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CLARE Vocational Educational Committee (VEC) has expressed an interest in becoming patron of a school in Shannon. Shannon has been identified as one of 44 areas nationwide to be surveyed with a view to determining parental preferences regarding school patronage.

Chief Executive Officer George O’Callaghan told the July meeting of Clare VEC that the schools in Shannon to be divested have not been identified.

He said the VEC had previously expressed and interest in the patronage of two primary schools – Mol an Óige (Ennistymon) and Raheen Wood (Tuamgraney).

Committee member Flan Garvey proposed that Clare VEC apply to seek patronage, saying, “We are well capable of being patrons. It would be better than having an outsider coming in that does not have the same experience.” The proposal was seconded and formally adopted.

In response to a question from Cllr Cathal Crowe (FF) on the potential for clashes between Boards of Management and parents over patronage, Mr O’Callaghan said the process “would probably be driven in the main by parental preference”.

He added that Boards of Management would also have a role.

Mr O’Callaghan told the meeting that the survey process would take up to 12 months and that any patronage application would be taken up by the new Local and Education Training Boards, that will replace VECs.

In June, Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn announced an action plan in response to the report of the Advisory Group to the forum on patronage and pluralism in the primary sector.

In a report to members of Clare VEC, Mr O’Callaghan, explained, “It is proposed that surveys will be conducted by the department during the autumn in 44 identified areas with a view to determining parental preferences regarding school patronage in those areas.”

Mr O’Callaghan said that the department is now inviting expressions of interest from bodies who are not already patrons of schools in the 44 areas. He told the meeting that the process is also open to individuals.

He continued, “It will be assumed that all existing school patrons in these areas will wish to continue in this role unless they specifically notify the department to the contrary.”

Expressions of interest should be with the Forward Planning Section on Friday, July 27.

LAHINCH hotelier and head of the Irish Hotel Federation, Michael Vaughan, has withdrawn his calls for an independent investigation into the e-coli outbreak which forced the closure of the Clare’s three main swimming beaches over the weekend.

This comes following the confirmation by Clare County Council that the temporary closure of beaches at Lahinch, Kilkee and Spanish Point was the result of run off from nearby farmland, and not as a result of a breakdown in the sewerage infrastructure in either of the three locations.

Mr Vaughan confirmed that follow a lengthy conversation with County Manager, Tom Coughlan, yesterday, he was satisfied that the sewage treatment plant in Lahinch was not the source of the e-coli.

In a statement to The Clare People last night, a council spokesperson confirmed that it was run off from nearby land and not sewage which caused the e-coli build-up.

“The excessive rainfall in recent weeks was a major contributory factor to the detection of e-coli in the water. Lahinch, Kilkee and Spanish Point beaches are each located in bays, unlike other bathing areas along the west coast of Clare.

“As a result, the run off from land surrounding these beaches became concentrated in enclosed bodies of water resulting in the greater concentration of bacteria levels. The results of water samples taken at beaches which are located at less enclosed locations along the coast did not show such elevated levels.

“The effluent from the wastewater treatment plant in Lahinch has been consistently within the permitted limits for the three main parameters for measuring the discharge of effluent from treatment plants, namely Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and suspended solids, and the plant has capacity to treat the existing town including increased population during holiday periods.

“Neither have there been any untreated overflows from the network during the period in which the water samples resulting in exceedances of the Blue Flag limits were taken at Lahinch beach.”

Clare County Council say they will continue to consult with the HSE as well as carrying out further water quality tests on the effected beaches.

A CLARE-BASED national organization that looks after the interests of over 100 carers groups around the country has rowed in with its support for a new strategy that has been devised by the Government and launched by Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

Caring for Carers Ireland has said that the new strategy called ‘The National Carers Strategy: Recognised, Supported, Empowered’, included commitments from all Government Departments to meet the demands and needs of Ireland’s growing number of family carers of all ages

“As far back as 1988, the Department of Health expressed its desire to enable older people to live with dignity and to be cared for as long as possible in their own homes,” said Mary McMahon, CEO of Caring for Carers Ireland. “24 years on, the Government has produced a strategy that we feel provides the framework that will guide the future of caring in the community and help to support a fair and equitable system for family carers in challenging times.

“There are over 74,000 males and 113,000 females registered as family carers in Ireland, including 4,288 carers under the age of 15, who collectively contribute € 2.5 billion to the national economy each year.”

The new strategy was produced by the Minister For Disability, Equality, Mental Health and Older People, Kathleen Lynch.

Brigid Barron, Innovation and Programme Manager, Caring for Carers Ireland, noted that the publication of the strategy is “timely” as the pressures faced by family carers through- out Ireland have never been greater.

She continued: “The demand for support mechanisms to be put in place for family carers are increasing on a daily basis as a result of early discharges from hospitals, the growing need for long-term care for Ireland’s ageing population and the increase in the numbers of people with complex health issues being cared for in their home by family members. This strategy is geared toward including family carers in care planning and decision making for those that they care for, and the promotion of supports and services to protect the physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing of carers.

“Caring for Carers Ireland, on behalf of its members, now looks forward to a speedy implementation of the proposals outlined in the Strategy,” Ms Barron concluded.

SHANNON’S ability to be transformed into a strategic freight logistics hub that would have direct connections to some of the world’s global logistics centres has been highlighted following a major thinktank that took place in London last week.

The Mid West Regional Authority (MWRA) and the Irish Exporters Association (IEA) have sounded out Shannon’s potential after meeting with international freight logistics experts in London this week to promote the mid-west region as a strategically located and sustainable freight logistics hub.

Through its participation in the EU co-funded Weastflows project, the MWRA chaired the meeting in London to discuss methods to promote the major North West European freight Gateways in terms of their connectivity to other European Gateways and onwards to the major global logistics hubs in the United States and Asia.

“The importance of an effective and well-managed Gateway for freight movements cannot be overstated for a peripheral European region, such as the mid-west,” explained Liam Conneally, Director of the MWRA.

“The Limerick-Shannon Gateway is at the heart of the region and is an important contributor to the economic development of the mid-west. Ireland’s exports continue to rise in 2012, despite the challenges faced by our key export markets, and our exporters rely on an efficient transport system to move their products within the North West Europe area and beyond.

“Furthermore, if Ireland is to meet its commitments in terms of reducing CO2 emissions, the region needs to learn the best methods for en- couraging modal shifts from road to more sustainable forms of freight transport,” he added. “The Weastflows project is seeking to improve and enhance freight logistics in North West Europe on a West-East axis. The project brings together experts from all sectors of the freight industry to work towards connecting and improving sustainable supply chains for the movement of freight. During the recent meeting in the UK, the MWRA promoted the LimerickShannon gateway, which as the most western gateway in the project has a key location for freight movements.”

Linda Newport, EU Projects Officer with MWRA, explained that the benefits for the mid-west region in participating in the Weastflows project include an opportunity to improve the connectivity from the region to the major North West Europe transport corridors, as well as an opportunity to test out the latest in innovative approaches to freight transportation via participation in pilot projects.

“The mid-west region is strategically located on the west coast of Ireland and is an important logistics hub in Ireland with the Shannon Estuary and Shannon International Airport. The Limerick-Shannon gateway is at the heart of the region and is an important contributor to the economic development of the region.

“Through our participation in the Weastflows project, the MWRA will work with the Irish Exporters Association and other partners to establish the Limerick-Shannon gateway as a sustainable gateway and improve links with the Seine gateway, the Liverpool-Manchester gateway and the London-Thames gateway, among others. It is anticipated that the results of the project will feed into the regional planning processes,” she added.

SAINT Joseph’s Education Centre in Ennis was the scene of a new programme for Channel 5 shortly before the unit closed last month under Government financial restrictions.

Staff and students were chuffed to be hosts for the television crew along with Paddy Doherty, celebrity Big Brother winner, and Sally Bercow, wife of the Speaker of the House of Commons, who are central characters in the production. It is being filmed also in Hungary, Spain and Malaysia.

Paddy and the entire company visited other parts of Ireland meet- ing Travellers and researching his heritage in the course of filming. In the Ennis centre, which has been for many years a dedicated facility for Traveller training and education, there were takes such as showing his culinary art in the kitchen.

Paddy and his wife of 34 years, Roseanne, live in England. They have five children and fifteen grandchildren. He says his Irish roots are part of him. The centres in Ireland for Traveller education intrigued him, arousing a desire to get involved with some of the classes.

It was an exciting day at St. Joseph’s and Paddy was very popular among staff and students.

The Channel 5 programme will be screened in September, looking at Traveller and gypsy community life. Last August, Paddy was the third person to enter the ‘Celebrity Big Brother 2011’ house. He made it to the final and was crowned winner, beating Kerry Katona.

In January of this year he appeared in a two-part Channel 5 documen tary, ‘When Paddy met Sally,’ with former Big Brother housemate Sally Bercow.

The Ennis Traveller’s Training Centre was the first in the country. It started as part of a Combat Poverty Programme in 1974. At that time, it was located in the grounds of the Holy Family School, Ennis. In 1982 the centre moved to new building at the Gort road industrial estate.

St Joseph’s, which is located in the Gort Road industrial estate, will close as a traveler only training centre on June 29. The building closed as a traveler only training centre in May.

It is intended that the building will become the first all-purpose skills unit in Ennis.

A CLARE teenager could be on the way to becoming the next Mark Zuckerberg through his creation of PearUp – a new social network based on sports.

Bunratty youngster, Tiernan Kennedy, is currently in New York where he and two of his classmates from Trinity College Dublin have been accepted into a prestigious incubator programme organised by American conglomerate General Electric.

The intensive 10-week incubator course is intended to bring the best and the brightest of young technical stars – in an effort to further their business start-ups. Tiernan, along with his co-company founders Alex Mann and Dermot Markey are the only non-American students accepted to the Manhattan course.

PearUp is a new form of social network which aims to link together people with different sporting interests in different parts of the world. It is operational as a mobile app for smart-phones and works by allowing strangers to meet and play in sporting events together.

While the application is aimed at individuals looking for people to play sports with, it is primarily aimed at sports clubs who can use its software as a virtual booking agency.

When the programme comes to an end of August 17, Tiernan and the rest of the PearUp founders will get a chance to pitch to General Electric executive for the chance to win € 10,000 in start-up capital.

Tiernan nearly missed out on taking part in competition as the PearUp’s entry to the event was only confirmed weeks before the start of the incubator programme – leaving them without enough time to obtain visas to travel to America.

However, after letters were written on their behalf by former Tánaiste, Dick Spring (Lab) as well as US Congressman Todd Akin and highprofile venture capitalist, Will Porteous, they were able to process their visas in just two and a half weeks.

Despite missing out on the first eight days of the programme, Tiernan and the rest of the PearUp team are reported to be competing well with their American counterparts.

For more information on the PearUp website visit www.pearup. tumblr.com.

A BUSINESSMAN has reached an agreement with Clare County Council over fire safety concerns at an apartment block in Ennis.

Oliver Moylan, with an address at Golf Links Road, Ennis, was brought to court after failing to comply with a fire safety notice issued by the Council in January.

The notice was issued to rectify deficiencies at a 10-room apartment building owned by Mr Moylan on O’Connell Street, Ennis.

The court previously heard that an inspection of the premises highlighted a number of deficiencies including inadequate means of escape and the placing of cooking facilities adjacent to doors.

The court had heard that individual apartments were not fitted with fire alarms while there was no central fire alarm for the apartment block. Both systems are required under fire safety regulations. Mr Moylan, who owns the Ennis Cash Company, had been given until last week to agree a schedule of works with the Council.

On Friday, Ennis District Court heard that an agreement had been reached between the parties.

Solicitor for the Council Rachael Leahy said the proposal put forward by the defendant’s engineer was “perfectly acceptable” to her client. She told the court that the fact that the building was now vacant meant the safety notice had been met.

The court heard that the premises are not to be occupied until approved by the fire officer. Ms Leahy made an application for costs. Judge Durcan struck out the matter with no order for costs. Judge Durcan had previously criticised evidence given in court by a Council witness.

Speaking on Friday, Judge Durcan said, “I was very unimpressed by the evidence of Clare County Council. I was quite appalled.”

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BEACH users in North Clare have been asked to be on the look out for a rare barnacle which could revolutionise how some of the most complicated surgeries are carried out.

The rare goose barnacle, or Lepas anatifera, produces what has been described as a “natural underwater superglue” which could significant- ly change how surgeons approach operations if it can be synthetically produced.

A team of scientist from the Zoology Department at NUI, Galway are studying the barnacles adhesive properties – which allow it to attack itself to any surface, even a non-stick pan, in a wet or underwater environment.

The difficulty is that the Lepas anatifera live and breed in open wa- ter and living specimens are rarely found close to the shore. However, the research team has discovered a number of the barnacles alive on Fanore beach in North Clare.

It is as yet unclear why the barnacles seem to favour the beach at Fanore but the NUI, Galway scientists are appealing to anyone using the beach to be on the look-out for the rare animals. The barnacles emit a substance which hardens into a “strong cement” – consisting of a mixture of several proteins. The scientists hope to study the glands which the barnacles use to produce these proteins.

“We humans haven’t managed to create glues that can be used successfully in wet environments, but nature has done it over and over again,” said Jaimie-Leigh Jonker, who is involved in the research.

“Underwater adhesion is a largely non-existent technology and would be of particular benefit in medicine.

“In the course of surgical procedures mechanical attachments such as staples and stitches are often used, but strong glue that could be used in a wet environment and not damage living tissue would be far more suitable for many procedures.”

Anyone who comes across a suspected live goose barnacle is asked to call 091 493191 or visit facebook. com/TheAmazingGooseBarnacle.

A MAN described as a “good skin when he’s not fuelled up on drugs” has been sentenced to five months in prison for the theft of power tools from a garage in Kilrush earlier this year.

At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Jonathan Kenny (23), with an address at 1 Elm Drive Kilrush, pleaded guilty to theft of the items from a shed alongside a family home at Cappa Road, Kilrush on April 4.

Detective Garda Donal Corkery of Kilrush Garda Station told the court that Mr Kenny was spotted entering woods in Kilrush with items taken from the shed.

All of the property was recovered and Mr Kenny made a full admission to gardaí. The court heard that the garage was unlocked at the time.

Detective Corkery said that Mr Kenny has a total of 41 previous convictions. Solicitor Michael Ryan said the offence had been carried out in a “haphazard and disorganised” manner. He said that all of the items had been recovered. Mr Ryan said the murder of his client’s older brother in Kilrush in 2009 had a major effect on him. He said that Mr Kenny has a “very serious drug habit.”

He added, “When Jonathan Kenny is not fuelled up on drugs he is a relatively good skin, and I think the gardaí would agree on that point.”

He told the court that his client’s personal circumstances had been made more difficult by the availability of drugs in Kilrush. Mr Ryan said that despite the best efforts of gardaí in the West Clare town, “there is a willing availability of drugs”, a point acknowledged in court by Detective Corkery.

Mr Ryan added, “Given the circumstances, I do think the deck was stacked against him.”

He said there are situations in Kilrush where dealers are coming to people’s doors to push drugs on them.

“And then you get into trouble when you don’t have the money to pay for them”, he added. He urged the Court in passing sentence, to consider offering Mr Kenny “some light at the end of the tunnel.”

Judge Patrick Durcan said that he did not view life in terms of tunnels. “I see life in terms of day and night and in terms of good and evil”, he said. Judge Durcan said people are entitled to live their lives in peace and tranquility and to leave their tool sheds unlocked.

Referring to Mr Kenny’s offence, Judge Durcan said, “He was very anxious to get the goods that he had had stolen and he was eager to get them out of the way.”

He imposed a five-month prison sentence. Recognances were fixed in the event of an appeal.

Judge Durcan added, “I want the message to go out, not to the good skins of Kilrush, but to the bad skins that they will be met by this court with the harshest of penalties.”