Month: January 2006

A MAJOR new survey of the attitudes and future intentions of farmers in County Clare has been launched this week by the Rural Resource Development (RRD). The survey, which will be conducted by Ennis-based company Broadmore Research, will see some 200 farming families in the county being interviewed over the next two months.

Last year heralded a host of dramatic changes to the way that farming is organised in Clare, and indeed in Ireland.

The arrival of the single farm payment, coupled with the fallout from last month’s World Trade Organisation talks, has altered the landscape of Irish farming and left many Clare farmers unsure of their future.

“We welcome the survey, we would welcome anything that might help farmers in Clare,” said the IFA County Chairperson, Seamus Murphy. “The first thing must be to assess where farmers are at after the single payment and WTO as well as all the nitrate regulations that are coming in this year.”

The results of the survey will be used to shape the types of support which will be offered to farmers in Clare over the next five years. While it is anticipated that large amounts of Clare farmers will be forced from the land in the coming year, Mr Murphy has called for farmers to be supported first and retrained for a career off the land second.

“While things may look very negative, it might not be as bad as it looks,” said Mr Murphy. “There will be some need for training but the most important thing is to reinforce the livelihood of farmers in its current position.”

Councillor Pat Hayes, Chairman of Clare County Development Board, has encouraged any farm families contacted to participate in the survey.

“This is an opportunity for farming families in County Clare to state their plans for the future and inform policy-makers of the services they require in the county,” said Councillor Hayes. “Make use of this chance and let us know your views.”

Interviewers will be contacting farming families over the next number of weeks and asking them to complete a questionnaire. The information will be held in strict confidence with no record of names being taken.

CLARE’S Fine Gael TD, Pat Breen, has been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat after suffering a health scare over the Christmas period.

Scotching local rumours that he suffered a heart attack, Deputy Breen said, “I’m fine. There was no heart attack and I am going to take it easy for a couple of weeks.”

He spent two nights at Ennis General Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as he underwent tests after being admitted with the heart complaint.

“I was at the gym on the Monday prior to Christmas and the gym instructor said to me that I may have an irregular heartbeat,” Deputy Breen said. “I then went to my GP who confirmed this, and he recommended that a full investigation take place and I was admitted to hospital.”

The father of two underwent several tests, including an angiogram.

“I got the all-clear in all the tests except for being diagnosed with the irregular heartbeat,” he said. “The tests confirmed that I didn’t suffer a heart attack and that my blood and valves were fine. What has happened should serve as a wake-up call that everyone should go for a routine check-up, because I had no symptoms. I am on medication to rectify the problem and often it rectifies itself without medication.”

Deputy Breen said that he believes that his irregular heartbeat was brought upon by the stress caused by the death of his mother at the end of November and “burning the candle at both ends when it comes to work.

“I was very close to my mother and she was three weeks to a month dying, and that involved staying up all night some nights with her.

“I didn’t take any time off after she died so things caught up with me. It has taken its toll.”

Deputy Breen added, “It is a warning to me to slow down. I was doing 16hour working days, six and a half days a week and not spending enough quality time on myself or with my family.”

The Ballynacally man said that the diagnosis has made him re-evaluate his lifestyle.

“I am going to make more use of my time and not drive to Dublin to the Dail anymore but get the train instead, which is something I haven’t been doing.”

Deputy Breen said that he hopes to make a full return to work before the end of the month. The Dail doesn’t commence its sittings until the last week of January.

THERE’S no doubt that the news team at The Clare People are a dedicated bunch. But we’re currently minting a medal for Dedication Far Beyond the Call of Duty for sub-editor Michael Mulqueen, whose second child arrived on New Year’s Day.

In doing so, baby Mulqueen ensured that his dad’s colleagues had no trouble filling the space reserved for the first baby born in Clare in 2006.

And while modest Michael protests that it was all a coincidence, the fact that the bouncing baby boy arrived two days early just heightens the suspicion that Michael was doing a super job.

But the jury is out on whether the newly-minted medal should go to Michael or his wife, Fidelma, for her amazing co-operation.

The 6lb 15oz beauty checked in at 12.26am at the Regional Maternity Hospital in Limerick on January 1. He is a brother for three-year old Alexandra and has been named Harry.

Mum and baby are both doing well and were discharged to come home to Ennis yesterday.

The first baby born in the Midwest was baby Calvin who was born to Edwina Walsh at the Limerick hospital at 12.03am.

He arrived just 60 seconds behind Ireland’s first new-year baby.

Baby Molly Hogan took her first look at the world at 12.02 in Kilkenny.

JUST one year after the introduction of the smoke-free workplaces legislation, Ireland has experienced a dramatic reduction in smoking rates. Today 23.6 per cent of the population smoke, a fall of 3.4 per cent in just over one year.

But Munster had a higher smoking rate than some parts of the country to begin with. In 2002 the smoking rate was higher in Munster at 28 per cent than the national rate of 27 per cent.

The North Eastern health Board had one of the lowest smoking rates at 23 per cent but Leinster had the highest smoking rate of 30 per cent.

And studies show that 70 per cent of smokers who want to quit cannot, because of their dependency on nicotine.

Meanwhile, a Clare anti-smoking group has urged members of the public to report premises which flout the antismoking laws.

The HSE and the Clare Smoking Action Group has said that the public needs to be reminded of the right to a smokefree environment.

Ms. Pauline Duke, Senior Environmental Health Officer, has called on the public to play their part in supporting the smoke-free legislation. She has appealed to anyone who has a concern or complaint to contact the National Compliance Line on 1890 333100.

“It’s not that there are any problems in the observance of the new legislation in Clare. The compliance rate at 90 per cent is in fact remarkably high and public awareness has played a crucial part in sustaining this.

“However, there is always the temptation for smokers to overlook the rights of non-smokers”, said Ms Duke.

“Usually all it takes is a polite reminder of the law but if this does not work it is important that people know what to do in order to secure their right to a smoke free environment”, she added.

Ms Geri Quinn, Senior Health Promotion Officer said she is “asking all smokers to seriously think about quitting as their New Year Resolution – three out of every four smokers want to quit.

“Quitting is the single most important thing smokers can do to improve their health and the health of their families.”

HOUSE-buyers are to be hit with a price hike after Clare County Council yesterday imposed additional levies on new homes. From January 1, builders have to pay an additional 3.3 per cent in planning contributions on new homes.

The move by the council to increase levies will have resulted in a rush by developers to beat the end-of-year deadline for lower levies. The impact on the market in Clare is not expected to be immediate.

In the face of much opposition from councillors and the building industry, the local authority adopted a new scale of planning contributions in 2003 which almost doubled the cost of water and sewerage connections to new homes in the space of 18 months.

Those hardest hit in the new scheme are householders living in areas serviced by the Government-sponsored Serviced Land Initiatives (SLI) where, during the first phase of the charges, householders were asked to pay €5,000 for water and sewerage connections. The SLIs are located on the eastern and western outskirts of Ennis, Clarecastle and Clonlara.

The council’s 2004 annual report shows that it spent less than half the €10 million generated through a controversial scheme targeting developers to fund public infrastructure. €10.4 million was raised through the contentious Development Contribution Scheme but only €4.69 million of this was spent during the first full year of operation.

A detailed breakdown shows that last year the council collected €1.45 million for amenity and recreation projects, but spent only €0.235 million on such projects. €1.48 million was collected for roads projects, but only €0.10 million was spent.

“The projects identified in the Development Contribution Scheme will be funded in whole or in part from development contributions collected during the lifetime of the scheme, e.g. major water supply and sewerage schemes,” the report stated. “A number of public infrastructure projects are at planning or design stage and monies collected from development contributions shall be applied to fund these projects.”

Explaining the high amount received through the scheme, the council report states, “This figure is due in part to a very high level of collection in the months leading up to the adoption of the scheme in March 2004, as developers took the opportunity to ensure that all payments in respect of previously decided applications were made.

“The level again increased in December 2004 as applicants ensured that their payment was made prior to the increase to be applied in January 2005, under the index linking of the amounts chargeable under the scheme.”