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DETAILS of new government regulations concerning the transporting of all farm animals is currently being circu- lated to representatives of farming groups, transporters, operators of assembly centres, livestock marts, the horse industry, dog breeders and national welfare bodies by the Department of Agriculture.

The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mary Cough- lan is hoping to get the opinions of the concerned parties on the new regulations which are due to come into effect in January of 2007. Minister Coughlan announced the details of the consultation paper on the protection of ani- mals during transport in Dublin last week.

The paper states that all transporters of animals, even those including farmers transporting their own animals, irrespective of the distance travelled must comply with general conditions concerning animal welfare, mode of transport and loading and unloading facilities.

Indeed all those who transport animals for more than 65 km must be officially authorised and undergo official meebuNpuNtes

Indeed the paper also states that persons who transport animals on journeys of over eight hours must use vehicles that have been inspected and approved and must keep de- tailed records of all of their transport operations. Inter- esting these long haul vehicles must also be fitted with a satellite based navigation system.

THE IFA national treasurer and candidate in the upcom- ing presidential election Padraig Walshe has called on the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government Dick Roche to provide support for the col- lection of surplus waste farm plastic.

Mr Walshe’s comments come just one week after the announcement by the Irish Farm Film Plastic Group (IFFPG) that collection was to be suspended throughout the country because of lack of funds. The IFFPG claim that the purchase of illegal black market plastic by farm- ers is making collecting all the plastic untenable.

‘Farmers in some counties have not received a collec- tion of their waste farm plastic for a number of years,” said Mr Walshe. “We now need a targeted programme to collect the surplus plastic that has built up on farms over the last two years and to allow the collection service

By the terms outlined in the paper the regulations will not apply to journeys that are not undertaken for financial gains. According to the department these safe activities include the transport of animals to and from agricultural shows.

In addition to this the operators of assembly centres must ensure that animals are treated in accordance with technical rules and personnel employed by them must have received training in all of these rules.

At the announcement of the plan the Minister said that the welfare of animals being transported 1s paramount and she invites interested parties to submit views to her Department on the new rules. In particular she said she would welcome observations on any further specific ar- eas that may be considered as not constituting an eco- nomic activity.

Interested parties have been given until October 31 to submit opinions and comments to the department. Submissions should be submitted to the Department of Agriculture and Food, National Beef Assurance Divi- sion (Transport Section), Business Park, Maynooth, Co Gtr cer

The paper available at the Department of Agriculture and Food website in the “What’s New” section at www. agriculture.gov.ie. The proposed regulation applies to the transport of all live animals, including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry and horses.

restart its activities without delay.”

Clare is one of the worst counties hit by the halt in collection with roughly half of the county’s plastic left uncollected. Other counties badly hit are Wexford and Roscommon where little or no plastic has been collected this year and Galway where less than one third of plastic has been collected.

“The Scheme has received strong support from farm- ers since it started in 1997 and has played a key role in protecting the rural environment,’ continued Mr Walshe. ‘* However, it must now carefully examine its business model to provide the funding needed to meet increasing farmer demand for waste collections, which is occurring due to greater farmer participation in REPS and the envi- ronmental requirements of the Single Farm Payment.”

GARDAI say the seizure of 900 rounds of ammunition, a pistol and silencer at a house in Shannon is linked to dissident republicans.

The discovery was made at rented accommodation in the town last

Wednesday.

Among the haul were some 300 rounds suitable for AK47 assault ri- fles and the others were for use in a pistol.

“Because of the type of bullets found, we are happy the firearms and ammunition was in the posses-

sion of dissident republicans,” said a Garda spokesman.

Three people, two men in their 40s and a woman in her 30s, from the Shannon area were arrested in connection with the seizure.

They were detained at Ennis and Shannon Garda Stations, before be-

ing released without charge. A file is being prepared for the DPP.

“We cannot rule out the fact that a criminal element might have got hold of them from dissident repub- licans,” added the spokesman. who said investigating gardai were satis- fied the pistol was not used recently.

THE residents of an up-market private hous- ing estate in Ennis are demanding that walls Surrounding their estate be raised, before a scheme of social housing is built next door.

The Bishop’s Court Residents’ Association also want security lighting to be fitted and for certain houses to be allocated to people with a “proven good record” on housing.

They want the wall built up to eight feet high and have demanded Ennis Town Council car- ry out the extension, before proceeding with plans to build the more affordable homes.

The council’s €10 million plan will see 66

houses and 16 apartments on lands that once formed part of Bishop Willie Walsh’s West- bourne estate.

Mountain View residents have also ex- pressed concerns over the plan, though they stress they are looking forward to welcoming their new neighbours.

In their submission, the Bishop’s Court Residents Association state, “under no cir- cumstances is there to be any access to West- bourne Estate via Bishop’s Court estate and green areas.”

After a residents’ meeting which was at- tended by a garda, the residents demanded that security lighting be fitted to the rear of

homes, 34 to 41 in the Bishop’s Court estate.

Their submission states, “these houses are backed by the green and wooded area; an area where there is concern that unsocial behav- iour may be ripe. This is highlighted in Crime Prevention Officers’ report.”

The residents also want the council to carry out certain repairs “should anti-social behav- iour become an issue.”

They say because houses 23 to 38 in the proposed development “back on to an exist- ing mature estate, the council should allocate these houses to tenants with a proven good record in local authority accommodation”.

The Mountain View residents’ submissions

question “the wisdom of such a high concen- tration of social and affordable housing in the Watery Rd area which already has a very high number of developments of this type.”

“We would have thought it would have been more prudent to break up the units of social and affordable housing between a number of different developments so as to avoid the kind of social stigma which some people might wrongfully attach to a large development which consists only of this type of housing

Councillors are due to make a decision on the application at a monthly meeting before the end of the year. There is no recourse to An Bord Pleanala.

A CLARECASTLE man, who gardai de- scribed as “a nuisance” has been jailed for a month, for stealing alcohol from a shop in Srey ebEse

Father-of-one Alan Kerins (21) of 25 Church Drive, Clarecastle, pleaded guilty to stealing one slab of Heineken – valued at €45.60 – from Statoil, Limerick Road, Ennis on November 15, 2004.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told Ennis District Court that the accused left the shop without paying for the cans, got into a taxi and went home to Clarecastle.

Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey said Ker- ins had significant difficulties around drink and admitted he had a “bad record.”

Kerins told the court he had been in contact

with the probation service within the past two months. Judge Mangan said, “You waited un- til the court case was coming up,” to which Kerins replied, “I’ve been trying to see Mary King [probationer officer] for a long time be- fore this.”

Inspector Kennedy said, “I always like to say something positive about persons like Mr Kerins. In Mr Kerins’ case, I really can’t say anything positive about him and his behav- iour. He’s a constant offender. I’d love to be able to say, give him a chance. As far as the State is concerned, he 1s a nuisance, a rascal, a continuous offender and I have no confi- dence in what he says.”

The court heard no compensation had been paid for the stolen drink.

Judge Mangan imposed a one month sen- tence and fixed recognisances.

idea three years ago. Every kind of reality TV show had been done except a sports one. We came up with a plan, worked on it for six months and went to Chelsea with it, who were very keen,’ explained Damien at his family home in Inch on Monday. Originally from Ennis, where his Father

managed Lifford soccer club, Damien moved to London when he was fourteen. He had pre- viously worked with his brother Justin’s tel- ecommunications company before taking the plunge and entering the glamorous world of Premiership football.

“T went to the Ennis National School and Flannans. My parents left Ennis when I was fourteen. My father used to manage Lifford, so the person who comes second in the com- petition will get a twelve-month deal with Lif- royce nae

Young footballers from across Britain, Ireland, Europe and Africa were among the 20,000 that took part in the summer trials. The remaining, lucky 12 are currently secluded away in a Surrey mansion near Chelsea’s state- of-the-art training complex. Chelsea’s discern-

ing boss, Jose Mourinho, will have the final say on who makes the grade. A regular at Stam- ford Bridge, Damien 1s keen to stress that this is what will give the show credibility.

“There is no public voting to get rid of peo- ple, this is a really credible show. We’re not getting rid of the fat kid, or the small kid, or the skinny kid, or whatever. It is purely down to the Chelsea academy staff saying he is good enough or not good enough. Chelsea don’t need the money from phone lines. ” The club are currently funded by billionaire Russian ty- coon Roman Abramovich.

Damien is hoping that the show will be a big success and already has one eye on bringing the format around the globe. He also plans on entering the potentially lucrative world of foot- ball agents.

A NEW group for people who have suffered strokes is being set up in the mid-west.

A Killaloe couple who are establishing the group say younger sufferers particularly find it difficult to access services or get help towards rehabilitation.

Hazel Ross, who suffered a stroke eight years ago when she was 48 years old and her husband, Tom Clifford, found that getting the services she needed was “extremely difficult.

“There just aren’t enough professionals to deal with the number of people who have strokes and those there are, are largely con- centrated in the geriatric services,’ said Tom.

While 120 people have strokes in Clare eve- ry year, younger victims can get rehab care in

Dublin.

“People as young as seven have had strokes and medical advice is that rehabilitation should begin as soon as 48 hours after a stroke.

“People can regain a lot of their abilities but if there are delays, then damage can be per- manent.

“Information and support for carers is very poor and there is no central source of infor- mation on issues such as funding for aids or housing,” said Tom.

The pair will launch the group will be on Tuesday Oct 18 at 7.30 pm at the Greenhills Hotel, Ennis Road, Limerick.

Speakers on the evening include, survivors, consultant physician, Prof Declan Lyons of St. Camillus’ Hospital, therapists and local politi- cians.

THE Irish Lourels Classic at Curra- heen Park Cork took centre stage for greyhound people over the weekend. The second round heats were held on Saturday night the here the banker of the night Student Pass duly obliged and progressed to the next round.

The dog is trained by Owen MckK- enna for Claremen Cathal O’Doherty and Vincent Meaney and was available at odds of 10/1 to win the classic before the weekends racing. Deerfield Mover, who finished third in heat was bred by Gerry Burke of Miltown Malbay and is now owned by Bryan Dalton of the USA.

Dalcash Sweettea, owned by Patrick Meade of Miltown Malbay, got Clare owners off the mark in Galway on Thursday night. Housed in box three the winner, who was making his first outing, recorded a winning time of PEt

Race 7 on Thursday nights card was heat 3 in the Texaco Retailers A4 over 5S25yds. Here Mary Jones of Scariff had a welcome change of luck with Fossabeg Sparkie winning in a time of 29.42.

Rockmount judge owned by Shane Flanaghan advanced to the next round after filling second spot in heat in heat 4,

The feature race on Friday nights card in Galway was the final of the A5 Tote Stake where Now It’s Nancy owned by Eimear Lillis and Ian Kelly came up trumps. Prize money of €800 went to the Cooraclare winner. Baby LLeyton, owned by Bertie and Mary O’ Doherty of Clarecastle had to settle for minor prize money after finishing third in the Croi Buster Final. Next Friday night’s card is a benefit in Aid of Fianna Fail. There is a big entry of Clare dogs in all the race, heats for which have been held over the past number of weeks.

There is some decent prize money going to stake winners and managers are expecting a huge attendance.

that An Post admitted the service was “not satisfactory”’ when he presented his findings to the com- ee veNA ‘Despite the fact that the new sorting ar- rangement in Cork has been up and running for several weeks, the slow pace of mail de- livery continues,’ Deputy Breen said.

“T decided to post letters to my constituen- cy office in Ennis from 20 locations around the county over the weekend or on Monday morning. By Tuesday, only five letters, or

one in every four, had been delivered.”

The letters, which made it through with- in 24 hours, were posted in Ballyvaughan, Scariff, Ardnacrusha, Broadford, and Kil- FW eyer

But letters posted in Kilrush, Ennistymon, Lahinch, Lisdoonvarna, Lissycasey, Killa- loe, Kildysart, Ballynacally, Cratloe, Sixmi- lebridge, Shannon, O’Callaghan’s Mills, Tulla, Miltown Malbay and Ennis failed to be delivered by Tuesday morning even though they had all been posted by 10am on Monday, with the exception of the Ennis let- ter which was posted at 5.20 pm.

“This has nothing to do with the post of- fices who play a vital role in delivering an essential service every day. This has to do with the new sorting arrangement in Cork,’ said Deputy Breen.

“It falls far short of An Post’s actual rate

of a 76 per cent next day delivery, accord- ing to their regulator, Comreg, and a target of achieving 94 per cent,” he added.

By Wednesday, a further 13 letters were delivered, giving a 90 per cent 48-hour de- livery service, but the Shannon and Miltown Malbay postings had failed to arrive.

An Post issued a statement to the Deputy stating that this week’s operational reports do highlight mail arriving into Ennis too late in the morning to be processed and delivered that same day. This results in a portion of Ennis mail being delivered a day late. This confirms the nine per cent figure for 48-hour delivery.

“We sincerely apologise to customers who are being affected by late delivery. we are working around the clock to improve the Service,’ the statement said.

WITH a glut of rental property available lo- cally, Clare investors have cast their property investment net a lot wider, in recent times. In response, two Ennis businessmen, Martin Guerin and Gerard Lynch, have launched Blue Ten Properties, to facilitate investment in a carefully selected portfolio of overseas proper- Woe

Blue Ten has opted for a wharf-side develop- ment in central Birmingham as its first foray, and so far, just a few weeks after launch and based primarily on word of mouth, 35 of the 40 units have been snapped up. Martin Guerin confirmed, “over 90 per cent of the take-up has been from Clare based business people’.

Guerin has over 20 years experience working in the financial services sector and he believes that his reputation within the county has al- lowed investors to place their trust in him. But

Guerin and Lynch have also played safe with their first choice.

‘Holliday Wharf’, Birmingham, has been built by the very reputable builder, Charles Church. It overlooks Central Canal, in an area of the inner city in Birmingham which has undergone huge regeneration in recent years. ‘Having analysed the rental market, we decid- ed to reserve one-bedroom apartments only, as the rental return is very steady. Investors can expect to achieve rent of stg£625 per month on these properties, which are priced from £143,000 to £151,00”. The price range reflects whether or not the apartments include a park- ing space and their specific location within the building.

‘Holliday Wharf’ incorporates 155, one and two bedroom units and interestingly, Guerin said, ‘it’s estimated that over 55 per cent will be owner occupied.”

By buying in bulk, off plans, Blue Ten was

able to negotiate discounts of up stg£14,800, per unit, on behalf of its investors. Guerin ex- plained, “investors have to pay a 10 per cent deposit to reserve a property and the remainder is due on completion, which is anticipated early next summer.

“We have sourced a management agency, called Assets, to oversee the rental of the prop- erties on behalf of our investors, although if investors wish to pursue their own rental path, that’s fine. While many fittings are included, we have sourced a package of loose furnish- ings at acost of stg£5,000, again whether or not the investor wants to take up that option is at their own discretion. We have also negotiated a very cost effective conveyancing fee, with a local firm of solicitors, at £550 per unit”.

Guerin is convinced that this investment op- portunity is a safe bet. The rejuvenation of Bir- mingham continues at pace and it is anticipated that the face of England’s second city will have

utterly changed within the next five years.

“We have achieved substantial discounts that are not available to the one-off buyer. The dis- counts achieved are as much as some investors hope to make in their first two years”.

Certainly, there 1s consensus in the market that the UK continues to be a good area for property investment. According to recent re- search by Cambridge University the UK will experience a 1.4 million homes shortfall by 2021.

Guerin and Lynch may not confine them- selves to the UK however. “We are looking at potential investment properties as far away as Montreal.” But, Guerin conceded, “Birming- ham is a very good place to start. They speak the same language and you can hop on a plane and be at your investment property within a couple of hours, should the need arise”.

For further details on Blue Ten Properties, contact Martin Guerin on 087 2524639.

A MEMBER of the travelling community with 25 previous convictions has been jailed for nine months for stealing two ham joints from a truck in Shannon.

Father-of-eight Timothy Joyce, of Bal- lymurtagh halting site in Shannon denied stealing the hams – valued at €35 each – at Smithstown Industrial Estate in Shannon on May 31 of this year.

He also denied stealing 48 yoghurts, 15 packets of rashers, 10lbs of sausages and 24 bottles of Yop yoghurt.

Witness Tony Mulcahy told Ennis district court he returned to his business premises at around 9pm on the night in question. He noticed a red van parked in a cul de sac and pulled in behind the van. He said he saw a “young fella” jumping out of a truck, carry- ing two trays of yoghurt. The accused, Tim- othy Joyce, he said, was sitting in the van.

“Mr [Timothy] Joyce asked me to move. He said he was after catching a young fella stealing yoghurts,’ said Mr Mulcahy.

Gerard Shanahan told the court he ran a cold meats business in Shannon. He was alerted to some activity at his premises

on the night in question. When he arrived there, he found the back door of his truck forced open and goods, including sausages, bacon and yoghurt, lying close to the truck.

Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey said her client was collecting waste chipboard, from a unit. Garda Stephen Elvins said he re- ceived a call to go to Smithstown.. He said Timothy Joyce, a teenager and two children were at the scene. Products were strewn on the floor, between the truck and Mr Joyce’s Web

Mr Joyce’s vehicle was seized and two large hams were found in the back of it. In

reply to caution, Mr Joyce, said, “I don’t know a thing about it.”

Ms Godfrey said she was applying for direction, pointing out that evidence was heard that a young person stole some of the items and that the State had not proved it was the accused.

Judge Mangan said he was amending the charge, to exclude the rashers, sausages, yo- ghurts and Yops, but said the accused had a case to answer, relating to the ham joints.

He found him guilty and imposed a nine month jail term. The judge fixed recogni- sances, totalling €3,000.