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Rates freeze a welcome boost for local business

ENNIS Town Council has main- tained commercial rates at the current level of 65.45 per cent in its budget for PAUnTeR

It follows similar moves taken by Clare County Council and Shannon Town Council to also freeze rate lev- els.

Town Manager, Ger Dollard an-

nounced the decision at Ennis Town Council’s annual budget meeting last week. The decision is expected to serve as a boost to local business representatives who had _ lobbied the council to cut or freeze rates at present levels.

Mr Dollard also announced a reduc- tion in council spending for the year ahead and stated that there had been a significant reduction in income lev-

els. In his report, Mr Dollard stated, “The budget as presented provides for commercial rates to be maintained at the 2009 level and for parking charg- es also to remain at 2009 levels. The current rate for Ennis is at the lower end of the scale relative to similar sized towns around the country.

He added, “The draft budget pro- poses expenditure of €12,143,853 million, which is a reduction on the

amount provided in the budget for 2009. Overall income shows a sig- nificant reduction with a fall in in- come levels evident in many service areas and in Local Government Fund Grant Allocation. The provision for the County Demand in the budget is €2,983,000 which is a one per cent increase on 2009.

Welcoming the budget, Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) urged the council to

pursue government funding in order to purchase land for the development of local authority housing.

Cllr Michael Guillfoyle (Ind) urged people to recognise that the council did not have “pocketfuls of money” to spend in the year ahead.

Cllr Mary Howard (FG) acknow- eldged the difficult financial circum- stances in which the council had pre- pared its budget.

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Field of dreams?

THE acquisition of a county field for camogie was the main thread of the Clare Camogie AGM that was held in the Auburn Lodge Hotel last Wednesday evening. While the 2008 equivalent was a timultuous affair that spanned over two meetings and saw significant change at the top ta- ble, this time the executive presented an united front in the pursuit of their main goal, based on a long standing commitment from the Clare County Council to provide the organisation with a playing field.

In her annual address, Chairperson Orla Considine stressed the need to “continue to develop our game and the numbers of those that are play- ing.

“While this is relatively within our control, I also must appeal to those who can assist in this process.

“T call upon the Council to uphold the promise made to Clare Camogie all of 20 years ago to provide a play- ing field at Doora. This field has now been developed, there is a playing surface with goal posts and also a small all weather training facility attached. The field will be ready for the final touches and for playing in the new calendar year. I ask those in the position of realising this to now do so and be seen to stand behind their commitment and not let down the female population of this county yet again. Be assured that we will

not stand for anything less than the fulfillment of commitment already acknowledged. You the councilors and council management can be seen as the people who have looked at the development and appreciation of Clare Ladies in the important man- ner it deserves.”

Treasurer Michael Maher, along with announcing an annual profit of €490.89 in his report giving an over- all healthy balance of €5,695.94, also threw his support behind the iniative.

‘“T suppose one of the main reasons that you are not electing any new of- ficers, barring perhaps the PRO, 1s because of our expectation that we are going to have a pitch by this time next year. I think the people that are working in Clare camogie deserve to have the pitch and as far as I’m concerned, the only one that has to sign the dotted line is the County Manager. We have one hundred per cent support from all the County Councillors and I think that is a great achievement. It’s a great achievement for yourselves the fact that you are thought of so highly by the people that you have elected and I would ask now that the County Manager deliver the pitch.

“The promise was made, it’s there and ready to play on in early spring and it would be a great boost for eve- rybody who has worked so hard and get very little credit. So I’m asking the County Manager to deliver.”

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Protest group fears the creation of a new poor

LOW incomes families have been singled out by the Government and targeted for extra harsh treatment be- cause they don’t have a coherent voice within Irish society.

That is the opinion of Treasa Dovan- dor, founder of the Protest Against a Child Unfriendly Budget (PACUB) organisation, who believes _ that families have borne the brunt of last week’s budget.

The group, which gathered more than 16,000 signatures for a petition against the budget, feels that the deci- sion revealed last week will create a new poor in Ireland.

“We have had feedback from a lot of families who feel that on top of the loss of the Early Childcare Sup- plement and the 10 per cent cut, they have suffered a 50 per cent cut in the Government support for families. We don’t feel that any sector within so- ciety has been hit as hard. No one is

there to speak up for families and in particular low income families, there isn’t really a voice for people like us and that is why we set up this organi- sation in the first place,” said

“This budget mainly hit middle and low income families and will create a new poor in Ireland. It is a blunt instrument and something like a 10 per cent cut can send people spiraling below the poverty line and they won’t be caught.

“We are an easy target. Parents have

childcare issues and we have work is- sues. It is not easy for us to down tools and head off marching to Dublin like the pensioners did. For us parents who are carrying the shoulder of much of the cut, we seem to have no-one fight- ing our corner except for PACUB,”’ she continued.

“T think that maybe families have been beaten down and conditioned to accept cuts for the benefit of the coun- try. There is very little fight left in families. We have already taken our

hit – we have already paid our share. The public sector have seen levies and now a loss of pay and people in the private sector have seen large reduc- tions in pay and many have lost their jobs – myself included.

‘““We have paid more than our share for this mess that we had nothing to do with creating. Child poverty is now a massive concern in this country. One in seven children are on the poverty line in this country and that is before this cut in child benefit happens.

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DYeyaretalbvmpyacvircree GAA lambasted

THE Interprovincial Championships, that have been sponsored to the tune of over €500,000 by Clare’s Martin Donnelly over the past seven years, are on a “stay of execution” from the GAA’s top brass.

That’s the verdict of Clare’s county secretary Pat Fitzgerald, whose an- nual report praises Donnelly’s sup- port of the series, but hits out at the failure of the GAA authorities’ dedi- cation to the inter-provincial con- cept.

“Through Martin Donnelly’s un- flinching support the Interprovincial Championships are a competition that seems to have been drawing its last breath for the past few years has, almost miraculously, continued to

Survive, says Fitzgerald.

“But [I’m fearful that the compe- tition, which once had supporters streaming through the turnstiles in their droves, is on a stay of execu- tion.

“The GAA at national level has emphasised repeatedly that they are fully behind the inter-provincials but actions do speak louder than words. What it now needs to do is decide on dedicated dates for the competition and then, with sufficient time on their hands, press ahead with a proper and sustained marketing campaign.

“If that is done, the public might start voting with their feet once more and turn out in large numbers as in the days of yore,” adds Fitzgerald.

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Mystery over Traveller staff transfers

under the Free- dom of Information Act, of the 11 staff members dealing directly with Traveller issues, seven have been transferred to other areas of the local authority since 2004, with two other retiring during that time.

No details were given on why such a high number of staff members re- ceived transfers to areas of the coun- cil which do not deal directly with

Traveller issues.

According to Traveller rights cam- paigner, Heather Rosen, this is part of a wider campaign to erode the stand- ing of Travellers when dealing with the local authority. She claims that the local authority have failed to replace a dedicated Traveller social worker even though the position has been va- cant for more then nine years.

“It’s not a good situation. When Clare County Council are issuing court proceedings against a Traveller family they can easily get the Envi- ronmental Health Officer out to say that the accommodation is not fit to live in, but, when Traveller families are desperately in need because of problems with accommodation, no-

one is ever sent out. All of a sudden they say that they don’t have the per- sonnel to examine the homes or they are not qualified,” said Rosen.

“There was a dedicated social worker in the Traveller Accommo- dation Unit until 2000 and when she left she was never replaced.”

According to Rosen, Clare County Council have begun a process which will bring to an end all local author- ity positions which deal only with OBE NON mp EoKe

‘From what I have heard there is not going to be anyone dealing directly with Travellers anymore. Travellers will be dealing directly with the gen- eral council staff even though their situations are drastically different

from anyone else who will walk into LoLeTaTeopmoLUbN Cen Dercamae

Clare County Council were con- tacted in relation with this story but no comment was received at the time of going to press. However, according to the the information received under the Freedom of Information Act, a number of the positions mentioned involved dealing with both Traveller and non-Traveller issues.

Meanwhile, a grandmother in her 5Os was rushed to hospital again this weekend after taking ill in her caravan. The woman, who suffered from epilepsy and asthma, has been engaged in a long running dispute with Clare County Council in search of accommodation.

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Referee recruitment drive set to fill in the gaps

FEILE na nGael coming to Clare for the first time in 23 years in 2010 has to be the spur for a new referee recruitment drive across the county, according to referees supremo Kevin Walsh.

The Clare Referees Administration Committee chairman will use this Thursday night’s annual Conven- tion to issue a challenge to the clubs

of the county to answer the Féile na nGael call, but providing referees for the under 14 hurling spectacular to be played next June.

The call comes following the ad- mission from Walsh that, on the back of apathy and lack of interest from clubs, 2009 was a disastrous year where recruitment of referees was oy sleroru sleree

“In this the 125th anniversary year of our association it is disappointing

to be reporting that we failed to have a referees course in the county this year,’ admits Walsh. “Due to lack of interest and numbers we were unable to run a foundation course in 2009. “It is intended to rectify this situa- tion for 2010. Every club, but espe- cially those with no referee, or who didn’t bother for the past five or six years will again be given the op- portunity to put their shoulder to the wheel and help. At the end of Febru-

ary and into the beginning of March we hope to run a course and we will need at least 30 recruits for this.”

Walsh is hoping that the carrot of Feile na nGael will be spark new in- terest among clubs.

‘Everyone knows the huge task and undertaking this (Féile na nGael) will requirement,” he says. “Now is the time for your club to step up to the plate and play its part in this ven- melden

“We will need referees and a lot of them. Every club will be taking part in Féile and every club should strive to have a referee and play their part in making this Féile as successful as previous Féiles.

‘The eyes of the country will be on us in every aspect of the game and can your club afford to be the one who is not contributing to the area of refereeing,’ Walsh’s annual report adds.

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Council left with €500,000 bill after floods

Floor levels may have contributed to problem

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Folklore group forms to record history

AN AMBITIOUS | new project, which aims to document the oral his- tory of the county, was launched in Ennis last week.

The Clare Oral History and Folk- lore group was formed in February and their latest project Cuimhneamh an Chlair or Memories of Clare aims to record, archive and share the memories or the older people living in the county.

The group has began a programme digital recording and already con- ducted more than fifty interviews with older people in Clare – includ- ing two 105-year-olds, one of whom, Margaret Hoey, passed away just two weeks after her life story.

According to Cormac McCarthy, Leas Cathaoirleach with Cuimh- neamh an Chlair, a huge amount has been achieved by the organisation in a relatively short time.

“Since February, we have worked extremely hard at developing a well planned, strategic and systematic in1- tiative. We had to begin by consult- ing with all relevant agencies and or- ganisations both across the country and internationally in order to ensure all our elements were developed ac- cording to best practice,” he said.

“The group have been busy with organising the professional training of all the Cuairteoiri, who have vol- unteered from across County Clare. In addition, Cuimhneamh an Chlair

have been invited to speak at many conferences including an interna- tional folklore conference in Kerry, a national oral history summer school at the University of Limerick, the Milwaukee Irish Festival and other lecture series across Clare.”

Since their formalisation, Cuimh- neamh an Chlair have recruited and professionally trained 25 volunteers

who have been contacting and visit- ing some of Clare’s oldest citizens in order to record their unique insight into a fading way of life in County ETc

Age Action Ireland have acknowI- edged the ‘Cuairt’ of visits by the group is an excellent way of docu- menting memories and endorsed the work of Cuimhneamh an Chlair in

the county.

“The resurrection of Cuairt will help to build social cohesion in com- munities across Clare by enhancing connections within towns, villages and townlands in the county and by highlighting the presence and the value of elderly people who re- side in different parts of Clare,” said Edel Greene, the Group Secretary of

Cuimhneamh an Chlair.

‘The primary aim of Cuimhneamh an Chlair is to record the precious memories of our elderly, while they PVeomS SOOM aloe me ne

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Fianna Fail faithful upbeat despite downturn

Council set to lift partial boil notice in Ennis

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Fire was ‘mindless vandalism’

THREE young men arrested in con- nection with a suspicious fire in En- nis on Thursday have been released A Us oO LULMed OTHER

Gardai are describing the incident as “mindless vandalism” after a car and house were set alight at St Anne’s Terrace on Clon Road in the early hours of the morning.

The house was unoccupied at the

time as it was being renovated, but two other homes, which were occu- pied, were evacuated, after the emer- gency services were alerted to the in- cident at around midnight. However, the blaze hadn’t spread to the other homes.

The car – which was parked outside the house – was burnt out in the blaze, while considerable smoke damage was done to the house.

Three teenagers, who reside in En-

nis, were later arrested. One was re- leased without charge on Thursday and two others were released without charge on Friday night. A file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

A technical examination of the scene was carried out on Thursday. Ennis Superintendent John Scanlan is urging members of the public who may have information on this inci- dent to come forward.

“This was mindless vandalism. We have had a lot of help from the general public and we are anxious to hear from anyone with information,” he said.

This was the third serious fire dealt with by the fire services in the county last week, after houses in Broadford and Scariff were damaged earlier in the week. A house in Scariff was gut- ted in the early hours on Wednesday and a garda investigation has been launched.

Clare County Council’s fire service has issued a warning to homeowners to take precautions in relation to fire safety around Christmas time. It says that safety must be exercised when it comes to Christmas lights. They should be purchased from a reputa- ble electrical supplier and must be fully uncoiled before use. Checks, to ensure lights are in good working order, should be carried out, while lights should be turned off when homeowners are out.

The fire service is also warning homeowners to make sure chimneys are clean and that spark guards are in place at night-time. Candles should not be left on if there 1s no-one in the room, while smoke alarms should be in good working order.

A fire safety routine should become a habit at night-time to include un- plugging sockets, keeping escape routes clear and closing all doors.