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CLARE County Council’s windfarm strategy is hindering the county’s alternative energy industry, according to Green Party councillor, Brian Meaney.

He was responding to the turning down by An Bord Pleanála of plans for a new windfarm in the Lissycasey area. The board found that the proposal contravened the council’s wind energy strategy.

The decision by the appeals board to refuse planning permission to Thomas McNamara to build a 375-foot high one-turbine windfarm within 500 metres of Lissycasey means it is now two years since a windfarm has got the go-ahead in Clare.

Clare County Council established “no-go” areas for windfarms in the Clare County Development Plan.

The number of planning applications for windfarms has also come to a near standstill, because of a Government-imposed moratorium on new windfarms making connections to the national grid.

“There is no doubt that the windfarm strategy is hindering the development of windfarms and surely any policy should be proactive in supporting alternative energy uses, especially as farmers seek to diversify their streams of income,” said Cllr Meaney.

He said that the council must revisit the strategy and identify the areas where it would be open to consider the location of windfarms.

“I believe that the current council policies are too restrictive and should be revisited in order to put in place a greater tolerance towards wind energy.

“Many of the locations in west Clare are deemed unsuitable for wind energy. That should also be revisited, as should the number of areas countywide deemed suitable for windfarms.

“In comparison to other western counties, Clare has a very small number of windfarms.”

Currently, there are two windfarms operating in Clare, one outside Kilrush and a second near the village of Connolly.

The latest windfarm developer fell foul of the council, because the proposed farm was within 500 metres of the village of Lissycasey, though it was not included in the “no-go” areas for windfarm development.

A GORT community group made a presentation on their achievements and work to the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, when he dropped in on them, while on a visit to Galway at the weekend.

Mr Ahern came to Gort to meet with GRACE (Gort Regional Alliance for Community and Environment).

GRACE is an umbrella association for 22 established and newly formed groups in the Gort region. The group is celebrating a number of successes lately, including its recent campaign to have a second entrance/exit to the town of Gort, off the new N18 Dual carriageway.

The Taoiseach met with delegates from all the GRACE groups and was presented with a Brazilian t-shirt by the Brazilian Association.

GRACE made a powerpoint presentation to the Taoiseach, outlining the various community development projects that they were currently undertaking.

Earlier in the week, a delegation from GRACE made a presentation on Water and Sewage in the town to Environment Minister Dick Roche, when he visited the town.

Dr Niamh Clune, Chair and Coordinator of GRACE, said they “were absolutely delighted to have Minister Roche and the Taoiseach visit Gort in one week. We were very impressed that the Taoiseach showed such interest in what we are trying to do, and are extremely grateful to him for taking time out of his busy schedule to visit us here in Gort. We also really felt that Minister Roche listened to our concerns about the water and the sewage and that these serious issues will be addressed in the near future.”

Paddy Grealish, of Grealish Glynn Associates, made a presentation on the issue of sewage, and Coley Roche from the Chamber of Commerce put forward the arguments on the issue of the town’s water.

Junior Minister Noel Treacy was also thanked for the success of the road campaign.

“We must also especially thank Colin Joyce, Parliamentary Assistant to Joe Callahan, who has been working closely with GRACE on a number of different projects. He helped arrange for GRACE to meet with Minister Dick Roche and the Taoiseach,” said Dr Clune.

The Taoiseach visited Gort after he had officially opened the Marine Institute’s new purpose-built facility at Oranmore.

The building has state-of-the-art research facilities for the science institute which is responsible for advising the Government on the status of fish stocks.

SHANNON DEVELOPMENT has welcomed calls from the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation for a 2,000seater international conference centre to be located in the region.

The ITIC says the centre would benefit from access to Shannon Airport, underpin passenger numbers there and help develop the Mid-West as a hub for wider economic growth.

In its report to government, the ITIC said that a regional conference centre for the region would rebalance regional growth, not only in tourism terms but in terms of overall economic activity.

In a statement, John King, Heritage and Tourism Director with Shannon Development said the body “fully endorses the call by ITIC for a major regional conference centre for the Shannon/Limerick area.

“The ITIC proposal is in line with Shannon Development’s regional tourism strategy, an important element of which is the undertaking of a feasibility study for such a regional conference centre. Shannon Development is currently working on the feasibility of this proposal in conjunction with key tourism trade partners in the Shannon Region. The study will determine the viability of this project and whether or not it can become a sustainable proposal”.

According to a statement from the ITIC, it is proposing “NDP tourism investment of €1 billion in 2007-2013 and, as part of this, a proposal for a major Regional Conference Centre in the Shannon/Limerick area with minimum capacity for 2,000 people.”

In its submission, the confederation said that if Ireland is to reach the Government target of 10 million overseas visitors by 2012, a “seachange ” is required in tourism performance.

The chairwoman of the ITIC, Catherine Reilly said that the Government “has done well from tourism and has the potential to do even better. But as this report articulates, much remains to be done on the investment side if the industry is to make its optimal contribution to Irish economic and social development.”

The confederation report claims that Ireland’s tourism product has become “tired and lacking in verve or bounce for many tourists”.

BUILDERS could be on site at the Kilrush Marina as early as the beginning of next year, developing a hotel, apartments and commercial units.

It is believed that Shannon Development has whittled down to three the number of interested parties contending to build on the site. All three are believed to have Clare connections.

Towards the end of the month, executives of the semi-state company will discuss the favoured contender with their counterparts in the Kilrush Marina Company, the Shannon Development subsidiary, which is responsible for the west Clare marina.

It is believed that the board of Shannon Development will then consult with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment before any final announcement on the future of the West Clare Marina is made. That announcement is expected some time in July.

Last summer, Shannon Development advertised for expressions of interest in developing the land around the marina. Its development was facilitated by a decision in December at Kilrush Town Council, to rezone areas of the town.

It is now believed that three companies are being considered for the project, all of whom are planning to build apartments, commercial outlets and a five-star hotel at the waterfront.

Promises have been made that the marina will continue in its present form, with plans to extend it by 100 births, up to 220.

The boat yard may have to be relocated towards the lock gates however.

The project will probably be built on a phased basis, with indications that ownership will only be handed over at the completion of each stage.

The semi-state company could face some difficulties in convincing interested parties of the benefits of transferring the land and marina to the private sector.

When contacted by The Clare People , a spokesperson for Shannon Development said the company could not comment on the details. He said “Shannon Development advertised expressions of interest last summer.

“We are currently carrying out final assessments of expressions of interest,” he said.

SUMMER has arrived at last – so it follows that the exams are about to start.

More than 2,700 Clare teenagers from all over the county are counting the hours of sunshine left until they begin their Leaving and Junior Certificate examinations this week.

1,344 students will sit the Leaving Cert in Clare, with 132 of them opting for the Leaving Cert Applied course.

More females than males will take part in the three state exams. Just two more female students than male have registered for the Leaving Cert exams, with 75 female students taking the Leaving Cert Applied exams as opposed to 57 males.

As many as 1,359 Clare students will face a state exam for the first time when they sit the Junior Cert. In total, 702 female students and 657 males will take the exam.

Tomorrow (Wednesday), the Clare students will join 113,500 candidates who will take their seats at 4,500 examination centres countywide to begin their exams.

Over the bank holiday weekend, the 4,500 superintendents involved in supervising the written examinations took possession of the boxes containing the three million examination papers that are required by candidates over the 13-day examination period. Almost 4,000 examiners will be involved in examining the work presented by candidates.

There will be a number of changes to the assessment of some of the examination papers this year.

The most significant changes in this year’s exams will be in the revised syllabuses in Leaving Certificate History and Geography and Junior Certificate Science. Candidates in these examinations have already completed practical coursework leading to their final grade.

For Leaving Certificate candidates taking History and Geography, the final written examination is worth 80 per cent of the overall mark.

Candidates taking the examination in the revised Science syllabus may have already accumulated up to 35 per cent of their final grade through the completion of the practical coursework element of the exam.

The examinations run until Thursday, June 22 for Junior Certificate subjects and Friday, June 23 for Leaving Certificate subjects, and then the partying can begin.

The written examinations in the Leaving Certificate Applied programme finish on Thursday, June 15.

The results of the Leaving Certificate examinations will be available on Wednesday, August 16.

Results of the Junior Certificate will be available in mid-September.

A NEW scheme which will allow drivers to scrap their cars for free has received a welcome from Clare motor dealers.

The new legislation, which will come into force in January of next year, will take the onus off owners and dealers to foot the bill for scrappage.

And it will have the added advantage that fewer cars will be abandoned around the countryside.

Breakers will be authorized to dispose safely of any pollutants and recycles parts.

A spokeswoman for one of the county’s main car dealers said that the regulations were “very much to be welcomed. As it stands, we sometimes have to charge customers for scrapping their old cars when they buy a new one. You only have to drive into any of the multi-storey car parks around Ennis to see cars that have just been abandoned.”

The spokeswoman added that if the car has to be collected, “then owners are paying a serious amount of money. Free scrappage is definitely a good idea.”

Announcing the new regulations, Minister Dick Roche said that higher standards and a cleaner environment were just two of the benefits that would flow from the new regulations.

“Just as we have been getting rid of the fly-tipping of waste fridges and washing machines, we now want to see the last of rusting car hulks despoiling our urban and rural landscapes and posing a health and safety risk to the public. These regulations will provide a customised regulatory regime for dealing effectively with scrap cars,” said Minister Roche.

The regulations stipulate that when a car or small van reaches the end of its useful life, there will be at least one Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) in each area where it can be brought, free of charge, to be depolluted and dismantled.

The steel, plastic, glass, tyres and other components will be recovered for recycling.

The operators of ATFs must remove all pollutants from cars as part of the recycling process. The motor industry will be required to ensure that there is an adequate network of ATFs across the country providing take-back for their brand of car.

The scheme will be regulated by the local authorities and, when a car has been scrapped, the owner will get a destruction certificate.

“The Regulations will require all waste operators – scrap yards for the most part – to reach new, higher environmental standards. It will require investment on their part,” Minister Roche said.

A FISH thought to be extinct in the waters around Clare was on display recently in the county.

The ‘Arctic char’ could be used as a measure of the cleanness of our water supply.

The fish, as well as more common species, was on display at this year’s Clare Biodiversity Day. The day has now become an annual event.

The exhibition of fish, by the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board in association with University College Cork and the Irish Char Conservation Group, had Arctic char as its central theme.

This is because it is believed that all of County Clare’s Arctic char populations are now extinct. The Arctic char in the aquarium were hatchery fish, originally from County Kerry.

According to those involved in the project, they were put on display “to illustrate to the crowds not only how beautiful these fish are but that they are also useful water quality indicators.

“The Arctic char are very sensitive to water pollution and it is in everyone’s interest to ensure that water quality is maintained at the high standard required by this fish.

“There is no reason why they could not be reintroduced into County Clare and four of the five loughs where they once occurred also serve as a public water supply. Their presence would act as a freshwater canary, which would alert us if anything went wrong with water quality.”

Also on display was a river lamprey that was found attached to a brown trout caught by an angler on Lough Derg last week. This parasitic fish is unusual as it sucks onto other fish, feeding off them.

They are now relatively rare in Ireland and it is thought that there is a landlocked population in the lough. More common fish species, such as pike and tench, were also on display. These fishes are not native to Clare unlike the trout, Arctic char and pollan.

The Shannon Regional Fisheries Board is currently running a research programme with the Lough Derg Angling Association to look at the native fish biodiversity in the lough including the elusive Irish Pollan.

Anyone with information, or who might be interested in taking part, please contact Fran Igoe at 061300238.

THE Department of the Environment has confirmed that it is to contribute €210,000 to an initative to rejuvenate the Burren.

The news represents a major boost to Clare County Council’s €1.4m plan to boost the Burren’s tourism potential and halt environmental damage to it.

A decision is expected on the application for funding from Fáilte Ireland later this month.

Environment Minister Dick Roche has also confirmed that work on the Burren National Park Management Plan will begin later this year.

His department will contribute the €210,000 over three years, from 2007.

“The proposal is expressly linked to the environmental protection of this unique and sensitive landscape and is being undertaken in partnership with a wide range of stakeholder groups,” said Mr Roche.

He said the plan would “demonstrate best practice associated with the integration of environmental protection, rural development and tourism development in the protection of the heritage and landscape of the Burren region”.

The minister said it would also advance and integrate several existing community, nature conservation, archaeological and tourism initiatives that were operating in the Burren; and combine these with infrastructural improvements. These improvements would be undertaken by Clare County Council.

“The allocation is most welcome. Practical support like this from our key partners in the project is essential to the successful development of the initiative,” said the council’s Director for Planning, Bernadette Kinsella.

“This work will be the start of the implementation of long established recommendations for the region and will see dedicated staff for the area for a period of three years, to progress the actions and manage community liaison and involvement in all aspects of the work.”

The move to put in place an integrated visitor management strategy for the Burren is the first by a number of agencies since the Government announced its ill-fated visitor centre plans for Mullaghmore in 1991.

Three major reports have been published on the proper management of the Burren: “Tourism in the Burren: A Strategic Plan” in 1994; “The Burren Monuments Strategy” in 1996 and “The Burren Tourism and Environment Initiative” in 2000.

The council has said that the reports contained worthy suggestions and recommendations, “but unfortunately until recently very few actions have followed these recommendations”.

The project is the first phase of a visitor management strategy for the Burren and will take three years to implement.

CLARE County Council has rejected calls by worried parents to have the speed limit on a section of road in front of a west Clare primary school reduced.

The area of road in St Senan’s National School Knockerra, described as “an accident waiting to happen”, is to remain as an 80 kilometre per hour speed zone, parents learnt this week.

In a letter from the local authority, the parents’ council was told that “the imposition of speed limits in most such areas, unless they can be strictly enforced, is not alone pointless, but also brings the speed limit process into disrepute.”

The response has angered parents who claim that the highest speed recorded just metres from the church and school, at Power’s Shop, was 90 kilometres per hour.

Chairperson of the parent’s council, Jackie Bonfield, said that the 15-foot wide road was too narrow to take the legal speed limit (80 kilometres per hour).

She pointed to the flashing warning lights, adjacent to the 32-pupil school, which were hidden behind trees. Two of the lights were broken.

According to a traffic survey carried out by parents, as many as 72 vehicles use the route between 9 am and 9.30 am, the same period that children arrive at school.

Secretary of the council, Sue Mepham, explained that cars were coming from Moneypoint and that the road was also one of the main routes to the Killimer ferry.

The council conceded in the letter, that a “special speed limit” was “likely” to be introduced at the school at certain times of the day, but this would be “part of the next stage of the process”.

Councillor Madeleine Taylor-Quinn (FG) said that the suggestion for a special speed limit now being advanced by the council, was a dilution of what was agreed at a meeting of the authority’s western area.

She said the councillors agreed to widen the road, draw white lines, add footpaths, and introduce traffic calming measures.

“Are they going to wait for a child to be killed before they act?” she asked.

“It is one of the worst (situations) in the country and an accident waiting to happen.”

The council letter cited a report carried out by the council and the Garda advising against reducing the limit, on the basis of Department of Transport guidelines.

However, the gardaí also sent a letter to Ms Bonfield in March, indicating that the speed limit should be reduced due to traffic from Moneypoint.

CLARE County Councillor, Madeleine Taylor-Quinn, is to champion the rights of the county’s women Gaelic players, by demanding a level playing pitch for all.

Cllr. Taylor-Quinn (FG) has vowed to contact the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform about what she describes as “ending the inequality of treatment that overshadows women’s Gaelic Games”.

She said that camogie clubs in Clare had made representations to her, because their players are routinely forced to make do with substandard kits, equipment and facilities.

“The camogie clubs do not enjoy the same resources and opportunities that are now the norm in many hurling clubs,” she said.

“It is clear from the conditions that the players are being asked to put up with, that the State’s policy on encouraging sport has failed to prevent women playing Gaelic Games bearing the brunt of inequality,” said Ms. Taylor-Quinn.

“This is not the fault of the GAA county boards, which can only rely on small gate receipts for camogie and ladies football to pay for development. Rather, it is because the Government has failed to support the county boards, with funding to ‘incubate’ women’s Gaelic Games, in order to help them grow and to provide tangible improvements in the conditions for players.

“Despite all the current Government’s talk on how they value the contribution of sport to society, camogie and ladies football players can see clearly what they must make do with.”

“This imbalance in support provided for women players is very plainly an issue of equality of opportunity, which by consequence, comes under the Department responsible for equality and law reform,” said the West Clare councillor.

Cllr Taylor Quinn said she would impress upon the department the need to provide interim funding for women’s GAA immediately.

“This should be spent on providing those involved in these games with the sort of provisions that are often regarded as basics in other codes,” she said.

“Research is also required to fully quantify the problem in Gaelic Games – and to establish the situation with all other women’s sports. This can be used to fine-tune how further funding is provided.

“But ultimately, I would see the research as providing the blueprint for how we can end the marginalisation of women’s Gaelic Games, through direct State intervention in support of equality of opportunity in sport.

“Naturally, it could also act as a model for other sports played by women, if the need is out there.”