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A 42-YEAR-OLD Dutch profes- sional musician involved in an air-rage incident on a Ryanair flight into Shannon has_ been fined €1,000.

Harry Gustaaf from Nymegen in Holland pleaded guilty to be- ing drunk and a danger to him- self or others, on board a Ryanair Dusseldorf-Shannon flight on Saturday, September 3.

Mr Gustaaf also pleaded guilty to offensive behaviour, despite been asked by a crew member to desist. Inspector Tom Kennedy told the Shannon District Court that the State was withdrawing the summons charging Mr Gus- taaf with engaging in threaten-

ing, abusive and insulting nature with intent to cause a breach of the peace.

Garda Brian McCarthy told the court that on charging Mr Gus- taaf, the accused said: “I took a plane from Germany to Ireland.

““T had a few drinks and didn’t hassle anyone.”

According to a statement from Ryanair air hostess, Elizabeth Lynch, Mr Gustaaf had become ageressive on board, punch- ing the headrest in front of him, making advances towards the exit and swearing at her, when he was asked to sit down during the flight.

Defending solicitor Catriona Carmody said Mr Gustaaf was a professional musician with the Royal Symphonic Orchestra in

Holland and had been involved in establishing a shelter for the homeless and prostitutes in Hol- land.

She said he had no previous convictions and the incident was completely out of character.

She said the flight had been de- layed and the accused had a few drinks in the airport while wait- ing.

He was travelling to Ireland to visit his mother in Mayo and he didn’t remember the full extent of the incident.

“He is extremely embarrassed and very worried over what hap- pened and apologises profusely for his actions,” she said.

Judge Joseph Mangan imposed fines of €500 for each of the two summonses, payable forthwith.

EXCITING advances are currently being made in the mobile telecoms sector and Shannon Free Zone firm Tecnomen Ltd., is at the very cutting edge of these innovations.

The Shannon company is engaged in ground- breaking research and development of various prepaid charging and messaging applications that utilise “next generation’ technologies.

It is developing sophisticated and integrated systems solutions for telecom operators and service providers worldwide These solutions enable the provision of complex telecoms serv- ices.

The innovative Finnish multinational finds

Shannon to be a very advantageous global R&D, production and logistics base. “Excellent Skilled labour, tax incentives and business in- frastructure, coupled with a strategic location beside an international airport are among the chief reasons why we have located such a cen- tral part of our global operation at Shannon’’, said Vesa Kemppainen, Chief Operating Of- ficer, Tecnomen Group.

Tecnomen markets its products and services through its own worldwide organisation and through global and local partners such as No- kia, Siemens and Nortel Networks. Founded in 1978, its headquarters are in Espoo, Finland. With customers in over 50 countries and offices in 12, it recorded net sales of €51.5m last year, up almost 14% on 2003.

With 65% of its 125-strong workforce en- gaged in Research & Development, the Shan- non facility is a key R&D Centre for the Cixe)tioy

“We handle all R&D for the Prepaid Charg- ing business, as well as jointly working with the parent company in developing new messag- ing products’, explained Philip Hayes, Director of Charging Solutions with Tecnomen.

“The availability of a highly educated and skilled workforce locally offers the group a vital competitive advantage in terms of inno- vation and product development. Most of our R&D staff are third-level graduates drawn from nearby colleges in Limerick, Cork and Galway”, added Mr Hayes.

Shannon is the sole manufacturing and glo- bal distribution operation within the Tecnomen Group. Product is shipped by air from the air- port to leading telecoms operators throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, Central and Latin America.

The company provides customers with com- plete solutions to suit their particular market segments, including software licences, hard- ware, installation and training services and maintenance and support functions.

The fastest growing market for Tecnomen charging products is Latin America where sales grew by over 90% last year alone. One of its main customers in that market is America Movil, the region’s leading mobile operator

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has learned that 6,513 parking tickets have been placed on cars parked in the town up until last week, an increase on 6,369 during the same period in 2004.

But, there has been a sharp increase in the number of mo- torists taken to court on the issue. Twenty-one per cent of cases (1,367) came before the

courts, after the fines were not paid and the reminders ig- nored. This compared with just nine per cent (573) last year.

At Ennis District Court last week, the majority of offend- ers were fined €100, but some were handed down fines of €1,250.

Of the 6,513 tickets issued by the town’s four traffic war- dens so far this year, 11] per cent (716) were cancelled on appeal; 30 per cent of driv- ers (1,954) paid their €19 fine within 21 days; 21 per cent (1,368) paid after receiving a first notice; a further 15 per cent (977) paid €40 after re-

ceiving a second notice; two per cent paid €52 after receiv- ing a court summons, with the remaining 21 per cent being taken to court over the issue.

The biggest number of tick- ets are issued to drivers who do not pay and display in the car parks, including at Abbey Street, Woodquay and Parnell Street and people who fail to display parking discs. But drivers parking on double yel- low lines are also regularly pe- nalised.

Ennis town council staff of- ficer Barry Keating said every ticket was followed up and every driver was given “every

chance” to pay.

The money from the fines imposed in the district court goes into a central Government fund and is allocated from there. But, the money earned from the fines paid goes into the day-to-day running of the council, he said.

“People still want to park outside of the shop. They would rather take the chance and they are getting caught,” | aTemcy-HKCb

He advises people working in Ennis to avail of long-stay car parks at Glor and Clough- leigh where a fixed rate applies for the entire day.

THE Ennis couple that received over €100,000 and two free sites from a devel- oper after they withdrew their objection to a housing development planned, have lodged a fresh objection against a new residential plan proposed by the same developer.

Last year, it emerged that Vincent and Ann Coffey of Clonroad, Ennis, withdrew their objection against a €20 million housing scheme at the Quin Road, Doora, by Luxury Homes (Galway) Ltd, after the company paid them over €100,000 and gave them two free sites.

However, the Coffeys successfully blocked a subsequent application by the same de-

velopers to build a new €10 million devel- Opment on zoned lands in Ennis after they lodged an objection against the proposal.

Last month, Luxury Homes (Galway) Ltd. lodged plans with the Council for 108 two- bedroom apartments at Doora, Ennis.

The proposal lies in the adjacent field to the development that was turned down last year, due to the Coffey’s opposition.

In their objection against the new proposal, the Coffeys stated concerns over the devel- opment relating to traffic safety, the layout of the scheme and the density of the proposal.

A number of residents in the existing Bru- ach na hAbainn estate have also objected to the proposal.

In their objection, the Coffeys state, “The

density of the proposal is excessive when taken in context with the established pattern of development in the area. This submission simply seeks to maximize density to the det- riment of the future residents of the area.

“This disintegrated zonal separation of res- idential areas, traffic routes and open space being created by the proposal is undesirable and no effort is being made to integrate it with the adjoining permitted development, carried out by the current applicant.”

Expressing concerns over the nature con- servation of the area, the Coffeys state, “The site of the proposal is in the callows of the River Fergus.

‘These lands are rich in wildlife and this is an area of scientific interest. This develop-

ment if permitted will destroy this important habitat adjoining the river and is contrary to the proper planning and development of the area.”

The Board Pleanala Inspector’s report, which revealed the payment made to the Coffeys on the previous application, re- counts a letter from the Coffeys that at no time did they approach the developers with the intention of securing payment of money, gifts, consideration of other inducement by any person.

Managing Director of Luxury Homes (Galway) Ltd, Sean Cleary was yesterday unavailable for comment. A decision 1s due on the application in October.

THE Mayor of Ennis has expressed con- cern that manufacturing companies are not setting up in the town, in the wake of the announcement that Roche Ireland in Clare- castle, is to shed 35 jobs over the next 18 TneLOyedetse

Mayor Frankie Neylon said the news from Roche was very disappointing for the town. “I am hoping this will be the end of the lay-offs in Ennis. These jobs will be shed over 18 months so it is not as bad as if it was before Christmas. But very few jobs have been created in Ennis in recent years and there has been several closures.

“The lack of manufacturing jobs here is not good. Companies can go elsewhere for a quarter of the price and that is something we have no control over,” said Cllr Neylon.

He expressed disappointment that there appeared to be few prospects of companies setting up at the Technology Park in the rey aee

“One unit is occupied by Clare County Council and Shannon Development occu- pies part of another. I don’t see anything new coming in there and that is very dis- appointing. People are leaving Ennis every day to work elsewhere,” he said.

Ennis Chamber of Commerce CEO Rita McInerney said while job losses were dif- ficult at any time, this blow didn’t really re- flect the overall performance of Roche.

“It is a worrying trend in terms of the way manufacturing is going in this country as a whole. We have to look at ways of attract- ing this type of industry into the region. Manufacturing is leaving Ireland and is going to countries where labour costs are lower,’ said Ms McInerney.

“We have to attract high quality jobs which require a high level of education. We have a very well-educated workforce in the town,” she added.

A production unit at the pharmaceutical plant – which manufactures naproxen, a pain reliever used for arthritis – will close by the end of next year. The company said price competition was a key issue in the de- TSO

‘There are less costly sources of naproxen intermediate in the market place than from the Roche supply chain,” said a spokesper- son for Roche.

Roche has been in existence in Clarecas- tle since 1974. With a current workforce of 270, which is supplemented by 100 contract staff, it 1s Ennis’s biggest employer.

The company will attempt to reach the job cut target through a voluntary sever- ance programme.

THE new Telemedicene service was launched by Albert Reynolds in hospi- tals in Ennis last week.

The Mid-Western Regional Hospi- tal, Ennis and Cahercalla, will benefit from the this new consultancy service.

This new service will allow doctors from all over the world to offer online ob TFs slot

Special tributes were paid to fami- lies that played a major role in bringing the service to Clare.

Marie O’Sullivan initiated a fund- raising drive after her sister Caroline, died from cancer when she was 13.

She wrote to schools asking students to donate a euro each for cancer treat- ment.

This led to the Ireland Children for Children Foundation leading a drive to bring Telemedicene to hospitals throughout Ireland.

On Wednesday, Marie’s fundrais- ing efforts were recognised with the

installation of the new technology in Ennis Mid-Western.

At Cahercalla Hospital another Tele- TNasLON (CAI emN To M’s (CONE RM UDER oI OLsOe

During this ceremony Andrew and Loretta McLoughlin also presented a cheque for €13,500 to the hospital in memory of Anna McLoughlin.

Anna McLoughlin died from cancer in 2002.

Mr Reynolds paid tribute to the ef- forts made by all families who had helped in the fundraising efforts.

He also revealed that the service may become more widespread throughout Ireland.

‘The Department of Health and the new health authorities are considering making it a new national programme and putting proper structures in place.

“They are planning to talk to us about bringing it to more a adult hospi- tals,” said Mr Reynolds.

The former Taoiseach is currently chairman of the the Ireland Children for Children Foundation.

IT’S clear that the govern- ment, and the computer software industry sector are seriously worried about the fall-off in interest in careers in ICT Gnformation and com- munications — technologies), science and engineering.

The question being asked is where are the innovators of the future going to come from? More basically, as Bill Harris the director general of Science Foundation Ireland said last week: “without en- gineers, how are we going to make things?”

So, national and regional partners in the ICT industry have now come together in a concerted effort to promote the ICT industry as a career, by sending role models work- ing in ICT companies into schools to talk about their careers. The idea is to encour- age secondary school students to take science and technol- ogy based subjects at Leaving Certificate level, and to con-

sider ICT-related courses at third-level, including compu- ter science, science and elec- WUCereU oT aNieunetee

As part of a nationwide ef- fort to promote the take-up of high-tech careers, the ICT Champions programme was launched in Shannon last week, with a briefing work- shop in Intel Communications for the role models taking part in the programme.

Three Clare schools have already signed up for visits from the ICT’ Champions – St Caimin’s in Shannon, En- nistymon Secondary School, and Kilrush Community School. The Champions will be visiting them to tell the students what roles, oppor- tunities and challenges ex- ist within the industry. Intel, which has a cutting-edge re- search and development facil- ity in the Shannon Industrial Estate, and Dell and Chorus in County Limerick, have supplied over 20 volunteers to visit schools.

“Intel will be approaching other Clare schools to see if they are interested in the pro- gramme,’ Hannah Grene of ICT Ireland told

CLARE woman Lottie McClure has been re-appointed to the board of the National Disability Authority (NDA).

A native of Shannon, Mrs McClure will work with the statutory body that advises the Government on the co-ordination and development of policy on disability.

She has already warned about the dan- gers of funding for the disabled being ab- sorbed by administrators.

“Unless proper structures are put in

place, standards for services are introduced and services are co-ordinated across all Government Departments, there is a real danger that the bulk of this money could be absorbed by administrators and service providers instead of making a real impact on the daily lives of people with disabili- ties” she said last week.

Due to a streamlining strategy, the board of the NDA has been cut from 23 to 13 members. Mrs McClure believes this will allow the organisation to adopt a more “fo- cused approach”.

Along with transport and education the issue of personal assistance grants for people with disabilities is a major issue in ETc

“There is great demand for personal as- sistants but unfortunately there is an is- sue with funding and this is something I hope to address through my work with the board” said Mrs McClure who is also involved with the Clare Branch of People with Disabilities in Ireland.