The Clare People Archive

THE Government are to blame for the rampant spread of cocaine throughout Clare, according to north Clare county councillor, Martin Con- eM a OaF

Cllr Conway yesterday blamed the Department of Education for failing to take drugs education seriously in

schools.

“The Government seems to be completely missing the point when it comes to day-to-day education on the dangers of drugs. They are all fo- cused on points instead of the prac- tical things like drug education and road safety,” he said.

“They are so caught up with the whole Catholic Ethos on sex educa-

tion but yet when something is really important, something like this that is actually killing people, it isn’t a proper part of the school cycle.

“I know as a matter of fact that co- caine 1s rampant in north Clare, from Spanish Point all the way up to Bal- lyvaughan. The best we can do 1s ap- peal to the children about it.

“The whole Katy French incident

has focused the minds of everyone on the issue of drugs. Some people may have seen it as something that does not effect their lives, but every parent needs to look into their soul and ask is their child involved with drugs. It all needs to starts at home.”

Cllr Conway has called for a major overhaul of the Department of Edu- cation’s treatment of drugs and for the establishment of a targeted co- caine awareness campaign.

“It is alarming that cocaine use has become fashionable, particularly among the young.

“Cocaine has infiltrated all sec- tors of society, from professionals to young people in school or col- lege. That view must be dispelled by adopting a new approach to Ireland’s erowing drug culture.

“The drug barons and dealers are only interested in making money and do not care about the consequences for those who take drugs.

“We need a two-strand approach involving education and early inter- vention schemes in the community. The Government’s current educa- tional programmes are not working as effectively as they should.

‘There has been no systematic re- view of the effect of public aware- ness campaigns and these must be immediately overhauled.”

IN what is being heralded as a major moral victory in the campaign to ban imports of Brazilian beef, the Oire- achtas Joint Committee on Agricul- ture last Thursday backed the Irish Farmers Association’s (IFA) Brazil- ian Beef plan.

The IFA plan received unanimous Support from the cross party com- mittee.

“The latest EU Commission Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) report on Brazil contains irrefutable evi- dence that Brazilian beef imports fail to meet EU standards on that critical animal health and consumer issues of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and traceability,” said IFA President,

Padriag Walshe, addressing the com- mittee.

“Commissioner Kyprianou now has the detailed evidence of serious deficiencies in Brazilian controls from his own veterinary experts. He cannot continue to expose the EU to unnecessary risks and has no choice but to impose a ban on Brazilian beef into Europe.”

Mr Walshe told the committee that the primary focus of the IFA cam- paign is about the failure of Brazil to meet European Union production standards and food safety controls.

He said there must be a level play- ing field on standards for European producers and the current policy of double standards on imports was un- tenable.

“In fact, if the Department of Ag- riculture found the Brazilian failures on an Irish farm, the animals would be destroyed and removed from the food chain; the farmer could face court proceedings, and a possible jail Sentence,” he continued.

The IFA President said the FVO report fully vindicates IFA’s own findings and our insistence that there should be a total ban on all Brazilian beef imports into Europe.

In the European Parliament in Oc- tober, the EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou stated, if the situation in Brazil did not improve, then ‘the EU will take the necessary action includ- ing the implementation of a ban on beef imports by the end of this year’.

In presenting the detail contained in the latest FVO report, Walshe said the Brazilian FMD controls are total- ly inadequate and their vaccination is haphazard, jeopardising certification of beef exports to the EU.

He said the Brazilian traceability and movement controls are a sham- bles. Regionalisation has failed and the FVO found “meat from an animal declared non-EU eligible formed part of a consignment exported to the EU’.

Environmentalists have linked the five-fold increase in beef exports from Brazil in recent years with the rapid destruction of the rainforests in the Pantanal and Amazon regions that is a major cause of global cli- mate change.

SPEAKING just before last Wednes- day budget, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Mary Coughlan, announced the commencement of balancing payments under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme.

She explained that for the majority of applicants under the Single Pay- ment Scheme, these payments, worth in excess of €575 million, represent the balancing 50 per cent payment due under the Scheme. This brings the total amount paid under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme to in excess of €1.1 billion with a further €250 million paid under the Disadvan- taged Areas Scheme.

“Following my approach to the

Commissioner earlier this year, agreement was reached on a 50 per cent advance payment, payable from 16 October last,” she said.

“IT was particularly conscious that the difficult weather conditions for farming, which prevailed in the late spring and summer, had adversely affected farmers’ cash flows.”

Minister Coughlan confirmed that she is continuing to press the Eu- ropean Commission, as part of the CAP Health Check negotiations, to amend the Regulations in order to provide for an earlier payment date for the full amount of the Single Pay- ment in future years.

She also confirmed that payments will continue to be processed by her Department in the coming weeks.

Coughlan said that almost half of the payments under the Single Payment Scheme are being paid directly into farmers’ bank accounts.

Under current European Commis- sion requirements, from mid October 2008 all payments to farmers must be made to a bank account so this is effectively the last year that the Sin- gle Payment Scheme will be paid by cheque.

She pointed out that her Depart- ment has written to farmers, still be- ing paid by cheque, requesting the submission of the authorisation to make payments to a bank account in order to meet this requirement.

The minister urged farmers to re- spond to this request and return their bank details to the department as

soon as possible.

“Tam greatly encouraged by the re- sponse of farmers to the introduction of this facility, which was introduced on a somewhat restricted basis for the 2007 Schemes.”

‘“‘However, given its success, I am determined that the facility will be vigorously promoted in advance of the closing date for the 2008 Schemes,” she said.

“It is my intention that all Single Payment and Disadvantaged Areas Scheme applicants will be written to in the coming weeks, outlining the benefits of the on-line facility for submitting applications and explain- ing the process of getting signed up to avail of it.”

SEWERAGE Schemes for west Clare has been one of the most hotly contested topics this year and it again became part of the last council meet- ing of the year.

Fine Gael county councillor Oliver Garry asked for a progress report on the systems for the west. Campaign- ers have long argued that the delay in waste water systems for some of the smaller villages in west Clare has hampered development.

Now, the design and economic re-

view reports for the Carrigaholt/La- basheeda scheme has been sent to the Department of the Environment and local government.

An examination of the schemes is to be carried out by the department.

According to Walter Walsh, senior engineer with Clare County Council, “At our last quarterly meeting with the department, the DEHLG’s eng!- neering advisor indicated that he had not yet completed his examination of the submitted documentation.

“As soon as this examination is completed the council would expect

approval of the scheme and also an indication of the funding which the department are prepared to commit to the project.”

The Cooraclare Sewerage Scheme is at the stage where the consultant is about to be appointed to prepare contract documents for the scheme.

““Itis expected that this appointment will take place early in December,” said Mr Walsh.

The Quilty/Mullagh sewerage scheme network contract was signed on November 28. “The appointed contractor intends commencing con-

struction shortly after the Christmas. Works on the overall Quilty/Mullagh Feakle Scariff Sewerage Scheme will commence in Feakle. The DBO (treatment plant) for this scheme had its original closing date extended from November 23, 2007 to Decem- ber 19, 2007 at the request of the contractors.

“A report on tenders will be re- quired from the consultants fol- lowing the receipt of the tenders. This process will take three to four months before a preferred contractor emerges,” he said.

A MILESTONE in the Kilkee Marine Rescue Service was marked last week as its 25th anniversary was celebrated at a function in the Kilkee SE Wa elke

Since the voluntary service was established by Manuel di Lucia in 1982, it has been responsible for saving no fewer than 300 lives, while its members rescued up to 30 people from the sea.

‘The service has been serving the people for the past 25 years, not alone the local fishing community, but also tourists,” said Mr di Lucia.

As he 1s a diver 1n the local area, Mr

di Lucia was frequently called upon when someone would go missing over the years. Given the frequency of the calls, he felt there was a need for the service to be established.

aU INAS b0tl MEANS Komm c- Kom: IED e-hSCol@ AYA | would get a call. My boat would be laid up for the winter so I would have to get somebody who had a function- ing boat,” he said.

In an effort to provide training for the service’s members, Mr di Lu- cia set up Kilkee sub-aqua club in October 1982. Hundreds of people were trained through the club over the years and this training has been crucial in many lives being saved at sea. “Moneypoint was a great

source of members. A lot of young people came to Moneypoint in the early years and got involved in the Service,’ he said.

Mr di Lucia has himself been in- volved in dozens of rescues since the 1960s and his work was honoured with a presentation at the function last week. He was the first chief coxswain with the service. The first crew members, Joe Haugh and Ea- mon Murnane, were also honoured with presentations, as was the cur- rent chairman, John Nolan.

Four former members who have passed away — Ian Benson, JJ Har- rington, Seamus Byrne and Michael O’Gorman — were also remembered

by the 150 people who attended the aubeTeinCOyee

Presently, there are 50 members of the service and Mr di Lucia, who is the current PRO, said it can be difficult to recruit new people.

“The rescue service can sometimes be taken for granted. There is more recognition for sports stars than for the rescue services. While we have members as young as 16, there is a little bit of a struggle at the moment, trying to get new members into the Service,’ he said.

While the service is mainly volun- tary, some funding has been made available from the Department of the Marine over the years.

WHEN Santa landed with his sleigh in Killaloe at the weekend he was on a mission to bring a smile to the faces of east Clare children and help a good cause to boot.

On Saturday and Sunday, the Con- vent Hill Shopping Centre’s Christ- mas grotto opened its doors so that youngsters could give Santa their wish lists and Santa could raise cash for the Clarecare Molua centre.

On hand to add to the fun were Silly Sally and Crazy Daisy, who entertained the youngsters with face

painting and balloon sculpting.

Adding a touch more festive spirit to the proceedings were the Clare- care Molua carol singers performing Christmas favourites.

Clarecare volunteers packed bags for hard-pressed shoppers and they also helped by bag-packing in Queal- ly’s SuperValu on both days.

Centre manager, John Cannon said that this is the second year they have built the outside Alpine grotto.

“We had it inside the first year but this was much better. There was a great atmosphere about the whole thing. Everyone loved it.”

The little wooden hut which be- comes Santa’s temporary home is donated each year by Galway man, Tim Clune.

“It’s perfect for Santa and it looks lovely when it’s all done up,’ said John.

Last year, the grotto was open through the week, but 80 per cent of Santa’s little visitors came at the weekend, so it was decided to make this year’s visit a three-day event.

The takings from the weekend have yet to be totted up but even the bad weather didn’t dampen the enthusi- asm of Santa’s little visitors.

“Last year, we totted up €1,500 for Clarecare and I would hope it would be at least that much again,” said John.

And whatever was bagged for the charity, Santa went away with a bag full of requests and left behind a bundle of promises for good boys Nee Mean U he

STAFF and students at St Joseph’s Training Centre have been reflect- ing on another year of academic achievement.

Thirty students graduated from University College Cork with a di- ploma in youth & community studies. They completed the two-year course, which was facilitated by the National Association of Traveller Centres. The eraduation group was made up of members of the settled and Traveller community, among them two former students of St Joseph’s, Bernie Mc- Donagh and John Sweeney Jnr.

A spokesman for the centre said staff were delighted with the achieve-

ments of all those who graduated. “We are very proud of two of our ex-students who sailed through the course with flying colours. Bernie McDonagh and John Sweeney Jnr were down in Cork to receive their Diploma certificates.”

He added, *“The centre was delight- ed to be able to assist Bernie and John in their studies by providing some support hours for assignments and coursework projects.”

St Joseph’s Training Centre offered The Leaving Certificate Applied for the second time in September 2006.

Located in the Gort Road Industrial Estate, St Joseph’s training centre has developed over the years into a high- ly active and diverse learning envi-

ronment. While most of those who attend St Joseph’s are members of the Traveller community, this year’s crop of graduates included members of the settled community.

Fifteen members of the Traveller community are half-way through the second year of the two-year pro- gramme. The class group comprises of adult men and women and some teenage boys and girls.

The subjects covered include graphics and construction studies, craft and design, visual art, engineer- ing, social studies, hair and beauty, information and communication technology, Irish, mathematics and TSUN KoMCIRELO BL ote

Other programmes on offer include

a comprehensive array of FETAC courses, with one group of students aiming towards a full cert in FETAC Level 4. The coppercraft program at the centre is currently involved with the Cork City Museum making cop- per wall hangings that reflect the Traveller way of life and culture.

The centre enjoys close links with the Cork City Museum. Earlier this year a group from St Joseph’s gave a demonstration at the museum as part of the Cork Lifelong Learning Roeaye)

The spokesperson added, “We at St Joseph’s Training centre are proud of our links with the wider community and enjoy getting involved in local and national initiatives.”

THE Leaving Certificate Applied students in Shannon will get the op- portunity to present their artwork in an exhibition which gets underway tomorrow.

As part of their programme, the FE- TAC students were given seven tasks to carry out, on which they will be assessed at the end of the year. One of these tasks is an art programme, the culmination of which will be on

view at Shannon library for a week, starting tomorrow.

This year’s five students, along with past pupils, will get the opportunity to showcase some of their best works in the exhibition.

The materials used include lino prints, paintings, self portrait paint- ings, small murals and chalk draw- ings. A total of 18 pieces will be hung up in the library, where they will remain for the week.

The participants had 10 hours each

to prepare the exhibition. This in- cluded issuing invitations, putting posters together and organising sponsorship. They organised the event with help from their tutors.

“It is very exciting for the students. They will be interviewed at the end of the project. They have to write a report on it, to include details on things they learned about themselves and about the group in general,’ explained Imelda Greene of Youth- reach.

A number of local businesses have donated spotprizes, which will be raffled on the night.

The Youthreach staff are indebted to those businesses including Tesco, Dunnes Stores, Sean Hillery, Pink, The Gift Box, Art and Craft com- pany and Angel Flowers – for their assistance.

The mayor of Clare, Shannon- based Councillor Patricia McCarthy will officially open the exhibition at 7pm tomorrow (Wednesday).

RATES will be increased by three per cent in Shannon next year, to meet a projected increase 1n expendi- ture by the town council.

Total expenditure is expected to rise from €137,715 to €165,500 next year, according to the draft budget presented to town councillors by Town Manager, Ger Dollard last week. The single biggest increase in spending will be for the community scheme.

This initiative incurred costs of €14,500 this year and this will rise to €35,000 in 2008. Under the com- munity scheme, a focus is placed on litter removal and the general envi- ronment in the town.

Funding for civic receptions will drop from €5,200 to €3,200. The figure for this year was elevated on a “one-off”, due to Shannon celebrat- ing its 25th birthday, said the man- ager.

The mayor’s award, for which €700 was presented to a charity last year, will not feature in 2008.

Mr Dollard said the decision to discontinue this was because “it has been diverted to a charity” when it was initially geared towards the community.

“We have increased the contribu- tion to community initiatives so there is no loss to the community,” he said.

The current mayor of the town, Cllr Sean McLoughlin (FG) said he had

agreed to this award being removed during his year-long term as mayor of Shannon.

Looking ahead to 2008, Mr Dol- lard expressed optimism that signifi- cant progress will be made on imple- menting the master plan for the town and the creation of an arts centre.

He also stated that the tidy towns committee will again receive €2,000 in funding from the council, while an increased provision will be pro- vided to cover the costs of the twin- ning initiative between Shannon and Guingamp in France.

The long-awaited recycling centre which was opened during the sum- mer was welcomed by the commu- nity in Shannon.

Mr Dollard said, “It is evident that

there are demands for an increase in the range of services provided at the rerun AYAae

Reacting to the budget outline, Councillor Gerry Flynn (Independ- ent) said, “I had hoped the budget would have been that bit bigger.”

Cllr Sean Hillery (FF) said the council “should be involved in some commercial exercise. We should try and created some means of generat- ing some kind of income.”

Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Independ- ent) pointed out that many young people are unable to build detached homes on individual sites.

“That is something we could be looking at in the future much more actively than we have been doing,’ she said.

CHILDREN as young as I1 are being dried out after they binge on alcohol, according to the mayor of Clare. Councillor Patricia McCarthy (Ind) made the comment this week, amid a public debate on the dangers of the combination of alcohol and drugs. The scourge of drugs came to prominence again last week after the death of model Katy French (24), af- ter she had taken cocaine. Two young

Waterford men Kevin Doyle (21) and John Grey (23) also died last week, days after they had taken cocaine at a house party in Waterford.

One of Cllr McCarthy’s colleagues on Shannon Town Council said the situation in Waterford happens “on every street corner”.

The debate arose at the town coun- cil on Tuesday night when Cllr Greg Duff (Lab) proposed that the council support the call by the National Youth Council for stiff measures to control

the availability of alcohol.

Councillor Sean Hillery (FF) said the combination of alcohol and drugs isa “lethal cocktail’. He said, “I think it is time the Government stopped the advertising of alcohol in relation to games. We are glorifying alcohol. It is very hard for young people.”

Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) said alcohol has become more easily ac- cessible for people of all ages.

“From 11 up they are going into hospitals to be dried out. Alcohol is

glamourised. It is a dangerous, dan- gerous drug. It is time for the Govern- ment to take control,’ she said.

“With the smoking gone out of public places, people are drinking at home and there are no measurements. You don’t measure the whiskey. You don’t measure the brandy. It is a dan- gerous situation. The Government has been negligent. It should address the situation with the same vigor as it addressed the cigarettes.”

Labour’s Tony McMahon said he

Kor -DUCLOM MOT LMOODN (CUNO MOST hYmolom- lm Ul emr-ks alcohol takes over.

“Children may not be cared for properly in those situations and can lead in places to domestic violence. The danger is children would accept this as Some kind of norm,” he said.

Referring to the association between alcohol and sport among young peo- ple, he said, “Everywhere you go your head is stuck in a cup of alcohol. If you weren’t going to get drunk on it, you would get drowned.”