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AN TAISCE has been forced into an embarrassing climbdown and withdrawn its objection to the proposal by journalist Fintan O’Toole to more than quadruple the size of his second home south of Ballyvaughan, after coming under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However, while the second submission has been withdrawn, it has emerged that the initial submission remains on file.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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

The HSE has this week blamed the delay in progressing the development of Ennis General Hospital on planning stages to do with “additional costings which had to be done”.

A spokesperson for the HSE told The Clare People that the costings had been completed and would be brought before the National Hospitals Office Capital Steering group on July 20.

Sources suggested this week that the hospital design had been with the financial director of the HSE in Naas for an estimated six weeks.

Senator Timmy Dooley (FF) described the delay in advancing the €20 million redevelopment of the hospital as “unacceptable” and a “disgrace”.

The HSE rather than the Government was the target of the most strident comments made to date by Senator Timmy Dooley (FF) on the Ennis hospital issue.

“We are trying to move ahead with this project and, unfortunately, somebody somewhere in the bowels of the Health Service Executive is not proceeding with or delivering on this project in line with best practice. Such a state of affairs is unacceptable.

“I understand there is a phase two report, which the HSE indicated to Senator Daly and me last week would be signed without delay, but up until yesterday no signature was appended to that document and that has slowed down progress on the project,” he said.

But, Cllr Madeleine Taylor-Quinn (FG) was critical of the senator’s outburst saying that it was time for him to stop trying to mislead the people of Clare, on the Government’s handling of the redevelopment of Ennis General Hospital.

“For the past number of days, Senator Dooley has been tripping over himself, running from newspaper to radio station, in an attempt to spin out a yarn that the delayed start of the hospital’s redevelopment has nothing to do with his hapless Government.

“The bottom line is that the long overdue upgrade of our hospital was put on the long finger some months ago, with the inexplicable and irresponsible decision, by Senator Dooley’s Government, to order a review of all general hospitals, including Ennis.”

A Fianna Fáil councillor and Clare representative on the HSE Forum West, Pat Daly, said he was disappointed that the design had not yet been signed off.

“It is important that the design is moved to the planning stage as soon as possible and not stuck above in a HSE office in Naas.”

WHILE Clare may have the least number of cancer sufferers in the country, the number of patients dying from breast cancer remains alarmingly high.

According to figures released last week by the National Cancer Register (NCR), Clare residents are 20 per cent less likely to develop cancer than the average Irish citizen.

In Dublin, which had the largest diagnosis of cancer in 2004, residents are 10 per cent more likely to be diagnosed.

Although a marked increase has been noted in the number of people, mostly women, being diagnosed in Dublin with breast cancer since the introduction of Breast Check there in 2000, the percentage dying from the disease is less than in Clare.

In Clare, 16 of the 36 people diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 died – that is, 44.4 per cent of the new patients.

In Dublin, the number of fatalities was at 30 per cent.

Experts conclude that early diagnosis is vital when fighting this form of cancer.

Meanwhile, Clare’s low diagnosis of lung cancer relative to Dublin has been explained by an East-West divide relative to smoking.

According to the Office of Tobacco Control, last year there were twice as many smokers in Dublin than in the west. Smoking is associated with 95 per cent of all lung cancers.

In 2004, 32 people in Clare, or 32 people per 100,000 of the population, were diagnosed with the cancer, compared to 552 people, or 58 per 100,000, in Dublin.

In total, 281 people from Clare were diagnosed with cancer in 2004; 180 died from the disease.

Twenty-seven men were diagnosed with prostate cancer during the 12month period, 16 died from the disease, while 40 colorectal cases were recorded; 26 were fatal.

But the number of cancer cases in an area differs from year to year. In 1994, there was 37 new cases of lung cancer in Clare, 21 new cases in 1996, while 43 were diagnosed in 2002.

Allowing for such variations, however, the NCR discovered an eastwest difference in cancer risks, with a much higher risk in the east.

While much of this can be explained by lifestyle, smoking and screening, some of the variations remain unexplained.

FOUR young Limerick men accused of commiting public order offences in Lahinch have been ordered to stay out of north Clare for the rest of the summer.

Before Ennistymon District Court on Wednesday were John Slattery, Ballysheedy, Limerick; David Smith, Abbeycourt, Fr Russell Road, Limerick; Ian Dore, Huntsfield Avenue, Dooradoyle, Limerick; and Kieran Cummins, Meadowvale Close, Raheen, Limerick. They are all charged with being intoxicated in public and with engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour, at Main Street, Lahinch, in the early hours of Sunday, July 2.

The court was told that the four recently completed their Leaving Certificate examinations.

Garda John Cleary gave evidence of arresting Mr Slattery (18), at 2.40am. When charged, he had nothing to say in reply. The court heard he was working part-time.

Sergeant Michael Gallery said he arrested Mr Smith at 2.25am. The court heard he was not working, but was due to take up employment in Shannon.

Garda Cleary told the court that, in reply to the charge, Mr Dore had nothing to say.

The fourth accused, Mr Cummins, who works part-time as a labourer, told the court he intends to go to college.

Solicitor Tara Godfrey applied for free legal aid for the four accused. However, Judge Joseph Mangan refused in the case of three of them, after hearing that their parents were supporting them.

He told Ms Godfrey to make a written application for free legal aid in the case of Mr Cummins.

Superintendent Eamon Dolan told the court that he was applying to have the accused stay out of Lahinch.

“There was a major disturbance there last Saturday night,” he said.

The four were remanded on bail and ordered to stay out of the District Court area of Ennistymon, to abstain from alcohol and to sign on at Roxboro Garda Station every day. They will appear in court again in September.

A bench warrant was issued for the arrest of Dean O’Grady, of Cahercalla Heights, Kilrush Road, Ennis, after he failed to appear in court.

He is charged with being intoxicated in public and with engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour, at Main Street, Lahinch, on July 2.

GARDAÍ believe that drugs valued at €25,000, which were seized in east Clare last week, were destined for the market in the county.

An assortment of drugs, including cannabis, cocaine and 2,500 unidentified tablets, were seized during the search of a rented house in Mountshannon at around 8am on Thursday.

A total of €25,000 in cash – in sterling and euro – was also seized at the house, where a Dublin man in his 40s was arrested.

A woman in her 40s, also from Dublin, was arrested later that day, in the Mountshannon area, while a second rented house, close to Scariff, was searched. A quantity of powder was seized at that house, which has also been sent for analysis.

The woman was released later that night without charge, while the man was released without charge the following day.

“We are not sure what the tablets are, possibly ecstacy tablets or amphetamines. They have been sent to Dublin for analysis and, until this analysis has taken place, we do not know the exact value of what was seized,” said a Garda source.

“A file will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, on the strength of the analysis,” added the source.

“The quantities would indicate that the drugs were for sale or supply. Other paraphernalia, which was found during the searches, would suggest this,” he added.

The operation was carried out by Killaloe gardaí, in liaison with the Divisional Drugs Unit and the newly-established anti-crime unit in the county.

A JUDGE will rule this week if a young man is guilty of a charge of threatening to kill.

The accused, Darren O’Grady (21), with an address at Church Drive, Clarecastle, pleaded not guilty to the charge, arising out of an incident on June 17, 2005.

He also denies a charge of assault, causing harm, at the Queen’s nightclub on the same date. He has pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal damage to an apartment door, at Parnell Street, Ennis, on June 5, 2005.

Carol O’Doherty told the court yesterday (Monday) she was in the carpark of Ennis Garda Station with a number of people, on June 17, when the accused started shouting abuse at her.

“He said he was going to get us, one way or another. He called me a prostitute and a whore,” she said.

Ms O’Doherty said she had been seeing the accused at one stage. However, in his evidence to the court, the accused said he was going out with someone else and that, while he was “meeting” Ms O’Doherty, it was “just a fling.”

He said he called her names but that he never threatened to “get” her.

Mr O’Grady has also denied assaulting Joe Molloy, at the Queen’s nightclub, in the early hours of June 17.

Mr Molloy told the court the accused struck him with two head butts.

But Mr O’Grady said Mr Molloy grabbed him in a headlock and he hit him to defend himself.