Month: December 2006

A CLARE councilor has accused the Government of trying to “buy it’s way out” of dealing with Global wrming instead of facing up to the problem.

Cllr. Brian Meaney of the Clare Green Party said that out of the €300 million announced for the environment in this budget, €270 million will be spent on purchasing carbon credits.

“Ireland ‘s failure to meet its Kyoto obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions means that two to four million euro will leave the Irish economy every week between 2008 and 2012 to purchase carbon credits. This exemplifies the current Government’s slow and irresponsible approach to climate change and its serious implications,” he said.

The councilor added that Ireland should be be concentrating on reducing emissions through more investment in renewable energy, public transport and higher building standards.

He also lashed out at the Government’s failure to deliver on carbon tax and added that while his party welcomed the extension of the Greener Homes Scheme, “even the piloting of a National Home Insulation Programme would have been a small step in the right direction.”

But Environment Minister, Dick Roche said the comprehensive package of environmental measures contained in the Budget demonstrated that the environment is now at the centre of Government economic policy.

“We saw the bringing together of the most comprehensive package of environmental measures ever announced in a Budget.”

BUDGET 2007 has been described as “broadly positive” for farmers by the Clare representative on the IFA Farm Business Committee Senan Cunningham.

Mr Cunningham, whose tenure on the Farm Business Committee comes to an end later this month, did sound a note of caution, however, saying that the finer details of some of the proposals will decide how much much real benefit Clare farmers will get from the budget.

“We will wait for the finance bill to be published for the finer details of how the issues will work out on the ground,” said Mr Cunningham. “A lot of the measures had been already agreed under the partnership talks but there was a number of new areas for farmers which could be useful.

These areas include changes to the vat refund system and measures designed to help on small and fragmented farms.

“Quite a number of items were taken from the IFA’s pre-budget submission. This budget will help to improve farm competitiveness and will address some of the problems of scale and farm fragmentation which is a big problem here in Clare,” continued Mr Cunningham.

“The vat refund would be a major Friday 22nd December thing. It will go a long way to counterbalancing the vat paid on fuel, veterinary fees and things like that. A working group was set up between the farming organisation and the Department of Agriculture to look at this issue and we didn’t expect to get an increase until after this group made it’s report.”

THE end of a long, historic era was marked at Shannon Airport yesterday when demolition of the old hostels got underway, to make way for an enlarged carpark.

The hostels were built in the 1960s and catered for overnight passengers, over the years. In the early days, staff at the airport stayed overnight in the hostels but this changed over the years as hotels and guesthouses were built and transport improved.

As a result, most of the hostels had, over the years, fallen into a state of disrepair. They are now being knocked, to facilitate the extension of the airport’s car park by 850 spaces.

Planning permission was granted by Clare County Council for the new car park last August and came on foot of growing passenger numbers at the airport. A record-breaking 3.3 million passengers passed through Shannon last year.

Shannon Airport spokesperson Claire McEnery confirmed that contractors went on site yesterday and stressed that some of the buildings would be retained.

“Some of the hostels will be demolished, not all of them,” she said.

“This is to meet the demand due to increased passenger numbers. We signalled this a long time ago,” she added.

The car park spaces will be available by next summer and airport management is hoping to handle 3.6 million passengers next year.

“We do need those spaces to meet the demand,” she added.

Some of the buildings are understood to be listed structures and will be retained. One of them has been used as a storage area while another has been used as a training school for the airport police.

Shannon-based County Councillor Patricia McCarthy (Independent) said the demolition marked the “end of an era”.

“Even thought the hostels have been empty for a long time, this is a reminded of what Shannon started off as. Things are happening at the airport. There is a need to change and redevelop and it is time to move on. Car parking spaces are needed,” she said.

She said the idea of building a multi-storey should be considered, in an effort to put the land in the vicinity of the airport to good use.

SHANNON Development has announced the appointment of eleven leading business figures from around the Region to the company’s new Shannon Region Tourism Development Board. The new board held its first meeting last Thursday at Shannon Development’s head office in the Town Centre, Shannon.

The Board is being chaired by well known Ennis Solicitor Michael Houlihan. Board members were nominated by local authorities, regional tourism and tourism industry groups. The new Board has been appointed for a three-year term during which time their role will be to advise Shannon Development on the preparation and implementation of a strategic tourism plan for the Shannon Region.

Announcing the new Board appointees Kevin Thompstone, Chief Executive Shannon Development said, “I would like to welcome the new board members, I look forward to working with them. The tourism industry in Ireland is at a crucial point in its development. The factors central to our success in the past are not necessarily the ones to carry us forward into the future. Tourism is one of the most important indigenous industries in the Shannon Region.”

Accepting the position of Chairman of the new tourism Board, Houlihan said that “all of the board appointees are very successful in their own fields and I believe that the variety of experience they can bring to the task ahead will be invaluable”.

In 2005 more than 1 million overseas visitors came to the Shannon Region along with a further 750,000 domestic visitors. Tourism spend of €400 million in revenue to the Shannon Region was recorded in 2005.

“New accommodation coming onstream in 2007 will bring the Region’s total accommodation base to an estimated 7,500 beds. The challenge for Shannon Development and the tourism industry will be to develop and sustain the Shannon Region as a high quality and competitive tourism destination. To achieve this we will work closely with the tourism industry, local and regional bodies, and our colleagues in Fáilte Ireland /Tourism Ireland to provide focused, strategic, and practical actions to deal with the critical issues”, said John King, Director, Heritage and Tourism, Shannon Development.

A WOMAN died after she fell at her Kilrush home last July, Ennis Coroner’s Court has heard.

Mary Linnane (57), of Beech Park, John Paul Estate, Kilrush, died on July 13 last.

Her son Seán, in his deposition, recalled being in the sitting room of the family home with members of his family, on July 13 last.

He said his mother had been upstairs and she came down for a cigarette. He told her to go upstairs and he would bring her something to eat.

A short time later he heard a thump and went to his mother. He initially thought she was knocked out. He said she’d had a few drinks that day.

Sergeant Deborah Marsh said she received a report of a sudden death on the evening in question, and attended the home of Mrs Linnane.

Pathologist Dr Stephanie Curran carried out an autopsy on the body of Mrs Linnane, at Limerick Regional Hospital.

“She had died at home. It was suggested she may have fallen down the stairs,” she said.

She said the cause of death was acute cardiac respiratory failure, secondary to intercranial haemorrhage.

County Coroner Isobel O’Dea said there was no evidence as to what exactly had happened. She returned an open verdict.

She expressed her sympathies with the Linnane family, as did Superintendent John Kerin, who said it was sad to lose “a mother and wife at such a young age.”

A YOUNG man lost his life in a crash after he overtook a car, before colliding with a truck, near the village of Kilmurry, Sixmilebridge, one year ago last week.

Ennis Coroner’s Court heard yesterday that Seamus Keogh (36), a labourer, from Lodge Road, Sixmilebridge, died in a crash at Ballymulcashel, Kilmurry, at lunchtime on December 6 last year.

Joe O’Gorman (44), of Woodfield Drive, Ballynote, Kilrush, recalled, in his deposition, driving from Tulla towards Bunratty for a load of gravel.

He was driving a truck, at Kilmurry village, at around 35 miles per hour. He said he passed a bad bend and then approached another.

He saw a car driving towards him and then noticed another car overtaking it.

“It was coming at such a speed I knew it was going to hit me. I could see the driver’s hands holding the steering wheel,” he said.

He drove along the edge of the ditch and “braced” himself for a collision.

The front of Mr Keogh’s car hit Mr O’Gorman’s truck and he hit his head off the roof of the cab of the truck.

“I could see that part of the car had gone under the cab of my truck… There was liquid leaking onto the road,” he recalled.

Mr O’Gorman was taken to hospital for treatment and later discharged.

The inquest was told that Emma Nicolai was driving to Tulla with a friend on the afternoon of December 6.

She believed she was driving at no more than 40 miles per hour.

She said a red car was travelling behind her and overtook her. “He was going around the bend and appeared to lose control. He appeared to take the bend too wide. He appeared to tilt onto two wheels and veered into the truck at an angle,” she recalled.

Ms Nicolai’s passenger, Josephine Bergfeldt, said the red car overtook them, no more than 20 metres before a bend.

“The red car was on the wrong side of the road and collided with a lorry,” she said. She tried to get a pulse, but to no avail.

Sergeant Con Ryan attended the scene of the accident, just after 1.45pm. He said the truck was on the correct side of the road, up against a ditch. Pathologist Dr Stephanie Curran carried out an autopsy on the body of the deceased.

She said death was due to shock and haemorrhage, secondary to multiple injuries. Superintendent John Kerin told the inquest that a file was sent to the DPP, who directed that no charges be brought, arising out of the accident. A verdict of accidental death was returned. Coroner Isobel O’Dea said it was a “shame that a young man was killed in such a fashion.”

CLARE County Council planners need to be given a short course on Irish history, telling them that British rule ended in the 26 counties as far back as 1921, a former chairman of the local authority stated this week.

Councillor PJ Kelly (FF) launched a scathing attack on the council’s planning department at Monday’s monthly meeting of the local authority, accusing planners of breaking the law when turning down house building applications around the county.

“We have planners in this county using a British document, the Queen’s Highways Agency document, that was never adopted by this council to turn down planning applications,” blasted Cllr Kelly.

“This is wrong,” added Cllr Kelly brandishing a copy of the Vehicular Access to All Principle Trunk Roads document. “This document was never adopted by Clare County Council, but it’s now a case where we apply the Queen’s rules to the disadvantage of people here in Ireland. Are we working outside the law? That is the serious question that has to be addressed here.

“Using this document is an open admission that something that is not a policy is being used as a policy when it comes to planning. There is a contradiction here and it has to be said that we are way beyond the law in using documents that have not been approved to refuse planning applications.”

Cllr Kelly has been a trenchant critic of Clare County Council planning practices for a number of years, particularly when it comes to championing the cause of those who wish to build once-off houses.

He concluded by calling on the council executive to take planners aside and teach them some Irish history.

“When are we going to let them know out in Westgate (Clare County Council planning office) that the Brits left Ireland 85 years ago? It shows how out of touch they are out in Westgate.”

CLARE County Council has been asked to prevent housing developers in the county from converting crèche facilities in large housing estates into residential units.

At Monday’s December meeting of Clare County Council, North Clare councillor, Joe Arkins (FG), accused property developers of taking advantage of planning regulations in relation to the provision of childcare facilities.

Developers are required to provide childcare facilities in developments of 75 housing units or larger but Cllr Arkins expressed his worries that this arrangement is being abused.

“The developers look for €1,000 a week rent for the crèche building or offer to sell it for one or two million,” said Cllr Arkins.

“They then apply to Clare County Council for a change of use for the crèche facilities and state that they have proved that there is no need for the facility.”

These “contrived vacancies” were heavily criticised by Cllr Arkins who called on the council to decline any submission for change of use for these crèche facilities in all cases.

“They probably designed it in such a way as to make it easier for them to be converted back to apartments,” continued Cllr Arkins.

“There should be no changes in use whatsoever as long as deficiencies in the childcare system still exist.

“It should not be tolerated for a developer to look for exorbitant rents for these facilities,” Cllr. Arkins concluded.

PROPERTY developers will be forced to carry some of the financial burden in providing sewerage schemes around Clare, it was revealed at Monday’s council meeting.

Responding to a motion put forward by Cllr Christy Curtin (Ind), County Engineer Tom Carey revealed he had been informed by the Department of the Environment that the exchequer is no longer prepared to fund “nonresidential” sewerage schemes.

The definition of “non-residential” properties includes future housing developments as well as commercial properties. The specific details of who will foot the bill for future housing developments is unclear but property developers and Clare County Council will have a role to play in meeting these expenses.

“I’d like to think that my report is more positive than reports in recent times. There has been some significant movement – we have come close enough to starting construction and quite a number of schemes will be underway in 2007. We are starting to catch up but it does appear that some schemes are moving faster than others,” said Mr Carey.

“If there are situation where the affordability issue is a problem and environmental issues demand it, then the costing issue is not set in stone. There are still affordability issues, we are working on them and being as innovative as we can – but they will have to be, to some extent, developer-driven.”

Responding to the new “polluter pays” approach, North Clare councilor, Martin Lafferty (Ind), expressed his disappointment at the unit costings system and commented that he wanted to see “reality on the ground, never mind promising things that never appear”.

PUBLIC confidence in the ability of Clare County Council engineers to deal with Ennis’ water quality problem has reached a new low, Monday’s monthly meeting of the local authority heard.

Ennis area councillors Brian Meaney and Joe Carey hit out at the council’s efforts to solve the drinking water problems that have beset the county capital in recent years. Both have called for new measures to address the problem, Cllr Meaney (GP) backing a curb on future development in Ennis and Cllr Carey (FG) calling for the introduction of a voucher system for those buying bottled water.

“The people of Ennis are very angry,” warned Cllr Carey. “And they have a very low degree of confidence in the water service. They are spending between €20 and €30 a week on water and have being doing this for the past two years. It’s unacceptable.

“Ennis is one of the fastest growing towns in Europe and it doesn’t have a clean water system. It’s shocking and it’s not on. I’ve proposed in the past about getting another source of water, but that was not listened to.

“Now the issue is dragging on and public confidence is at a very low ebb. I want assurances about when the boil notice will be lifted. There should be a voucher system in place for people who are spending €20 to €30 a week,” added Cllr Carey.

“We’re in a most appalling situation with the water in Ennis,” said Cllr Brian Meaney (GP). “There is very little confidence with what’s being done with Ennis’ water.

“Maybe we should look at the development of the town – if we took a stance that there would be no additions to the water supply, then we might see motivations coming where there would be a sufficient response to the water quality problem,” added the deputy mayor.

Responding, county engineer Tom Carey said “modifications to the system are a very significant step towards the removal of the current boil notice in the near future.”

A boil notice was placed on water in Ennis on November 24.