Month: September 2006

A CONTROVERSIAL new fare structure for the taxi industry has come into force.

Yesterday saw the first day of the new fare structure implemented by industry regulator Ger Deering. The new regulations were the cause of work stoppages and protests from taxi drivers around the country.

The new basic national fare now stands at €3.80 during the daytime with that increasing to €4.10 between 8pm and 8am and on public holidays.

The fare will consist of an initial charge followed by a distance or time related charge, depending on the speed the vehicle is moving

Luggage charges and airport pick up charges have been abolished. Other changes being introduced include a more accessible complaints system for consumers and access to more information within the vehicle.

Consumer information displays in all taxis and hackneys are being introduced and all taxis will have to display customer rights and responsibilities as well as the new national maximum taxi fare chart showing all tariffs and charges. Among the other regulations being introduced is a €125 soiling charge.

A final compliance date for operating the new fare structure and displaying the in-vehicle information is set at October 16. According to the office of the taxi regulator, “a more simple and more transparent fare system will make it easier for people using the service to understand how fares are calculated and will ensure that taxi operators are rewarded in a way that reflects their cost base”.

MIGRANTS attending hospitals in the area are using an informal network to communicate with medical staff, as it is impossible to provide around-the-clock translators for the 17 languages now spoken in Clare.

The Director of the Regional Health Office West, Dr Sean Conroy, told a meeting of the regional HSE Hospital Committee that informal translation networks were often in place before full networks were put in place.

The HSE West chief was responding to a series of questions on the health requirements of migrants from Clare County Councillor and HSE representative for the county, Cllr Brian Meaney (GP).

Cllr Meaney told the meeting that inward migration to Clare has meant that English is the minority language in one class in Ennis.

“What are the HSE putting in place for translation when people present at hospitals?” he asked.

The Clare councillor also asked if there were “illnesses that are not prevalent in native population that may need to be addressed.”

Dr Conroy told the councillor that it was not possible to provide translators for all of the languages presenting in each hospital.

He explained that to-date, hospitals have successfully dealt with nonEnglish speaking patients by asking a friend or family member to translate. In some cases there has also been hospital staff working in other departments, who may be fluent in some of the languages and are able to provide assistance.

This informal network is often in place before an official team of translators are employed, he said.

EIGHT members of the Crusheen senior hurling panel returned to their dressing room after their quarterfinal win over Kilmaley at Cusack Park on Sunday evening to discover they had been robbed.

Mobile phones and wallets containing cash were taken during the game, which started at 3.30pm. The Kilmaley dressing room was not targeted. A van belonging to a Crusheen supporter, parked just outside the grounds, also had industrial tools and a CD player – valued at €2,000 – stolen.

Secretary of Crusheen GAA Club, Tony McMahon told The Clare People that the incident marred what should have been a fantastic evening for the club, after the 1-17 to 0-6 win over Kilmaley.

“We are extremely annoyed. This is unheard of. There is a lot of talk about it in Crusheen. Hopefully the players will get their phones back,” said Mr McMahon.

The players made statements to gardaí after the game on Sunday evening. County Board Chairman Michael McDonagh said the board was working with the gardaí, in an effort to solve the crime.

“It is unbelievable to think that people can target players in such a manner. We are furious. It is a very, very low act. Dressing rooms would sometimes be left open. There is a great trust there and this brings things to a new level, where security may have to be employed. We have to look at our procedures. It is a sad day we have to lock our dressing rooms. This has never happened before, in my involvement in the GAA,” said Mr McDonagh.

Ennis Superintendent John Kerin said gardaí believed the thieves were locals. “We believe a number of males and females in their late teens, early 20s, were around the area at the time. This is a particularly nasty crime, when people are out playing sport. We would be anxious to solve this,” he said.

Gardaí say they were not linking this incident with the theft of a mobile phone and €15 in cash belonging to a player from a dressing room at the Wolfe Tones GAA clubhouse during training on Friday evening.

RUSSELL Crowe and the late Richard Harris became friends after working together on the Oscar-winning Gladiator in 1999.

The two were due to meet for an Irish rugby international against Australia in 2002 but Harris died aged 72, weeks earlier. It’s reported that, as he watched the game alone, Crowe figured Harris was indeed there and making Australia play badly.

It was after this match that Crowe penned the song that he will sing at Kilkee next Saturday. The words of the song are:

The New Zealand-born actor has been nominated a consecutive three times for Best Actor Oscars, winning with Gladiator – but missing out with The Insider and A Beautiful Mind .

Between 1997 and 2003, he also starred in two other best picture nominees, LA Confidential and

.

Crowe has been involved in a number of altercations in recent years which have given him a reputation for having a fiery temperament.

CONCERNS have been raised by local residents over a proposed new homeless hostel for Ennis.

Residents living in the Clare Road area of the town say they have serious concerns over the St Vincent de Paul Society’s plans for a €2.1 million homeless hostel in the area.

Last week, the society lodged plans with Clare County Council to convert the former Laurel Lodge B&B into a hostel suitable for accommodating 13 men.

The hostel will provide support and rehabilitation to those experiencing homelessness. The St Vincent de Paul say that measures will be in place to ensure that no disruption is caused to homes in the Clare Road.

Concerned residents are to outline their reservations in a submission to Clare County Council.

Locals say they have serious concerns about the siting of the hostel in an area with close proximity to the town centre and have fears it will lead to an increase in anti-social behaviour.

“We are very concerned about having the hostel in this area. We don’t want to see anti-social behaviour and have people drinking and carousing,” said one concerned resident

“You have mainly elderly people living there and the fact that it is so close to the town is a big thing. There is a pub just down the road and you are going to have people coming out of the town looking for a bed and not being able to get in, and what is going to happen then?”

Latest figures show that 490 people accessed Clare County Council’s homeless unit in 2005.

Locals acknowledge there is a need for the service in the town, but are concerned that the hostel will be providing transitional housing.

“I think it is the wrong place for it. There are people walking the road every night. There is a need for it, but it is just the wrong place. The transient aspect is the major thing.

“If people are refused entry, they’ll be hanging around causing anti-social behaviour.”

The St Vincent De Paul society along with Clare County Council, Ennis Town Council and the Health Services Executive examined a number of properties in order to identify a suitable location with close proximity to the town centre.

“They dropped leaflets in the door and said they didn’t get much of a response, but that doesn’t mean that people want it there” added the resident.

A planning decision is due in late October.

HUNDREDS of Clare farmers could soon turn to part-time forestry as they are forced out of more conventional markets.

A major national campaign, aimed at promoting forestry, was launched by Clare TD, Tony Kileen, in Ennis last Friday.

At just 10 per cent, Ireland has one of the lowest land areas covered by trees in the EU. While Clare has almost 15 per cent cover, it is also one of the counties with the greatest potential to increase planting.

“The fact that the full cost of planting is covered by grants, that farmers can plant up to half their lands and still retain their full Single Payment Entitlements, and the availability of grants to cover pruning, shaping and forest roads during the growing cycle as well as tax-free premiums of up to €499 per hectare makes forestry a very viable alternative land use option,” said Minister Killeen.

Presently, there are more than 62,000 acres of private forestry owned by 1,107 farmers and landowners in the county.

“Because forestry has the lowest labour requirement of all farm enterprises, it is ideal for the growing number of part-time farmers in Clare who are trying to combine farm work with a busy off-farm job,” said Ray Gallagher of the Irish Forest Industry Chain (IFIC).

The campaign is a joint initiative between the IFIC and the Department of Agriculture and is aimed in particular at low-income drystock farmers as well as farmers who have lower than average Single Farm Payment entitlements.

Meanwhile, the first industrial wood chip boiler in Clare is expected to be installed before the end of this year. This project, which is the first of its kind in Ireland, is jointly managed by the Clare LEADER company and Teagasc and aims to develop a market for wood energy from thinnings from farm forests in the county.

Tenders have been received for wood chip boilers and energy supply contracts in five locations around the county. These projects include a manufacturing plant, hotel, school, nursing home and leisure centre, while a decision on the first installation will be made over the coming weeks.

“We are at a crossroads at the moment and there are a lot of farmers who will be looking at different things in the very near future,” said Seamus Murphy, Clare IFA President.

“There is great value in it from the energy point of view. There is not a market in Clare at the moment but we have to create a market.”

CLARE County Council is set for an estimated €2.25 million windfall with the proposed sale of nine acres of land at Ballycasey, on the outskirts of Shannon town.

Local councillors, Patricia McCarthy (Ind) and Tony Mulcahy (FG), yesterday called for the proceeds of the sale to be channelled into projects mooted for Shannon,

The land is up for public auction on October 20 and the site is described as being a prime location at the entrance to Shannon town, the international airport and the Shannon Free Zone. It has substantial road frontage and is close to a large residential area.

The zoning of the land is also expected to increase its value as it is zoned for a mix of uses, while all services are located close to the site.

Cllr McCarthy said that the money from the sale could go towards local projects, including the proposed Arts Centre and other recreational facilities.

Fine Gael general election candidate Tony Mulcahy said he had no issue with the sale because the council would receive a good figure for the land, but the area councillors should have been briefed on the council’s intentions.

He said that the council zoned the land for mixed use only four days before it was advertised for sale.

Cllr Mulcahy said that there was a real need to invest in recreational facilities in the southern end of Shannon where, currently, there is a lot of development.

The proposed sale is the second land sale that the council has been involved in over the past 18 months.

In April of last year, the council sold a two-acre site at Ballymurtagh Cross for €500,000.

The site was purchased by Managing Director of Beaux Walk Properties, Barry Boland, in trust for the Shannon Railway Company.

Mr Boland made the purchase to secure lands reserved for the route of the €60 million rail-link into Shannon airport.

The council compulsorily purchased the site from Shannon Development as part of the N19 road improvements into Shannon.

The Compulsory Purchase Order related to 4.23 acres and the recent sale by the council concerns 1.9 acres of land left over from the road improvements.

MANAGERS at Shannon Airport have been warned that a €30 million redundancy package will be off the table at the end of the week if it is not accepted by unions.

John Horgan, Director of Change Management at Shannon Airport, said the package includes a voluntary severance deal, including enhanced pensions for those nearing retirement and various compensation measures for those staying.

Mr Horgan told The Clare People that Shannon Airport would lose an estimated €130 million during the next 10 years.

“We must find a way of reducing the cost at Shannon to bring it in line with the other airports,” he said.

“We were willing to discuss any proposal made by the unions that would contribute to the airport but no such proposals were forth coming,” he said.

Airport managers have voted unanimously to conduct a ballot for industrial action up to and including strike.

The managers, who are members of IMPACT, oppose cuts in services which they say will cost up to 75 jobs.

General election candidate, Cllr Madeleine Taylor Quinn (FG), has appealed to both parties to sit down to try to find common ground, in the interest of the workers and the future of the airport.

The union claims that closure of a bar and reduced opening hours in the airport restaurant are knock-on effects of a management decision not to replace certain part-time positions when staff leave.

IMPACT Assistant General Secretary Michael Landers said “the cuts would lead to an unnecessary loss of jobs and will undermine the airport’s viability at a time when passenger numbers and profits have never been higher.

“These are profitable operations and the airport authority is engaging in a reckless act of economic vandalism in a crude attempt to impose their will on the workforce.”

The issue has already been to the Labour Relation Commission, the National Implementation Body and the Labour Court.

“I regret that the management and unions are taking such a polarized position,” said Cllr Taylor-Quinn.

“I believe the forecast of €135 million loss over the next 10 years needs to be addressed in detail and it must also be taken into account that a loss was forecast in the past and that turned into a profit,” she said.

FINE Gael leader Enda Kenny is optimistically seeking two seats in the next elections, despite claims at grassroots level that he is overloading the constituency with too many candidates.

Deputy Kenny has told The Clare People that he expects a 50 per cent success rate in Clare next summer.

“I think that if the people want change and a Government that will work as hard as they do, they’ll vote Fine Gael and give us two seats here in Clare,” he said.

“We have four exceptional candidates and as long as we work as a team and urge the voters to use their vote to change the Government, I’m confident we can take two seats.”

But the team have to carve out the mostly rural constituency between them.

In an unprecedented move, the party’s Executive Council added Cllrs Joe Carey and Madeleine TaylorQuinn to the ticket, which already included Deputy Pat Breen and Cllr Tony Mulcahy following a contentious convention in May.

It was believed Mr Kenny had promised Cllr Taylor Quinn a place on the ticket if she ran in the European election, a promise that he kept.

A party poll at Christmas showed an increase in Fine Gael popularity in Clare and the possibility of securing the coveted second seat the leader now craves.

But the addition of the two names led to fears among local party members that its current seat was in danger. At a national conference in Athlone, Deputy Kenny tried to revert back to a selection process that would allow a number of delegates from each branch select the candidates.

He was narrowly defeated in a vote, which meant the one-person -one-vote method introduced six years ago remained. This week, he said he had no plans to change that selection process.

Meanwhile, he refused to speculate about the chances of a Clare minister in a Fine Gael-led government.

“Forming a Government and appointing ministers is a job for after the election,” he said.

FINE Gael leader Enda Kenny has not ruled out the controversial Hanly Report for Clare, but has warned that the proposed centralisation of hospital services is not based on patients’ needs.

The alternative Taoiseach also warned that the capital development programme for Ennis General Hospital was “a smoke screen” to hide “the fact that the Government does not want to improve services” at the county hospital.

Deputy Kenny said he was concerned that the Government was planning to downgrade services there “in the long run”.

In an interview with The Clare People , the Leader of the Opposition said “no services should be removed from smaller hospitals until there is a genuine alternative in place that would not affect patient care.

“Many of the plans for centralisation of hospital services around the country do not focus on the needs of the patient, but rather appear to be based on cost containment.”

He said the infrastructure for routine transfer of patients over long distances between hospitals was not in place.

“The Government has consistently refused to give any commitment on the future status of Ennis hospital, and there is every reason to be concerned that Fianna Fáil and the PDs want to downgrade it to a local hospital.”

As the country’s politicians prepare to return to the Dáil after their long summer break, Deputy Kenny criticised the Government’s lack of commitment to the Banner County, which he said can be seen from its poor job-creation record.

“New jobs are being created across the country, but Ennis is being left behind. Ennis must not become a dormitory town, with its residents forced to travel elsewhere to work,” he warned.

“Job creation depends on good transport links, and Fine Gael believes the Western Rail Corridor should play an integral role in attracting new employers.”

He said his party sees Shannon Airport as vital to the future of the mid-West and the entire country.

He added that access to the airport was vital to making Shannon an attractive destination for any airline planning to avail of Open Skies, “and if this isn’t prioritised, we will have grass growing on the runway long before 2015.

“Any loss of access to the US will impact on critical US employment in the Shannon area and risks seeing big investors pull out of the West.

“Although discussion on Open Skies has been deferred, should it become a reality, Open Skies will present opportunities for every EU and US airport, including Shannon. Equally, Shannon will face competition from every well-placed European airport, most of which have excellent onward links to almost any other mainland destination. That is why domestic links to Shannon must be prioritised,” he said.

Deputy Kenny outlined how the people of Clare had suffered a decline in quality of life in the last decade.

“The Government has given lipservice to the rights of people to build houses in their own communities, while working against this through planning regulations,” he said.

“Average house prices are up from €69,000 in 1996 (the last full year Fine Gael was in office) to €245,000 at the end of last year making it impossible for many young couples to afford their own home,” he added.

“There are 3157 primary school children in classes of 30 or more, despite Fianna Fail promises.”