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NOT one patient has been treated in the new multi-million euro unit at Ennis General Hospital one month after it was due to open.

It is understood that issues relating to staffing and more minor concerns about equipment are the latest obstacles holding up the process.

At the beginning of July, the HSE outlined a plan to move patients into the unit on a phased basis.

It stated that the first round of patients would be transferred to the 50-bed unit from the second week in July.

This was to be followed by reconfiguration works connecting the existing hospital and the new ward block in late July, a project that was to take approximately six weeks to complete. Once these works are completed, the transfer of patients to the first floor of the new unit was to take place.

It is now one month on from when the first patient was to be moved to the new state-of-the-art wards and there is still no life in the new hospital unit.

The HSE now say, “The 50-bedded unit in Ennis will be opening shortly on a phased basis. The ground floor will be occupied first, which will enable the first floor of the old part of the building to be vacated to facilitate the joining of the new building with the old building. Once this is complete, the first floor of the new building will be occupied.

“We are currently finalising human resource arrangements and awaiting the final pieces of equipment to be delivered to facilitate the opening of the ground floor,” it said.

Clare member of the HSE West Forum, Cllr Tom McNamara (FF) said he was disappointed that the hospital unit was still closed almost 10 months after the builders had handed over the keys to the health authority.

He accused the HSE of “dragging its heels” on the issue.

“I am absolutely amazed that all staffing issues and problems hadn’t been negotiated before this,” he said.

“We need this unit open because we need to bring confidence back to the service and give proper service to the people of Clare,” he added.

A MAN with a Crusheen address, facing charges of allegedly having cannabis for sale or supply is due to appear in court again later this month.

Simon Bracken (45) Cappamore, Crusheen, appeared at a sitting of Ennis District Court on Monday.

Mr Bracken is charged with having cannabis for sale or supply at Ardrahan, Galway on June 13.

Inspector John Galvin made an ap- plication to strike out a new charge brought against Mr Bracken. Judge John O’Neill struck out the new charge.

Inspector Galvin sought a further application to have the existing charge brought against Mr Bracken under the misuse of drugs act adjourned until August 20.

He requested that the accused be remanded to appear again at Ennis District Court on August 20.

Defence solicitor Tara Godfrey told the court that this was her cli- ent’s sixth appearance in court in relation to this charge.

She said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had not issued directions.

Ms Godfrey said her client would consent to a further remand but that an application may be made if directions are not known by August 20.

Inspector Galvin confirmed that the DPP had not yet issued directions in respect of the case.

Asked by Ms Godfrey if the file had been sent to the DPP’s office, Inspector Galvin said he was not in a position to answer as he himself had not been dealing directly with the case.

Judge O’Neill adjourned the case and ordered Mr Bracken to appear again at Ennis District Court on August 20.

He noted that Ms Godfrey had consented to the adjournment and that the defence had forewarned the State that an application might be made if the DPP’s directions are not known by August 20.

KILRUSH’S most senior garda has reassured those who may be the victim of illegal loan sharks that they can meet his colleagues in the strictest confidence. At Thursday morning’s meeting of the Kilrush Joint Policing Committee (JPC), Superintendent Gerry Wall said he was aware of the is- sue of illegal money-lending in the town, but he needed people to come forward and make a statement if an arrest was to be made. He told the committee members that there are two ways open to the Gardaí to tackle the issue – firstly through direct reporting, and secondly throgh the assistance of specialst gardaí based in Dublin. “I have as much access to these specialist gardaí as any of my colleagues. “They are not a million miles away just because they are based in Dublin,” he said. The most direct route to an arrest is through victims and witnesses coming forward. “We are drawing a blank on people reporting this,” he added. The superintendent said he would encourage people affected to come forward and speak to Gardaí in strict confidence. During the last few months, problems associated with illegal moneylending have come to the fore in the West Clare town, with reports of lenders standing outside the post office waiting for payment as borrowers collect social welfare payments. There are also reports of lenders holding on to people’s social welfare cards to ensure payment. Those at the mercy of the moneylenders have said they are not willing to talk about their situation as they are afraid of reprisals. Many who signed up for these exorbitant loans fear the unscrupulous lenders too much to even tell the Gardaí. Gardaí in Kilrush have reassured people, however, that they will meet them in confidence.

THE East Clare community of Ogonnelloe will say a final farewell this morning (Tuesday) to a father of three who drowned following a boating accident on Lough Derg.

Pat Danaher lost his life in the picturesque lake after his 20-foot speedboat capsized on Thursday. It is understood that the boat ran aground after hitting rocks.

It was later found upturned and a search of the waters was immediately carried out. The massive search involved volunteer members of the RNLI, Coast Guard, Civil Defence, Mountshannon Search and Rescue and Killaloe/Ballina Search and Recovery Unit.

Divers from the Killaloe/Ballina Search and Recovery Unit recovered the 44-year-old’s body on Friday.

His death has been described as a tragedy by Parish Priest Donagh O’Meara, who said the whole community was still in shock.

“Pat’s tragic death is an awful loss to his family and the local community. Pat was a great character, larger than life, and the community is still in shock at the news. It’s a terrible tragedy.”

Fr O’Meara was confident that the community would provide support to his widow Pauline and their three young children, Rachel, Laura and Leo.

“There is a fantastic community here in Ogonnelloe and people are great. I know they will all rally around Pauline and the children and Pat’s own family at this terrible time. Many from the community were down in Garrykennedy during the search to show their support for the family,” he said.

Mr Danaher was originally from Ballinacurra Gardens in Limerick, but the painting contractor had set- tled with his young family in Nancy’s Well, Ogonnelloe.

Gardaí and the Marine Casualty Investigation Board are continuing to conduct separate inquiries into his untimely death. Gardaí have confirmed that they are treating the death as a tragic accident.

Requiem Mass will take place this morning in St Mary’s Old Church, Ogonolloe at 11am followed by a private cremation.

Mr Danaher is survived by his wife Pauline and three children Rachel, Laura and Leo, his parents Bridie and Tony, and sisters Monique, Samantha, Sonia and Natasha.

EMPLOYMENT numbers at the Shannon Development managed Free Zone dropped by three per cent in 2011 as the company grappled with the demands of the economic recession, but there are still over 7,700 working in the industrial estate.

The Shannon Development annual report shows that employment numbers were boosted by 406 over the past year, which when measured against job losses of 580 over the same period meant that there was a net loss of 174 for the year.

“Shannon Free Zone is home to over 100 companies and generating almost € 3 billion in annual sales, more than 90 per cent of which are to export markets.

“Despite the economic downturn, Shannon Free Zone continues to be a strong revenue generator for the local economy.

Companies based at the Free Zone collectively contribute over € 600 million to the Irish and Shannon region economies annually in areas such as staff payroll, materials and services.

“While overall employment at the Zone fell 3 per cent year on year, it should be noted that almost 90 per cent of these job losses were the result of downsizing and not closures, enabling Shannon Development to continue working with these companies to identify new market opportunities. The company is encouraged by the slowdown in job losses, reporting a net loss of 174 jobs during the year. Jobs in indigenous companies at Shannon Free Zone continued to grow in 2011, in the past two years indigenous jobs have increased by over 10 per cent from 949 to 1,045,” the annual report adds.

Among the job highlights in 2011 was the announcement by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton of 170 new jobs to be created through a joint partnership between US company ZAGG International Distribution Ltd and Irish company CREGG Logistics.

The jobs are supported by Shannon Development and ZAGG is confident of creating a further 130 jobs over the next four years.

In addition, Bustec, the Shannon Free Zone-based technology firm, announced a $21 million (€ 15 million) contract with US technology firm Lockheed Martin to supply data capture and testing equipment which will be used by the US Navy.

“Considerable progress was made on marketing the Free Zone to potential overseas investors in 2011,” says the annual report.

During the year, Shannon Development succeeded in securing 19 itineraries from prospective new clients for the Shannon Free Zone, seven of which were generated in partnership with IDA Ireland.

“Shannon Development approved financial supports to Shannon Free Zone companies in 2011, which leveraged investments of € 13 million by these companies. A total of 20 Shannon Free Zone companies received Shannon Development support packages across key areas such as R&D, employment, management development, international marketing supports and training.

“These supports illustrate Shannon Development’s commitment to enable Free Zone companies maintain market leadership and underpins their future growth and success,” the reports adds.

THE importance of Clare to the late Maeve Binchy through her unstinting support of the Merriman Summer School for over four decades has been recalled in North Clare this week as the final touches are being put to preparations for the 45th annual event that takes place in Lisdoonvarna from August 15 to 19.

Ms Binchy, who died last week, has a special place in Merriman history, having attended the first ever event in 1968 and, more recently, in 2005, by being commissioned to write a short story to commmemorate the bicentenary of Brian Merriman’s death.

“She wrote a short story called ‘A Week in Summer’. It was about people returning, discovering family connections, after being asked by the Merriman School director, Bob Collins,” revealed Marian O’Callaghan of this year’s organising committee.

“Maeve read the story and we did a live recording of her reading the story and the response to it.

“Brian Farrell wrote the introduction and introduced her on the night in question. It was very special and she had a captive audience in the Spa Wells. She was thrilled with it.

“We got the boolet published and we had a CD of the recording with it. It was brilliant, because it was the very fact that Maeve wrote it especially for the Merriman School and she read it at the school and we recorded it,” added Ms O’Callaghan.

“It’s very, very funny,” recalled Merriman School chairman, Liam Ó Dochartaigh. “It was published in The Irish Times , but then Marian O’Callaghan and Mary O’Flaherty published it along with a CD of Maeve reading it that was recorded by Sean Jordan, who is our sound man,” he added.

“The following year when the book and CD was launched,” recalled Ms O’Callaghan. “Maeve came down and spoke about how thrilled she was to have ‘a Maeve Binchy CD’. It meant a lot to her, because this was her writing her own story, then reading at the Merriman School which she loved,” she added.

PARTS of the mid-west experienced twice the amount of average rainfall during June and July, according to Met Eireann.

Figures for July recorded at Met Eireann’s station at Shannon Airport was 140 per cent of average in July.

Temperatures were also 1.4 per cent lower than average. The highest mean temperature, however, was recorded at Shannon Airport at 14.9 degrees. Met Eireann spokesman Hugh Daly explained that the rainfall for June and July was significantly higher than normal.

He said, “After a wet June and a wet July, we’ve had two pretty bad months. Not record-breaking bad or out of the ordinary like we’ve previously had. In June and July, rainfall recorded at Shannon was 240 per cent of average, which is significant. That’s twice the normal amount of rainfall for the two months.”

Mr Daly continued, “Having one bad month on top of another has really compounded the situation. A constant period of heavy rainfall meant the saturated soils did not have the time to recover. We had low pressure and northerly winds keeping temperatures down and rainfall high.”

“We had no string of pleasant days, it was constantly interrupted by rain. I was looking through the charts there and I couldn’t find one day in where it wasn’t raining in any part of the country. It was always raining somewhere,” he added.

Apart from being bad news for farmers, the poor weather is also contributing to a decline in domestic tourism in the west.

According to Eugene Maher, CEO of Shannon Ferries, the near constant bad weather is convincing many families to cancel short breaks and day trips.

He explained, “The biggest decline has been in domestic traffic. People just can’t afford to go anywhere anymore. People are not taking long journeys, long trips. That’s a consequence of both domestic economic woes, less money in the pocket, as much as it due to the weather. In tandem with the economic downturn, Ireland has probably experienced five of the worst summers in history that has had a huge damaging effect on domestic tourism.”

IT IS waves of a different type that will be emulating from Loophead Lighthouse later this month, as radio enthusiasts broadcast through the local airwaves.

The newly promoted tourist attraction will be amongst hundreds of lighthouses and lightships worldwide to participate in a unique event aimed at promoting public awareness of lighthouses and lightships.

The Limerick Radio Club, comprising members from Clare, Limerick, Kerry and Tipperary, will broadcast non-stop for 48 hours from the West Clare lighthouse on August 18 and 19 as part of the 15th International Lighthouse /Lightship Weekend (ILLW).

During the broadcast, visitors to the lighthouse will be able to listen into communications with some of the other participating ham radio operators broadcasting from 400 other lighthouses and lightships in 50 countries.

The annual event, which is conducted under the sponsorship of the Ayr Amateur Radio Group (AARG) in Scotland, is always held on the third full weekend in August starting at 0001 UTC on Saturday and finishing at 2359 UTC on Sunday.

It also coincides with International Lighthouse Day on the Sunday, an event organised by the Association of Lighthouse Keepers whereby many world lighthouses are open to the public for the day.

Since last year however Loophead Lighthouse has opened its doors to thousands of visitors throughout the summer. Simon Kenny, Chairperson of Limerick Radio Club, said the club was privileged to be allowed to operate from Loophead this year for the very first time.

“We hope to open long distance communications with regions in Asia, through Europe, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. A special QSL Card (confirmation of communication) has been designed to mark the event. Club membership is open to individuals from all walks of life who are interested in radio communications, electronic construction and antenna design. The club will operate two stations, one of which will be at the entrance to the lighthouse so members of the public can listen to some of the transmissions.”

Director of Services for Clare County Council Ger Dollard is responsible for tourism in the county and believes participation in this initiative will help promote Loophead Lighthouse across the world, “while at the same time helps to promote amateur radio and to foster international goodwill”.

THERE have been calls for the Garda helicopter to be deployed in the skies over South East Clare to aid crime prevention in the area.

The suggestion was put forward by local councillor Cathal Crowe (FF) at yesterday’s meeting of the Clare Joint Policing Committee.

According to Cllr Crowe, the banks of the River Shannon are the setting for criminal acts including drinking, drug taking and some sexual activity. He also cited recent incidents of “disgusting” vandalism at a graveyard in southeast Clare.

He said the helicopter has already been deployed over parts of Limerick City “100 yards” from the border with Clare.

Cllr Pascal Fitzgerald (Lab) said that for the cost of deploying the helicopter, two more gardaí could probably be put on patrol in the area.

Chief Supt John Kerin said the helicopter is only deployed for “serious and specific” reasons. He said there is some merit in the proposal and that he would raise it with his colleagues in Limerick.

The issue of underage drinking in public places was also discussed at the meeting. Cllr Fitzgerald said drink bylaws must be enforced par ticularly in residential areas.

JPC Chairman, Clr Joe Arkins (FG) said people are making “regular deliveries” of alcohol are providing drink for profit to youngsters.

Cllr Oliver Garry (FG) said parents must take responsibility for their children.

He said, “A lot of them don’t know where their kids are, what they’re doing, what they’re drinking and what they’re smoking.”

Chief Supt John Kerin said there isn’t a massive problem with “bush drinking” in Clare.

In relation to drinking in public places, Chief Supt Kerin said, “There are many estates and villages where it is not illegal for people to drink in public.”

AN € 80 million bounty is being lost to Clare and the mid-west because of the Football Association of Ireland’s refusal to back the ambitious plans of an Ennis-born entrepreneur to bring the cream of European club soccer to the region.

Damien O’Brien, who hails from the Turnpike area of Ennis and is bringing Manchester City to Thomond Park this Sunday to take on Limerick FC, has blasted the FAI’s commitment to soccer outside Dublin over failing to sanction his plans for a multi-million euro soccer extravaganza in the mid-west.

“I was due to do a tournament in Thomond Park this year – the same weekend that Man City are coming, but the FAI refused the rights to bring four teams into Limerick,” revealed Mr O’Brien.

“It’s ridiculous what went on. It was a four-year deal that I was bringing to Limerick and it would be worth € 80 million into the economy, but the FAI in their own ignorance decided to stop it,” he added.

Thirty-eight-year-old O’Brien was the brainchild behind ‘Football’s Next Star’, the Sky TV programme that has been dubbed “football’s X-Factor” and syndicated to 103 countries around the world. He is the managing director of the Iconic sports agency that’s based in Manchester.

Having been thwarted in his bid to host a tournament in Thomond Park this weekend, he helped secure the services of Manchester City who will take on Limerick FC in a friendly game this Sunday evening at 7pm.

“Being refused for the tournament wasn’t going to deter me,” he revealed. “I had the support of Limerick in this and that’s why it’s happening. Limerick had to go to the High Court to get the right to hold this match. It’s shocking.

“It’s a great showcase for the region, the stadium and for the Limerick players. This is putting soccer in the region in the shop window. This match will air live in over 100 countries, so it’s fantastic for Limerick.

“Manchester City are bringing their full squad – it will be their full line-up and it’s their last pre-season friendly before the Community Shield and Premier League starts,” he added