Category: News

AN POST customers are asked to be on their guard against a new scam email, after Clare businesses were targeted.

The mail contains the subject line “RE: Information TV License #12488340238” and claims to come from service@tvlicence.ie. The email offers a refund of € 58.00 on an overpayment for a TV Licence.

Confirming that they have had complaints from “mostly business customers” a spokeswoman for An Post said that anyone getting the mail should delete it and under no circumstances click on the accompanying link.

“Anyone who provided personal information in response to these hoax emails should contact their bank or credit card company immediately,” she added.

John Halloran, from Westbury, who runs his own web-design company was one of the businesses who received the email.

“It was offering me a refund on my TV licence fee and I smelled a rat straight away because my wife is the one who always looks after renewing the TV licence and the mail cam to my business email. But I might have been drawn into it, at least to a certain point otherwise. I can see how people go along with it, thinking that if it comes from An Post, then it must be genuine. In fact I got a call from a customer of mine asking did I think she should reply and I told her no way. That’s why I contacted you, [ The Clare People ] in case anyone else is fooled.”

It’s understood that a number of businesses were targetted.

“An Post TV Licence never send emails which require customers to send personal information via email or pop-up windows. This was not a particularly sophisticated scam but if these people get even a tiny percentage of the people they contact to cooperate, then they have made money and it costs them nothing to email people,” the spokeswoman said.

She added that customer should also be on the alert about mails which inform customers that they have won a prize.

“These mails are just about legal. If you ring the number, you’ll be on hold at a premium rate for 20 or 30 minutes. If you persist and claim the prize, then there will be something like a book or a magazine. But we have to deliver these letters because they are paid for an mailed legally.”

ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour in a new playground in the Fair Green area of Ennis has settled down “significantly”, according to one local councilor.

The matter of improved monitoring of Tim Smythe Park was raised at the May meeting of the Ennis Joint Policing Committee (JPC).

Speaking ahead of the playground’s official opening, Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said there had been detailed discussions about anti-social behaviour at the new playground.

Local residents had raised concerns over anti-social behaviour, saying the activities of teenagers were causing disruption to elderly members of the community. They had also highlighted parking problems that emerged after the playgrounds opened in March.

Double yellow lines have since been installed and according to Cllr Flynn, CCTV cameras will be up and running in the area in the next few weeks.

He explained, “The CCTV has been installed but we are just awaiting approval for a connection with the Garda system.”

Cllr Flynn continued, “We had a very detailed meeting about it at the last Joint Policing Committee meeting. The gardaí are very committed to monitoring the Fair Green. It’s a public amenity and people should be able to live in peace and quite around public amenities.”

In May, Cllr Flynn proposed that fencing be erected around the playground “in order to protect both the significant investment in the facilities, its users and local residents from anti-social behaviour.”

Cllr Flynn said at the time that his daughter had been physically “struck” while at the playground.

Speaking yesterday, Cllr Flynn said that while the “situation seems to have settled down significantly”, a fence could still be installed if antisocial problems re-emerged.

He added, “The public being aware that there is significant Garda interest in monitoring the area should help.”

Cllr Flynn said the recent opening of the playground and The Junction youth and community resource building in Cloughleigh showed the Council’s commitment to providing facilities for young people in Ennis.

He added, “There has been almost € 1.25 million spent on amenities and social facilities for young people and people of all ages in the town since the start of the year.”

ROCHE Ireland have applied for planning permission to construct a new three-storey building at the company’s plant in Clarecastle.

According to documents lodged with Clare County Council, the pharmaceutical company is seeking to construct a new three-storey building and ancillary works for the purpose of milling an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) at the facility.

A single-storey extension to an existing Nitrogen generation utility building, relocation of nitrogen tanks, a pipe rack, a solvent sump and pumping station and ancillary site works are also proposed within this application.

The proposed three-storey milling building is to be attached to an existing warehouse facility. This will necessitate the relocation of an existing smoking shelter, and the relocation of existing fire escape doors from the warehouse. The application consists of modifications to an establishment within the meaning of the European Communities (Control of major accident hazards involving dangerous substances) Regulations 2006.

The proposed location of the milling building is on a green space ap- proximately 16m wide, between an existing warehouse and an existing site access road to the west of the Roche site.

The plant is located in the vicinity of two Natura 2000 sites – lower river Shannon Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and river Shannon and river Fergus estuaries. According to a Natura Impact Statement, prepared by Biosphere Environmental Services on behalf of Roche, “there will be no significant noise / vibration impacts resulting from the proposed building” and “there will be no emissions arising from the extension to the PSA (nitrogen plant) building which is being extended for the purposes of additional storage”.

The Clarecastle manufacturing facility was established in 1974 as Syntex Ireland. In 1994, Syntex Ireland became part of the pharmaceutical division of the Roche group when Roche acquired the Syntex Corporation. Currently Roche Ireland employs in excess of 240 people.

The planning report states that Roche Ireland is a “manufacturing centre of excellence for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients destined for conversion to medicines in dosage form at other Roche facilities throughout the world.”

THE outgoing Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Tommy Brennan (Ind), and Cllr Peter Considine (FF) cut the ribbon on a new € 240,000 playground in Ennis yesterday,

Ennis Town Council entered into a contract with the Crawford Group in January 2011 for the provision of the new playground facilities at Tim Smythe Park.

Speaking at the official opening Mayor Brennan said, “The provision of playground facilities at Tim Smythe Park is appropriate having regard to the playgrounds location at the centre of the town and its established use by many families. The new facilities are a recognition by the Council of the importance of play and playground facilities in the lives of children.

“It is encouraging to see such investment by a public authority at a time of economic recession. I would like to compliment my fellow councillors for their vision and indeed the management staff of the Council for developing and overseeing the provision of these facilities which will benefit the community for many years,” added Mayor Brennan.

The playground is designed to provide universally accessible, imaginative and interactive play. There are three play areas. The 0-12 years area has a variety of equipment including swings, a parrot see-saw, a spring rocker and a roundabout.

A rope net climbing structure, cable runway, drop shot and a trim trail are just some of the facilities of the teen play area, while the adult exercise area will incorporate exercise for all abilities.

The scheme has been complemented by CCTV and a public lighting scheme, as well as a pedestrian crossing at the northern end of Tim Smythe Park leading to the relocated playground.

Cllr Peter Considine who presided over the opening of the original Tim Smythe Park playground during the 1980s said: “The play facilities have been provided by the Council to supplement and enhance the sport and recreational facilities in Ennis. The Council is proud of its achievements in recent years by the providing of playground facilities in Cloughleigh, Stonecourt, Lees Road Sports and Amenity Park and now these fabulous facilities at Tim Smythe Park.”

AN BORD Pleanála has given the go-ahead for the development of a 26-bedroom nursing home to be built in Tulla that will be able to cater for up to 30 patients.

The planning appeals authority handed down its judgement last week, bringing to an end a process started in December 2009 when John and Ted Nugent originally submitted plans to Clare County Council to develop the nursing home facility in the East Clare town.

The decision to give the project the go-head comes even though an inspector’s report said the development would be contrary to proper planning.

“I consider that the location of a 26-bedroom nursing home together with 8 no. assisted living complex units, ancillary facilities and associated site development works on this site would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area,” said Planning Inspector Patricia Young.

However, in making the order granting permission for the project, An Bord Pleanála said “in deciding not to accept the inspector’s recommendation to refuse permission, the board considered that a nursing home at this location would not contravene materially the development plan, having regard to its location and connectivity to the settlement of Tulla and to the pattern of existing and permitted development in the immediate vicinity.”

There were a number of objections to the original nursing home application, with Noreen Hickey from Cork saying “the proposed devel opment contravenes the new HIQA standards with are underpinned by legislation” and that it is “outside the existing town zoned area which contravenes the planning regulations of Tulla”.

Conditional permission for the development was granted by Clare County Council planners last December, with Director of Service Nora Kaye saying that “the proposed development would not seriously injure the amenities of the area or of property in the vicinity, would not be prejudicial to public health and would otherwise accord with proper planning and sustainable development of the area”.

THE future designation of Special Protected Areas (SPAs) could undermine much of the good work done by Clare County Council for the renewable energy sector in the Clare County Plan, which was published yesterday.

That is according to Clare businessman and chairman of West Clare Renewable Energy Ltd Padraig Howard, who says that SPAs and renewable energy projects cannot take place in the same places and that an area’s designation as a SPA puts a “green blanket” for development over a region.

Mr Howard, whose own proposal for the development of a € 200 million wind energy project at Mount Callan is currently before An mBord Pleanála, says that the County Plan is a positive step forward for the industry in Clare.

“The plan as it stands is fully in line with European environmental legislation but a problem arises when it comes to SPAs. I believe that there are moves afoot for the rolling out of further SPAs in the county. SPAs and renewable energy are not compatible bedfellows and it is widely considered in the industry now that if an SPA is placed on an area you can forget about the development of renewable energy. There is this fear the further SPAs would be rolled out – they are like putting a green blanket over an area,” said Mr Howard.

“What is critical now is that this plan is implemented. The people of the county need to take ownership of the plan and realise that this is not about large utilities that they have no say in – this is about their future.”

The plan has designated areas of the county which it feels are ideal for the creation of wind-energy. While there is no guarantee that planning will be granted to projects in these areas, it is thought that the plan will help developers to avoid wasting time and money on projects in undesirable locations.

“Not only does this look at the environmental impact of projects but it looks at the wind resource and the grid structure when deciding where would be suitable for wind-farms,” continued Mr Howard.

“One of the key parts of this strategy is that the council wants to see a community gain. That is something that is really important. The people need to be encouraged to take ownership of these projects and to get a real gain from them. If the communities can take ownership of these projects they go from something that could be contentious to something that will be welcomed – and that is something that can sustain farm families and rural communities into the future,” added Mr Howard.

ENNIS’ bid to host the 2012 Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann was formally lodged with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireannn on Friday, with the working group behind the submission confident that the submission to bring the traditional music festival back to Clare after an interval of 35 years will be successful.

Securing the Fleadh for the first time since 1977 would be worth an estimated € 30 million to the county capital – a financial windfall that has seen a coalition of forces emerge behind the Ennis bid.

“We are supremely confident that we would make a great job of hosting Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2012,” the chairman of the Fleadh Cheoil Working Group, Micheál Ó Riabhaigh told The Clare People this week.

“We are also confident that we have made a very strong case to bring the Fleadh to Ennis, the best case that we could have made. Everything that we have done in making the submission was based on the premise that we would have the Fleadh coming to Ennis. That’s not to pre-judge the deliberations of the Ard Comhairle of Comhaltas either,” Mr Ó Raib- haigh added.

The Ennis bid to host the 2012 Fleadh, was launched in April when the local committee that draws together the local branch of Clare Comhaltas, Clare County Council, Clare GAA, Ennis Town Council and Shannon Development met with Comhaltas Ceoiltóirí Éireann chiefs.

Ennis is one of three competing towns to host the 2012 Fleadh – the others are Cavan, which in August will host the festival for the second successive year, and Sligo, which last hosted the event in 1991.

The Fleadh proposal has identified 25 venues in Ennis that would facilitate the 2012 event, catering for up to 200,000 music lovers from across the world, with new Clare County Council headquarters on New Road designated as the hub of operations. Ennis previously hosted Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 1956 and 1977.

“The big work was identifying suitable venues and getting support from the hoteliers, vintners and local authorities in Clare,” revealed Mr Ó Raibhaigh.

“We are happy that everyone in Clare is very supportive of the application and everything has been done,” he added.

PARTS of Shannon Airport are at risk of being totally submerged underwater in the event of a major flooding event taking place in County Clare.

That is according to a special report on flooding in the Shannon area which formed a central part of the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment in the Clare County Development Plan which was officially published yesterday.

The report predicts that a one in 200 year flooding incident, made worse by the effect of rising sea levels, could result in overtopping or a breach in the Shannon flood defenses. In this event the report predict that two separate areas close to the international airport could become seriously flooded. A large section of land between Carrigerry and Ballycally would be flooded in the event of a major flooding event as would an area around Rinnanna South – which includes part of the airport and there Shannon Golf Club.

The flooding in the Rinnanna South area would also threaten the Oil Storage Depot at the airport. The Shannon area was chosen as a site for special study in the development plan because of the danger that rising sea level poses to the area and because of the strategic importance of Shannon Airport.

Shannon Airport was granted “gateway status” in the National Spatial Strategy and the importance of Shannon International Airport as a driver of regional growth was also highlighted in the development plan.

The development plan also makes provision for a € 900 million pumped-storage hydroelectricity plant to be located somewhere in Clare. It is hoped that by taking a pro-active approach, the local authority might attract private sector investment in such a project.

Plans for a pumped-storage hydroelectricity plant were rejected by the local people in the Ballyvaughan and Fanore area last year because of fears that the facility might negatively impact on the local environment.

Pumped storage works by using wind power to pump water up a hill into a storage tank during the nighttime and this water will be released through electricity generating turbines during the day when the demand for electricity.

The plans also suggests that Clare should aim to become Ireland’s first clean-tech county with the likes of the Shannon Free Zone, Shannon Airport and the County Council Offices being powered by renewable energy.

THE number of families seeking help from Clare Haven for the first time has doubled, compared with last year, according to the group which provides support to female victims of domestic abuse and their families.

81 families presented to the outreach clinics – which run in Ennis, Ennistymon, Scariff, Kilrush and Killaloe – for the first time during the first five months of the year, which is double the figure for the same period last year. Financial stress is a contributing factor in the increase.

Yet, despite the increase in demand, Clare Haven is forced to contend with funding cuts.

Up to the end of May, 60 families attended the refuge operated by Clare Haven in Ennis. Among those who attended were 104 children. Those figures are on a par with last year’s. 136 families stayed at the refuge during the whole of 2010. However, the demand for the outreach clinics has soared.

The increase in numbers of victims coming forward has led to some of them being referred on to centres in Limerick and Galway – to ensure they have places to stay and are not left waiting.

Services Manager with Clare Haven Denise Dunne said the service is stretched.

“The refuge is full the whole time and has been for the past two years. We have seen a bigger increase in the number of new families coming to the outreach service. This year alone we have had 81 new clients to the outreach service. That’s a huge amount in five months. We had about 40 last year so the figures have doubled,” she said.

“The total number of support visits to the end of May was 482. Every time someone comes to our outreach clinics, we have a support visit with them and do safety planning, outline their options and provide emotional support,” said Ms Dunne.

“A lot of people coming to us we refer on to St Vincent de Paul and MABS (the Money and Budgeting Advice Service),” she said.

She said that an increased level of public awareness and the media highlighting the services has played a role in more victims of domestic abuse coming forward.

“This year we have been cut [in funding] again. We have been cut every year since 2008, with a cut of between two and three per cent this year on top of previous cuts. We are striving to maintain the same service. Our service is very, very stretched at the moment. We have cut the ancillary services like talks to schools. We have put a volunteer programme in place for the past two years for things like fundarising and accompaniments which is a great help,” she said.

THE centre of Ennis town should be developed as much as possible, in an effort to attract shoppers.

That’s according to the local Chamber of Commerce, in the wake of the County Development Plan’s publication yesterday.

As part of the retail strategy, which is incorporated into the Development Plan, the challenge for Ennis is to improve its retail representation, particularly through the provision of large modern shop units in the town centre, without harming its attractive historic character.

The strategy also states that there is scope for improvement in the range of non-bulky and bulky comparison goods offered in Shannon.

It states that the growth of retail floor space should be encouraged so that the town centre can improve its quality of service in Shannon.

Among the groups to make submissions was Ennis Chamber of Commerce. CEO Rita McInerney said there are several positive parts of the plan.

“The big message is to develop a strategy that keeps a core in the town. We would be in favour of that; developing the core of the town as much as possible. There are a lot of new places opening up and we want to make sure they stay and we have to foster that,” she said.

“The one thing I picked out of it [the plan] is the commitment to develop town centre improvement strategies to make town centres more attractive for shoppers,” said Ms McInerney.

She believes that the content of the plan is achievable, but everyone must work together to ensure it happens.

“It’s implementing the elements of the plan within the timeframe that is important. A lot of work has gone into it. It’s a vision. Now we need to make it a reality. Otherwise we are going to have more businesses closing,” she said.

“It’s a combination of efforts; the local authorities in conjunction with local businesses and ourselves. We all have a job to do. We all need to get on board and work progressively,” she said.

“It is very much a balancing act. We have a unique town centre. You need to provide customer choice and diversity. We are located between two cities that have high street stores. We have to think very carefully about what type of companies we want in terms of retail. Is it viable to compete with those? There is a lot of interest in Ennis from retailers but they find it difficult to get town centre locations of the right size. We need to look at combining units in the town centre whilst keeping the character of the town centre. Everything is achievable,” he said.

“Overall the vision of the plan is very good in terms of retail. We just have to follow through on them,” said Ms McInerney.