Month: April 2006

CLARE County Council has granted planning permission for a €40 million development that is set to transform the village of Clarecastle.

The council has granted planning to Tom Lavelle and Adrian Callanan for 92 new homes, 25 commercial units and a crèche on Clarecastle’s Main Street.

Clarecastle member of Clare County Council, Bernard Hanrahan (FF) said, “The development will bring the heart back into Clarecastle. The village’s Main Street has suffered in recent years with shop closures, but this development will bring life into the village.

Councillor Hanrahan said that the proposed development “will make Clarecastle more like a town, but we don’t want to lose its village identity, but this is a very progressive development”.

“Progress in Clarecastle has been held up because there has been no bypass, but that is all about to change.”

The decision by the council coincides with plans being lodged by CLS Crystal Partner Ltd for 219 residential units at Clareabbey, Clarecastle.

The development includes 72 semidetached homes, 21 terraced homes, 22 townhouses and 104 apartments in three residential blocks.

Cllr Hanrahan said, “It is inevitable and welcome that these lands around Clareabbey are to be developed because of the ease of access on to the Ennis bypass.”

The zoning of large parcels of land for residential housing in and around Clarecastle and the provision of infrastructure through a Serviced Land Initiative (SLI) has made the area a target for developers.

Allied to the zoning is the opening of the Ennis by-pass next year which will open up further areas of land and make Clarecastle a more attractive place to live with the by-pass marking the end of grid-lock in the area.

In relation to the Lavelle/Callanan development, the Council granted planning permission having regard to the area zoned as a local service centre and the high quality layout, design and finishes at an important gateway.

It granted planning permission having regard to the nature, scale and intended use of the site, the policies of the County Development Plan and pattern of development, it will not seriously injure amenities and not be prejudicial to public health.

The Council state that the development will not have a significant negative impact on the area.

A NORTH Clare-based legal firm is to demolish an extension to its offices it built without planning permission.

Architects for solicitors Chambers & Co. have confirmed that the extension at Parliament St., Ennistymon, is to be knocked.

Earlier this year, the council refused an application to retain the building.

The council had served a warning letter on the firm, after finding that the extension was built without planning in Ennistymon’s Architectural Conservation Area (ACA).

Now, in a letter to the council, on behalf of Chambers & Co., architects, Leahy and Conway, have confirmed that the extension will be demolished in due course.

However, the company is planning to build a new extension to replace the one that is to be demolished with a number of variations.

That plan is facing opposition from neighbours, Sean and Carmel Conway.

“This extension, which is similar to what presently exists, will have a very serious and detrimental effect on our home, our privacy and natural light,” the couple claim in their objection.

“The proposed alteration by Chambers to rear to the their offices on Parliament Street will result in the virtual loss of natural light to a substantial portion of the upstairs of our home.

“Prior to the construction of their unauthorised development, we benefited from sunlight for much of the morning, early afternoon and brightness from what remained.

“If this new proposed development does go ahead, the situation will not change and we will continue to have virtually no daylight for much of the upstairs.

“The proposed structure is not appropriate, or suitable, for Ennistymon that has a wealth of history and tradition. Furthermore, it will overshadow its neighbouring houses on both sides in a similar manner as the present unauthorised development does presently.”

The Conways also claim that the structure constitutes a comprehensive overdevelopment of the site.

“This issue has upset us very much and is now going on for several months.

“What is being proposed does nothing whatsoever to address the issues that we have raised previously.”

A decision is due on the application later this month.

A Fianna Fáil Councillor has said that a clause in the Planning Act 2000, linked to a collapse in the number of affordable homes built in Clare, “has made a veritable ass of the intention of the original legislation.”

A mere 14 affordable houses have been provided in Clare in the five years since the controversial Part 5 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, was enacted.

“It makes the whole lot ineffective and inoperable,” said Councillor Tom Prendeville.

The Act originally stipulated that 20 per cent of all housing developments should be made available for affordable housing, or that sites for such housing should be provided by developers of all private housing schemes.

In 2004, the Government amended the act to allow developers make a financial contribution to local authorities in lieu of providing affordable housing, or sites.

The amendment has resulted in €365,840 been paid to the Clare County Council in two years, and as few as 14 houses contributed under the scheme.

From 2001 to 2003 inclusive, no financial, or housing contributions were made to the council under Part 5, with €121,900 contributed in 2004. All of the 14 affordable houses in the county were allocated in 2005, as well as €243,940.

Councillor Prendeville lays the blame for what he describes as the “buy out” clause in the failure of the system with the Government.

“The county council has no option but to accept it,” he added.

Cllr Madeleine Taylor Quinn (FG) said that there should be no opportunity for buy out.

Independent Cllr Martin Lafferty told the adjourned March meeting of the council that people who qualified for social housing could no longer afford houses, even under the scheme.

Describing the situation as a “thundering disgrace” Cllr Martin Conway (FG) blamed the financial institutions for the spiralling cost of houses.

Meanwhile, the councillors agreed with Cllr Bernard Harahan (FF) that the council give due consideration to single fathers when allocating houses in the future.

In response to the motion, a council official said that consideration was given to this category when allocating dwellings.

“In recent allocations the council has commenced accomodating fathers who have either joint custody or approved access to their children,” she added.

JUST two extra gardaí were allocated to Clare last year, according to the Department of Justice.

In the last five years, Garda numbers in the Kilrush and Killaloe Garda Districts have gone up by only four and decreased by one in Ennistymon, despite an increase in public order disturbances at Lahinch, in the Summer months.

But numbers in the Ennis District, which includes Shannon, have increased by 26 per cent in that time.

The figures make clear that rural parts of the county are losing out badly to Ennis, in terms of Garda manpower.

In the last five years, Garda strength in the three districts outside Ennis went from 102 to 106.

The numbers attached to the Clare Division (consisting of the four districts) increased from 259 to 261 last year. But the numbers posted to Ennis District have increased by 13 to date this year.

In the Ennistymon area, there were 34 gardaí employed in the Ennistymon District five years ago. Today, there are 33. In the same time frame, the number of gardaí in the Killaloe District, which covers most of east Clare has increased by only one, from 35 to 36. No new permanent posts have been created in the area since 2004.

In 2005, two extra gardaí were appointed to Kilrush. No additional appointments have been made this year, where currently there are 37 gardaí are stationed. However, in Ennis in the past number of months, Garda strength has gone from 155 to 168.

Commenting on the figures, the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell said that the overall increase in Clare Garda numbers “represents an increase of 39, or 17%, in the number of gardaí, all ranks, stationed in the Clare division during that period”.

But Cllr Madeleine Taylor Quinn (FG) said that the figures showed “that the entire periphery of Clare is losing out dramatically in Garda numbers and they also show that there is no real commitment from Government to rural policing, in spite of increased crime in rural areas. This policy is leaving people living in rural areas isolated and very vulnerable.”

“This is completely disproportionate and out of kilter where you have 106 Gardai patrolling a vast area,” she said.

Kilrush-based councillor, Stephen O’ Gorman (FF) said that there was a need for five or six permanent new Garda posts in Kilrush. He said he could not understand either why so few gardaí were expected to cover such a large geographical area.

A CLARE Garda sergeant received €23,041 in overpayments last year, figures released by the Dept of Justice show.

The statistics released record a massive increase in Garda overtime in Clare last year, with the top ten earners receiving €167,065, compared to the €127,904 paid out in 2004.

In all, the force across the country received €77 million in overtime last year – a slight decrease on the €84 million received by the force in 2004.

The department also revealed that it cost €478,769 to fund the continuing Garda operation at Shannon Airport in 2005, mounted in response to the continuing transport of US troops.

The figures, which were released yesterday, show that the highest Garda earners in Clare were an inspector, three sergeants and a garda (see table).

Inspectors basic earnings are around €51,000, while sergeants earn between €40,209 and €46,299 on normal duties. A garda’s payscale goes from €22,212 to €39,914 after 17 years service.

“The reason that the overtime is €77 million is that the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, has failed to increase adequately the number of gardaí. We don’t have enough gardaí, it is an obvious problem,” said Fine Gael’s Justice spokesman, Jim O’Keefe TD.

He said that the Garda representative organisations had assured him “the issue of overtime doesn’t play a part in the opposition to the proposed Garda reserve”.

A 20-year-old carpenter from Whitegate was killed when he lost control of his car and hit a ditch on his way home from a night out in Scariff.

Ennis Coroner’s Court heard that Colin Worrall, of Knockbrack, Whitegate, died in the single car crash close to his home in the early hours of December 4 last.

A statement from Mr Worrall’s friend, Gearóid Treacy, who was travelling in the car with him at the time, was read out during his inquest at Ennis Coroner’s Court last week.

He said that he met the dead man in a pub in Whitegate at around 9.30pm, where they had a few drinks.

They later went to Scariff, via taxi, and ended up in a nightclub there. Afterwards they went to get a takeaway.

They waited for an hour for a taxi to Whitegate and then started walking out the Mountshannon road, where they got a lift.

The man who gave them the lift drove them to the pub where Colin had parked his car earlier.

The inquest was told that Colin wanted to get his car, a black Mitsubishi Lancer.

According to Gearóid, they got into the car and Colin was to drop Gearóid home, after 4am.

He said Colin was not driving fast. He hit a ditch and the car flipped over. He couldn’t see anything and called out Colin’s name.

According to the man who had given the two a lift, he offered to drive them home, but they “wouldn’t hear of it.”

Garda Joe McGlynn, who investigated the accident, said when he went to the scene, Colin was lying on his back and the car was on its roof. He said there was no sign of the deceased wearing a seatbelt.

He said the car hit a ditch and ended up 20 metres into the driveway of a newly constructed house.

The doctor who carried out the autopsy on Colin’s body in hospital told the inquest that he sustained multiple fractures of the skull, which contributed to his death.

Coroner Isobel O’Dea suggested a verdict of accidental death and the jury agreed.

“It was a very sad and unfortunate accident . . . two young men returning from a night out,” she said.

She extended her sympathy with the family of the deceased.

“It is a terrible shame. You were expecting Colin home from a night out and he tragically died,” said Ms O’Dea.

FOUR out of every five people arrested on suspicion of drink driving in Clare last year were convicted and put off the road.

The revelation that there was an 83 per cent conviction rate in Clare last year comes amid Garda warnings that people who drink and drive over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend will pay the price.

The number of people arrested on suspicion of drink driving in the county is continuing to rise.

Ninety people were arrested between January 1 and yesterday (Monday), which is a 23 per cent increase on the same period in 2005.

The head of the Traffic Corps in Clare, Inspector Kevin Moynihan said drink drivers were “likely to get caught and as likely to get convicted in court. An 83 per cent conviction rate is certainly one of the highest in the country.”

He said people appear to have slowed down behind the wheel in the past week, with the introduction of the additional 31 penalty points offences.

The Bank Holiday clampdown will kick off on Thursday night and will run through to Tuesday morning.

“There has been a marked decrease in speeding in the past week, but we are still warning drivers to take care this weekend. Don’t drink and drive and observe your speed,” he said.

“Towns, villages and licensed premises will be monitored,” he added.

A new unmarked vehicle, allocated to the Divisional Traffic Corps at the end of March, will be used to target drink drivers and those who are driving in an erratic manner.

Meanwhile, the Garda Traffic Corps in Ennis should be extended by June, while the new Traffic Corps, to be based in Killaloe, is also expected to be up and running by then.

Interviews for the positions will be held next week.

A SLIGHT rise in the levels of the parasite cryptosporidium present in the Ennis water supply has prompted Ennis Town Council to re-issue a warning over water usage.

The council has reissued the notice after tests revealed increased levels of cryptosporidium in the water supply servicing Ennis and its surrounding environs. A period of heavy rainfall is being blamed for the rise.

The council took the precautionary measure to remind members of the public that infants, pre-school children and immuno-compromised patients, should not drink the water.

“The notice is only a reminder there has been absolutely no change in the status,” said Ennis Town Engineer Tom Tiernan.

No cases of human crytosporidiosis have been notified to Ennis Town Council, or to the Health Services Executive. In July 2005, a notice was issued to all households stating Ennis Public Water Supply was considered a high-risk supply for Cryptosporidium presence.

A temporary water treatment plant for the town is expected to be completed by May, while tender documents for a permanent €13 million water treatment facility for Ennis recently received Departmental approval.

LONG serving Fianna Fáil politician Senator Brendan Daly has warned his Government colleagues that unless they address some of the ongoing contentious issues in the county, they can firmly rule out a third seat for the party in the next general election.

“I am concerned that issues not being dealt with by the Government would exacerbate an already contentious situation,” he said.

The west Clare Senator referred to the ongoing delays in securing an adequate sewerage scheme for Mullagh, Quilty and other smaller villages in west Clare, local concerns about the future of the accident and emergency department in Ennis General Hospital and the future of Shannon Airport.

“Unless there are serious commitments given on these issues the possibility of three seats in Clare is remote in the extreme,” he said.

The former minister, who did not make it onto the party ticket at last week’s convention, said he was now considering his future in politics.

He consulted with his local Comhairle Cheantar in Kilrush last evening on the issue. He is to take a few more days before announcing if he is available for the next election.

A spokesperson for the Fianna Fáil Party admitted that the four times minister and junior minister was the favourite to be added to the Clare ticket, along with Senator Timmy Dooley and Junior Minister Tony Killeen.

When asked by The Clare People if a contingency plan had been put in place to find a candidate should Senator Daly retire, the spokesperson said “it hasn’t been thought that far through”.

Just days before the Fianna Fáil convention, the party’s headquarters directed that the Clare delegates select just two candidates to represent the county in the General Election. The party would later add a third candidate.

Speaking following the convention, Junior Minister Tony Killeen reminded delegates that he was defeated at the last convention and was later added to the ticket by headquarters. He then went on to top the poll for the party in Clare.

Minister Killeen also admitted that a candidate was needed in West Clare. Having been selected on to the ticket on the first count, Senator Timmy Dooley told the convention delegates that “we have lost out in the last four years since Minister de Valera was taken from the cabinet table.”

He said it was critical for the party to return three seats if Clare was to have a representative in cabinet.

A YOUNG man has been charged with assaulting a woman in the accountant’s office where she worked.

Patrick Hall (20), of 8 Beech Park, Kilrush, is charged with assaulting Bernadette Adams and with burglary, at Francis Street, Kilrush, last Thursday, April 6.

Detective Garda Michael McDonagh said he arrested the accused at lunchtime on Friday. After charges, the accused replied, “I did not do it.”

Ms Adams said she was working upstairs at Leahy’s accountants, last Thursday.

She went to the toilet and while there, heard footsteps.

She was then confronted by two youths. She said they tried to push her forward and she ended up at the bottom of the stairs. She was taken to hospital for treatment and was discharged later that night.

“I am in great pain. I have never been confronted like this before and I find it very distressing,” she said.

Defending solicitor, William Cahir applied for bail, saying his client was willing to surrender his passport. Inspector Tom Kennedy said he was opposing that application, based on the “seriousness of the charges and the weight of the evidence against the defendant.” He said there would be a fear of intimidation and a fear the witness would abscond. The solicitor said, however, that there was no basis for the fears of intimidation.

Det Gda McDonagh said he was aware that the accused purchased sterling in the last few days and planned to visit his mother in the UK. Det Sergeant Dave Sheedy told Judge Mangan that he could not understand why so many members of the defendant’s family were in court.

“It is obviously distressing and intimidating for the witness,” he said.

The judge said he was refusing bail, based on the seriousness of the charges, the weight of evidence against the accused and the fears that he may abscond.

“I have to confess I have an open mind on the intimidation issue at this stage,” he said. He ordered six members of the Hall family, who were in court, not to contact the witness and to stay out of Leahy’s shop, until the case is finalised.