour strategy will apply “to all tenants in all settings.” The council is installing a CCTV system in three group scheme developments as a funded pilot project. Submissions to the document can be made until June 22.

THE retention of one classroom teacher in Boston National School and four English Language Support teachers [EAL] in Ennis has been described as a “stay of execution” by Mullagh teacher and local head of the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO), Sean McMahon.

The five teaching positions, which were due to be scrapped by the Department of Education in September, will now be retained for the 2012 to 2013 school year. While he welcomed the successful appeals, Mr McMahon said that a major u-turn in government educational policy is needed if rural Clare schools are to continue to provide top-class education for the people of Clare.

“This is good news but we have to balance this with the communications coming from the Department of Education which indicate that all schools will have to meet the new student number criteria come September,” he said.

“It is not fair to compare urban and rural schools, especially in the Burren where planning permission is difficult to obtain. The minister [Ruairi Quinn (LAB)] should take a step back from this approach and realise that it is not fair to compare the educational realities of schools in urban and rural areas.”

Mr McMahon also criticised a situation which could see a large number of the county’s urban schools lose English Language Support teachers in the coming years. Four Ennis schools which were due to lose a teacher each in September will now retain their EAL.

The four affected schools are the Holy Family Junior and Senior Schools, Ennis Educate Together and Scoil Chriost Ri in Cloughleigh. They each retained an additional EAL post in the appeals.

Boston National School is one of a number of small rural schools in Clare that face the prospects of teacher cuts and even closure, as a result of the drastic increase in the minimum numbers required to sustain one- and two-teacher schools.

“I’m happy that Boston has retained its post. While I regret the loss of any teaching post in Clare, I am satisfied that posts are being allocated where they are needed most. And need must be the criteria when it comes to something as important as primary education, not politics,” said Clare TD Michael McNamara (LAB).

“In that regard, I’m pleased that the need for four additional EAL posts in Clare was recognised on appeal and will be met – at Holy Family Junior and Senior Schools, Ennis Educate Together and Scoil Chriost Ri in Cloughleigh.” Wh ile it wo n ’t b e o ve rly w a rm , it sh o u ld b e p le a sa n t fo r m o st o f th is we e k, w ith Tu e sd a y, Th u rsd a y, Frid a y a n d Su n d a y th e b e st o f th e we e k. Th e e a rly fo re c a st fo r n e xt we e k is sim ila r.

THREE Clare properties went under the hammer at the latest sale of distressed properties organised by British-based auctioneering firm Allsop Space that took place in Dublin’s Shelbourne Hotel on Thursday last.

The lowest price for the 98 properties that went under the hammer and yielded nearly € 13m was recorded in Clare when a 2.5 acre site on elevated ground in Connolly without planning permission was knocked down for only € 10,000.

This figure represented a new low for the county where Allsop Space auctions are concerned, beating the € 11,000 that was recorded for the sale of a site in the Cloughleigh area of Ennis that came with planning permission for a shop unit and two apartments in 2011.

The two other properties in the county that were sold also went for bargain basement prices, with a holiday home in Doonbeg being sold for € 54,000 and an apartment in Ennistymon fetching € 31,000.

The Doonbeg property is located in the Dun na Mara housing estate in the village – the four-bedroomed property with a sea view had a reserve price but exceeded this by € 9,000, even though the house was described by Allsop Space firm as being “in a shell condition” without fittings in the kitchen or bathoom areas.

The two-bedroomed apartment in Ennistymon located on the junction between Main Street and Parliament Street that was being sold on the instructions of the Kavanagh/Fennell firm of receivers had a reserve price of € 30,000.

Two other Clare properties were also included in the 106-lot auction, but both were withdrawn from the sale. A four-bedroomed bungalow on Station Road in Lahinch had been given a reserve price of just € 50,000 – the property which is just a couple of minutes walk from the centre of the village also came with planning permission granted by Clare County Council in December 2010 to demolish the house and build three town houses in its place. The second property withdrawn was in Crusheen, a four-bedroomed house that had a reserve price of € 75,000.

A NORTH Clare woman who lost her sight almost five years ago has become the spokesperson for one of the country’s most high-profile charities and has now been charged with organising its biggest fundraiser for 2012.

Áine Mae O’Mahony was declared blind after a series of laser treatments and surgeries when she was just 25 years old.

The former café owner adapted to her condition with such grace and bravery that she has since become a “poster girl” for the charity Fighting Blindness Ireland, representing the charity and sharing her story both locally and in the national press.

This year, the charity asked the Lahinch woman to organise a major fundraiser.

Sticking to her roots, she has planned and organised a triathlon and family fun days for the last weekend in July, which was traditionally Gala Sunday.

The Áine Mae Fighting Blindness Weekend is scheduled to take place on July 28 and 29 in the seaside town.

Ms O’Mahony said the weekend will have something for everyone.

“It will include a vision challenge consisting of a run, one-kilometre paddle on boards, another run and a cycle with an early morning start. Seaworld have given us a venue to host a kiddies disco, bouncy castles and other events and we already have many more sponsorships,” she said.

“There will be many mini events and novelty ideas on the days. John McCarthy of the Lahinch Surf School has given his premises at the back so we can host a barbqueue and music for all the volunteers who have taking part.

“I have full support from Senator Martin Conway (FG) and the local county councillors, as well as the community itself. We have had several meetings with a positive outcome,” she said.

As well as raising much needed funds for Fighting Blindness, a charity that supports research into the causes of blindness and any possible cures, Ms O’Mahony also hopes the Áine Mae Fighting Blindness Weekend will resurrect the traditional Gala weekend in Lahinch.

CLARE’S six Oireachtas members gathered in front of Daniel O’Connell on the top of O’Connell Street, Ennis, on Friday last, canvassing in unison for a Yes vote on the Stability Treaty.

TDs and senators across the three parties – Fine Gael, Labour and Fianna Fáil – agreed that accepting this treaty was in Ireland’s interest.

Clare Fianna Fáil TD and the party’s Director of Elections for the referendum, Timmy Dooley was aware, however, that although his Clare Dáil colleagues of all political persuasions were in agreement with the treaty, the same could not be said about all within his own party.

As the Fianna Fáil frontman on the Stability Treaty Referendum, the Clare TD must deal with the decision of former minister Éamonn Ó Cuiv, and his supporters in Galway West, not to support the treaty.

Deputy Dooley told The Clare People that he was not particularly worried about the Galway West TD’s stance, stating that the party’s recommendation for a Yes vote had received a lot of support in Galway West.

“Éamonn Ó Cuiv from the get-go was not an advocate of the European project to the best of my knowledge,” he said.

“He is a member of the party and has a right to his own views. It is my understanding that he won’t be canvassing against it (the treaty) either,” added Deputy Dooley.

Asked if it made his job as Director of Elections more difficult, he said,

“Things are difficult for Éamonn. He has lost the deputy leadership and his front bench position as a result of his stance.”

Deputy Dooley said he has been working in Galway West and around the country on the referendum.

Referring to Galway West he said, “There is a very committed organisation there who supports the treaty. I expect the Fianna Fáil vote will come out in support of the treaty in that constituency.”

One Clare-based party that will not be canvassing with the others is Sinn Féin.

Yesterday (Monday), Clare Sinn Féin welcomed the Civil Public and Services Union to the No camp, along with Mandate, Unite and the TEEU.

SHANNON Airport has a viable future if it is finally freed from the strictures of Dublin Airport Authority control – that’s the gospel according to a DAA memo that has been drafted ahead of the imminent announcement of a new blueprint for Clare’s international airport.

The memo that has been circulated amongst key government departments in recent weeks includes a landmark concession on the part of the DAA that Shannon Airport would be perfectly placed to sur- vive and prosper as an independent entity.

And the memo has revealed that any government decision to grant Shannon full independence could pave the way for the airport to attract an additional 250,000 passengers through the former hub of the aviation world.

This passenger growth forecast by DAA chiefs comes against a backdrop of a haemmorhage of traffic over the past five years, with numbers through the airport plummeting from the record high of 3.6 million in 2006 to under 1.5 million in 2011.

Traffic through Shannon Airport is now at a 15-year low with figures for 2012 so far showing an alarming loss of 20 per cent for the same period in 2011 – a slide that, if continued for the rest of the year, would see passenger numbers decline to under 1.3 million by the year’s end.

Now, the decision by the DAA to back the concept of an independent Shannon for the first time is seen as another link in the chain towards the Government’s long-awaited announcement on the new blueprint for the airport.

This decision was put back until this month, because of what Min- ister for Transport, Leo Varadkar calls “issues with due diligence”. But ahead of the formal announcement, the minister publicly stated his intention to “give Shannon the autonomy and the tools it needs to turn the situation around to get passenger numbers up and get employment up and investment into the area”.

The Government announcement is being made on the back of the Booz and Company report that put forward five separate options for Shannon, with the most favoured being an independent Shannon that will be under State ownership, but run by a new holding company.

MORE than 110 years after being declared extinct in Ireland, the White-tailed Sea Eagle has returned to make Clare its home.

It was confirmed yesterday that a pair of White-tailed Sea Eagles have been seen building a nest near Mountshannon in East Clare. The birds were among a number of White-tailed Sea Eagles released in Kerry National Park last year but are the first to be seen breeding.

This is a major success for the reintroduction programme and could be the first step in the re-population of eagles in Ireland. Should the Mountshannon eagles succeed in breeding, their offspring will be the first born in Ireland since 1902 – which will also make them the first White-tailed Sea Eagles to hatch in the Republic of Ireland.

“This is fantastic news for Clare and reflects the outstanding landscape and biodiversity we have here that can attract such beautiful birds,” said Clare County Council’s Biodiversity officer, Shane Casey.

“While it’s understandable that everyone will want to visit the area and have a look for themselves, its important to remember that this is a very sensitive and critical time for the birds, and as such we need to show some patience and responsibility, and let nature take its course unhindered.

“We are all hopeful that this story ends in a chick, but we must remember that this is already a success story, and that the first white-tailed eagle egg laid in Ireland in over a century was laid right here in Clare.”

Meanwhile, Kinvara youngster David Cairney received a letter from one of his idols last week – nature expert Sir David Attenborough.

Nine-year-old David, who works at the Burren Bird of Prey Centre at the Aillwee Caves in Ballyvaughan, became one of Ireland’s youngest ever published authors last month when his debut book, Ra ptors, A Pocket Guide to Birds of Prey a nd Owls , was published.

“When I saw the writing, I immediately knew it wasn’t from someone I knew. When I opened it up, I couldn’t believe who it was from,” said David.

“David Attenborough is a real hero of mine. David Attenborough and Steve Irwin are probably my two biggest heroes. I would definitely have sent Steve Irwin a copy of my book if he was still alive.”

A BARMAN was punched in the face by the best man at a wedding as he attempted to close the bar, a court has heard.

Details of the assault were heard at Ennis District Court on Tuesday. Anthony O’Grady (34) with an address at Phairs Road, Meelick, was charged with assaulting barman Neil O’Gorman at the Bunratty Castle Hotel, Bunratty on June 27 (2010).

Mr O’Gorman told the court that he had pulled the shutter halfway down the bar at around 2am.

He said at that point Mr O’Grady attempted to push the shutter back up.

He recalled that when he said the bar was about to close, Mr O’Grady told him, “we’re paying for this f****** wedding and we’ll say when it closes.”

Mr O’Gorman said that as he attempted to close the bar , Mr O’Grady struck him in the side of his face with his fist.

The court heard that Mr O’Grady had been the best man on the day. Judge Patrick Durcan remarked that in this case, “The best man was the worst man.”

Solicitor Stiofan Fitzpatrick said his client had been heavily intoxicated. “He’s normally a light drinker. This was completely out of character.”

The court heard that Mr O’Grady is a father of three currently working in Poland. He has no previous convictions.

Mr Fitzpatrick added, “He is extremely apologetic and has been very anxious about this matter.”

Judge Durcan described Mr O’Grady’s behaviour on the night as “abominable.”

Referring to Mr O’Gorman, the judge said:

“Those who enforce the law in a peripheral manner shouldn’t be faced with loutish and ignorant behaviour.”

Noting Mr O’Grady’s good record, Judge Durcan ordered that he pay € 750 to Childline. No conviction was recorded against Mr O’Grady.