Month: November 2011

CLARE’S four members of Dáil Éireann have been accused of selling their county up the River Shannon by not standing up for the northern back of the estuary as it fights to win recognition in a new masterplan being developed by the Foynes Port Company.

Stinging criticism was delivered at last Thursday’s monthly meeting of Kilrush Town Council, with former town mayor Cllr Tom Prendeville blasting the TDs’ performance in relation to the formation of a masterplan that will govern development on the estuary for the next 30 years.

“I’m not being fatalistic and I’m not being nihilistic, but with what’s going on, I wouldn’t hold out any hopes for our situation on the northern bank of the estuary. The northern bank of the estuary has been virtually airbrushed out of contention by powerful political and economic influences on the southern bank of the estuary,” said Cllr Prendeville.

“That’s a pity because it means our TDs lack political muscle and we lack moral fibre. We need to stand up, bang tables and make sure people hear our voices, but that isn’t being done at Dáil level. They have let us down. The time is to shout is now,” he added.

Cllr Prendeville’s broadside comes in the wake of a public meeting that was hosted by the Foynes Port Authority in Kilrush Town Hall on November 2, a meeting which he said proved that “the masterplan to 2041 appears to be about Limerick Docks and the port of Foynes only.

“There was no mention of the deep water at Moneypoint jetty or the harbours at Cappa, Clarecastle, Cahercon or the oil terminal at Shannon. Yet Clare boasts 60 per cent of the estuarial coastline and Moneypoint can handle cargoes of 250,000 dwt.

“Where are our Dáil representatives while this charade of public consultation is going on and Clare interests are once again being sold up the river? Where points the strong influential hand of Shannon Development in all of this,” continued Cllr Prendeville, as he called on Kilrush Town Council and Kilrush area councillors on Clare County Council to make a joint submission to the Foynes Port Company for inclusion in the new blueprint for the estuary.

“The glimmer of hope that I have is that Minister Leo Varadkar spoke about setting up a committee to review the use of Moneypoint port and changing the ownership from the ESB so it could be used for importing and exporting out of it,” said Mayor of Kilrush Cllr Ian Lynch.

“It’s fresh in his mind, so now is the time to do something about it and maximise it. The land is there to develop industry but the Foynes Authority is a stumbling block,” he added.

AN BORD Pleanála has given the green light for a € 2.8 million upgrade of the main Ennis wastewater treatment plant, a project viewed as critical in allowing the town to cater for future commercial developments.

Last week, the board granted planning permission for the upgrade of the Wastewater Treatment Plant at Clonroadmore, Ennis.

This scheme was the subject of a Strategic Infrastructure Development application to An Bord Pleanála and included an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

A full oral hearing also took place in July of this year. The conditions of the planning permission are under examination by Clare County Council at present and it is expected that construction will commence in early 2012.

The decision was welcomed by Mayor of Clare Cllr Pat Hayes. He said, “I welcome this announcement from An Bord Pleanála which is great news for the town of Ennis and will facilitate the continued growth and development of Ennis and environs. It will provide essential infrastructure for Ennis, a designated hub town under the National Spatial Strategy and will improve the quality of the environment for our citizens.”

The scheme is funded under the Water Services Investment Programme (WSIP) 2010 – 2012 by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government and Clare County Council.

Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Michael Guilfoyle also welcomed this positive development for Ennis and stated, “This upgrade to the main wastewater treatment plant at Clonroadmore, Ennis, is much needed infrastructure for Ennis allowing further essential developments to take place and provide a better environmental quality for the people of Ennis.”

Officials from Clare County Council told representatives from the board in July that the upgrade was urgently needed in Ennis.

David Timlin, Director of Environment and Water Services, told the hearing that; “The capacity of the main Clondroadmore WWTP urgently needs to be upgraded to provide for the current and predicted growth in domestic population and in the commercial and industrial sectors.”

He said the upgrade was also needed in order to ensure that the council complies with certain Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wastewater licenses.

Since 2006 planning applications for large residential and commercial schemes in Ennis have been refused in the basis of inadequate capacity in the public sewer.

APPROVAL for a major new water services project will lead to a near doubling of capacity at an Ennis wastewater treatment plant.

Clare County Council received permission for the € 2.8 million upgrade of the Clonroadmore wasterwater treatment plant from An Bord Pleanála last week.

The development will see the upgrading of the existing wastewater treatment plant from a design capacity of 17, 000 population, equivalent to a design capacity of 30,150 (pe). The proposed works includes (a) an increased storm water storage capacity, (b) the provision of a new clarifier, (c) the provision of a picket fence thickener (PFT) for sludge treatment and (d) the provision of a ter tiary treatment system.

In granting permission for the project, An Bord Pleanála imposed a number of conditions.

The inspector’s repor t states that odour and noise levels emanating from the plant shall not exceed certain marks in order to “protect the amenities of properties in the vicinity of the site”.

The report states that site clearance of hedgerows and trees shall only take place between the months of August and April, “to prevent disturbance to nesting birds and to mitigate habitat reduction in the in- terest of nature conservation”.

The repor t continues, “Any gaps in hedges or removal or loss of trees or hedges shall be replanted during the next planting season following construction. The site shall be landscaped in accordance with a comprehensive scheme of landscaping”… “All planting shall be adequately protected from damage until established. Any plants which die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased, within a period of five years from the completion of the development shall be replaced within the next planting season with others of similar size and species.”

The council must also consult with Iarnród Éireann “prior to commencement of the works on site in relation to health and safety measures to ensure that any risks can be appropriately managed”.

The report adds, “Site development and building works shall be car ried out only between 0700 hours and 1900 hours, Monday to Friday inclusive and between 0700 hours and 1400 hours on Saturdays. No works shall take place outside these hours or on Sundays or bank or public holidays.

The Clonroadmore plant forms part of an overall plan for the provision of upgraded facilities to treat all wastewater arising in the entire Ennis area.

FIVE former Clare members of the Oireachtas are receiving pension payments totaling nearly € 400,000, it has been revealed in the past week.

It has emerged that former Minister for the Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Síle de Valera, who served as a TD in Clare for 20 years from 1987 to 2007 is the top pensions earner in the county.

The figures, contained in a reply from the Minister for Public Expenditure to a parliamentary question submitted by Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams, show that Ms de Valera is one of 30 former members of the Oireachtas to earn over € 100,000.

The former Fianna Fáil deputy earns € 103,647.51 a year, while her party colleague, Brendan Daly earns € 95,515.43. Mr Daly served as a member of the Oireachtas from 1973 until 2007. In that time he held down four Cabinet posts – in the Fisheries and Forestry, Marine, Defence and Social Welfare.

The pension figure for Tony Killeen who served as a TD from 1992 until 2011 was not contained the figures released to Deputy Adams, but earlier this year it was revealed that the former Minister for Defence’s pension entitlements were € 68,984.

Former Fine Gael deputy Donal Carey has a pension of € 66,022.87, the figures reveal while former Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, Tras Honan earns € 50,750.25.

THE former GAA grounds at Roslevan has emerged as a possible new home for Ennis Educate Together National School

The 5.25 acre site on the outskirts of Ennis will be among the sites recommended to the Department of Education and Skills as a new location for the school.

The land on the outskirts of Ennis will be included in a “portfolio of sites” currently being prepared by the school’s Board of Management.

The development comes after the Department stated that a new 16classroom unit should be provided for the school.

In a statement yesterday, Principal Sean Ó Confhaola explained, “The Department of Education and Skills has informed Ennis Educate Together NS that a 16-classroom unit should be provided for the school.” He added, “It is projected that this accommodation begins to be required by September 2012. The department is currently looking for a suitable site for Ennis Educate Together NS.”

The school is currently located on the Gort Road and caters for almost 200 children. Mr Ó Conf haola told The Clare People that the Gort Road and Roslevan “would be the most preferred areas for a new school”.

Among the other potential areas currently being examined by the school is the former GAMA site on the Tulla Road.

Our Lady’s hospital, which was mentioned as a possible site in a recent report by Ennis Town Council, has also been touted. “We have looked at Our Lady’s that’s a possibility too”, said Mr Ó Conf haola.

He said the communication from the department is a boost to the school’s long-term search for a new permanent home. “It wasn’t completely out of the blue. The slight difficulty was always getting a suitable site.”

Interest in the former home of St Joseph’s Doora Barefield has been high in recent months. A number of local sports clubs have been credited with an interest in the grounds. Last month town manager Ger Dollard said that while Ennis Town Council had given detailed consideration to purchasing the grounds, a bid had not been lodged and that the local authority was no longer interested in the site.

CANDIDATES from Clare who contested the General Election last February spent over € 100,000 in their efforts to get elected to the 31st Dáil Éireann, figures secured by The Clare People this week have revealed.

Details of all the expenditure made by candidates in the Clare constituency are contained in the ‘Candidates Election Expenses Statements’ that have been released by the Standards in Public Office Commission.

These figures reveal that € 113,892.11 was spent by Clare election candidates – this total is drawn from the returns made to the Standards in Public Office Commission by 15 of the 16 election candidates who contest the Februay 25 poll, the largest number ever to contest a Dáil election in the county.

Six candidates spent over € 10,000 on their campaigns, while two of the candidates, independents Sarah Ferrigan and Anne Cronin who contested the election on a ‘Balance the Ballot’ manifesto spent nothing on their respective campaigns. A limit of € 37,650 is put on spending per candidate in a four-seater constituency.

The biggest election spender was Fianna Fáil candidate, Dr John Hillery, who was attempting to win a Dáil seat that his father, the late former President of Ireland, Dr Paddy Hillery held for 22 years from 1951 to 1973.

Dr Hillery, who was drafted onto the Fianna Fáil election team in place of the retiring Minister for Defence, Tony Killeen, spent € 16,673.16 during his unsuccessful campaign for a Dáil seat, while his party colleague and Deputy Timmy Dooley, who retained his seat only spent € 9,574.35 in his campaign. The highest expense incurred by Dr Hillery during the campaign was for € 4,840.

Fine Gael were the biggest election spenders in Clare – between them the three candidates, Deputies Pat Breen and Joe Carey, as well as Senator Tony Mulcahy spent nearly € 40,000 during the campaign.

Deputy Carey, who was the third candidate elected was the biggest spender with a total of € 14,535, followed closely by poll topper Deputy Breen who spent € 14,252. Meanwhile, Tony Mulcahy, who was added to the Fine Gael ticket by party headquarters spent € 10,661 on his unsuccessful bid, before embarking on another campaign immediately afterwards when he won election to Seanad Éireann.

Labour’s Michael McNamara, who was the third canidate elected was the fourth highest election spender with a figure of € 14,248.42, while the highest spender from the independent benches was James Breen who incurred € 11,686.99 in election expenses in his bid to win back the Dáil seat he held from 2002 to 2007.

Independent candidate Patrick Brassil was one of 23 candidates around the country referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for failing to furnish expenses statements to the Standards in Public Office Commission.

CLARE has become the first county in Ireland to go to Britain and market itself directly to the Irish diaspora abroad.

More than 2,000 new UK tourist are expected to travel to Clare over the next two years, generating an estimated € 1 million for the county, following the London to Clare event which took place last week.

The event was organised by the Clare Tourism Forum who invited special guests such as Killaloe native Keith Woods along to help promote the county. Despite an estimated 10 per cent year-on-year growth of tourism to the area, the UK market remained sluggish in 2011 with the majority of the revival coming from American, French and German travellers.

The event was organised to coincide with World Travel Market, one of the world’s largest conferences of tour operators held in London each year. According to Maureen Cleary of the Clare Tourism Network, this groundbreaking event could be replicated in other parts of the world.

“We decided to host our own event in London at the same time as the world market and focus both on the tour operators but also on the diaspora over there,” she said.

“Clare was the only county who was out there marketing itself in this way. We feel that London is the perfect starting point for this sort of project. We have at least three flights each day from Shannon to London, it is an English speaking destination so it made sense to use London as the first trial run for this. We hope to do more of this in other locations, it was very successful trial and we are looking to go further afield with this sort of event next year.”

It is hoped that by taking a co-operative approach to marketing the county will show both tour operators and members of the Irish diaspora that Clare has much to offer for a long-stay holiday.

“Clare has so much to offer so it makes sense that we would partner up and run an event like this together. People are not going to come to Clare for one experience – we need to sell the county as a package of different attractions and a place where people can come and visit for a number of days,” continued Maureen.

“Clare has changed a lot in recent years – there are a lot new products in Clare. The diaspora know Clare as home and they might know of Bunratty and the Cliffs, but they might not be aware of all of these new products that we have in Clare – everything from the new walking and cycling routes in Clare to the festivals which are happening nearly every weekend in Clare.”

A MAJOR new job creation drive could be on the cards for Clare in 2012 after Shannon Development was one of a small number of regional organisation granted an increase in funding by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton (FG), last week.

The regional promotional and job creation agency has been granting a year-on-year budget increase of almost 40 per cent and will see their operations budget swell from € 3.6 million to € 5 million next year.

It is as yet unclear what this € 1.4 million budget increase will be spent on or whether a particular major project has already been identified for the money. It is also unclear whether some of all of this budget increase has already been accounted for in the € 3.2 million in tourism funding which was announced for the Shannon region by the Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar (FG), earlier this month. The Clare People contacted Shannon Development in relation to the funding boost but no comment on the increase or the possible use of the funding was forth coming at the time of going to press.

Speaking on the budget increase, Shannon Senator Tony Mulcahy (FG) said it was a vote of confidence for the work being on the ground in Clare to promote the region to foreign tourists as-well-as foreign investment. “This funding is good news for Clare and the region and it just highlights the positives work that is being done. I mean, we had an Olympic Handball event here [Shannon] last week and that saw about 400 extra people here for a week,” said Senator Mulcahy.

“Even sporting events like the Munster match the other night will help boost the profile of Shannon Airport and the region as a whole.”

Meanwhile, a major seminar for the promotion of walking tourism in Clare has been announced for the Pavillion Theatre in Lisdoonvarna on Wednesday, November 23.

There will be a number of speakers in north Clare for the event including experts from Shannon Development as-well-as members from the Clare Trails Steering Group.

The purpose of the seminar is to let the public know of recent developments in the provision of way marked trails and to announce a special two-day training programme for walk leaders.

Walking tourism is now Clare’s fastest growing tourism attraction, attracting more people to the county each year than traditional favourite golf.

VACANT buildings in Kilrush are being vandalised and looted for any valuables inside, Kilrush Town Council was told, amid renewed called from members for the local authority to ramp up security measures at unused premises around the town.

The extent of the vandalism and looting problems were sounded out by Independent councillor Paul Moroney after Mayor of Kilrush, Cllr Ian Lynch sounded out his call for “a safety and condition survey of all vacant council property”.

“It’s unbelievable what’s going on in the town,” said Cllr Moroney. “I know that someone went into a house recently and heard a noise the there was someone up on top of the roof stealing the lead – I’m not talking about a vacant house.

“This was happening in broad daylight. We can talk about estate management plans all you like, but when there’s ignorance out there, it’s very hard to get over it. Lads that are doing the houses are being told that copper is the last thing that should go into the houses, because it will be stolen,” added Cllr Moroney.

To confront such problems, Cllr Lynch called on the council “to comply with our duty to prevent unauthorised access to property under our control”, while he also called for the convening of housing meeting to discuss estate and property management among dwelling owned by the town authority.

“People are going into houses and this should be stopped,” warned Cllr Lynch. “There are quite a lot houses that were boarded up, but are no longer boarded up. My fear is that children will be in those vacant dwelling and that there could be an accident and if there is we as a council will be liable. We need to focus on property management,” he added.

The mayor called for the implementation of an action plan to monitor the council’s vacant housing stock – part of this plan would see CCTV cameras focused on vacant houses, as well as having these properties monitored by FÁS maintenance workers and a community warden.

PEOPLE in Kilrush might struggle to have the financial means to pay for a series of stealth taxes that are expected to be introduced in next months Budget, town councillors have warned in calling for a means test to be introduced for people in the west Clare capital catchment area.

This claim that there are now a host of families in Kilrush are now on the breadline was sounded out as member of the local authority gave their universal backing for the introduction of a means-tested waiver scheme for householders “who have not the financial means to pay for taxes like water charges and property taxes on principal residences”.

“Some people living in a sheltered world don’t know how bad it is out there,” said Mayor of Kilrush, Cllr Ian Lynch told the meeting. “There are an awful lot of people on the breadline and I think some people will not be able to afford services.

“A means test will have to be brought in. We mightn’t realise ourselves how bad it is around town. It is absolutely dire out there,” Kilrush’s first citizen warned in backing a mo- tion that was proposed by former Mayor, Tom Prendeville.

“While the government implements financial austerity measures ordinary people in Kilrush will be asked to make huge financial sacrifices,” blasted Cllr Prendeville.

“The mention of water charges and property taxes in the upcoming Budget will mean that some pensioners, widow and other social welfare recipients will go hungry as much of their paltry weekly allowances will have to be set aside for these new stealth taxes.

“All this in the so-called name of fiscal rectitude. This is morally wrong, while NAMA bails out developers with generous allowances and the reckless lending of some bad banks is rewarded with € 700m of taxpayers money.

“There are people in Kilrush who will have to continue to exist by scrimping on the bare essentials of life to pay for the excesses of the Celtic Tiger. A waiver scheme to help these people to keep food on the table has to be brought in. It’s a small concession to ask for on behalf of a very vulnerable section of society,” Cllr Prendeville added.