Month: March 2006

IT WAS close but when the winner was finally confirmed another World Championship gold medal was on its way to Whitegate.

26 year old Derek Malone produced the race of his life to win gold at the International Paralympic Committee World Indoor Games in Bollnas, Sweden last weekend. The Clare man edged out Russian rival Valerij Stepanskoy in a thrilling climax to the 400 metres, classes 36/38 event, in a winning time of 55.89 seconds. Trailing for the first 200 metres, Malone dug deep to snatch victory on the finishing line. The closeness of the finish ensured there were a few anxious moments as the race officials deliberated over the photo finish.

“It was very tight,” said Derek. “I was behind for the first part of the race and I just took it on the very last stride. There was a photo finish and the officials were checking just to make sure that no one had broken the line or anything. It was a relief.”

The IPC World Indoor Games at Bollnas is the first global indoor IPC athletics competition. It offers Paralympic athletes an opportunity to compete in winter as well as summer and is a step towards periodisation, where athletes try to peak twice a her mother, Mary, says that the plucky youngster never complains. “She would love to be able to go out with her friends but she can’t do those things. But if I’m low, she’s the one who tells me it will be all right. She never complains – she just says she’s fine.”

Having to watch her diet closely means that Sara can’t eat anything with a high salt content and she is restricted in a range of foods.

“I’d love to eat a packet of Tayto,” she told the Clare People “one of the hardest things is having just one night a week where I don’t have to be on the machine.” year instead of just once.

Having devoted most of his training to preparing for the outdoor season and in particular the World Outdoor championships in Holland this September, the weekend’s victory was an extra bonus for Derek, who usually competes in the 800 metres.

“I have dropped down to 400 for this season and so far my progress has been okay. but I would be looking to improve,” said Derek.

His latest title adds to an already bulging medal cabinet that includes a silver medal from the 2003 European Championships, two gold medals from the 2001 World CP Championships and a bronze medal won at the 1998 World Championships.

Derek’s mother Anne said she was immensely proud of her son’s latest achievement.

“I’m delighted, he has worked so hard and he has put his life on hold to compete. It’s wonderful to see the hard work pay off. You could never tell him not to do anything because he will just go out and do it,” beamed Anne.

Now Derek has his eyes firmly on the 2008 Beijing Paralympic games. His success could have knock on benefits for other athletes with dreams of competing at the highest sporting level. Sara has been on the transplant list for 18 months and needs an adult kidney, but she is also an uncommon blood group, making a donor organ even more difficult to get.

As well as the ten hours a day of home treatment, Sara has to travel to Dublin regularly for specialised blood tests and this means leaving home at 5.30am and not getting back until around 8.30pm, when she has to get hooked up to the machine.

Her mother explains that the whole family would benefit if Sara got a kidney. “We can’t think about taking a holiday. Even on a day out, we have to be ready in case a call comes. We don’t think too far down the road but we know it could be much worse.”

A MAN who gardaí say went on a 10day crime spree has been remanded in custody after a court heard a fear that he would re-offend if granted bail.

Patrick McNamara (29), from Miltown Malbay and with an address at Lisdeen, Kilkee and also of no fixed abode, appeared before Kilrush District Court, facing five charges.

He pleaded guilty to trespass, at Kilkee Bay Apartments, on March 21 last; trespass at Cunningham’s caravan park, Kilkee in January; and with entering Matt Lernihan’s garage as a trespasser and stealing €36 of petrol at Cree, Kilkee, on March 17 last.

He also admitted driving without insurance at Ennis Road, Kilrush, on March 19.

Detective Garda Michael McDonagh said the accused broke into an apartment at Kilkee Bay Apartments on Saturday, March 18 last and made it his own to live in.

In January, McNamara entered a mobile home at Cunningham’s caravan park and made it a place of abode.

He forced open a lock on a door at Lernihan’s garage in Cree, turned on the mains for petrol and filled the car with €36 of petrol before leaving the scene, on March 17.

The court was told McNamara had 25 previous convictions, including convictions for deception and false pretences and several for motoring offences.

Det McDonagh said the accused was “on a serious crime spree.”

“I believe Mr McNamara has serious problems, one of the most serious problems of any individual I have come across. Something is amiss there . . . he admits his crimes and then goes out and commits more crime,” said the garda, who added that “more serious charges” would be brought against him.

“He is living off his wits and in relation to the people of west Clare, he is committing crime after crime,” he added.

“I do believe the way he is at the moment, he will re-offend.”

“He has kept us very busy for the last 10 days in Kilrush. It is one thing after another. If he goes out again he will re-offend. There is no doubt in my mind,” he said.

His solicitor, John Ryan, said this case centred on a housing need. He said his client has made efforts to secure accommodation in west Clare.

Judge Joseph Mangan remanded him in custody to appear again in court later this week for various reports on him to be heard.

THE number of people travelling the train line between Ennis and Limerick went up by almost one quarter last year, according to new figures.

A total of 56,000 people used the service last year, up from 45,000 in 2004, according to the figures released by Iarnród Éireann. Passenger numbers on the Ennis to Dublin route increased by 5.7 per cent. Overall passenger numbers from Ennis last year went up by 15 per cent.

“We are very pleased with the increase in numbers. The services are doing very nicely,” said Iarnroíd Éireann’s Business Development Manager for the Mid-West, Jim Gallivan.

However, Mr Gallivan said there were no plans to double capacity by carrying out works to allow trains go in both directions at the same time.

“We will live with what we have at the moment.”

Mr Gallivan confirmed that the company had lodged a proposal with the Department of Transport to allow for the re-opening of the EnnisAthenry rail-link.

That will allow train services from Galway to Ennis, Limerick and Cork.

“We are awaiting a response and we are hopeful that work will start on the track at some stage this year,” he said.

Mr Gallivan also confirmed that the upgrading of rail facilities would take place at Ennis train station in the next two months.

Green Party councillor, Brian Meaney, welcomed that increase.

“The rail-link with Limerick has improved progressively each yeah. They need to apply the same logic to the development north of Ennis and I am concerned that there is foot-dragging from the Department of Transport over the issue.

“The recent economic report anticipating that there will be a doubling in the number of cars means that we have to look at more seriously the need for a public transport system.

Fine Gael deputy, Pat Breen said that the figures showed that the public would use good services, especially because the roads were gridlocked everywhere.

“When the new coaches are provided for the service, it will become even more attractive. This is good news and the Government must now very quickly finance the upgrading of the Ennis-Athenry line.”

The upgraded Ennis to Limerick service was opened in December 2003 after a €12 million spend over three years, in a bid to return the 24mile line to mainline standard.

WOMEN are largely unaware that they can claim tax relief for being on the pill.

Oral contraception is just one in a variety of expenditures that women can claim relief on. While this relief would fall under the ‘Medical Relief’ section, it is becoming increasingly clear that more and more people are missing out on some extra income every year.

Taxback.com point out that every year thousands of PAYE workers fail to claim relief on a whole variety of expenses that they may qualify for.

It is estimated that there is over one billion euros left in unclaimed taxes in the Exchequers bank account with last years figure alone standing at over €300 million.

PAYE workers are entitled to make a claim going back four years so anyone who has not already done so can lodge a claim for any year going back to 2002.

“We find that people are generally not up to speed on all the various reliefs and allowances they may qualify for which is why they THE Institute of Guidance Counsellors is celebrating the establishment of a new branch to represent members working in County Clare.

Guidance counsellors in Clare work in all second level schools and in various adult guidance settings. Given the growing complexity of the problems that guidance counsellors have to deal with in their work it is very important that they have a locally based structure to provide in-service and mutual support. Guidance counsellors deal with personal, social, educational and career development issues in the lives of their clients, be they young people and adults in educational settings or adults in the would tend to come to a company like ourselves,” said Taxback.com’s Irish Marketing Manager, Colm Murphy.

Murphy also points out that an estimated 70 per cent of the workforce is due some form of refund. “This could be a Trade Union member claiming €60/ €40 (2005) in respect of their annual trade union subscriptions or a student making a claim for Tuition Fees that were paid by themselves or on their behalf by a parent or qualifying relative. It could also be your average PAYE worker making a rent relief claim. The list could go on and on.”

Taxback.com, an Irish based company founded in 1996 is the market leader in organising income tax refunds form Ireland, USA, Australia, Canada, Japan, Luxembourg, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Austria, Gibraltar and Guernsey. It assists both resident and non-resident long-term and transient workers and specialises in International Tax Treaties, income and expenses relating to dual homes, share income, foreign rental income and much more. community.

The President of the Institute in Ireland Brian Mooney attended the official launch of the Clare branch. Brian stated that he was very pleased to have been able to respond to the needs of the members in Clare, particularly so, given that his wife was a Clare woman, they had a home in Lahinch, which gave him a great love for the county and its people. He said that having a local branch based in Ennis Education Centre, would enable guidance counsellors in Clare to build on the expertise that each one of them individually had, as they worked together for the good of the people of Clare.

WELL-KNOWN priest, Fr Harry Bohan, has added his voice to concerns over Church rules requiring priests to be removed from their ministry when a sex abuse allegation is made against them.

“There is a danger of over-correctness on the issue. The discussion has begun and it is vital that the discussion does take place,” he said.

“It is a cliché to say that a person is innocent until proven guilty, but the bottom line is that children have to be protected.”

“It is a cruel business in every way for all. It is a huge issue and I am delighted that the bishops have taken it on,” said Fr Bohan, who is the Director for Pastoral Planning in the diocese.

Fr Bohan said that morale amongst priests in the diocese was “quite good and a lot of that must go down to the leadership provided by the Willie Walsh as bishop.”

He said he didn’t know what the solution was to the Church rule requiring accused priests step aside.

Last week, another senior Clare cleric, Canon Caimin O’Carroll asked whether it was fair that a priest would be removed and have to wait in limbo for years before any decision was made on an allegation.

Canon O’Carroll’s move to air his concerns came against the background of two priests in Clare parishes being asked to stand aside in the past six months, as a result of allegations being made against them.

Canon O’Carroll said that his views were shared by others in the local clergy. “There would be a lot of sympathy and feeling for the priests that have been asked to step aside from other priests,” he said.

A TOURISM promotional hat-trick has been scored for the Shannon Region last week as three major US radio station broadcast live from Limerick City.

The initiative was organised for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of last week by Tourism Ireland’s US team, Delta Air Lines, Fáilte Ireland, and Shannon Development, and thanks to it almost 20 million US radio listeners had the opportunity to hear about the Shannon Region and Ireland.

“We are delighted to be playing our part in this innovative campaign which gives us a unique opportunity to showcase the Shannon Region as a premier international tourism destination. This initiative complements our overseas marketing programme for 2006 and we will be working hard to ensure that a strong tourism message is delivered during the broadcasts,” says John King, Heritage and Tourism Director, Shannon Development.

The visit to Limerick City was coordinated by Shannon Development and the three US radio crews broadcast their regular shows from the Clarion Hotel in Limerick City over three days.

ENNIS-BASED real estate agency Paddy Browne and Co, with the help of award-winning local web design specialists magico.ie, today went live with a new website and online property promotion system.

The new system provides much more than just a modern, professional website. Behind the calm and clear façade seen by clients and the public lies a comprehensive estate agent solution – MagiREAL ESTATE – built around an internal property database. The system allows staff to; • upload properties onto the website at the click of a button. • automatically inform potential customers of new properties via email. • produce property brochures simply and quickly. • update the website content immediately and easily – reducing time spent on website administration. • view how well the site is doing via in-built visitor statistics.

The project took 11 weeks from start to finish. Liam Browne, partner and negotiator, explained the reasons behind the IT investment.

“Our objective is to drive the business forward – to increase the number of properties on our books and raise the volume of enquiries coming in from potential buyers. We are also hoping to reduce the time involved in the day-to-day business operations by automating some of the tasks we are handling manually.

“We didn’t feel the existing website really sold us, or our clients’ properties. We were unhappy with the overall look and feel and felt it could be far easier to use. We wanted our site to reflect much more obviously our links with the Real Estate Alliance, and we were also finding it costly and laborious to keep the site updated on a regular basis.

“The new website conveys the quality of the service we offer and the professionalism of our team. Its design and ease of use is crucial – we want to encourage visitors to spend more time on the site looking at properties and to make as much information available online as possible, improving the experience of our customers,” he said.

Paul Montwill, Managing Director of magico.ie, said, “The MagiREAL ESTATE system was born out of the frustrations we ourselves felt with the whole property searching experience when we moved to Clare in 1999. Paddy Browne and Co is the latest in a string of real estate agents using the solution and I’m delighted it’s proving such a success. Hopefully anyone looking to move to Clare will find the process that little bit easier now.”

Staff at Paddy Browne and Co Real Estate Alliance are delighted with the outcome. Frank Cullinan, Valuer/Negotiator and the project manager for the implementation, said, “The website itself looks much cleaner and more professional than our previous site. It’s far easier to use for our customers, who can now interact with us 24/7 rather than having to wait until the office is open. And for us, it’s much less time consuming to keep updated – as soon as each property is ready to be marketed we can get information on that property onto the website for viewing, rather than having to wait for the information to be printed and sent out.”

For further information on the work of Paddy Browne & Co. Real Estate Alliance please visit www. pbrowneauctioneers.ie or call Frank Cullinan or Liam Browne on 065 6841755. For information on magico. ie, please visit www.magico.ie.

AN Ennis electrical services installation company has reached the latest international standard for quality management and quality assurance systems. Managing Director of RSEL, Ray Staunton and his team at the Clonroadmore Business Park have been presented with the ISO9001:2000 Quality Management System Certificate by Minister for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen.

“To reach this quality standard was tough – and at times even gruelling – but really worth it,” said Staunton.

“We are very proud here at RSEL as the award is indicative of the commitment and professionalism of the dedicated team that made it possible. At a practical level, it puts RSEL at the forefront of the electrical services industry and I am confident that it will tip the balance in our favour for future installation contracts,” he added.

Presenting the award Minister Killeen said, “ISO 9000 certification is rapidly becoming a must for any company as it is a harmonised European and international standard which opens up the international market through the identification of a quality registered company.”

Ray Staunton Electrical Ltd was established in 1991 and currently employs over 140 people throughout Munster and Connaught. Their head office is located at Clonroadmore Business Park in Ennis with another office at Dominick St in Galway.

Many of RSEL’s employees work in skilled positions ranging from commercial, financial, marketing and contract management, electrical services installation and apprenticeship.

Although the company’s primary geographic areas of operation are in Munster and Connaught, they have recently completed and are currently contracted to carry out a number of projects in Leinster.

RSEL has completed a range of electrical installation projects in education, health, office and residential sectors as well as in the hotel and leisure, industrial and retail areas. They also have completed contracts for the public sector.

UNIONS at Shannon Airport and Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) management are to meet for talks at the Labour Court this week over the Authority’s €30 million “survival plan” for the airport.

The DAA’s Director for Change, John Horgan confirmed to The Clare People that the two sides were to meet at the Labour Court next Friday.

“I would not expect the talks to last more than one day and the Labour Court would be expected to issue its recommendation in a number of weeks, so I’m hopeful that the workers at Shannon will be able to vote on the deal sometime in April,” said Mr Horgan.

All Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) workers are to benefit in the deal. Those workers who opt not to take voluntary redundancy and remain with the company are to also receive “substantial payments” from the DAA.

“I believe that the majority of workers will vote in favour of the deal. It is a very attractive offer,” said Mr Horgan.

“This has been the most frustrating industrial relations issue that I have ever been involved in.

“The unions know and we know that most of the workers will vote in favour of the deal and we have had many employees come to us directly to say that they are in favour of the package,” he said.

In a recent letter to union members, SIPTU’s National Industrial secretary, Mick Halpenny criticised the company’s plans to outsource.

“We have already advised the company that we will not be party to such an Irish Ferries type fiasco, and our steadfast opposition to the company’s outsourcing/displacement programme should come as no surprise to anyone and we offer no apologies for that.”

IT is totally unacceptable that Clare County Council is proposing to increase development contributions on the builders of one-off homes in the county.

That is the view of the chair of the Council’s Special Policy Committee (SPC), Councillor Richard Nagle (FF).

He said that it already cost €10,000 alone for individuals to lodge planning applications arising from architecture fees and environmental specialists.

Cllr Nagle made his comment in response to a council document which stated that the development contributions to the council must be reviewed due to the increasing demand for projects such as road improvements, footpaths and lighting.

Currently, the council charges €3,570 per house in rural areas in the county and €4,330 per home in urban areas.

In the document circulated by the council, the Planning Authority is proposing a range of charges for houses with various square metres, rather than calculation by square metre over 200 square metres.

The council is also seeking to increase the rates for commercial and industrial developments “as the amount sought for funding of projects that road improvements, footpaths and public lighting are creating a greater demand than the present level of charge will provide.”

Cllr Nagle said, “It is totally unacceptable that charges on one-off homes would be further increased as those home-owners don’t have the benefit of footpaths or lighting.”

Cllr Nagle also said that the document including the proposed revisions should be circulated to all councillors to allow a debate to take place in the full council on the issue.