Category: News

IN LAUNCHING his campaign to be elected to the 31st Dáil, Independent candidate Cllr James Breen has told The Clare People that expenses for TDs should be “abolished altogether”, forcing them to live off their salary € 90,000 a year.

Cllr Breen, who became the only Independent to top the poll in a Clare election in 2002 and the first nonparty member to be elected in the county in 54 years, has called for the abolition of expenses as part of “a complete reform of government”, both at national and local level.

“It’s not an election gimmick,” Cllr Breen told The Clare People this week. “There has to be a complete reform of politics, a meaningful reform of government and that includes Dáil and county council level.

“There are 166 TDs in Dáil Éireann. That’s too much. Dáil representation should be reduced.

“The Senate should be meaningfully reformed or abolished. The numbers of county councillors should be reduced.

“We should reduce the numbers of foreign conferences that’s costing the country millions of euros every year. We should reduce Dáil expenses and abolish them altogether and oblige TDs to live on their salary with no expenses,” added Cllr Breen.

The Clare County Council website, which publishes county councillors’ expenses on-line, shows that Cllr Breen claimed € 28,739.89 from June 2009, when he was re-elected to the local authority, to June 2010.

This figure includes his basic salary of € 8,361.96 for the last six months of 2009 and € 9,717.75 for 2010. During the 12 months he also claimed € 4,368.61 for attending conferences, while he availed of the annual allowances in those two six month periods of € 2442.13 in 2009 and € 2,947.44 in 2010.

“We need openness and transparency in government, which we haven’t had over the last number of years,” continued Cllr Breen in championing a overhaul of the expenses regime. “The TD earns nearly three times the average wage of people and they should be able to live on that. The person driving to and from Shannon working on the average industrial wage is getting no travelling time.

“I have no qualms if expenses are abolished in the morning. It’s not a gimmick to get elected. It’s something I believe in,” added Cllr Breen.

During his five years in Dáil Éireann from 2002 to 2007, Cllr Breen was entitled to the Independent TDs allowance. Currently the allowance given to Independent members of the Dáil is over € 40,000 per annum.

GARDAÍ are urging homeowners to be vigilant following an increase in the theft of home heating oil around Clare.

A Garda spokesman explained that thieves are targeting oil tanks that are not fitted with locks.

“The theft of home heating oil and other fuels is on the increase across the western region in County Clare. A feature that has been noticed by the investigating gardaí is how easily accessible the openings in storage tanks are. We are appealing for people to be extra vigilant and to take extra security measures to protect their fuel from being easily stolen.

He added, “Locks should be on the openings and where large storage tanks are located, access to them should be strictly controlled. Where large vehicles are parked overnight we appeal for the drivers to park them in well lit areas or in secure compounds and parked in such a way that the opening of the fuel tanks is easy to access.”

Gardaí have also issued a warning in relation to a computer scam. “A number of people have been rang by someone claiming to represent Microsoft or other well known computer firms and informing the person that a problem has risen with their com- puter. They claim that they can fix this problem over the phone by getting the owner to enter certain data on their computer. No problems have been noticed by the owner before the phone call. However they look for credit card details first as they claim a small charge is necessary before proceeding,” said the spokesman.

“Sometimes the caller asks you to download a file to ensure that the “so-called problem” is identified and tackled. You could be downloading a virus or spyware, which will allow the caller to access your computer at will. This is a scam and is purely designed to obtain the details of the owner’s credit card and other personal details.”

Gardaí say that anyone who suspects they may have been the victim of the scam should report the matter to the Gardaí or the data commissioner.

ONE young west Clare man is fighting back against the current cynical reaction to politics by preparing to put his own name forward for the General Election.

Brian Markham, a member of the well know Kilmurry McMahon family, is determined to have his name on the ballot sheet on polling day as an Independent candidate.

The 23-year-old told The Clare People he “wants to make a difference” and “go out and do something”.

A qualified PE teacher, he currently works in O’Flaherty’s Electrical Shop in Ennis.

A keen sportsman, he has represented the county and province in athletics at international level.

He has been involved with Shannon Gaels and Coolmeen GAA clubs and is known for organising several Community Games events for local children.

A past pupil of St Flannan’s College in Ennis, he attended university in London.

“During these four years I began to learn how important it is to make your opinions heard and how important it is to have a representative that you can trust in. I was an active member of the Students Union where we were told about the issues troubling the student body. It was then our duty to convey the thoughts of the students to the relevant boards and do our best to get different rules and improvements implemented,” he said.

“I have now been back home in Ireland for five months. During this time I have witnessed possibly one of the worst periods in Irish politics. The country is in an extremely poor state and this is primarily down to mismanagement and big name politics.

“In the time I have been home I have seen several of my friends unwillingly being forced to leave our wonderful country in search of employment and what looks to be a better future than the one that is in store in this country,” he added.

“I would like to make clear that I do believe in co-operating with big business and foreign multinationals because of the jobs and growth they bring to our country. However, pandering to the banks has resulted in a loss of sovereignty, in that we are bound by conditions imposed by the EU and IMF bailout, high unemployment and a generation of our best and brightest leaving by the day. This is where traditional politics has let us down.”

He believes that Independent TDs will be very influential in the next Dáil.

Among the issues that he believes the election campaign should be fought on are the demise of Shannon Airport and the Shannon area, the future of Ennis General Hospital and the need for improvement to local infrastructure.

WHEN IT comes to election issues for 2011 there is only one topic in town – jobs.

Almost four years ago the political landscape was so different when budding politicians went to the doors and canvassed the people.

Apart from it being summer time and the ground being relatively dry, the issues facing them revolved around services – the need for a proper hospital, smaller class sizes, better community services.

Now the first thing more than 10,200 people in Clare are looking for is a job.

They need a way to pay the bills that crept in with the Celtic Tiger and never left.

Homes where once two adults drew a wage are now without any, as companies close and staff are let go.

As of the end of December 10,619 people were signing on in Clare, 368 more than the previous month.

This in turn was an increase from 10,117 the previous month, and all indications suggest that number will be even higher for the first month of this year.

The figures represent more than a 70 per cent rise in unemployment in the county since August 2008.

The largest number of people signing on is in the county town of Ennis – with as many as 5,816 people on the live register.

North Clare has also been badly hit by unemployment with 1,708 people signing on in Ennistymon.

In Tulla there were 1, 578 names on the live register at the end of December, while Kilrush’s social welfare office had 1, 517 names on its books.

There are almost twice as many men signing on as women in the county 6,812 males to 3,807 females.

As many as 8,723 people over the age of 25 years old are now on the live register in Clare, again almost twice as many males as females.

In the under 25-age group – 1,230 young men are without jobs in the county, with 666 young women also signing on.

Emigration has also become a follow up issue, with many young people and families going as far as Canada to seek work.

This election will begin and end as homes foreclose, banks repossess cars and young families struggle to pay their every day bills.

Ironically our politicians will be queuing up looking for a job from many of the people are in the unemployment line.

CLARE County Council this week confirmed that it had spent almost all of the money it was allocated to care for the county’s roads – completing all work with the exception of two projects.

Fears were expressed at the end of last year by Deputy Joe Carey (FG) that the roadwork’s budget would not be spent and therefore lost.

In total the local authority spent € 22.687 million on all road works.

The allocation confirmed by the Department of Transport in relation to Regional and Local Roads for 2010 was € 15, 586,498, € 15, 281,462 of which was spent by the council.

The shortfall of approximately € 300,000 was attributed to the fact that a sum of € 500,000, allocated in respect of the Killaloe By-Pass/ Shannon Crossing, could not be spent as planning and design stages documentation were under consideration by the Department of Transport.

According to senior engineer Tom Tiernan, “To all intents and purposes the council completed its Roadworks Programme in 2010. Any minor elements, which were not completed, were as such due to circumstances outside of the council’s control. For example, it became apparent in early summer 2010 that it would not be possible to spend a sum of € 300,000 allocated to Blakes Corner, Ennistymon, due to the complexity and sensitivity of the procedures involved because of the conflict between the proposed junction improvement and the location of adjacent protected structures.

“The Roadworks Programme was implemented systematically while taking account of the specific needs of the various work sites involved, the climatic conditions required in each case, optimisation and allocation of plant resources available etc. Certain difficulties were encountered both at the beginning and the end of 2010 because of the very severe weather conditions, which pertained. Certain improvisations and strategy alterations were required but ultimately the job was completed as effectively as it could be in the prevailing circumstances.”

Among the routes to benefit from road improvement works were the N68 at Edenvale, Caherea, Lissycasey and Kilrush, the N67 at Moyasta and the R352 in Tulla. The main road north of Lisdoonvarna to Corkscrew Hill has also been upgraded while the road between Corkscrew Hill and Ballyvaughan is currently being upgraded. Works are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks at Ballyduff beg, Inagh on the N85.

AND they’re off. The race to the 31st Dáil has begun, and it was a particularly exhaustive first stage for the first two out of the blocks – Independent TDs James Breen and Jim Connolly.

The two Independent candidates were up and down ladders and polls more often than a New York fire crew.

When the Green Party pulled out of Government more than a week ago, the two Clare candidates began hanging their posters in preparation for the election.

After a weekend of hard work they were contacted by Clare County Council who informed them they were in breech of new legislation that did not allow the erection of any election posters until the election date officially named.

So the two candidates and their followers were back up the ladders on Tuesday morning removing all evidence of their political ambitions.

Meanwhile fellow hopefuls Cllr Tony Mulcahy (FG) and Michael McNamara (Lab) have also been busy with their followers in the county town of Ennis ensuring their message was getting through letterboxes, even if no one was home to let them through the doors.

Fine Gael’s two sitting TDs Pat Breen and Joe Carey are also busy wearing down the leather on the soles of their shoes, when they were not busy wearing out the tires in their cars returning to Dublin for votes on the Finance Bill.

Unlike his running partner Deputy Timmy Dooley (FF), Dr John Hillery (FF) has yet to brave the front door of Clare homes to make his case, and to begin canvassing this week.

Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) is also braving door steps this week, but the Green Party man is preparing for a lot of shut doors, complaints and in some cases even abuse as the only representative of the junior coalition party in the county.

And if our voxpop this week is anything to go by, all candidates do well to heed Cllr Meaney’s wariness as the mood of voters is somewhat tetchy. Many people who spoke to our reporter, but refused to go on the record, gave endless lists of how political decisions had negatively affected their lives in the last two years. Many others said the political system was now so damaged it made little or no difference that they voted for, and almost everyone said change was needed.

As the candidates face into a week when the Dáil is finally dissolved and a date for voting more than likely decided upon, the best most can hope for on the doorsteps of Clare is apathy or anger.

A CHANGE to the Litter Pollution Act proved a potentially costly lesson to two Clare candidates.

Independent candidates Cllr James Breen and Jim Connolly were told to remove their election signage or face a hefty fine from Clare County Council.

The warning came following a reminder being issued by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government stating that changes to legislation last year meant that election posters could not be erected until after the Taoiseach went to the President and dissolved the Dáil.

Under an amendment to the Litter Pollution act in 2009 the time period from which posters can be put up commences on the date of the order for the holding of the poll or 30 days prior to the date of the poll, whichever is the shorter period.

Both candidates said they were unaware to the changes to this legislation when they began work on their poster campaign.

Mr Connolly was particularly critical of the council’s speed and eagerness to implement this legislation.

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A MAN was fined € 1,000 for his role in an assault that took place in Ennis town centre.

Kevin Conroy (22), with an address at 48, The Punch Bowl, Ennis Road, Gort, appeared before a sitting of Ennis District Court last Wednesday.

Mr Conroy was charged with assault and a public order offence arising out of an incident at Abbey Street, Ennis. The court heard that Mr Conroy had no previous criminal convictions.

The court was told that on the night in question, Gardaí parked on Abbey Street observed the accused pushing another man up against a wall and striking him in the face.

Inspector John Galvin told the court that when Gardaí approached Mr Conroy, he was ‘quite drunk’ and ‘very disorderly’.

Insp Galvin said that the accused had resisted Garda efforts to restrain him. He said that Mr Conroy had met the other man as both of them left a nightclub.

Solicitor for the accused, Billy Loughnane, told the court that his client was “very sorry” and that he had too much to drink on the night in question.

Mr Loughnane said that his client had been on serious medication at the time and that this had ‘caused him to act out of character’.

Mr Loughnane said his client was a very hardworking man who worked as an agri-machinery driver.

Judge Joseph Mangan said that it had been suggested by gardaí that there had been ‘existing issues’ between the accused Mr Conroy and the other man’s family.

Insp Galvin said that while the defendant didn’t know the man, he knew his brother.

Judge Mangan fined Mr Conroy € 1,000 and fixed a bond in the event of an appeal.

ENNIS’ reputation as a haven and hotspot for traditional music was given a shot on the arm on Friday night’s Late Late Show as local Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann activists prepare to crank up their campaign to bring Fleadh na hÉireann back to the county to the county capital.

And, the boost to the county capital’s traditional music came from the unlikely source of Bob Geldof – the former Boomtown Rat and Live Aid promoter, who told Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy of the time he spent in Clare that helped him reconnect with Ireland and realise what he was missing.

“I went on a brief holiday a number of years ago to rediscover,” said Geldof.

“I’d forgotten how beautiful it was. I’d told my friends to lay out a plan – I want to do Ireland – but that I may not know the places to go. I went down to a couple of sessions in Ennis and I said to myself ‘I miss this so much. This is so cool’,” he added.

Geldof’s praise of Clare traditional music in Ennis – a reputation developed on the back on the huge success of the Fleadh Nua event in the 1970s – comes as amid a growing wish among Comhaltas Ceoltóirí activists that Clare be chosen as a Fleadh na hÉireann venue for the first time since 1976.

Geldof’s association with Clare dates back to the late 1980s when he became a key component in the efforts of the late Dr Brendan O’Regan at fostering world peace.

Along with media mogul Ted Turner, President Patrick Hillery and others, Geldof was a keynote speaker at the 1988 International Peace Conference organised by O’Regan’s Shannon-based Centre for International Cooperation.

A COUNTY Clare lawyer was one of the highest paid barristers in Ireland, under the criminal free legal aid scheme last year.

Mark Nicholas, who is a junior counsel practising in Clare and Limerick, earned € 267,006 under the scheme last year. He was the eighth highest paid out of more than 600 barristers on the scheme last year. His income under this scheme increased by almost € 40,000 on the previous year.

Several other barristers who practice in Clare also featured prominently on the list, published by the Department of Justice.

Brian McInerney was top of the list, with an income of € 413,860. Michael Collins earned more than € 135,000 under the scheme; Pat Whyms earned more than € 80,000; Senior Counsel David Sutton earned almost € 80,000; Lorcan Connolly, BL, received close to € 60,000; Senior Counsel Brendan Nix earned more than € 30,000, while Elaine Houlihan, BL, earned more than € 22,000.

More than € 20 million was paid to barristers nationally, under the criminal legal aid scheme, in 2010.

During the past few years, there have been calls for the scheme to be curbed. Among those calling for this has been Fine Gael Councillor Tony Mulcahy.

Mr Mulcahy, who is a candidate in the forthcoming general election, this week repeated his calls for a revamp of the system and said that repeat offenders should not receive unlimited free legal aid.

“There should be an attachment of earnings. If someone breaks a window, the cost of that should be taken into account. Make him pay for that. Whether he is working or not working, it should go through his PPS.

“There would be no need to impose fines any more. That way he won’t be breaking too many windows the following Saturday night. That would deal with 80 per cent of the middle of the road crime.

He said the current system is “ridiculous. The system trudges along”.

“If you are on your 75th criminal charge, you have to ask yourself, where do we stop this representation? It is incredible. You look at the repeat offenders. They are getting free legal aid and free legal aid and free legal aid. That has to stop,” he said.

He said that people should be given no more than a few chances before exhausting all of their options under the free legal aid scheme. “Three chances to avail of free legal aid and you are out,” he said.