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RESIDENTS of a Spanish Point housing estate have been “left in limbo” with a dysfunctional sewage system which has contributed to Spanish Point beach losing its blue flag.

That is according to councillors at yesterday’s Ennistymon Area Meeting of Clare County Council, with local Cllr Michael Hillery (FF) requesting that Clare County Council take the WestPart development in charge.

“The council have paid a private contractor to remove sewerage from this estate on at least four occasions over the last 18 months. This treatment plant is not working properly and is a health hazard in the area,” said Cllr Hillery.

“It is also very close to Spanish Point beach which, unfortunately, does not have a Blue Flag at the moment.

“Unfortunately, the bond which was put in place for this estate has elapsed. So there is no longer a bond in place to pay for this situation to be resolved.

“It states that Clare County Council cannot use funding or the lack of funding as an excuse not to take an estate in charge.

“The cost to Clare County Council of de-sludging this treatment plant is going to be more and more as this goes on.

“We would ask that Clare County Council take on this estate and al- low the residents to live a life that is reasonable and acceptable in this day and age.”

Responding to the motion, a council spokesperson confirmed that an application to take the estate in charge is currently being considered.

The spokesperson also confirmed that legal action under the Water Pollution Act is listed for hearing in the District Court on February 22.

“This is also an estate where the people living there do have to pay the household charge. That is a very big issue for the people in this estate,” said Cllr Hillery.

“A number of estates around the country have been exempted – but this one hasn’t. That is an issue for the residents.

OFFICIAL records show that four times more people from Clare died by suicide than on the county’s roads last year, and those working in the field of suicide prevention say the number in reality is much higher.

Yesterday (Monday) there were seven cases of suspected suicide listed for the coroner’s court relating to deaths last year.

Preliminary figures from the CSO suggest that there were eight deaths by suicide in 2011, but local Resource Officer for Suicide Prevention Bernie Carroll maintains that when the preliminary figures are finalised they will be higher.

She also pointed to the number of undetermined deaths recorded every year, including drowning and gun shot wounds, many of which are thought to be people taking their own lives.

“A number of road traffic accidents in Ireland are considered to be suicide but that is difficult to prove so it is returned as an undetermined death,” she said.

Suicide is the leading cause of death in men aged 15- to 34 years in Ireland, accounting for a quarter of all deaths in this age group.

The rate of suicide in Clare is aver- aged at 13 per 100,000 of the population, making it the 10th highest county in Ireland for deaths of this nature. And while young men remain the most likely to die by suicide, the number is increasing across the age demographic.

“Information coming from the CSO would suggest we could expect a rise in suicide for young women,” warned Ms Carroll.

On average there are 500 suicides in Ireland every year, but when the figure includes undetermined deaths that number is as high as 600.

As many as 1.5 per cent of all deaths are thought to be suicide.

As well as dealing with cases of suicide, emergency services in Clare dealt with 16 attempted suicides in the Ennis district, four times more than death by suicide, last year.

Ireland has had the highest increase in suicide. The number of people dying by suicide in Ireland began to rise significantly in the 1970s and peaked in 1998. As many as 80 percent of those that die from suicide in Ireland every year are men.

Ms Carroll explained that the break down is best explained by the methods each gender is more likely to use when taking their own lives.

The majority of male suicides in Ireland were by hanging, while women were more likely to overdose on drugs giving emergency services time to save them.

Ms Carroll also works to make people aware of intentional self-harm.

While the country has a National Register for “self harm” the majority of people who hurt themselves do not present for any medical assistance.

“It is important to note that not everybody who engages in self harm wants to die. Roughly 600,000 people engage in self harm but the majority do not seek help as it is very much secret.”

While more women that men self harmed in the past, latest studies show that the number of men selfharming has increased.

MANY mourners from Kilkee are expected to travel to Dundalk today (Tuesday) and tomorrow to support the popular Deloughrey family during the funeral of murdered Garda Adrian Donohoe.

The brave Garda detective was married to Caroline Deloughrey, a fellow Garda who came from a family that served the State as members of the force, and assisted the local community through volunteer organisations and life-saving bodies.

Gda Donohoe was shot in cold blood on Friday night last as he escorted a cash collection to a raid on a credit union in Lordship in Dundalk, just miles from where he lived with Caroline and their two young children, Amy and Niall.

His horrific death in the line of duty shocked the nation at the weekend, but resonated even more deeply in the seaside town that he and his family visited regularly, staying with Caroline’s parents Stephen (Stevie) and Bridie.

Neighbours of the Deloughrey family remember fondly the man described as “a gentle giant, a very nice person, very confident, honest, reliable and hard-working”, who had married the love of his life in their local church. The devoted dad was often seen on the beach playing with his young family, supporting his bother-in-law Derek when he togged out for St Senan’s or having a quiet drink with his fatherin-law in O’Mara’s or Marrinan’s.

“Stevie and Bridie would be well known by everyone here. We are just devastated for their daughter Caroline,” said one neighbour.

Another neighbour added, “Caroline is a lovely lady. Everyone here is heartbroken for her.”

The family is well known in the area including Caroline’s three brothers, Derek, John and Kieran. Derek is a garda sergeant based in Limerick and Kieran has been credited with saving many lives through his years of work with Kilkee Marine Rescue Service.

The Deloughrey family have spent the weekend comforting Caroline and her two children, and now the people of Kilkee, including members of the Church choir who sing with Bridie and members of the local rescue service, will travel to show their support for the popular family.

Clare people wishing to sympathise with Gda Donohoe’s family, friends and colleagues can do so by signing a book of condolences at Ennis Garda Station, where Caroline’s sister-in-law is serving as a Garda.

OVER € 31,000 was donated through the Court Services in Clare last year to local groups in the community, healthcare and volountary sector. The funds were handed out to 28 groups as part of the 2012 court poorbox payout.

Instead of imposing a conviction, a district court judge can order that the defendant donate a sum to a charity nominated by the judge.

The St Vincent de Paul and Bushypark treatment centre were among the main beneficiaries of poorbox orders made by Judge Patrick Du- rcan last year. The SVP in Ennis and Kilrush received payments of € 5,000 and € 3,000 respectively.

The St Vincent de Paul operates 14 teams throughout the county, providing support and assistance to harpressed individuals and families. SVP’s ‘Carefully Chosen Fashions’ shop is located at 84, Parnell St. Ennis. The Clare SVP administrative office is located overhead the shop.

The shop is staffed by volunteers and provides training for FÁS and Community Employment (CE) scheme participants.

BushyPark Treatment Centre for people addicted to alcohol, drugs and gambling received € 2,000

The Ennis office of Rape Crisis Midwest and TLC 4 Cystic Fibrosis each received € 1000.

The full list of recipients and the amounts received are listed below: Glebe House Kilrush (€ 500); Kilkee Marine Rescue (€ 500); Regina House Kilrush (€ 500); Rape Crisis Midwest, Ennis office (€ 1000); Breakthrough Cancer Research, Cork (€ 1000); Tipperary Limerick Clare for Cystic Fibrosis (TLC4CF) (€ 1000); Acquired Brain Injury Ireland (€ 1000); Foroige Youth Scariff (€ 1000); AMEN (€ 500); Aisling Group International (€ 500); Killaloe / Ballina Community and Family Resource Centre (€ 500); Clare Crusaders (€ 500); Clarecare (€ 1000); Bushy Park Treatment Centre (€ 2000); Cahercalla Hospice (€ 2000); The Samaritans (€ 1000); St Vincent de Paul, Ennis (€ 5000); St Vincent de Paul, Kilrush (€ 3000); Poor Clare Sisters, Ennis (€ 1000), Garda Suíochana Benevolent Trust Fund (€ 2000); Solicitors Benevolent Trust Fund (€ 2000); Clare Haven (€ 500); Alzeimher’s Society, Clare Branch (€ 500); Doolin Search and Rescue (€ 500); Killaloe/Ballina Search and Rescue (€ 500); St Joseph’s Training Centre (€ 500); Home Share Clare (€ 500); St Caimins Search and Rescue, Mountshannon (€ 500)

FISHING groups opposed to the construction of a large fish farm off the Clare coast say that they will mobilise 5,000 protesters to picket a commercial fishing expo due to take place in Galway in March.

The Irish Skippers’ Expo is a large commercial fishing expo, featuring up to 130 stands from local and international maritime and fishing industries. The event is being sponsored by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), who are currently applying to the Department of Agriculture for a licence to construct the fish farm.

More than 100 delegates from anglers and environmental groups attended a meeting last week and decided to target the second day of the Irish Skippers’ Expo, Saturday March 2, for the protest. An umbrella group called Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages or GBASC, has been formed to coordinate the mass protest.

The BIM project, which is planned for five miles off the Fanore coast, would produce up to 15,000 tonnes of organic grade farm salmon a year or effectively double Ireland’s farm salmon output.

BIM claim than as many as 500 local jobs could be created through the project, with 350 jobs coming directly through the operation and maintenance of the farm and a further 150 jobs through support industries locally.

The projects has come in for some criticism with government agency Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) coming out against it, disputing BIM’s figures for job creation and the amount of pollution which will be produced.

GBASC spokesperson, Michael Canney, last week claimed that the salmon farm would produce more waste than the entire population of Clare – or 150,000 people.

BIM CEO, Jason Whooley said the € 60 million project presents a major market opportunity for Ireland and said that people’s fears were real but unfounded.

“Organic salmon farming means there is 99 per cent water and one per cent salmon in the enclosure – very low stocking densities, which will further minimise any potential impact on the receiving environment,” he said. “It is time now to move forward together to seize this huge opportunity for Ireland before it slips from our grasp.”

A NEW Clare group, designed to help the parents of children with special needs, is helping vulnerable Clare families to come together and fight for their children’s rights.

The Clare Special Needs Parents Support Group was formed by Catherine Bourke in August of last year and already has more than 80 registered members.

Catherine, who is also a member of the DCA Warriors – a nationwide group that focuses solely on protecting families who have access to the Domiciliary Care Allowance – says that the success of the group shows how much of a need there really was for the group in the first place.

“It’s a place where parents can come if they have issues, if they need advice or if they just need to clear their head if they are having a bad day.

“It is a safe environment for parents to meet up.

“Everyone is vetted so everyone can feel comfortable sharing their own situation. It has been an amazing success so far,” said Catherine.

“The page is always there on Facebook and we have our coffee mornings.

“It gives parents of children with special needs a place to mix but it also gives the children a place to mix.

“The children don’t often establish friendships very well so this is an opportunity for them to get together.

“It can be a scary prospect for parents of newly-diagnosed children and something like this can really allow them to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Catherine is also member of the DCA Warriors, a group that has been fighting to retain Domiciliary Care Allowance for parents of children with special needs in Ireland.

“The system is no longer fair for the DCA allowance.

“You basically have to go out and prove absolutely that your child is in need, far and above the needs of other children.

“You can have a child with a full diagnosis but you still have to fight to receive your DCA,” continued Catherine.

“If you don’t receive your DCA, you also lose your Carers Allowance. So this is a massive threat hanging over a lot of familes. T

“hey [the Department of Social Protection] have taken DCA away from so many parents – but [that] doesn’t take away the disability.”

To find out more about either group, search for “Clare Special Needs Parents Support Group” or “DCA Warriors” on Facebook.

CLARE’S most senior garda has said policing will not suffer in the county, provided there are no further cuts to garda numbers. Eight garda stations in Quin, Inagh, Lahinch, Broadford, Mountshannon, Doonbeg, Kilmihil and Labasheeda will close at the end of the month prompting concern in some quarters about the effect on rural areas of the county.

Senior gardaí have met with communities in recent weeks, while last week a majority of members of Clare County Council voted in favour of a motion calling on the Minister for Justice to reverse the closures.

Councillors also agreed on a motion from the Chairman of the Clare Joint Policing Committee, Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) that said in the event of any station closures, all additional resources be allocated to mobile garda patrols.

A total of 48 gardai have left the Clare division since March 2010, including two superintendents and one detective inspector. No superintendent has been appointed to replace Supt Peter Duff who left his post in Ennis to return to Dublin last July. Crime levels have fallen in Clare by 33 per cent since 2008 but, speaking last week, Chief Superintendent John Kerin warned that the force in Clare would struggle to cope with any further reductions in resources.

He said, “We’ll play with the hand we’re dealt. I’m confident (we can continue to provide effective policing to rural areas), providing we don’t lose any more resources. We’re stretched.”

A reduction in the opening hours of district garda stations has also been proposed. Mr Kerin said it is possible that stations in Killaloe and Ennistymon could close between the hours of 9pm and 7am.

He explained, “The reality is that these stations have very few calls after 9pm. There are cases where guards are not being deployed to the full benefit of the communities they serve. It’s far more beneficial to the community to have guards doing checkpoints and other duties than being deskbound.”

Mr Kerin said that as 999 emergency calls are routinely directed to Ennis first, before being diverted to the relevant areas, there would be no delay in service in the event of station hours being scaled back.

The issue of station closures was to be discussed at yesterday’s meeting of the Clare Joint Policing Committee (JPC). That meeting was adjourned as a mark of respect to Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. The meeting will now take place on March 4.

FORMER Clare psychiatric nurse and chairman of the HSE West Forum Committee Tom McNamara has raised concerns that the psychiatric nurse specialising in assessing patients out of hours is often redeployed due to staffing issues in other areas of the mid west region’s hospitals.

The liaison mental health nurse is appointed in the area’s three hospitals, including Ennis, to assess people presenting with mental health issues between 4pm and 3am and at weekends.

Cllr McNamara said that these ex- perienced nurses are also familiar with the case of many patients of the mental health service who may call out of hours, and this experience plays a vital role.

“The crisis nurse [liaison nurse] would know some patents straight away and would be able to access them there and then. If the nurse is not available an ambulance may have to be sent out unnecessarily to bring the patient in,” he said.

“The system works well when the nurse is there. He or she then puts the information into the system, and the day hospital the patient attends knows the following morning that there had been an issue the night before,” he said.

“At a time when suicide is so prevalent it is disappointing that the HSE is taking out crisis nurses to fill in vacancies within the system.”

The former nurse said that while he was disappointed that the “crisis nurse” was often moved on to the hospital floor leaving the position vacant, he encouraged anyone concerned about their mental health to ring the hospitals or Shannondoc if it is out of hours, as there is still help available through the psychiatric services.

“I would encourage people to call and that there is help out there and there is a way out of it [feeling of depression],” he added.

THERE is immediate help for people with suicidal intentions, thoughts or people who may have attempted to take their own lives 24 hours a day, seven days a week in Clare.

According to the HSE this service is provided out of hours through the region’s accident and emergency service as a liaison mental health nurse liaises between the emergency service and the mental health serv ices.

Bernie Carroll, Resource Officer for Suicide Prevention, said the nurse is available from 4pm to 3am through A&E at the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Limerick.

In Ennis however as the A&E is no longer available 24 hours a day, the liaison nurse is available from 4pm until 8pm through the A&E department.

The nurse can then be contacted through the out of hours GP service – Shannondoc after 8pm.

Ms Carroll said that even outside of these hours people should present to the hospitals and the psychiatrist on call will see them.

The liaison nurse or psychiatrist will then assess the patient and the most appropriate course of action for the individual is taken.

Ms Carroll added that if anyone is worried about their mental health however, the best person to call is their local GP.

The GP will then treat the patient or refer him or her to the mental health services.

As well as seeking help through the GP or the accident and emergency services, there are direct counselling options – either privately or through voluntary organisations such as Pieta House, Life Suicide Prevention Helpline, Console, Living Links, Samaritans and Red Ribbon Project.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number is 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

THE number of older people in the county dying by suicide has increased and is likely to increase further.

That is according to the HSE’s Suicide Prevention programme, which is now targeting this group for special consideration.

HSE teams in Clare and throughout the mid-west have begun working with groups and organisations that work specifically with older people, educating them on suicide prevention and informing them where help can be found.

Figures show that while young men remain the highest group at risk from death by suicide, there is also an increase in the number of people taking their own lives after the age of 60 years old.

Bernie Carroll, Resource Officer for Prevention of Suicide in the mid west region, said that as the population continues to get older this will become even more of an issue and so the HSE is moving now to educate the relevant groups.

It is also providing education in schools and in the community.

The stigma attached to this type of death however has meant that public information evenings have been left empty as people fear being seen asking about the topic explained Ms Carroll.

“There is a lot of fear and hysteria in a community after a death by suicide. The difference between suicide and other deaths is the intensity of the emotions because we don’t know why any one person took their own life,” she said.

Early intervention and preventative measures is the best way forward according to the expert.

She explained that as many as 80 per cent of people who took their own live, looked for help at some point. A further 80 per cent had alcohol or drugs in their system at time of death.