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A TOTAL of € 1.25 million is allocated in the council budget for Clare councillors’ wages, expenses, allocations and support cost.

The majority of that sum, € 916,832.12, was paid to councillors in the form of wages, expenses and allowances.

Among the higher earners for the year were the two mayors – Cllr Pat Hayes (FF), that served from January to June, and the current mayor Cllr Pat Daly (FF), that took over as first citizen in June.

As well as their basic annual allowance as a councillor of € 16, 724, they also received a mayor’s allowance of € 13, 500. Both payments are subject to taxation.

Among the expenses listed on Cllr Hayes’ accounts was a € 1, 535.56 subsistence allowance for a weeklong tourism promotion trip to New York in March, including St Patrick’s Day.

Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) received the third highest payment of € 37,784.72. The Shannon councillor’s payment includes an allowance of € 6,000 as chairperson of a Strategic Policy Committee and € 4,500 as chair of the County Development Board.

Councillor Richard Nagle (FF) also received an allowance of € 6,000 as chairperson of another SPC and € 1, 500 for chairing the County Development Board.

Cllr John Crowe (FG) received an allowance of € 5,870 as chairperson of an SPC, as did the sixth highest recipient, Cllr Joe Cooney (FG), who received € 6,000 as chair of a SPC.

As well as payments of almost € 920,000 to councillors, a budget of almost € 250,000 is set aside for support costs provided by council staff and the offices.

Councillors can claim up to a maximum of € 4,700 in expenses and € 6,156 to attend conferences.

Just one councillor, Cllr Christy Curtin (Ind), noted the tax and PRSI paid on his council income. Including PAYE on salary, PRSI, universal social charge, pension levy, the deduction totalled € 5,100.

CLARE County Council’s water safety officer has literally found himself between a rock and a hard place, as a “traditional bathing area” in Kilrush has been deemed unsuitable. The bathing area at Alveroo, known locally as The Rock, is missing the one thing that gave the bathing spot its name.

Former mayor of Kilrush Liam O’Looney (FF) now wants Clare County Council to replace the rock at the 150-year-old bathing area, before the summer season. He is supported in his request by the other members of the town council.

Water safety officer Liam Griffin has concerns about returning the rock however, and has advised against it. “I have visited the area known as The Rock, Cappagh, Kilrush, in order to carry out an inspection. As an International Life Saving Federation of Europe Risk Assessor, I would not recommend this location as being suitable for bathing for a variety of reasons. In that regard, I would recommend that the local authority should not carry out any reinstatement of the concrete section or conduct any works that would encourage the public to bathe at this location,” he said.

The water safety expert added that it was policy to select suitable bathing locations throughout Ireland, “which are regarded as safe and suitable to recommend to the public to use as bathing areas. All recommended bathing locations in the county have been comprehensively risk assessed with a view to public safety.

“In County Clare we have 12 such designated beaches, which are recommended for bathing. Ten of those locations are located along the west coast of Clare. We have one such location at Cappagh, Kilrush, and this beach enjoys Blue Flag status. Two lifeguards are employed at this beach during the bathing season.”

Cllr O’Looney said he was disappointed with the water safety officer’s response, adding that no specific reasons were given for his conclusion. “I think people are going to continue to swim there,” he said.

Cllr Ian Lynch (FG), who is also a member of the RNLI, argued “placing the rock there does not make it any less safe. If anything, putting the rock back would indicate end of the water.”

Mayor of Kilrush, Cllr Mairead O’Brien (Ind), was also concerned that the life buoy at the marina had gone missing three times in the last six months. She said in a bid to counteract the situation a special talk on water safety was to take place at the local secondary school.

CLARE County Council paid out more than € 688,000 in legal expenses last year.

At last night’s (Monday) meeting of the council, members asked if such costs had to be entailed.

Cllr Christy Curtin who requested the breakdown of the council’s legal expenses said, “The advice of law is a burden on our resources.”

He asked if the council could avoid the cost of legal advice in the future.

Director of Services Bernadette Kinsella told the members the county manager “was exploring other options”.

Of the € 688,830 paid out by the council on legal fees and for legal advice the majority of the costs were paid to Michael P Houlihan Solicitors.

County Solicitor John Shaw is a member of the firm, accounting for the majority of these costs.

The second highest payment made by the council was to Dublin-based senior counsel, Dermot Flanagan SC. He received € 96,469 for representing the local authority at two An Bord Pleanala oral hearings last year.

The hearing into council plans to construct a new bridge crossing at Killaloe lasted 10 days, while a separate oral hearing into plans to construct a contentious pier at Doolin lasted one day.

The Shannon bridge crossing proved the most expensive project from a legal standpoint last year, adding up to € 134,614 in total.

Extinguishing a right of way also proved legally expensive at a cost of € 93,006. The legal costs pertaining to Traveller accommodation for the year came in at € 89,726 and the Ennis Water Treatment Settlement at € 76,73.

Payments to Michael P Houlihan Solicitors included legal work on the acquisition of land and wayleaves; civil claim water services; extinguishment of right of way; enforcement cases relating to planning and the environment; the Killaloe Bridge Crossing; Traveller accommodation and other miscellaneous services.

A sum of € 59,339 was made from the council to James Connolly SC for a number of legal issues, with Patrick G Quinn receiving € 49,740 for legal work on a number of issues.

CLARE County Council could be set to scrap all planning permissions charges for new commercial buildings as part of a new plan to make Clare the most business friendly county in Ireland.

The local authority confirmed that they will be examining a number of possible changes to the planning process in the next month, including a proposal to wave all planning contributions.

This comes following a commitment by the Clare County Council to Shannon Airport Authority and Shannon Development to help give the Shannon area a kick-start for new commercial development.

A motion, put forward by Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) at yesterday’s meeting of Clare County Council, requested that any waver for planning costs in the Shannon area be extended countywide.

“Under the act planning levies are not mandatory. A local authority can decide what levies they set in different areas. It is my opinion that rates collected after the first three years would cover the costs of waving the planning levies,” he said.

“We should take an initiative here and bring some business to Clare. This would, for example, give Crush- een a huge competitive base over somewhere like Gort. It would give the North Shannon an advantage over the South Shannon. This would create building activity in Clare and it would create a rates base for the future in Clare.”

The motion was seconded by Cathal Crowe (FF), who said that this waver could have the same effect as Ireland’s low corporation tax has nationally.

“The manager has already waved this for Shannon Airport and its hinterland. I think it is important to look at this as a countywide exercise,” he said.

“This would give us a real edge as a county. It would be like Ireland’s low corporation rate, except on a county basis. This would make Clare the best place in Ireland to do business.”

Clare County Council gave a cautious welcome to the proposal, but did indicate that money collected from planning development contributions don’t go directly into the council’s yearly budget – they are earmarked for works associated with the development itself.

“Careful consideration will have to be given to the extent of incentives that can be offered as a balance has to be struck between the need to support economic activity and cost recovery from services provision,” said a spokesperson.

THE roads grant for Kilrush has been cut by 17 per cent this year to € 115,000.

For the last three years Kilrush Town Council had been allocated € 139,000 from the Discretionary Block Grant to Urban Authorities.

At this month’s meeting of the town council, executive engineer Derek Troy said the council was requested to direct as much as possible of this funding at road and footpath strengthen, remedying road and foot- path defects and maintaining and improving drainage. The work identified to be completed this year in the town is work on the main thoroughfare – Francis Street.

As well as resurfacing and new street markings, Mr Troy said the council also plan to draw up special parking spaces for buses and coaches. “It will be included but we will loose a few parking spaces,” he said.

The member of the council agreed however that the new bus spaces were necessary to promote tourism in the town.

The remaining budget will be al- located to road repair parking and public lighting, as well as signage and draining improvements. Repairs to footpaths “in the interest of safety and accessibility” will also be undertaken.

In issuing the grant, the Department of the Environment and Local Government also directed that expensive reconstruction should be avoided by timely resurfacing.

“This is particularly relevant in the case of worn concrete surfaces. Ideally resurfacing should form part of a programme extending over a limited number of years,” it stated.

A KILRUSH Town Councillor has proposed a novel approach to community policing, in light of “the increase in malicious attacks on the elderly and those residing in rural areas” and the closure of rural Garda stations.

Cllr Ian Lynch (FG) said that a community alert scheme that would use a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) would allow a concerned or distressed resident call up to 15 other members of the community with one call.

The system can include up to 300 people on one circuit, but best results have been achieved with 15.

“This will prove especially beneficial in rural areas, with the closure of rural Garda stations leading to increased response time to emergency calls by the nearest members of An Garda Siochána,” he said.

“I am not trying to get rid of the 999 call. With the removal of the Garda station there may not be an immediate reply, and a garda would not be there in eight minutes as was promised a few years ago.”

The system would be especially beneficial to the elderly living alone. If they were concerned that someone was breaking into their home, pressing one button would alert numerous, neighbours and members of the community of their distress. The council agreed to write to the Minister for Justice asking that this proposal be considered and rolled out nationally.

THE scale of the challenge faced by the newly independent Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) has been revealed with the news that the number of flight movements dropped to just 37 per day, last month – the lowest average monthly total for more than a decade.

This drop, which coincides with the airport’s first month of independence from the Dublin Airport Authority, represents a 10.7 per cent year-onyear drop in flight movements.

Despite these figures, the airport is expected to show an increase in flight movement later this year with a number of new services announced in recent months. It is hoped that the January figures represent a bottom- ing-out in terms of flight movement, which are expected to show significant gain later this year.

“The early months of the year are always the most challenging and particularly in the current climate but we are fortunate that we can look forward to increased traffic over the course of the year thanks to the commencement of new routes and a strengthening of existing ones. This wasn’t the case over previous years,” said an SAA spokesperson.

“On transatlantic routes alone we have 25 per cent increase in capacity during the summer season [from March to October] thanks to new routes coming on stream for Philadelphia and Chicago. The upswing kicks off next month with the return of Aer Lingus early on JFK New York and Boston routes, in time for the St Patrick’s weekend celebrations, and we also have Delta returning for the summer on JFK.

“Outside the US, we also have a new route announced for Faro, which is one of the most attractive sun destinations in Europe, as well as a doubling of our services to Bodrum in Turkey for the summer season. We will be very strong on the UK routes again this year and have recently added Glasgow to our schedule with Flybe.

“In addition to the gains we have already secured, the newly independent Shannon Airport will be marketed aggressively and competitively for other sustainable services.

“The environment remains challenging and these new services, which were hard won, will need to be supported by the public. But after a really difficult four years for the airport, we are confident that 2013 will be the turning point for us.”

It is also understood that the Shannon Airport Authority will soon officially announce the make up of its new board on management.

A MAN found selling quantities of alcohol from a car in Clarecastle has been told he is facing a four-month prison sentence. Kevin Maughan (21), with an address at 42B Lissadyra, Ballygaddy Road, Tuam, Galway, pleaded guilty last week to handling stolen property at Clarehill, Clarecastle on October 5. The case came before Ennis District Court on Thursday. Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that Gardaí found Mr. Maughan selling alcohol valued at € 539 from the boot of his car on the date in question.

Mr Maughan had 72 cans of Bulmers, 72 cans of Budweiser, 48 cans of Carlsberg, 48 cans of Guinness, two bottles of Huzzar vodka, one bottle of Tequilla, one bottle of liqueur, two bottles of Powers whiskey and cigarettes valued at € 132.

On hearing the “array” of alcohol discovered by gardaí, Judge Patrick Durcan said, it was “better than any you’d find in any cocktail bar in the county.” Insp Kennedy said Mr Maughan told gardaí he purchased the alcohol in Northern Ireland and intended to sell it in the South.

However the court heard that the accused later told gardaí that his wife bought the goods for € 160 from a man in a van in Crusheen. The court heard Mr Maughan has a number of previous convictions.

Defence solicitor Shiofra Hassett said her client suffered a serious head injury as a teenager and that the injury allied to a dependency on drugs had led Mr Maughan to make “very bad decisions.” She said Mr Maughan sold the alcohol because he was under pressure to pay off a drug debt.

She added, “He should not have done this. He is apologetic.”

Ms Hassett said Mr Maughan has taken steps to deal with his drug problems and is seeking employment. Judge Patrick Durcan said it that he had a four-month prison sentence in mind. He adjourned sentencing until April 3 to allow for a report from the probation services.

A NUMBER of new jobs are on the way for Shannon, following the expansion of local firm Tekelek in the UK market.

The Tekelek Group have announced the purchase of English-based company Ingenion Design for an estimated € 2 million. It is thought that this investment will help the company to expand into the markets of Europe and further afield and could provide a major springboard for the Clare company.

The company, which already employs 30 people at its Shannon headquarters, is understood to be planning to increase its staff to meet the increased demand expected follow- ing the purchase.

“Ingenion Design is an excellent strategic fit for Tekelek. Since its establishment in 1984, its innovative designs have been recognised by a series of awards under the UK’s Small Firms Merit Awards for Research and Technology (SMART) run by the UK’s Department for Trade and Innovation,” said Tekelek founder and managing director Peter McCarthy.

“Like Tekelek, it has developed many new technologies within its market and beyond through linkages with leading experts and universities. Its latest innovation, a novel method of measuring the calorific value of natural gas, was developed jointly with the research team at British Gas, and it now has an exclusive manufac- turing licence to produce this product for CUI Global.”

The product has already been tested and trialled across Europe, the US, Canada and South America and is set to transform Ingenion, with turnover expected to double in the next two years.

“This acquisition will give Tekelek access to new technologies, new sectors and new markets. Our Shannonbased workforce will expand incrementally over time from its current level of 30 employees,” continued McCarthy.

Tekelek has partnered with distributors In Australia, US, and other world markets. Founded in 1995, the company is a provider of level sensing and tank monitoring solutions for oil, LPG gas and water tanks.

CLARE’S flagship tourist attraction has been targeted by graffiti with the discovery of a large spray-painted mural on the rock of the Cliffs of Moher. A piece of graffiti, measuring roughly eight foot wide and six foot tall, has been discovered on a section of cliff close to Hag’s Head.

The graffiti is located outside of the main tourist centre at the Cliffs of Moher, on a portion of cliff just off the Cliffs Walking Coastal Walking Trail. The identity of the graffiti artist is unknown but he or she could face prosecution if discovered.

The graffiti artist would have had to climb onto a narrow walkway overlooking a sheer 500-foot drop in order to complete the mural.

Because of the porous nature of the sandstone rock which makes up the Cliffs of Moher, it may take years or even decades for the design to be weathered away.

“It’s a real pity that someone felt the need to express themselves in this way and negatively impact on other visitors’ enjoyment of the natural beauty of the area,” said Katherine Webster of the Cliffs of Moher Visitors Experience.

“It [the graffiti] appears to be towards Hag’s Head and off the marked coastal trail, as well as at some considerable distance from the visitor centre. This is well outside of the visitor centre land. The Atlantic wind, rain and sea spray will wear it away over time.

“The Cliffs of Moher are a Special Protected Area and it is possible that, if the person who did this could be identified, they might face action by the National Parks and Wildlife Service [NPWS]. But I imagine identifying them and proving they were the culprit would be a very difficult task.”

The graffiti was discovered by local photographer David Olsthoorn, who was in the area shooting seascapes when he discovered the graffiti.

“It’s not an easy spot to get to. It’s a good 15-minute walk on a zig-zag path down a cliff face. It is muddy and slippery so it’s certainly not the sort of place where you’d expect to see graffiti,” he said.

“It is totally out of place there. It looks like something that should be on an alleyway in a city and certain ly not on natural rock. Personally, I think it’s a good piece of art but I don’t think it’s in the right place. There could be much worse graffiti down there, there could be something totally stupid, but I still don’t think that this is the right setting for something like this.”