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AN ENNIS drug dealer who was found in possession of cannabis resin with intent to sell or supply, has been handed a four-month jail sentence and fined €1,250.

But the jail term imposed on Don- agh Malone (38), of Clare Road, Ennis, was substituted for 240 hours community service.

Sergeant John Brennan told Ennis District Court yesterday that can- nabis resin with a street value of

€324 – enough to make 454 hand rolled cigarettes – was found at the accused man’s home on September 30 last year. An electronic weighing scales and €140 in cash were also recovered.

The following month, on October 28, cannabis resin with a street value of €47 – enough to make 66 hand- rolled cigarettes – was recovered at the home of the accused man’s partner. Cash totalling €3,980 was recovered in a jam jar hidden in a ditch and €7,000 was recovered in

a hot-press.

Malone had been supplied the drug by a friend and when he moved away, he started to supply it himself, initially to a small circle of friends, before that circle grew.

He “put his hands up” and admit- ted to gardai that he had been sell- ing cannabis resin, the court heard.

“He is older than your average person consuming cannabis resin around here,” said Sgt Brennan.

Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey

said her client, a father-of-two, was collecting money from work he was doing as a landscape gardener and chef, and was putting it towards renovating the house. She said the €7,000 was “nothing to do with the proceeds of cannabis resin,” and was earmarked for renovating his jteyesten

Sgt Brennan admitted that some of the money might not have been part of the proceeds of selling can- nabis resin. “What we recovered wasn’t substantial, but we are sat-

isfied he was dealing in cannabis,’ said Sgt Brennan.

Malone pleaded guilty to posses- sion of cannabis resin and posses- sion for sale or supply.

Judge Joseph Mangan imposed a four month jail sentence for the of- fence at Clare Road in September, substituting it with community serv- ice. He imposed a fine of €1,250 for the offence in October. He ad- journed the case for four months, to allow for a community service report to be carried out.

three bedroom house, off Lahinch Road. Ensuite. Quiet area. Rent EUR650 for suitable client. Tel 087 6111951.

CLARE County Council has refused planning permission to only ten holiday homes, from applications for over 300 tax-driven holiday homes since the start of the year.

The council confirmed in figures released this week, that it had granted planning per- mission for over 220 holiday homes in towns and villages across Clare this year, while de- velopers withdrew applications for 70 holiday homes.

Prior to the end of last year, Government tax-reliefs for tourist-related developments resulted in the council receiving planning applications in the space of a few weeks that would normally take a quarter of a century to be lodged.

The Council’s then Head of Planning, Ger Dollard said that the applications seeking to take advantage of Government tax-reliefs be- fore the Council “represent 25 years of devel-

opment”

In a number of the cases where planning applications were withdrawn, the developers would have withdrawn the plans knowing that NAB EGO ERENT IB

In many cases, holiday homes were granted planning permission on lands zoned for hous- ing, reducing the Council’s options of turning down permission.

The Council also granted planning permis- sion for 77 apartments. The permissions are now expected to provide a windfall for the lo- cal construction industry, as all units have to be complete by July of next year to qualify for iW STom EDC Duets ee

Green Party Councillor, Brian Meaney said this week: “These developments are tax- driven and unnecessary and have the potential to irrevocably change the Clare landscape as many of the applications are in sensitive coast- line areas.

Hospitality consultant of Horwath Bastow Charleton, Tim Whyte said that the deadline for completion of the units should be extend- ed and avoid there being an oversupply of rooms.

“We believe that the capital allowance scheme should be phased out over a number of years to allow time for the supply of ho- tels in the market to match demand for rooms UN RSa nae

“If all hotel builds and extensions are com- pleted by the July 2006 deadline then it is likely there will be an oversupply of avail- able rooms in the market and more hotels will come under growing financial pressure.

‘Holiday homes could be sold off after their tax life as summer/weekend houses and hotels in urban areas would be converted into apart- ments assuming that this was the most profit- able route to take. Options are available but as with most businesses, it’s largely down to management in the first instance.”

luxury apt. Three bed- rooms, kitchen/diner, bathroom, sitting room near Lahinch. Tel 065-708 1697 086-3764760

A SOLICITOR who has vowed to become a thorn in the side of the State, over its handling of MRSA, has said deaths associated with the superbug should be investigated by coro- ners because they are not natural deaths.

Jan Simon of Brian Lynch and Associates, Galway, told the meet- ing of MRSA sufferers

and concerned relatives that he would be issu- Tb OTSam Watomm DCM o U1 MB OO MEU I) MRSA case later this Neto e

“IT am acting for be- reaved families, acting for ordinary people who came out badly maimed or dead. We (the com- pany of solicitors) are eating, breathing and sleeping MRSA. They need a solicitor to be a thorn in the side of the State,’ he said.

The company has employed a doctor with experience of working abroad to help with the or eh

The solicitor told the meeting in the Clare Inn that he had to go abroad to find an expert willing to speak out.

Mr. Simon said that cases relating to MRSA had already been taken in London, but it was only in the last year that people in Ireland

““T think now ae maybe the time has

come for a fresh voice to come in and take charge, someone that might take Clare football on to a new level. After winning the Tommy Murphy Cup last season, this past year was a big disap- pointment.

“We lost two games by a point in the League and drew three others. Then the championship game against Cork was very disappointing as was the Sligo game after our great display against Westmeath,” he added.

And, the outgoing boss also hit out some ill-discipline that dogged Clare football in the past year. “There was a lack of discipline among a few players and that was disappointing because everyone else gave 100 per cent. “

With a county team you need every- one on the same wavelength and pull- ing in the same direction. Maybe with lessons learned some played can start afresh under a new management,” concluded Kennedy.

Meanwhile, county board chairman Michael McDonagh paid tribute to John Kennedy’s contribution to Clare football. ““We thank him for all his ef- forts, he’s decent man and a good foot- ball man, he’ll be hard to replace,’ he said.

“We have set-up a seven-man com- mittee, there’s a short list of four or five names, and we hope to resolve the issue 1n the near future,” added Mr McDonagh.

rent Tobertaoscan area. Large double room. Walk- ing distance from town centre. Contact 087-2327971

CONTENTIOUS _ holiday home plans by a Doolin busi- ness man have been thrown into doubt, after 50 Doolin residents appealed the deci- sion to An Bord Pleanala.

Last month, Clare County Council granted planning permission to Joseph Gar- rihy to develop 26 homes, including 19 holiday homes on O’Connor’s campsite in Doolin.

However, in their appeal, the residents and local busi- ness people stated, “It 1s ac- cepted that the tourism prod- uct of Doolin needs to be enhanced and developed to sustain tourism in this part of the country. We would argue however, that the cur- rent proposal, taken in con- junction with other similar proposals recently before the Council add nothing to the tourism product of Doolin.”

The appellants state, “There is no need for more

‘holiday homes’ in Doolin at present. There are already 65 holiday homes built, or in the process of being built, in the area of Doolin.

“What is proposed will ad- versely impact on the exist- ing B&B and other residen- tial accommodation, which would be at a commercial disadvantage when compet- ing with what is essentially tax-driven rather than mar- ket-driven accommodation.

“The scale of what is now proposed would be totally out of scale with what has been, to date, organic growth DONO Tom BUNT NoCommN ONG OM OT eB Kee acted slowly to the ebb and flow of commercial life.”

The appellants also argue that the development “‘is premature in the absence of a public sewerage treatment system and would be preju- dicial to public health”.

They state: “In hydro geo- logical terms, the Ground Water Protection Scheme for County Clare categorises the

area at this location as con- taining a regionally impor- eOlMreLO LUND ol

The vulnerability of the acquifer is stated to be in the extreme category.

“We do not consider it to be good planning in these circumstances to permit ef- fluent from a large scale de- velopment to be directed to ground.

“The development is not essential. It could be argued that if the village itself was being stagnated…this is not the case here. What is in- volved is, effectively, a holi- day home development be- ing driven by tax incentives which have dictated that the development be built by a Carne sens oMe

The appellants also claim that the development would not be in the interests of traf- fic safety and the layout is defective from an amenity OLOvee IMO) Ma ales

A decision is due on the application in December.

THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has expressed extreme concern over efforts by Clare County Council to min- imize the risk of odour nuisance at its €8 million landfill site near Inagh.

Last May, the Council was served with its eighth notice of non-compliance in relation to its management of the landfill, following an unannounced inspection that found fresh waste odour both on and off the site.

Now, the EPA has written to the Council stating that it “is extremely concerned” at the reductions in volume of landfill gas to the landfill gas flare over the Summer months.

The landfill gas flare acts as a means of minimising the risk

of potential for odour nuisance.

In its letter, the Agency states that the Council should in- crease the volumes of gas directed to the gas flare. The EPA States, “Failure to take fast and effective action in relation to this may result in the Agency having to take further enforce- ment action in this regard.”

In response, the Council has written to the EPA to state that the issue, amongst others, has been raised in correspondence between the Council and a firm of consultants

The Council states, “On receipt of the reply, it will be re- viewed with a view to improving the flow rate to the flare.”

The Council’s Director of Service for the Environment, Ger Dollard said this week: “I think there is no doubt that the Bally- duff Beg landfill is being operated to the highest standards.”

On plans to install a composting facility at the site, Mr Dol- lard said: “Many of the elements of the composting facility are already in place. We need to provide an additional tipping building for which a funding application is with the Depart- ment and are also awaiting a licence from the Department of Agriculture in relation to the process. All in all it will be 2006 before the full facility is up and running.”

Meanwhile, groups in the Inagh-Kilnamona area are set to start reaping a €1 million council fund, arising from the pres- ence of the landfill at Ballyduff Beg 2km from Inagh.

The community receives €1.27 for every ton of waste dis- posed of at the landfill.

To date, 140,517 tonnes of waste has been disposed at the landfill since 1t opened in September 2002.

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