Month: February 2006

A CLARE Garda, currently serving the longest suspension from the force, faces being rendered homeless.

Garda Ciarán Sheehan this week lashed out at the planning process, after An Bord Pleanala upheld a decision of Clare County Council to refuse him planning permission to build a house near the east Clare village of Ogonnelloe, because the board considered Garda Sheehan to be ‘non-local’ to the area.

Over the past 13 years, Garda Sheehan has lived at Scariff Garda Station, paying rent to the Minister for Justice.

Garda Sheehan’s agent told the appeals board that, “Garda Sheehan will be due to retire from the Garda shortly and will be then homeless” if planning permission wasn’t granted.

However, the appeals board refused planning permission due to the “locals only” rule, stating that the proposed house would set an unwelcome precedent for similar development in an area identified as being under pressure from urban generated housing.

Garda Sheehan said: “It is very sad that someone who has lived in the county for the past 14 years is not considered a local. I am very disappointed that I could have nowhere to live, in spite of owning 12 acres of land at Ogonnelloe and every Tom, Dick and Harry is getting planning around you.

“If I have no job tomorrow, I will have no house to live in, as the job is attached to the house. I won’t be allowed live there if I lose the job. I don’t know what I’ll do. Go on the housing list, or live in a tent, or a caravan.

“I have done everything I can to get planning permission, but I have been knocked back at every opportunity.”

Asked what housing options he now had, Garda Sheehan said: “I have no options. Go on the housing list, or leave Clare, or go some place where I was appreciated. All I want is to be treated the same as everyone else.”

The Garda cited the example of a foreign national securing planning permission in close proximity to him.

He said: “I am all in favour of foreign people working and living in Clare, but there must be fairness applied across the system for everyone.

Currently, Garda Sheehan has appealed to the Supreme Court, a High Court ruling upholding a decision by the Garda Complaints Tribunal requiring him to resign from the force in 1998 A final ruling may not be made until 2008, it emerged this week.

Solicitor for Garda Sheehan, Michael Hegarty, confirmed to The Clare People that the waiting period for appeals to go to the Supreme Court was up to 14 months.

Garda Sheehan’s counsel argued in the High Court that the tribunal held was “tainted with illegality” and had no jurisdiction to act as it had.

Mr Hegarty said that as Garda Sheehan was a member of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, limited funding towards was provided, but the balance would rest with the individual taking the case. He confirmed that the costs of the High Court case were awarded to the Garda Complaints Tribunal.

PROFESSOR Brendan Drumm will attend the first ever meeting of the Regional Health Forum, West.

The Ennis General Hospital Development Committee has been seeking a meeting to discuss the future of Accident and Emergency at the hospital, since the HSE chief was appointment.

Four members of Clare County Council will now come face to face with the elusive Prof Drumm at the first forum meeting on Tuesday next, February 21 in Galway.

Two former members of the now disbanded Mid Western Health Board were appointed to the new forum, last January. Ex-health board members, Fianna Fáil Councillors Pat Daly and Bill Chambers, were nominated by their party peers, while Green Party Cllr Brian Meaney was appointed with the support of the independents and Labour’s Pascal Fitzgerald.

Fine Gael proposed the final Clare member, Cllr Joe Cooney. Clare County Council will make up 10 per cent of the Western health forum, which spans counties from Donegal to North Tipperary and Limerick and is one of four in the country.

The aim of the forum is to allow councillors make representations to the HSE on the range and operation of health and personal social services in their area. The HSE is required to arrange the first meeting of the forum and provide ongoing administrative support.

THE Ennis General Hospital Development Committee has expressed disappointment that the head of the Health Service Executive did not meet with him, when he visited Ennis last Friday.

The committee has failed to secure a meeting with Professor Brendan Drumm, despite numerous requests.

A committee spokesman said yesterday, “It is very disappointing. We have asked to meet with Prof Drumm ad nauseam and all approaches have been rejected. He could have granted us an audience while he was in Ennis.”

The HSE Chief was in the mid west on Thursday and Friday and visited acute and non-acute facilities in counties Clare, Limerick and Tipperary. His arrival in Ennis was expected, but not publicised, for fear of protests by hospital groups. The HSE in the mid west also refused to disclose details of Prof Drumm’s visit.

Prof Drumm spent several hours in Ennis, including more than an hour and a half with management, consultants and staff at Ennis General Hospital. The health chief also visited St Joseph’s geriatric hospital and the Dulick Enterprise Centre on the Gort Road.

The Ennis General Hospital Development Committee spokesman said, “There is a democratic deficit within the HSE at the moment. In the past, councillors could ask questions as members of the health board. We do have apparent commitments from the Taoiseach and Táiniste with regard to the future of our hospital, however we have no such commitment from Prof Drumm. Until we have a commitment, we can only hope for the best but expect the worst.”

The General Manager of the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Ennis, Mr John Doyle, said after the visit, “We are delighted that Prof Drumm had a chance to visit Ennis General Hospital on what was more a fact-finding mission than anything else. He met staff and asked us about our concerns and issues and about ways to improve patient care from our perspective.”

Mr Doyle added that he and the staff at Ennis are looking forward to working with the HSE Chief in the future.

In a letter handed to the Taoiseach when he visited Ennis on Saturday, Ennis General Hospital Development Committee Chairman Mr Peadar McNamara said, “We understand that the Taoiseach and Tánaiste are committed to 24 hour Accident and Emergency services in Ennis however . . . We feel that Prof Drumm’s lack of response casts doubt on commitments made by the Government.”

SHANNON Development has faced a grilling before the Dáil’s finance watchdog committee over its handling of property deals.

Chief executive of the development body, Kevin Thompstone, admitted to members of the Public Accounts Committee that a report into its property management was “scathing” and had caused tension within the organisation.

The Controller and Auditor General (CAG), John Purcell, described plans to sell a site at Gillogue in County Clare in 2004 ,for €3.3 million as “extraordinary”, given that it was valued at €6 million in 1994.

Also under the microscope was the handling of 3.5 acres of land at the Ennis Road in Limerick.

Mr Thompstone said that although a report into Shannon Development’s property arm had been “scathing” and had caused some tensions in the organisation, a new property strategy was now been implemented.

The CAG’s report said that errors in transferring the Ennis Road property from the IDA to Shannon Development had resulted in Shannon Development controlling only half of the six-acre site, which was later sold on.

When the error was discovered and the transfer of the second three acres was completed, the site had become land-locked. It was later offered to a neighbouring landowner in 1998 for €254,000, but this was without seeking bids from others who had expressed an interest in the land.

The valuer used for the deal had previously underestimated the value of Shannon Development land.

The CAG’s report estimated that a decision not to sell the property by tender cost Shannon Development €150,000.

As regards the sale of the factory and 47 acres at Gillogue, the package was part of a 116-acre holding acquired in 1994 by Forfás for €6.35 million. But the CAG found that ten years later, Shannon Development proposed to sell 47 acres and the factory for about €3 million.

Shannon Development then offered the entire lot for sale for €3.3 million. In the end, the Development authority withdrew from the sale.

Mr Purcell expressed amazement that land might be sold for about half the original purchase price, after 10 years. He said that he “would like to bet on getting more than that on the market.”

A MAN who had been convicted of assaulting a man he believed had spread rumours about him, has won his appeal at Ennis Circuit Court.

Andrew Mullins (32), with an address at Shannon Road, Sixmilebridge, had received a six month jail sentence, in the District Court, for assaulting Don Kennedy in Shannon, on September 3, 2003.

Mr Kennedy said Mullins punched, kicked and headbutted him at his home, at Finian Park.

His wife, witness Emer Kennedy, told the court that Mullins was very agitated when he arrived at their home.

“He started belting Don. He A 50-YEAR-OLD Clare man has been further remanded in custody after being charged with the murder of a 60-year-old man who was gunned down near his home in county Cork earlier this month.

Father-of-three, John Collins, a native of Ennistymon but with an address at 6 Riverview, Francis knocked him over and kicked him.”

She added that Mullins alleged that her husband had had a sexual encounter with Mullins’ then girlfriend. She said her husband had denied this.

Defending barrister, Elaine Houlihan, said her client went to the Kennedy’s home as he wanted to discuss the rumour.

Ms Houlihan said, “He (Mullins) was upset and came out with the statement that your husband had a sexual encounter with his girlfriend.”

Emer Kennedy denied that her husband had “lunged” at Mullins. In court, Mullins said he told Ms Kennedy about her husband.

“I’d heard my then girlfriend had Street, Rathealy Road, Fermoy, Co. Cork is charged with the murder of John Mahon (a father-of-five) at 11 St. Bernard’s Place, Fermoy on February 12 last.

Mr Mahon, an international boxing referee and a vice president of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association, died after being shot a number of times outside his sister’s house in St Bernard’s Place in Fermoy. given him oral sex,” said Mullins in court.

He said he pushed Mr Kennedy as he was “lunging” at him and he fell over a scooter.

“In the hall, he pushed me and took a swing at me and I headbutted him then,” said Mullins, who admitted he was agitated on the occasion.

“I considered him (Mr Kennedy) to be my friend. I was shocked he would have had an encounter with my girlfriend and that he would start spreading stories about me,” he said.

Mullins’ former girlfriend, Bernice Galvin, told the court she had had a sexual encounter with Mr Kennedy, six to eight months before the incident on September 3. Last Thursday at Midleton District Court, Inspector Martin Dorney applied to have Collins further remanded in custody to appear again at a later date.

Collins’ solicitor, Jerry Healy, said that his client was consenting to a remand and Judge Michael Pattwell remanded Collins in custody to appear at Mitchelstown District Court on March 10. Ms Houlihan said her client wasn’t denying his involvement in the incident, but said it was one of necessary self-defence.

Judge Carroll Moran said he had no doubt that Mr Kennedy suffered injuries.

He said Mullins was “very agitated in the witness box and was presumably very agitated on the evening in question.”

A jury, he stressed, would come back with an acquittal, as a jury could only convict if satisfied beyond reasonable doubt. He said there was reasonable doubt and he was obliged to give the benefit of that doubt to Mullins and allowed the appeal, thus overturning the conviction. Collins was first charged with the killing at a special sitting of Mitchelstown District Court on February 13, where Mr Healy applied for free legal aid and said that his client was in receipt of long term disability benefit.

Mr Healy also informed Judge Pattwell that his client was on medication. He had been examined by a GP following his arrest, but he asked that he be assessed by psychiatrists at Cork Prison, where he is in custody.

Det Garda Tom Ryan gave evidence of arresting and charging Collins with Mr Mahon’s murder. Following caution, Collins replied; “I am very sorry for all the upset – it’s a horrible business all round,” Det Garda Ryan told the court.

Mr Mahon was buried last Wednesday at Kilcrumper New Cemetery following Requiem Mass at St. Patrick’s Church in Fermoy where priest, Fr Anthony O’Brien, told mourners that Mr Mahon’s widow, Mary, had asked people to remember the Collins family in their prayers.

A former soldier stationed at Fitzgerald Camp in Fermoy in the 1970s, Collins lived for a number of years in the north Cork town. But it’s believed that he moved away to the UK about 12 years ago and only returned to live in Fermoy about a month ago.

JUST a fortnight after meeting the Minister for the Environment in Ennis, the Cross Clare Clean Water Alliance protested outside the Ógra Conference at the slow delivery of sewerage schemes for parts of the county.

Speaking from the picket line, Robert Creech said the group were particularly worried about the raw sewage seeping on to the beach in Quilty.

Various governments said they would put a system in place and failed to do so, according to the Quilty man.

He said the water pricing policy had held everything up and accused the Minister of moving the goalposts when it came to providing the much needed schemes.

The protestors said the delay with the sewerage scheme was having a negative impact on development in the area and on tourism.

The current discharge of sewage into the sea had dissuaded tourists from returning and is a health concern, they maintain.

On his arrival, Minister Roche said, “I haven’t changed any goalposts, in fact quiet the opposite. I have tried to get rid of as much bureaucracy as I possibly can. I announced just before Christmas that schemes which were operating under the five million mark (and) which were cleared once by my department . . . would become the responsibility of the council to deliver.”

Last September, the Department of the Marine approved the granting of a licence to facilitate the Quilty Feakle Scariff scheme.

Having got the green light, the scheme was held up at the Department of the Environment over costing issues relating to the Government’s “water pricing policy”.

Terms of the licence are adding an extra cost to the scheme which is to be located in a SAC area.

“I am prepared to sit down with the county manager and with the councils and resolve the issues, because I want to see the money spent,” the Minister said.

He has asked council officials to carry out an internal examination on “how they will bring schemes back within the financial parameters” set by the department.

He has vowed to be flexible when dealing with water and sewerage schemes.

COUNTY Clare must live with any decision made by Minister for the Environment and Local Government Dick Roche on the proposed controversial boundary extension.

The Minister this week confirmed that there would be no appeals system to his ministerial decision on the possible extension of Limerick city into counties Clare and Limerick, expected to be made in the next number of weeks.

Although the discussion rests solely with the Minister, he indicated it would have been more successful had the issue been dealt with at local level.

“It is so much more sensible for people at local level to sit down and resolve the issues than it is for people at central level to do it.

“Listening to the Mayor of Limerick, who was giving me a very strong lecture on this recently — and I was listening to him very carefully and precisely — what he actually said was that if Cork, the second city, was at stake there is no doubt in his mind the councillors of Cork and the councillors of County Cork could resolve the issue.

“And I was thinking to myself when he said that, what good solid advice, and maybe he would actually talk to his fellow councillors on both councils and see could they do what he was admonishing me to do in the context of Cork.”

The minister vowed, however, to protect the heritage of the Banner County in any decision he makes.

“Any decisions I make, I will be absolutely anxious to protect what I regard as the heritage and interests of individual counties,” he added.

“I have been doing some thinking about it over the weeks, but as soon as the decision is made I will announce it,” he said.

Speaking at the Ógra Fianna Fáil Conference in Ennis, Minister Roche said he had travelled to the annual event with Clare junior minister Tony Killeen.

“Tony has been telling me that there are tanks ready to roll on me from Clare if I dare make that declaration (extending the boundary into Clare).”

Meanwhile, the three main business organisations in the greater Limerick area, Limerick Chamber of Commerce, IBEC Mid-West and the Limerick City Business Association (LCBA), called on the minister to refer the recommendation to extend the Limerick City boundary to an independent Boundary Commission. All three organisations unanimously agreed that the issue was too politically sensitive to remain in the political arena and requires the objective consideration of an independent commission. The Minister has always maintained that to send it to the boundary commission would have been the “easy way out”.

THE media gathered in the de Valera heartland this weekend, in search of the last woman to continue the name of the political dynasty in Clare politics.

Just hours after the Taoiseach told her constituency on Clare FM of the party’s traditions “that if somebody is not running in the next election and they hold a ministerial office . . . before the election they bow out”, junior minister Síle de Valera arrived smiling through tight lips.

On Friday night, she avoided answering questions on the issue and by Saturday she had decided she just was not going to talk at all to the growing media force.

Instead, she issued a brief statement through her department saying that she “had a job of work to do” and “intended on completing it”.

On Saturday, she moved through a scene reminiscent of student elections merged with an Árd Fheis, on her way to the “Education” workshop, again lips sealed except for her customary hello.

Having arrived in the conference hall quietly alongside her ministerial colleague Mary Hanafin, a round of applause was called for the outgoing TD by Clare County Councillor Cathal Crowe, on his taking of the podium.

With business out of the way, Eamonn de Valera’s granddaughter left the hotel.

And so it was for others to comment on the “controversy”.

Those who would not speak on the record said it was badly handled, or signalled she should go, mainly so they could have a nice job.

Who needs one political dynasty replaced by another Haughey dynasty, when there is a job up for grabs?

Those with a more secure senior ministerial job had nothing to lose by praising their outgoing party colleague.

Minister Dick Roche described the situation more as a debate rather than a row, referring to the Taoiseach’s genteel nature when dealing with such issues.

Minister Michéal Martin believed that the appointment of ministers was “ultimately the prerogative of the Taoiseach” and described his Clare colleague as “a fine representative”. And finally the Taoiseach arrived.

At the informal press conference, he too was remaining tight-lipped about his comments the previous day.

So when Minister de Valera arrived back to the West County Hotel, what could they do but kiss and make up.

He told her the gathered press “were worrying about us”.

With the pictures out of the way, all seemed well, if it wasn’t for the panic stricken look on the chief Fianna Fáil press officer’s face as the press overheard “the conversation” between the pair.

And so as the Fianna Fáil party celebrated into the night it became apparent this woman was not for moving…just yet!

THE people of Crusheen are in a state of shock today after the body of 19-year-old Joseph Browne was discovered in Achill Island yesterday afternoon. The discovery followed an intensive two-day search involving members of the Achill and Westport coast guard, the Garda Water Unit, Joseph’s classmates from NUI, Galway, as well as his friends and family from Crusheen.

Joseph’s body was discovered in Keel Lake by a member of the Garda Water Unit around 3.30pm yesterday and was identified at the scene shortly afterwards. The body was taken to Mayo General Hospital, where a postmortem is due to be carried out.

Joseph had been in Achill as part of a traditional weekend away for the First year medical students from NUI, Galway. He left his classmates at approximately 9.30pm on Saturday evening to return to their lodgings in Keel Village, but was reported missing sometime after midnight.

One of his classmates managed to contact him on his mobile phone, but raised the alarm when Joseph’s phone suddenly went dead. A major search of the surrounding area took place on Sunday but revealed nothing.

The first trace was discovered at noon on Monday when the hat that Joseph had been wearing was discovered close to Keel Lake. A busload of people had made the journey from Crusheen on Monday to take part in the search.

Joseph is survived by his parents Michael and Riona and his older sisters Lara and Karen, who is also a medical student. MINISTER de Valera announced her retirement from politics at the next election last year and avoided reporters’ questions at the conference in Ennis at the weekend.

Councillors’ reasons for stating that Minister de Valera should resign were mixed in the poll.

Described as loving and quiet by Crusheen locals, Joseph was a talented musician and member of the local branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Eireann.

A pianist, Joseph also played the violin and concertina and was an exceptional student at Scoil Ioseph in Tulla before going on to NUI, Galway. One councillor said: “She has treated her own supporters shabbily since being re-elected,” while another said that “it is no great advantage to the party that she remains on”.

Another said that she should resign, but not now, while another said that she had undermined her own position by announcing her retirement.

One of the three that said she

Indeed, the President of NUI, Galway Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh joined some 60 students from the college in Achill on Monday to help in the search efforts.

Dr Ó Muircheartaigh had presented Joseph with a special entrance scholarship in recognition of his high Leaving Certificate results just last week. should remain on said that “Minister de Valera is a very capable Minister and should remain”.

The council has never been a traditional power base for Minister de Valera as she has never served on the local authority where Junior Minister, Tony Killeen and Senator Brendan Daly would have loyal followers amongst the all-male Fianna

“Our prayers are with Joseph, and his family, and also with the members of the first year medical class, at this extremely difficult time,” said Dr Ó Muircheartaigh. Fáil group.

A spokeswoman for Minister de Valera declined to comment on the findings of the poll, pointing out that the Minister de Valera already said last Friday that she had a job of work to do and would not be distracted by the media in carrying out her job.

Early indications that Ennis General Hospital is finally receiving its long awaited CAT scan emerged this week.

The life-saving diagnostic instrument for the Mid Western Regional Hospital Ennis has finally made it on to a Health Service Executive financial projection for this year.

A document seen by The Clare People relating to the executive’s capital plan for 2006 and currently awaiting approval by the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, includes the provision of the CAT scanning services for Ennis.

On the capital plan’s approval by the Tánaiste, notification will be given to the network managers regarding the progression of the project.

Once in place, the unit will mean that 850 Clare people will no longer have to travel to Limerick every year for the service.

While the community has already provided funding to purchase the machine, the health services estimate that the running costs of the service will total one million euro per annum.

A radiologist and a number of radiographers, as well as nursing and administer staff will be required to run the service successfully.

It is believed that the scanning service will be located close to the mammography unit.

Consultants in the hospital have sought the CAT unit for more than two years.

Senator Brendan Daly said that the CAT scan is a “vote of confidence and security for the hospital.

“This will dispel any fears that the HSE is not going to up grade the hospital,” the West Clare Senator said.

“It demonstrates the commitment of the HSE to Ennis and the protection of the Accident and Emergency Services.”

The 18 extra beds promised in the third phase of the hospital plans are now likely to be brought forward to the first phase to accommodate the new service, he said.

A CAT scan or CT (computed tomography) uses special x-ray equipment to obtain image data from different angles around the body.

CT imaging is a particularly useful diagnostic tool for displaying with great clarity, several types of tissuelung, bone, soft tissue and blood vessels.

With this specialised equipment, radiologists can more easily diagnose problems such as cancers, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, trauma and musculoskeletal disorders.

The equipment is also vital for making quick diagnosis of internal bleeding in the case of accidents or other emergencies.