Month: July 2006

FIANNA Fáil has finally shown its full hand for next year’s general election with the announcement last night that west Clare politician Senator Brendan Daly is to run again.

More than three months after the party convention, Fianna Fáil Headquarters issued a statement saying “the National Constituencies Committee cleared the way for his candidacy after closely consulting the local party organisation.”

The former minister said the move followed the passage of unanimous resolutions by Clare Comhairle Dáil Cheantar and Kilrush Comhairle Cheantair.

“The assurances I have received on a number of important issues for the county and the commitment of leadership to expedite the development of the county hospital in particular, has given me confidence to contest the election and I am confident of being elected and bringing these issues to fruition,” he told The Clare People .

With more than 30 years experience, Senator Daly will be 66-yearsold when he contests the election.

“While there may be comment on my long service as a public representative, it is important to point out that it has given me comprehensive detailed knowledge and experience of parliamentary business and many personal connections in Government departments and in local and Dublin administration . . .

“We must have a strong Fianna Fáil team in Clare to help secure the 24-hour accident and emergency services in Ennis General Hospital, progress sewerage schemes in the county and protect workers’ jobs in Shannon Airport.”

Senator Daly was critical of independent and Green Party candidates.

“At the last election, voters were misled into thinking that voting for an independent candidate would help meet challenges such as Ennis General Hospital and the Ennis by-pass. I believe people in Clare have now recognised the futility of electing an independent candidate who has achieved little for the county and has nothing to offer at this stage.

“There are many changes taking place in agriculture. Fianna Fáil has always made the interests of the farming community a hot priority.

“A change of government, which might be dictated to by a few green TDs, would spell disaster for Irish agriculture,” he added.

He will join Senator Timmy Dooley and Junior Minister, Tony Killeen.

A SUSPECTED CIA jet believed to be involved in the secret rendition of prisoners and which is listed by Statewatch, the organisation which monitors state and civil liberties in the European Union, landed at Shannon Airport on Saturday.

The Boeing 737-33A is listed by Statewatch as part of the CIA fleet, and has been the subject of questions in the British parliament in recent months. The airplane slipped unhindered into Shannon on Saturday and according to local activists, “left an hour earlier without any queries from the local authorities.”

The aircraft, which is also known to have visited Guntanamo, Cuba in the past, had no visible identifying markings apart from a tail number and a coloured stripe. It landed at Shannon on Saturday afternoon at around 1pm and spent a little over an hour on the ground, before departing shortly after 2pm. There was tight security around the plane for the short time it was in Shannon.

The jet, registration number N368CE, is according to official records registered to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest in Saltlake City and has been sighted in Shannon, Baghdad, Kabul and Frankfurt in recent years.

Anti-war groups believe, however, that this is a cover for what the aircraft is actually used for, the covert transportation of prisoners between Asia and Europe. Official records confirm that the plane commutes regularly between US military bases in Europe and the Middle East.

It is also known that in April 2004, the plane flew from Wilmington in North Carolina to Washington DC and then to Guantanamo in Cuba before returning to Wilmington again via Washington.

The aircraft is also documented on a Luxembourg parliamentary assembly list of 41 “suspect aircraft”. The Luxembourg government has already directed the airport authorities to immediately inform the competent Minister in case a flight plan indicates a planned landing by one of the aircraft mentioned on that list. Unlike Ireland, the authorities in Luxembourg have been instructed to inspect these suspect planes.

Limerick-based peace activist Tim Hourigan said, “This plane is using military bases in Europe and Asia and so it is clear it is being used for military purposes.

“While other countries are banning these suspect planes or at least seeking advance notification of their intention to use certain airports, the Irish Government continues to turn a blind eye and refuses to verify what these planes are being used for and whether they are carrying tortured prisoners through Shannon.”

THE number of US troops going through Shannon Airport since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is set to breach the one million barrier before the end of the year.

Making the prediction, peace activist, Ed Horgan told The Clare People : “I find the whole thing appalling and a gross breach of Irish neutrality. I am equally concerned at the acceptance of this by the Irish people.”

The number of troops going through Shannon since the start of 2002 is almost at 900,000 and figures released by the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) confirm that record number of troops have passed through Shannon in the first six months of this year.

The airport authority confirmed that 209,074 US soldiers used the airport facilities from January to the end of June – a rise of 36 per cent on the corresponding period last year.

The troop traffic is believed to have generated €26 million in revenues for the SAA, delivering over €4.5 million in profits for the authority, in the first six months.

However, the numbers are now set to drop dramatically with the largest carrier, World Airways having pulled out of Shannon on July 1.

A spokeswoman for the SAA said that the carrier accounted for 50 per cent of the US troop passenger traffic going through Shannon.

The relocation of World Airways to Leipzig in Germany is expected to cost the airport authority €4.5 million in profits per annum.

The spokeswoman confirmed that during the month of June, 31,333 troops passed through on 189 flights. This followed 32,000 going through on 195 flights in May and 29,291 troops on 190 flights in April. The figure for the second quarter shows that 92,624 troops passed through Shannon, down on the 116,540 troops that used Shannon in the first three months.

The airline pulled out in 2003 to relocate to Frankfurt before returning to Shannon in 2005. Three other airlines transporting US troops to Iraq continue to use Shannon: North Western Airlines, American Transair and Omni Air International.

AN TAISCE has a real problem on its hands if it doesn’t address the lack of control it has on its local associations, according to west Clare-based senator, Brendan Daly (FF). He was speaking after An Taisce was forced into an embarrassing u-turn, following the description of a planned house extension by journalist Fintan O’Toole as ‘criminal’.

It emerged that the objection and the language used were those of the Clare Association of An Taisce and were made without the knowledge or prior approval of An Taisce’s Head Office.

Senator Daly said, “I am glad that An Taisce withdrew the objection, but the episode shows the lack of control An Taisce has on its local associations. This type of conduct in relation to the Fintan O’Toole planning application only undermines the credibility of An Taisce and damages the organisation.”

In the Seanad, Senator Daly said, “An Taisce has made life very difficult for many people, particularly people living in the Burren. It is showing the same face to Mr. O’Toole that it has shown to all ordinary decent people in north Clare, whom it has harassed and made miserable over the last number of years.”

Leader of the Seanad, Senator Mary O’Rourke (FF), commented, “If it had four feet, An Taisce would have shot itself in them”, while Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú (FF) said that the preposterous language used in the objection showed a darker side to An Taisce.

In Clare, Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) pointed out that An Taisce’s Heritage Officer, Ian Lumley, was barred last year from acting as a director of certain companies for five years.

This followed a hearing in the High Court into the liquidation of a limited company, Lancefort Ltd, which Lumley co-founded to campaign on environmental issues.

“I would be very alarmed at someone who is an employee of An Taisce being involved in a company that has objected to developments,” he said.

MEP Marian Harkin (Ind) said the controversy had highlighted the existence of an extreme element in An Taisce.

“This is an organisation which needed to re-balance itself if it was not to devalue its role across a range of environment and heritage issues,” said the MEP who is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Clare-based Irish Rural Dwellers Association (IRDA).

“Fintan O’Toole, a strong critic of the IRDA and with an unsympathetic attitude to rural dwellers, might learn a lesson from his current planning problems and have a little more sympathy with the aspirations and needs of people to live in rural areas,” she said. Ms Harkin also welcomed proposals to allow IRDA, representation on An Bord Pleanála.

In 2005, An Taisce made 852 submissions last year on planning matters in Claer. The council received 2,491 planning applications.

AN TAISCE has been forced into an embarrassing climbdown and withdrawn its objection to the proposal by journalist Fintan O’Toole to more than quadruple the size of his second home south of Ballyvaughan, after coming under sustained attack in the Seanad for labelling the plan “criminal”.

The organisation’s director, Gavin Harte, said that An Taisce would like to unreservedly apologise to Mr O’Toole, pointing out that the submission describing the plan as “criminal” was made by the Clare Association of An Taisce and was made “without the knowledge and approval of head office”.

Mr Harte said, “An Taisce would agree with Mr O’Toole when he kindly suggested that the language used in this submission was wildly disproportionate. For this reason, An Taisce has instructed the Clare Association to withdraw their submission.”

Mr Harte explained that submissions from local associations of An Taisce “sometimes reflect a more emotional expression of planning matters as they are felt locally. Where this occurs and it comes to the attention of head office, it is the policy of An Taisce to request that the local association withdraw such submissions”.

However, while the second submission has been withdrawn, it has emerged that the initial submission remains on file.

The author of both submissions, Secretary of the Clare Association, Anny Wise, declined to comment on the language in the second submission that resulted in the storm of protest.

Commenting on the withdrawal of the objection and An Taisce’s apology, Fintan O’Toole said, “I’m very happy to accept An Taisce’s apology, which was gracious and unqualified. I never believed that the vast majority of people in Ballyvaughan had any great problem with our plans, and all the messages we’ve had from there have been sympathetic and supportive.

“Obviously, the lesson for An Taisce is that the legitimate case for sensitive planning needs to be made in a calm and rational way and I’m sure the organisation will learn from this unfortunate episode.” A decision is expected on the application later this year.

A CLARE pensioner has been charged with 90 offences of a sexual nature. The 72-year-old man was arrested near Ennis on Friday morning and brought before the local District Court.

He is accused of 60 counts under the Criminal Law (Rape) Amendment Act 1990 and 30 counts of indecent assault. It is alleged the offences took place in 1989 and 1990, when the three alleged victims were aged between six and seven.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that the 90 charges were grouped in three injured parties, 30 for each of the three.

Garda Lorraine Mongan arrested the accused at his home at 9.25am on Friday. He was taken to Ennis Garda Station where he was charged.

In reply to some of the charges, the accused said “No comment,” while in reply to other charges, he said “No.”

Inspector Kennedy said there were no issues regarding bail.

Judge Leo Malone adjourned the case for two months for service of the Book of Evidence.

The accused, who was represented by solicitor Una Moylan, was remanded on bail on his own bond of €300, none of which was to be lodged to the court.

THE Health Service Executive in the mid-west was forced to employ the services of a private ambulance company to cover emergency and routine calls in Ennis last week because its own staff were not available to work, it has emerged.

The HSE has confirmed it had no option but to hire the private ambulance to cover calls in the Ennis area on Saturday, June 24. The HSE spokesman confirmed that it is not common practice to employ the services of private ambulance firms to cover calls and does so only “when there is no other option.”

The ambulance, operated by a Kildare based private ambulance company was deployed in the town where it located itself in the carpark of a local hotel rather that at the general hospital where the HSE ambulance service station for the greater Ennis area is situated.

“Our primary concern is for the safety of the public. The question has to be asked, what qualifications do these ambulance crews have? Our understanding is that the driver of the private ambulance did not have adequate training while the second crew member was Polish and had little or no English,” one angry Emergency Medical Technician said.

The HSE has rejected these claims saying, “the private ambulance company operates in the four HSE areas and is HSE approved. It also has an ongoing training programme with the national ambulance training school. Both staff were qualified EMT’s and have fluent English.

“There are several other issues here as well. That ambulance was sent to Dublin with a patient. This left the HSE crew out of pocket by the loss of overtime and allowances. What’s going to happen next? This could become the norm across the board and where would that leave us? This is our biggest fear,” one Clare based EMT said.

“We are also concerned that this private ambulance was secretly parked up behind a local hotel awaiting calls from the Regional Control Centre in Limerick,” another EMT added. “Why wasn’t it based at the hospital or the ambulance station,” he added. In response the HSE said, “It is a matter for the private ambulance company where they base their ambulance once they are in the general area required and we can communicate with them.

“It is simply bad management. How can you have five people to cover holiday work while as many as 15 people are on holidays at any one time?” staff ask, claiming they were not told in advance of plans to bring in a private company.

The HSE has confirmed however that, “At several meetings, staff representatives have been informed that if HSE staff are not available, a private ambulance will be employed.”

The HSE also declined to comment on the reasons why staff were not available to work.

SHANNON Development yesterday came under fire over its failure to date to appoint a tourism development officer for Clare.

Councillor Richard Nagle (FF) said that it was “extremely disappointing” that Shannon Development hadn’t yet made the appointment.

“We were told at a Clare Tourism Forum meeting last March by Shannon Development that the Tourism Development Officer for the county would be in place by April. That has come and gone and we were then told the appointment will be made in July,” he told Clare County Council’s Special Policy Committee (SPC) on Economic Development.

“We have requested that the person would work closely with the Clare Tourism Forum . . . but to date, we have met with no response.”

The council’s Director for Economic Development, Bernadette Kinsella said that it was disappointing that the officer hadn’t yet been appointed.

“There doesn’t seem to be any reason and it may be an in-house issue for Shannon Development,” she said.

Cllr Martin Lafferty (Ind) said that the Economic Development SPC had come up with the idea before Shannon Development jumped in.”

The SPC first proposed the post in March of last year in order to increase the annual tourist dividend for Clare.

Councillor Madeleine TaylorQuinn (FG) said it was critical for Clare that there was better coordination between tourism agencies.

“The difficulty has been that different agencies are competing rather than co-operating. There is a greater need for co-ordination between the agencies and a priority should be given to the establishment of a website dedicated to Co Clare,” she said.

The council’s then Director for Economic Development, Ger Dollard told the meeting that a specific rates rise of a half a per cent by the council could raise €100,000 towards the office of the post. He also pointed out that the tourist trade in Clare spent €4 million in marketing and €100,000 could be diverted towards the activities of the officer. But, the plan was set aside to allow Shannon Development announce that it was to appoint the officer.

A PRIVATE prosecution taken by the father of a young man who was killed in a road accident in west Clare over two years ago has been withdrawn.

The case, taken by Seán Cotter, of Henry Street, Kilrush, against the driver of the car in which his son Gary was travelling when the accident occurred, was withdrawn at Kilrush District Court last Wednesday.

Mr Cotter’s solicitor Eugene O’Kelly said the State had dealt with the prosecution in the case and “accordingly, I’m looking to withdraw, strike out that.”

In May, Mark O’Gorman (22), of Woodfield Drive, Kilrush, was found not guilty at Ennis Circuit Court of dangerous driving causing the death of 20-year-old Gary Cotter, at Moyasta, Kilrush, on April 11, 2004. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was acquitted by a jury. Mr O’Gorman was driving a silver Ford Focus car from Kilkee to Kilrush when the accident occurred. Mr Cotter was a front seat passenger. The private prosecution taken by Mr Cotter was mentioned at Kilrush District Court last September, but was adjourned, until after the Circuit Court trial.

Meanwhile, an internal Garda enquiry is examining certain aspects of the initial Garda investigation into the death of the 20-year-old, after his parents raised grave concerns. Seán Cotter and his wife Mary say they are unhappy with the way the investigation was handled and say many questions remain unanswered. They complained to the Minister for Justice and an independent Garda investigation was subsequently established. A senior garda from outside the Clare Garda Division was appointed to carry out the enquiry.

GARDAÍ investigating claims that a woman was raped in a west Clare village last weekend have questioned a local man.

A 26-year-old woman, who is from the UK, and who was visiting Clare for the weekend, alleged to gardaí that she was raped in the bedroom in which she was staying.

She alleged that a man in his 30s went into the bedroom in the early hours of the morning and attacked her.

The allegations followed an evening’s socialising in the west Clare village. The young woman travelled to Ireland on Saturday evening, to stay with friends. According to the complainant, she met a number of people, including the young man who she later made the complaint about. The woman was staying at a friend’s house, and a number of people went back there, after they had socialised in a licensed premises.

A Garda spokesman said that while no-one was arrested, one man was questioned.

“We have questioned a local man, as part of our investigations and the investigation is continuing,” he said.

“The young woman alleges she was raped and that allegation is being investigated,” added the spokesman.