Author: admin

ISSUES such as stress, depression and rural isolation were on the agenda of the Clare IFA meeting which took place in Ennis last week. Despite the largely positive economic news for many of the county’s farmers in recent years, the local farming community is still in the high risk category when it comes to a number of mental health issues.

With a large increase in the number of people emigrating over the past three years, rural isolation, especially in underpopulated sections of North and West Clare, is a major problem for the Clare farming community at present.

The IFA’s National Chairperson of the Farm Family Committee, Margaret Healy, spoke at the meeting and informed the Clare farmers of the IFA’s recent involvement in the See Change programme. See Change aims to create a situation where every person in Ireland can be open and positive about their own and others’ mental health. The primary focus of the programme is on young men and on the farming community, said the Farm Family Chairperson.

The IFA have just published as new booklet for members entitled ‘Let’s Talk Dealing with Stress’ and Margaret encouraged all Clare farm families to read the booklet and seek help and support as soon as possible if they themselves, a family member or a neighbour is in need.

A large emphasis was also placed on farm safety with County Chairman, Michael Lynch, encouraging all Clare farm families to make farm safety a priority for 2012 farming season.

The meeting was also addressed by IFA Economist, Rowena Dwyer, who told the meeting that, in the medium term, commodity prices are expected to remain firm due to increasing global demand, with many positive opportunities for Irish food producers into the future.

However, Dwyer stressed that mac- ro-economic uncertainty will lead to price volatility in the long term and Irish farmers could be exposed to income fluctuation. The IFA are lobbying to secure measures in the review of CAP that will lessen the severity of price volatility for farmers the meeting was informed.

On the public finances, there is continued pressure on funding for farm schemes and farm investment programmes with a government deficit projected to be in excess of € 13.5 billion in 2012. The IFA are continuing to highlight the necessity for farm schemes as stimulus to increase exports and underpin employment in rural Ireland.

A MAN has been convicted of the burglary of Ennis Golf Club last year.

Paul Daly (22) with an address at 13B Considine Road, Ennis, pleaded guilty to charges of burglary, theft and handling a stolen prescription pad at Ennis District Court last week.

Insp John Galvin told the court that gardaí found the accused on the premises of Ennis Golf Club on February 20, 2011, after they responded to a burglary call.

He said that on November 4, 2011, Daly was observed on CCTV getting into a parked car outside the Snack Shack at Abbey Street car park. He was approached by gardaí who not- ed that he was wearing gloves, the court heard.

On November 14, 2011, the court heard, gardaí received a call that a prescription pad had been stolen and given back to the Family Medical Centre in Ennis.

Insp Galvin said the accused was identified and subsequently arrested.

Solicitor Tara Godfrey said her client found the prescription pad, made use of it and returned it to the doctor who then telephoned the gardaí.

In relation to the incident outside the Snack Shack, Ms Godfrey said the owner had been in the back of the premises getting ready to open. She said the van was open and her client entered it looking for a roll because he was hungry. She said it wasn’t his intention to steal the car.

In relation to the burglary at Ennis Golf Club, Ms Godfrey said that while her client had been on the premises when the gardaí arrived, “he certainly did not make away with anything”. Ms Godfrey said all of these offences were committed in the “context of a serious drug addiction”. She said her client had commenced a methadone programme and is getting on well with it.

Judge Aeneas McCarthy convicted Daly on the burglary charge and sentenced him to eight months in prison, taking into account his guilty plea. He imposed a further two-month sentence to be served consecutive to the previous sentence.

Recognances were fixed in the event of an appeal.

EXPECTANT mothers in Clare remain concerned about the health of their unborn babies this week, as HSE management and health care professionals disagree about safety at the Limerick Maternity Hospital.

A senior consultant at the Mid Western Maternity Hospital warns that mothers and their newborn babies may die due to an impending staffing crisis for which the HSE is not prepared.

The HSE argues, however, that it has a contingency plan in place.

Consultant Obstetrician Dr Gerry Burke said that as many as 47 mid- wives will take early retirement next month to secure pensions, leaving the hospital seriously short staffed.

There are currently just over 200 midwives working at the busy hospital, and it has been struggling with the large increase in births over the past five years, according to Dr Burke.

“No plans to deal with the shortfall have been presented by the HSE or the Department of Health. The shortfall of over 20 per cent of midwifery staff will diminish the quality of maternity care these women and babies receive,” said Dr Burke.

The hospital provides care to more than 6,000 women and about 5,200 newborn infants every year in the mid-west region, including County Clare.

The HSE maintain a contingency plan has been put in place, but are not forthcoming with the details of that plan.

“Contingency plans are being developed to cover any gaps that may arise in staffing as a result of midwives retiring at the end of February. It is not possible at present to say exactly how many will be leaving at the end of the grace period as staff still have a chance to change their minds,” the HSE spokesperson said.

“Many of these contingency plans are at an advanced stage.

“There are long-term plans for building a new maternity hospital on the campus of the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle. In the interim, over € 3 million has been spent upgrading facilities at the Ennis Road hospital including the neonatal department, new theatre, three labour wards and admissions unit,” she added.

Meanwhile, nurses and midwives at the Maternity Hospital in Galway will meet today (Tuesday) to discuss staffing issues there.

While it is understood that the shortage of midwives in Galway may not be as serious as in Limerick following the expected retirements in February, there are concerns about the loss of specialist nurses, such as those in the neo-natal department.

HUNDREDS of families in Clare are unknowingly living with a silent killer with Ennis being a particular black spot for high concentrations of the cancer-causing gas radon, .

According to leading scientists hundreds of Clare homes with high levels of the gas go undetected. As many as 22 homes in the county have been found to have high levels of radon in the last seven months, with two, in Newmarket and Ennis, found to have more than five times the acceptable level. Radon levels above what is considered safe were also found in homes in Clarecastle, Sixmilebridge, Ballymurtagh, Kilkishen, Killaloe, and Ruan

AT LEAST 12 school principals are to leave their posts in Clare over the coming weeks, along with well over 30 teachers, as the primary school secto r in the county struggles to cope with the volume of retirements.

A special investigation carried out by The Clare People last week has revealed that more than 1,000 years of collective teaching experience is to be lost to the schools of Clare at a stroke in February, as a host of teachers call time on their teaching careers ahead of the February 29 pension deadline as set out in the Croke Park agreement. The Clare People last week contacted each of the county’s 145 primary schools in an effort to establish the scale of the retirements. More than 100 schools responded to the survey, with schools in North Clare, the Shannon area and Ennis the worst hit by the retirements. Primary schools in one area of North Clare will see a massive principal turnover, with Michael O’Connor (Moy), Kevin Glynn (Lahinch), Declan Kelleher (Corofin) and John Hehir (Lisdoonvarna) all retiring. John Reynolds (Liscannor) will be retiring at the beginning of this school year and Michael Canavan (Ballyvaughan) took up a position at a Galway school earlier this year.

Former Clare hurling manager, Ger Loughnane, is also to retire from his principal’s role at St Aidan’s in Shannon, while two other principals in the area will also retire.

Meanwhile as worried teachers gathered at the West County Hotel Ennis on Monday to discuss the impending loss of mainstream positions in rural schools across the county, it was accepted that the two one teacher schools in Clare are about to be a thing of the past.

The educators are instead fighting to sustaining adequate number of teachers in schools with less than 86 pupils.

General Secretary of the INTO Sheila Nunan said the proposals had caused unnecessary fear and anxiety in rural Ireland because they lack any overall plan or proposal for sustainable small schools.

Clare INTO Executive and Mullagh NS principal Sean McMahon said; “It is particularly difficult to accept for rural communities and small schools to absorb these amazing changes at this point and time considering we just paid € 1.25 billion to a failed bank and those that control it.”

CANNABIS herb valued at € 2,700 was discovered during a Garda search of woods near Newmarketon-Fergus, a court has heard.

The detail emerged at Ennis District Court last week where a 20-year-old man pleaded guilty to having cannabis for sale or supply.

Shane Purtell, with an address at 18 Marian Avenue, Ennis, was arrested by Gardaí after an intelligence-led search at Mooghaun, Newmarketon-Fergus on October 9 (2010). The court heard that the accused had weighing scales and moneybags in his possession.

Insp Dermot O’Connor told the court that the accused was brought to Ennis Garda Station and, during his detention there, he admitted that the cannabis found in the woods was his. Insp O’Connor said the cannabis was valued at € 2,700.

Solicitor Stephen Nicholas said his client had co-operated fully with Gardaí and made a full admission.

He said his client came from a wellknown family in Ennis and never had any involvement in drugs.

Mr Nicholas added, “He fell into drugs due to unemployment. This was his first attempt to go into dealing.” He explained that the incident had served as a wake-up call to his client. He said Purtell had been accepted on a pre-treatment programme Bushypark but had declined the place as he had secured employment through FAS.

He said his client urine analysis would show that his client is drugand alcohol-free. “He was a man of excellent prospects until he got sucked into this spiral,” he added.

Judge Aeneas McCarthy adjourned the matter until March 14 for the preparation of a report by the probation and welfare service.

AN Ennis man with a “serious drink problem” stole two mobile phones from the solicitor’s bar-room in Ennis Courthouse, a court has heard.

Jamie Clune (34), with an address at 4 Bridge View, Roslevan, Ennis, pleaded guilty to theft and public order offences at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

The court heard that the accused took two phones from the courthouse bar-room on April 5 (2011).

Insp Tom Kennedy told the court that Clune was later questioned and admitted his involvement in the theft.

Insp Kennedy said the phones were sold to an unknown person and had not been recovered.

Court documents showed that the phone belonged to barristers Stephen Coughlan BL and Patrick Marrinan.

In relation to the public order charge, Insp Kennedy said Gardai were forced to arrest Clune after he behaved aggressively in the Market area of Ennis on November 5 (2011).

He said the accused had 99 previous convictions, mainly for public order and intoxication offences.

Solicitor Tara Godfrey told the court that her client had behaved in a drunk and disorderly fashion last November, following a row with his sister.

She said Clune has a “serious drink problem”.

She added, “He’s quite an intelligent man who has had a sad upbringing and has used alcohol to cloud the memory”.

Ms Godfrey said her client is now clean and sober.

The court heard that the accused is currently serving a sentence.

Judge Aeneas McCarthy convicted Clune and sentenced him to six months in prison.

Recognances were fixed in the event of an appeal.

CLARE farmers can look forward to another 12 months of decent farming conditions, with the level of growth likely to maintain steady into 2012. That is according to a new study released by Teagasc last week which indicated that the next 12 months will be a period of consolidation for local farmers.

The Teagasc Outlook 2012 Report found that the prospects for Irish agriculture, while still broadly positive, are not as good as they were at the beginning of 2011. The forecast for the sector as a whole remains highly dependent on circumstances in the wider EU and in the developing world.

Higher agricultural commodity prices over the last two years have made most sectors of Irish agriculture more profitable and farmers around the world have responded by increasing production.

However, with the EU likely to enter recession for a period in 2012 and the US economy also struggling, demand for agricultural commodities in advanced economies may weaken in 2012. This is likely to create a situation where most agricultural commodity prices fall slightly in 2012.

According to Teagasc economist Trevor Donnellan, little change is expected in overall production costs for most sub-sectors of agriculture, with lower feed prices being offset by increased fertilizer prices. “Overall, most Irish farmers are likely to experience a decline in profitability in 2012, but the sector will remain in a much better position than it was at the onset of the recession,” he said.

The pig sector, which endured considerable losses in 2011 due to high pig feed prices, is likely to be an exception to the general trend for 2012. Teagasc pigs specialist Michael McKeon said that profitability in the pig sector is set to be restored in 2012 as pig prices rise and the cost of feed decreases.

Despite these warnings, the ICMSA’s newly appointed beef chairman is optimistic about the price of beef in 2012. “The first thing to note is that farmers producing beef have been operating in a loss-making situation for many years and current prices are required to keep the farm business viable,” said Michael Guinan.

“Farmers are now operating in a more positive environment but that progress is coming from a very low base over the last decade and we should also acknowledge that we operate in an increasingly volatile market strongly influenced be outside factors, such as the current economic crisis.”

CLARE farmers could find farming “unworkable” if some of the suggested new CAP reforms are pushed through in their current form. That was the opinion of the ICSA president Gabriel Gilmartin, who warned EU Agriculture Commissioner, Dacian Ciolos, that his proposed reforms of the Common Agriculture Policy were too “revolutionary” and far too disruptive to Irish farming.

Ciolos was in Dublin last week for a number of meeting with the Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney (FG) and representatives of the Irish farming organisations.

“While there may be a welcome for a greener, more equitable CAP in theory, ICSA is concerned that, in practice, the Commissioner’s reforms are too revolutionary and will simply be unworkable in Ireland,” he said.

“The moving to a flat rate payment and the introduction of a greening top-up has the potential to severely stunt the growth of successful and productive farms in the country.

“We cannot have a fair reform that imposes severe cuts on family-sized farms. Due to spiralling input costs, the average farmer is now more reliant than ever on their single farm payment (SFP) from the EU.

“Strong factory prices are being counteracted by the rising costs of fuel and other operational costs, therefore excessive cuts in the SFP has the potential to drive farm families out of agriculture.”

Speaking after the visit, Minister Coveney said that he impressed upon the Commissioner the key CAP reform priorities for Ireland.

“The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy will set the policy framework for Irish and EU agriculture, so it is important that we get it right. I have told Commissioner Ciolos today that the first priority from an Irish perspective is to secure the maximum possible funding from the EU budget negotiations in order to provide for a strong and well-resourced CAP,” he said.

“The second priority is to ensure that Ireland’s funding for both direct payments and rural development is maintained at current levels. In addition, we must provide the maximum possible flexibility for Member States to implement the payment models and transitional arrangements that best suit their farming conditions.”

The minister emphasised the commitment of both Ireland and the Commission to sustainable intensification of production, responsible environmental stewardship and the maintenance of a vibrant rural economy.

DRIVERS and pedestrians in Ennis have been urged to be vigilant after two accidents on the Clare Road in just over a week.

A fourth-year student from St Flannan’s College escaped serious injury when he was struck by a car on a stretch of road between Captain Mac’s Cross and the Turnpike.

The incident occurred at lunchtime last Thursday. The student received medical treatment.

Deputy Principal John Minogue explained that the student was brought to hospital but that the school had not received a report of any serious injury.

Another teenager was injured 10 days ago by a car exiting the carpark of the West County Hotel. An ambulance was called to the scene.

The incidents have led to calls for greater vigilance and awareness on routes around Ennis.

Road Safety Officer with Clare County Council, Barry Keating, said yesterday that there is an onus on both drivers and pedestrians to be aware of the dangers, particularly at busy periods of the day.

“In general, we would ask people to be extra vigilant and to pay extra attention, particularly around schools. There are a lot of people exiting schools at lunchtime and we would ask drivers to be cognizant of this.”

He added, “This applies to pedestrians too but in general we would always say to drivers to be extra vigilant when they are driving past schools, especially at lunchtime. when you have a large number of people looking to cross the road.”

Concern was also expressed yesterday over bus- and car-parking on roads near St Flannan’s College.

Senior Executive Engineer, Eamon O’Dea said yesterday that he is aware that some cars are parking on the slip road that leads from the roundabout at Lynch’s joinery to Flannan’s, a situation he described as “disgraceful”.

Cllr Brennan said that buses parked at Flannan’s school are “blocking up the road” in the morning and afternoon.

He said measures were needed to improve safety at the location.

Cllr Brennan said that electronic speed repeater signs, similar to those in place on the Tulla Road, should be placed on the road between the Éire Óg GAA grounds and St Flannan’s.