Category: News

BUSINESSES are facing a potential 20 per cent increase in commercial rates under new structures of local government, the outgoing Mayor of Ennis has warned.

Fianna Fáí l councillor Peter Considine was speaking at the annual general meeting of Ennis Town Council where he called for Fine Gael councillors to lobby for the retention of local authorities.

Eight councillors will be elected to represent the Ennis area in the 2014 local elections.

Cllr Considine said the town will “suffer” by the loss of one elected representative. Currently there are nine elected members on Ennis Town Council.

Cllr Considine said the elimination of local authorities could also have implications for businesses. He claimed that under the new structures, commercial rates could rise by up to 26 per cent. He called on Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan, to re-think his policy on local government reform.

“Nothing would’ve happened, I’m sure, in this town without the urging, thriving and thinking of Ennis Town Council,” he added.

County manager Tom Coughlan acknowledged that difficult and challenging times lie ahead for local authorities.

He said the timescale for change is tight and that all staff are going to have their shoulders to the wheel.

Town manager Gerard Dollard said, “It’s going to be year of great change and some difficulty.”

Cllr Considine was presiding over his final council meeting as Mayor of Ennis. Recalling the past 12 months, he picked out Ennis’ successful Purple Flag bid, work on the new Quin Road pedestrian bridge and the civic reception afforded to former county manager Joe Boland as particular highlights.

He also hailed the positive impact new coach-parking facilities at Fri- ar’s Walk are having on tourism in Ennis.

It is thought that Cllr Considine will not run for election next year. Colleagues paid tribute to his work as Mayor. Mr Coughlan described Cllr Considine was an “excellent ambassador” for Ennis. “You could see Peter’s pride in the town,” he added.

Cllr Paul O’Shea (Ind) also paid tribute to Cllr Considine, joking that he would “miss their little sparring matches”.

LAHINCH – a nice town except for all the rubbish. That is the message from a group of local people who are attempting to change attitudes toward litter in Clare’s premier resort town – and make it a nicer place to visit and live.

According to the group, the village was left in a “disgusting” state after last month’s unexpected sunny weather and they are calling on visitors to be more litter conscious and Clare County Council to do more to keep the village clean.

The group formed after the a local clean-up organised large levels of dumping during the June bank holiday weekend and now intend to form a formal group aimed at working to make the village cleaner.

“It was very really disgusting – you name it, it was dumped on the beach after the [bank holiday] weekend. It was great – about 15 of us went out on Monday evening and picked up more then 30 bags of rubbish – it was disgusting,” said Louise McCormack of the group.

“We need more bins on the prom that is for sure. I know there would be some dumping anyway, but if we can set a higher standard and work to keep the place cleaner then visitors will think twice about dumping themselves.

“There are two men [from Clare County Council] who are very helpful and do some clean up work – but it’s just too much work for them. One tourist said to me last week that we had a lovely village – it’s just a shame that it is so dirty.

“The council makes a lot of money from the car park in Lahinch and that money is supposed to be invested in the village – but that isn’t happening. It would not take a lot of money to fix this problem.”

A spokesperson from the Ennistymon Area Office of Clare County Council said, despite the economic downturn, the local authority have maintained rubbish collections at Lahinch.

“After the bank holiday weekend a group contacted Clare County Council to tell us they were organising a clean up and requested to assist in removing and disposing of the waste they collected. We agreed to the request,” said a spokesperson from Clare County Council.

“At no time did the representative of the group raise any questions about litter management with Clare County Council. With regard to Lahinch, Clare County Council provide a seven day service all year round.

“Due to the downturn in the economy, funding for local authorities has been cut dramatically over the last number of years. The embargo on public sector employment has led to a huge reduction in staff resources available to carry out the functions of the local authority.

“However we have maintained the same level of service on the streets and the promenade of Lahinch despite the lack of resources. All bins have been deployed for the summer season.”

CLARE Labour TD, Michael McNamara, has defended the actions of Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn (Lab), who last week reversed his decision to cut to the number of special needs resource teachers in primary school saying “his hands were tied” in deciding to introduce the cuts.

Despite more than 100 people turning out in Ennis last week to protest against cuts to education for children with special needs in Clare, the East Clare deputy said that Minister Quinn’s u-turn was “a good decision” and welcomed a promised review of special needs resources.

Five hundred new resource teaching posts will be created in September to cope with the increasing number of children with special needs entering the primary schools system.

There is, however, no allocation for extra special needs assistants (SNA) – with reports that some SNA’s in larger Clare schools are now assigned four students in dif- ferent classes at the same time.

“This is a good decision for special education.

“I am delighted that Ruairí Quinn has secured Cabinet agreement to release 500 additional teaching posts to schools in September,” said Deputy McNamara.

“Like the Minister, I regret if the parents of special needs children had gone through anguish as a result of last week’s announcement.

“To be fair to the Minister, his hands are tied by budgetary allocations.

“However, we will have to find a better way to manage these extremely sensitive situations.

“Coping with the alarming rise in the demand for special resource, teaching will cost money.

“I welcome the review which will be set up as to why the rise in demand for special needs resources is much greater than rise in school population.”

It has also emerged that the cost of providing the extra 500 special needs resource teachers may result in an increase in the overall student teacher ratio at certain primary schools.

A NORTH Clare group has called into question the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) used as part of the license application for a massive fish farm off the Clare coast.

The Galway Bay Protection Group, which was establish by a number concerned local last month, has expressed concerns over the EIS, which was compiled jointly using by the Irish Marine Institute and Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) – the government agency who are themselves proposing the fish farm.

Galway Bay Protection Group member and local doctor, Fergus Glynn, said that a number of questions remain unanswered concerning the EIS.

“The master of the Marine Institute and the master of BIM is Simon Coveney [Minister for Agriculture] and Simon Coveney has publicly and privately backed this fish farm from the word go. We don’t feel that the people who have been tasked with completing this EIS have been allowed to do their job fully and independently,” said Dr Glynn.

“We have spoken to a number of experts about this and the conclusion that we have come to is that, not only are their questions about the real independence of this study, but also there is questions over the scientific rigor and the level of research done.”

A BIM spokesperson has rejected claims that the EIS not been completed to a high standard.

“The EIS was compiled by leading scientists; principally from the Marine Institute, some from BIM and other specialists from the private sector. As the applicant BIM had to take responsibility for the overall production of the EIS, as that is how the law concerning applications for aquaculture licencing is formulated in Ireland,” he said.

“The applicant must submit the EIS and the licencing authority then scrutinise it. BIM will not be issuing or managing the licensing. That function rests with the Aquaculture and Foreshore Management Division of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, that body is completely separate from BIM.”

A fundraising event for the group will take place this Sunday, July 7, at Greene’s Yard in Ballyvaughan from 4pm to 9pm.

PARENTS of Clare children with special needs have drawn a line in the sand – this far and no farther. More than 100 people turned out in Ennis on Wednesday to protest against cuts in educational supports for children with special need.

Protests of this kind could become a regular sight in Ennis with Clare parent vowing to fight tooth and nail against future cuts of any kind.

According to parent Catherine Burke, the SNA (Special Needs Assistant)/student ratio for children in Clare has gone from one to three in 2010 to one to seven this year.

“We will see more protests – definitely.

“It has been agreed by the Clare Parents Support Group that, from here on in, we will be giving voices to our children – who don’t have voices themselves,” said Catherine.

“If they cut us anymore more we will be out on the streets – we will have our voices heard.

“Our kids need these support. If they don’t get a chance of an education then they won’t be able to reach their potential. Their voices will be heard on this issue – we will make sure of that.”

According to the Clare Parents Support Group, the numbers at last week’s protest in Ennis would have been even larger but for some confusion following last Tuesday’s statement from Minister for Education, Ruairí Quinn (Lab).

“We had more than 100 people there, so I think we did very well for something that was organised over two days on social media. I think we got our message across very well.

“We probably would have gotten more people out for the march but there was some confusion with some people who thought that situation was sorted out after Ruairí Quinn’s statement from the previous day.

“The resource hours have been reallocated to our children but we still have a cap on SNA in our school. So this does amount to a big cut.

“In bigger schools we now have SNAs being shred between four kids with special needs who might be in different class room – it’s not a workable situation.

“This is not a large amount of money.

“Early intervention is key and if these supports are cut, then it be creating more problems down the line. When children are young, it is much easier to help them.

“If they don’t get this support early then it is just making the job harder when they turn eight or nine.”

FUNDING for small festivals in Clare has been slashed by more than 20 per cent in the latest tranche of funding announced by the Arts Council.

The funding, which was announced last week, will impact on festival taking place in the second half of 2013. Overall funding for six Clare festivals during this period come to € 20,000 – a reduction of a reduction of € 5,080 on the same tranche of funding last year.

The festival worst effected are the Willie Keane Memorial Festival, whose Art Council funding was cut by a whopping 35 per cent (from € 3,080 in 2012 to € 2,000 this year) and the Feakle International Traditional Music Festival, which saw a cut by 21.5 per cent (from € 7,000 in 2012 to € 5, 500 in 2013).

Funding was also granted to the Shannon Winter Music Festival (€ 4,500); Ennis Street Festival (€ 3,000), which taking place in July; the Crotty/Galvin Traditional Music Frestival Weekend (€ 3,000), which will be held in Moyasta in September and Music in the Glens in in Killaloe (€ 2,000).

This brings the total allocated to Clare through the Festival and Events Scheme (formally the Small Arts Festivals Scheme) to € 44,500 for 2013. Total Arts Council funding for small festivals in Clare amounted to € 83,100 in 2007 – meaning that funding levels in the county have dropped by more than 46 per cent over the last six years.

These continued cuts to the arts budget has prompted the chairperson for the Arts Council to call on the Government to take a different approach to funding the arts.

Chairwoman Pat Moylan has said the State should not take such a narrow view of stimuli for the economy and it needs to get away from the Celtic Tiger thinking that the only stimulus jobs that can be created are in construction.

“Sometimes there is too traditional a view that what creates jobs quickly are construction projects only. This is narrow thinking. The arts has untapped potential, already supports almost 21,000 jobs and contributes significantly to the economy,” she said.

A NIGERIAN born business graduate intends to throw his hat into the ring for the 2014 local elections. George Atijohn says he wants to run as a candidate in the Ennis electoral area.

The married father of two wants to get involved in local politics in order to “improve the town of Ennis”. He has lived in the town for almost 13 years. If successful, Mr Atijohn said he would represent all the people of Ennis.

He said, “I’m not going to represent one particular community. I want to represent all the people of Ennis.”

The 47 year-old says he would like to get the opportunity to tackle issues such as unemployment and the shortage of local authority housing.

“Look at the problem with unemployment in Ennis. Unemployment doesn’t know any colour. We have nearly 1, 500 waiting on the housing list. These are things we need to tackle head on.”

“How do we create jobs? That is my interest. How do we get ourselves out of the economic mess that we are in?”

Mr Atijohn comes from farming background and previously ran an information technology business in the Lifford area of Ennis. He recently graduated from the University of Limerick with a Masters in Business Management. He says he can’t wait to hit the campaign trail.

“If I could start tomorrow, I would. I would love an opportunity to have a debate with other candidates. You know the way they do American debates? We should do them. It would be fun. Invite the people from the town in and let them assess the candidates.”

He added, “I’m not just talking the talk. I’m going to walk the walk. Let us come together and see how best we can improve the town.”

If successful, Mr Atijohn would be following in the footsteps of Taiwo Matthew who won a seat on Ennis Town Council in 2004. The Nigerian born doctor made history when he became the first immigrant to be elected to a local authority in Ireland.

CLARE people are being invited to take part in a hunt for the mysterious Daubenton water bat.

The bat, which is an endangered species in some countries, is understood to be relatively populous in Clare – but Bat Conservation Ireland are hoping to get an accurate reading of the local population this August.

The Daubenton bat exits in numerous countries across Europe and Asia – with Ireland, and indeed Clare – being the western most point of its natural habitat.

Indeed, the fact that Clare lies on the very edge of the Daubenton habitat makes an accurate count of its number here all the more important.

The Daubenton’s bat is known as the water bat because of its preference to roost and feed close to water such as rivers and lakes.

It is easy to identify because of all of all Ireland’s nine resident species of bat, it is the only species that will be seen continuously skimming the water surface as it is feeding on in- sects.

Anyone interested in helping to survey waterways in Clare for the bats this August is invited to take part in a special training event taking place in Ennis this week.

“This survey is part of a monitoring scheme recording the activity of the Daubenton’s bat.

“These yearly surveys allow us to determine whether the population of this bat species is increasing or decreasing,” said a spokesperson from Bat Conservation Ireland.

“Surveyors will be in teams of two people. Bat Conservation Ireland will provide the use of a bat detector for the survey.”

Anyone interested in take part in the survey is asked to come to the Civic Room at Ennis Town Council this Friday, July 5, from 8pm for a training evening.

The training will involve an indoor lecture followed by a practical session using bat detectors on a local river.

For more information about the Daubenton bat visit www.batconservationireland.org.

AN All-Ireland champion weightlifter found in illegal possession of a shotgun and cocaine in Mullagh almost three years ago has avoided an immediate jail term.

Sean McNamara (21), with an address at Doonogan, Mullagh, appeared for sentence before the Circuit Criminal Court in Ennis last Tuesday.

Mr McNamara is a Munster and All-Ireland weightlifting titleholder. He also holds two under 23 national records and has been short listed for the Irish weightlifting squad for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

On October 16 2010, members of the Clare Garda Divisional Drugs Unit raided a farmhouse near Doonogan, Mullagh. There they found a sawn off double barrel shotgun wrapped in a towel; 29.82 grammes of cocaine; weighing scales and glucose for mixing cocaine.

There were no cartridges in the gun, the court heard.

The court heard Mr McNamara ad- mitted the offence and was very cooperative and open to gardaí.

In April, Mr McNamara pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a shotgun and having cocaine for sale or supply.

Mr McNamara had been part of a gang involved in drug dealing in North and West Clare.

Delivering sentence, Judge Gerald Keyes said evidence had been given that Mr McNamara was “pressured” and “influenced” by the then 17-yearold head of the gang to store the shotgun.

Mr McNamara was in fear of this person who also sent a series of text messages from his phone.

Judge Keyes said the gun was sourced as a “scare tactic so the 17 year old could act the big man in a showdown because of dented pride.”

The court heard Mr McNamara has broken all links with the gang and has not come to garda attention in the years since.

Detective Garda Stephen Hession told the court that Mr McNamara was apprehended at the right time before things spiraled out of control.

In April, Defence Counsel, Michael Collins BL urged the Court not to impose a custodial sentence as it might harm his client’s Olympics hopes.

A mandatory minimum five-year sentence applied to the firearm charge but Judge Keyes said there were exceptional circumstances that allowed him not to impose the term.

The court heard Mr McNamara indicated at an early stage that he would be pleading guilty.

Judge Keyes said garda evidence also indicated that the chances of Mr McNamara committing similar offences in the future are low.

Judge Keyes imposed a three-year sentence on each charge, to run concurrently. He suspended the sentence for a period of five years.

He warned Mr McNamara that if he committed any more offence, he would activate the prison sentence.

Judge Keyes added, “These were very serious offences.

“Your future is in your hands and you have an opportunity to rectify this.”

THREE men involved in a violent row at Ennis Courthouse in May have received suspended prison sentences.

Simon McDonagh Jnr (18), with an address at 7 Aonach an Chláir, Clarecastle, Edward McDonagh (33), with an address at 18 Davitt Terrace, Cloughleigh, Ennis and Shane O’Donoghue (18), with an address unofficial halting site, Cragroe, Tulla, all appeared before a special sitting of Ennis District Court yesterday.

All three men pleaded guilty to provoking a breach of the peace at Ennis Courthouse on May 1.

Detective John Casey told the court that he and other gardai were forced to break up a fight between the McDonaghs and Mr O’Donoghue.

Det Casey said father of six Edward McDonagh and Shane O’Donoghue exchanged several punches and verbal assaults in a fight that erupted in the hallway outside the courtroom.

Simon McDonagh Jnr also hit Mr O’Donoghue “three or four punches”, the court heard. CCTV footage of the fight was shown in court.

Det Casey said a large number of members of the public were present in the Courthouse as three courts were sitting on the day.

A number of people fled the building in fear of what was happening, the court heard.

None of the men has any previous convictions

Det Casey explained that the fight was the product of a dispute between the McDonagh and O’Donoghue famillies who are connected through marriage.

The court heard the families have settled their difference and are speaking to each other again.

Solicitor for Simon McDonagh Jnr, Daragh Hassett, said his client is talented young soccer player who played for Avenue United in provincial and All-Ireland finals.

Solicitor Patrick Moylan, who represented Edward McDonagh, said his client is a qualified landscaper who had never been in trouble with gardaí before.

Mr Moylan added, “He apologises to the court, the gardaí and the public.”

Solicitor for Mr O’Donoghue, Jim Orange, said his client’s behaviour was “completely out of order on the day.”

Passing sentence, Judge Patrick Durcan said;

“No member of the public should ever feel that by coming into this court they are coming into a war zone.”

He said that in creating a “climate of terror and mayhem” the three defendants behaved in a “contemptible” manner.

He continued, “I regard these offences as the most serious breaches of public order I have had to deal with since my appointment to this district.”

However Judge Durcan noted that the men had no previous convictions and are of “excellent character” in the eyes of the court.

He then imposed two month suspended prison sentences on each defendant.