Month: March 2006

A MOTHER of four young children from Clarecastle has been jailed for two months after gardaí discovered almost 300 ecstasy tablets concealed in her kitchen.

Margaret Nihill (29), of 5, Lower Clarehill, Clarecastle pleaded guilty Con O’Sullivan (Killarney) pictured taking part in the BoylePoker.Com Irish Poker Tour Munster Open held in the Greenhills Hotel, Limerick on Saturday.

O’Sullivan fought off the attentions of 89 players, including 25 professionals, to win the to possessing the drugs but denied she intended supplying them to others.

Ms Nihill faced three charges in all, two of possession contrary to Section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act and one under Section 15 of the same act, of possession for unlawful sale or supply. tournament and walk away with a cheque for

€9,000 and a ticket to the Irish Poker Tour Final

(Citywest, Dublin on June 2nd).

Over €45,000 was paid out in prizes.

Garda Lorraine Mongan gave evidence of obtaining a warrant to search the defendant’s home on May 11, 2005.

She and Detective Garda Seamus McMahon, of the Divisional Drugs Unit, carried out a search of the house along with other gardaí, during which a 295 ecstasy tablets were discovered on top of a press in the kitchen.

A small amount of amphetamine (speed) was also found. Det Gda McMahon told that court that Ms Nihill told him, when interviewed a short time later, that she was “holding the ecstasy tablets for a week for someone to whom she owed a favour.”

Ms Nihill pleaded guilty to the two charges of possession in respect of the ecstasy tablets and amphetamine and was also convicted of possession for unlawful sale or supply.

Judge Mangan sentenced the accused to two months in prison, but fixed recognisance in the event of an appeal.

GARDAI in Clare say they have not received any complaints in relation to the pyramid scheme into which several million euro has been invested across the country.

It is understood that at a meeting in Cork recently, Clare was mooted as a target area in which to set up.

The Clare People has learned that plans were afoot to hold a meeting in Clare at the weekend, with a view to recruiting people. While a Garda spokesman confirmed that gardaí were aware that such a meeting was mooted early last week, no complaints were made.

“We had information that there may have been a meeting at one of the hotels in town [Ennis] early last week but nothing came of it. We did not receive any complaints in relation to it,” he said.

Under the scheme, people are encouraged to invest a sum of money – at least €5,000. They are told that if they introduce two others, they will receive an eight-fold return on their investment. The chain starts to break down when others cannot find investors. The scheme which started in west Cork last year has attracted copious amounts of money.

Gardaí in Cork who are investigating the scam are preparing a file for the DPP on the matter.

A MAN who entered Shannon Garda Station “waving” a bread knife pleaded guilty to the offence and had four other charges against him dismissed, at Ennis District Court.

Sergeant James Murphy told the court last Tuesday that Michael Delaney (44), of 16 Elm House, Drungeeley Shannon, entered the public office at the garda station “waving a knife in a threatening manner,” on March 26, 2005.

He said the accused was intoxicated. The garda grabbed his arm and restrained him, before arresting him.

He was convicted of possessing a knife contrary to Section 9 (1) of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act. After being remanded in custody for three days, Mr Delaney appeared before Judge Mangan again last Friday. On that occasion, the defendant was remanded on bail pending preparation of a probation report. He will appear again at Shannon District Court on May 18th next. As part of his bail conditions, he was ordered by the court to abstain from alcohol.

Earlier in the proceedings, Mr Delaney had four charges of breaching barring orders dismissed.

CLARE County Council’s wage bill has increased by 30 per cent over the past five years, with the local authority’s overtime bill just under €9.5 million in that period.

Figures released through the Freedom of Information Act show that the council last year paid out €1.88 million on overtime – slightly less than the €1.884 million spent on overtime in 2004.

The council’s wage bill increased from €25 million in 2001 to €32.8 million in 2005.

The council employed 775 people in 2001, increasing to 1040 in 2004 before going back down to 2005 in 998.

Figures separately supplied by the Department of the Environment show that the council last year collected €26 million in funding from the county’s rate-payers, up €6 million on the €20 million in rates paid in 2000. In response to the figures, independent councillor, Patricia McCarthy said, “I would be concerned that so much is being spent on wages that there is little left for services.

“It is quite obvious that benchmarking pay awards and the Better Local Government reforms are having an impact on the council’s annual wage bill and management need to be mindful of the costs.

“In spite of what the Government states, the funding it is allocating towards local authorities is not enough for the services that local authorities provide.”

Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) said the wages rise was as result of the benchmarking pay-increases from central Government.

“This represents a significant challenge to the council as no additional money from central Government has been provided. This undermines the efficiency of the council with a sucking by stealth of funds from the council. This has to stop and councillors are going to have to take a very strong line”.

CEO of the Ennis Chamber of Commerce, Rita McInerney said that members were concerned that the increased costs had not come with increased services to business.

“This is very true in the area of planning where members have huge problems. The pre-planning meetings should be minuted to ensure that any new planner coming in is aware of the council’s view on any application. The council’s activities should be subject to detailed Value for Money audits.

“With greater costs, there should be greater output and greater delivery of services”.

A COURT has heard how a 13-year-old girl ended up unconscious in hospital after she drank half a bottle of vodka and some wine in west Clare.

The girl said she was on holidays in Clare and purchased a bottle of vodka at Meade’s Mace supermarket, Miltown Malbay, in June 2005.

She said she and a friend drank the bottle of vodka and some wine between them, and she was then taken to hospital where she was detained overnight.

Donnan Meade, of Meade’s Mace, Miltown Malbay, was accused of permitting the sale of intoxicating liquor to an underage person, at the local district court.

The young girl claimed she had bought a one-litre bottle of vodka in the shop. However, the accused’s solicitor Gearoid Williams said that this was not the case, as no litre bottles were sold on the date in question. The young girl’s friend told the court she drank the vodka with her friend on a beach nearby. She said she was “nearly positive” it was a litre bottle.

“She started getting sick. I talked to her, but she did not talk back. I got worried,” said the friend.

The girl’s grandmother said her granddaughter told her she had bought the vodka at the Mace store in Miltown Malbay.

“I think she became more or less unconscious,” she added.

Mr Meade said it was his policy to ask for identification when selling alcohol. He said the premises has been operated by his family for a long number of years and there has never been a problem in relation to alcohol before. He said he went through the till roll for the date in question. A 700ml bottle of vodka had been sold, but there was no litre bottle sold. He said he could put his hand on his heart and say his staff did not sell vodka to the girl in question.

Mr Williams said there was a reasonable doubt and that any benefit of the doubt must be given to his client.

However, Superintendent Eamon Dolan, prosecuting, said the young girl did go into Mace and purchased the vodka.

Judge Joseph Mangan dismissed the case, saying, “In order to record a conviction, a court must be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt. There are a number of discrepancies in the defence and a number of small discrepancies in the State’s case.

“There are too many straws on the camel’s back. I am giving the benefit to the defendant.”

SOURCES at mid-west communications company, Chorus have confirmed that key management positions are to be shifted to Dublin.

Following the buying of NTL Ireland by the Chorus parent company, UPC Broadband, in December 2005, integration plans have been underway.

These plans will see the new MD of the company based in Dublin, along with a number of key management positions answerable to the MD.

And there is widespread speculation that duplication of personnel could lead to redundancies within the company.

The process of integrating Chorus and NTL commenced in February 2006 with the appointment of new senior management and an integration team to lead the business of the combined NTL Ireland and Chorus group.

A spokeswoman for the company said they were now “devoting their energy and resources towards the integration of both Irish operations. They are working on a plan of integration intended to achieve the financial, operational and strategic benefits offered by a new structure.”

The spokeswoman said that under the new structure, the company would be a national one with its HQ in Dublin and facilities nationwide.

“As the integration process is underway it is too early to say if there will be any redundancies,” the spokeswoman said.

“The focus of the integration is not about reducing headcount, rather improving the way we run our business,” she added.

Both companies together now serve approximately 575,000 customers for their television, broadband internet and telephone services and have become one of the larger affiliates of UPC Broadband in Europe. Gene Musselman, who is Chief Operations Officer and President of UPC Broadband, is currently acting Managing Director NTL Ireland and Chorus.

“The company is reviewing a number of key applicants at the moment and it is hoped the new MD will be announced in due course,” the spokeswoman said.

Chorus, with headquarters in Limerick, employs more than 550 people in Ireland and an additional 100 indirectly as well as relying on numerous Irish vendors.

THE controversial mining of a quarry in Moveen, Kilkee is destroying the tourism potential of the area, according to local representatives and some local people.

Controversy surrounds the quarry on the coast road, for which 11 applications of registration have been received by Clare County Council.

Two main contractors – Gerard Whelan and Gerard O’Callaghan – are currently mining the area owned by 11 local farmers and landowners.

Nine of the 10 owners who have registered the land for a quarry claim that they have not given permission to Gerard Callaghan to mine the site.

Mr O’Callaghan from Kilkee has also applied to register as an operator of the quarry.

In his application Mr O’Callaghan states that the total quarry covers two hectares. He estimates that approximately 500 tonnes are extracted every year with a digger between May and October from 9 am to 5 pm.

In his registration form, he says that there are no emissions from the quarry.

Meanwhile four of the quarry members claim that Gerard Whelan is mining without their say so.

Mr Whelan, Furoor, Kilkee, said in his application to register the quarry, that it began operating before 1964. He said that it was operated by Sean Keating since 1962, and was previously operated by farmers.

He recorded an extraction rate of 240,000 tonnes of stone every year through “blasting”. The plant, he stated, operated between 7am and 7pm on weekdays and 7am to 3pm on Saturdays.

In his application, Mr Whelan said the traffic generated by the quarry was not recorded, but he could supply further information if required.

Both Mr Whelan and Mr O’Callaghan would not comment on the issue when contacted by The Clare People .

Kilkee Town Councillor Dr Tom Nolan (Ind) said that the tourism future of Kilkee was in jeopardy while the quarry remained open. He said that the quarrying was unregulated in its present form and called on Clare County Council to impose strict guidelines on any operations there. The Kilkee councillor said he would prefer if the use of the quarry for industrial purposes was curtailed completely and that it was returned to use solely by the local farmers. One local family has objected to the quarrying, expressing concern the proximity to the scenic drives to Loop Head. The objectors also stated that the nearby Kilkee reef is a special area of conservation and the Illaunonearann is a special area of conservation for birds.

A SENIOR Clare cleric has raised concerns over the Church rules that require priests to be removed from their ministry when a sex abuse allegation is made against them. In a newsletter circulated at masses in the parish of DooraBarefield over the weekend, Canon Caimin O’Carroll outlined his concerns over the issue.

Speaking to The Clare People yesterday, he asked, “Is it fair that a priest be removed from his home, his mission and then wait in limbo for a couple of years before any decision is made because an accusation is made?

“In our democracy, a person is innocent until proven guilty, but requiring a priest to leave his parish and his home would appear to me to contravene natural justice. This is something that I am bothered and worried about and that is why I circulated the statement contained in the newsletter at the masses.”

Canon O’Carroll’s move to air his concerns comes 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, “I included the statement because I want people to talk about it and get a discussion going on it, because if there is to be any change to Church policy it must come with pressure from the people.”

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”.

Canon O’Carroll said that the Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh, was bound by Church rules to ask priests to step aside when allegations were made. Canon O’Carroll said, “It breaks his heart the whole thing and he is under a lot of pressure emotionally over the issue. I would hope that the people and priests would give more thought to the issue.”

THE Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh, has stated that there is a growing sense among young people “that they do not belong, that they are not valued or that they have no meaningful role in society.”

In his Lenten letter, read out at masses across the Killaloe diocese over the weekend, Dr Walsh said, “We are privileged to live at a time of significant prosperity in Ireland. However, we should not blind ourselves to the fact that in the midst of that prosperity the gap between rich and poor continues to widen.”

Dr Walsh said that “despite that, we build more houses than ever before, we are witnessing the increasing spiral of homelessness in our towns and cities and despite the means of communication becoming more and more sophisticated, there is significant evidence that more people than ever feel a sense of isolation.”

Dr Walsh also stated that despite young people enjoying better opportunities for work and leisure, “it is evident that many of them are finding a real emptiness in life. There appears to be a growing sense among many that they do not belong, that they are not valued or that they have no meaningful role in society.

“We must not blind ourselves to the fact that more and more people are finding it very difficult to cope in this world of competitive and even aggressive individualism. In making these observations, I am not at all decrying the progress made in recent years – the economic progress, the increase in employment, the improvement in services, the better facilities in education, in leisure and sporting facilities.

“I am suggesting however that economic progress, on its own, does not satisfy our deeper needs – our need for friendship and for love, for being valued for ourselves.

“I am suggesting that there is a real challenge to our Christian community at this time to reach out to those who have not benefited from this progress.”

In his letter, Dr Walsh also referred to Pope Benedict.

“We have gradually come to recognise him as a gentle, humble and prayerful man.”

TOP council official Tom Coughlan has once again claimed the highest amount in expenses among the executives of Clare County Council.

Mr Coughlan’s claimed €12,928 last year, the fourth year in a row that the Ennis town Manager and Director for Community and Enterprise claimed the top amount.

The €1,000 per month claimed by Mr Coughlan last year was more than €5,000 greater than next highest amount claimed, by Director for the Environment and Shannon Town Manager, Ger Dollard. He claimed €7,778.

Figures provided by the council, in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, show that Clare’s County Manager, Alec Fleming added to his €109,000 salary with €7,706 in expenses.

The salary scale for Directors of Service goes from €75,000 to €89,000. The manager and directors of service also shared a fund of €72,000 in undisclosed ‘bonus’ payments last year.

Mr Fleming ordered a management shake-up last year with Mr Coughlan transferring from Housing to Community and Enterprise.

Mr Dollard went from Planning to the Environment and David Timlin left Environment to take up Housing.

Bernadette Kinsella switched from Community and Enterprise to Planning. She is also Manager of Kilrush Town Council.

County Engineer, Tom Carey, remained as Director for Infrastructure.

In all, the Manager and the Directors claimed €46,767 in expenses – down from the €59,000 claimed in 2004.

Mr Timlin claimed €7,246 in expenses, Mr Carey, € 6,531 and Bernadette Kinsella – who was on leave for the second part of the year – claimed €4,680.

In all, the 998 Council employees claimed €1.788 million in expenses last year, down on the €1.9 million claimed in 2004.

Mr Coughlan was the only member of the executive to feature among the top ten overall expense earners in the council. The top earner claimed €18,571, though that included an overpayment of €3,271.

Eighteen of the twenty top recipients in expenses work in the council’s roads and water infrastructure section, the department with responsibility for the county’s network of 3600 km of road, along with public water and sewerage installations.

Five officials, one wastewater inspector, two supervisors for rural water programmes and two executive engineers, each received in excess of €15,000.