Author: admin

PLANS to introduce new charges at the Lees Road Sports and Amenity Park are an attempt to “stop a couple of cute hoors” from not paying for the use of facilities there, a meeting has heard.

The comments were made last week by councillor Brian Meaney (Green) as Ennis Town Council heard calls for and against the introduction of charges for use of the Lees Road cross-country track.

Draft byelaws containing the new charges have gone out for public consultation, as confusion exists over what area of the 29-acre woodland site the charges relate to.

While the cross-country track follows a path through the woods, Town Clerk Eddie Power explained that the track also encompasses a “green landscaped area” at the rear of astro turf pitch and synthetic running track.

Speaking at the January meeting of Ennis Town Council, Mr Power said that some clubs and individuals are using the lighted area to train but were not paying for it.

Clubs and individuals are currently charged for the use of the synthetic running track, playing pitches and astro turf facilities but not for the cross-country track. Mr Power said new charges are being considered in the interests of fairness and consistency.

“Organisations are using that area because it is free, deliberately. Clearly that’s unfair,” he said.

Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) said that given the availability of shower and dressing room facilities, the proposed € 2 charge for individuals is “not a whole lot to pay”. He added, “I may not be too popular asking people to pay € 2 for a facility we’ve never had before.”

Cllr Peter Considine (FF) said he supported no change in current system of charges but later added that he had “serious concerns” if lighting at Lees Road was facilitating night-time access to the cross-country track.

Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) proposed that the council consider introducing a new method of payment for use of facilities at Lees Road. He said there had to be a “charge of some description” for the cross-country track.

Cllr Meaney asked if the track in its current form could accurately be described as a cross-country running track.

“Until we correct the design deficiencies, I don’t think we could charge for it. Unless people wanted to give a voluntary charge,” he said. Cllr Meaney said the charges were an attempt by the council to stop “a couple of cute hoors” from not paying. He added, “We have to find a different way of dealing with it.”

AN inability to effectively collect payment and perceived unfairness were the main arguments against increased charges at the Lees Road Sports and Amenity Ground, put forward at a meeting in Ennis last week.

Speaking at the January meeting of Ennis Town Council, Councillor Johnny Flynn (FG) described the facilities available at Lees Road as “first rate”.

However, he added that it would be unfair to introduce charges for the cross-country track at a time when many people are experiencing financial difficulties.

Cllr Flynn said he opposed the charges as the area to which they would apply was not fenced off. He claimed this would make it “virtually impossible to police”.

He said the fact that the charge doesn’t grant an individual or team “exclusive” use of the track was another reason for leaving the current system unchanged.

He said, “The cross country track has generally been available and has been free.”

Cllr Flynn, who submitted a motion calling on the council not to introduce new charges, said it was important the council do nothing to discourage people from taking up walking or running.

Outlining her opposition to the proposed charges, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) questioned how the area would be policed and how the charge would be implemented on a fair basis to all.

Clr Howard also expressed concern over how the council would distinguish between clubs and individuals when charging for the use of facilities.

She said she had discussed the proposal with Clare Sports Partnership and Marian Athletic Club and other users of Lees Road.

In a statement yesterday, John Sweeney, co-ordinator with Clare Sports Partnership, said he had “no comment to make regarding Lees Road at this point”.

Responding to comments from Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) that charges should exist given the availability of dressing rooms and showers, Cllr Howard said that most walkers and runners using the cross country running track go straight home afterwards anyway and “don’t use the showers”.

Cllr Paul O’Shea (Lab) told the meeting that he was also opposed to the charges.

RESIDENTS have echoed calls made by the mayor of Ennis for certain details of a lease agreement between Ennis Town Council and Clare Youth Service over a new youth and community building to be made public.

The centre, which is under construction at Cloughleigh Road, has been the subject of two public protests, while last year almost 90 people attended an unscheduled meeting at the Council Chamber in Waterpark House, presided over by then mayor of Ennis, Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind).

Residents in the Cloughleigh area are opposed to the location of the building and were also disappointed by the council’s approach to the consultation process that led to the site being chosen.

While Ennis Town Council is the contracting authority for the € 531,581.70 construction project, it is intended to lease the building to the Clare Youth Service who will deliver a range of programmes to teenagers and young adults ranging from 13 to 21 years.

The lease agreement was raised at last week’s meeting of Ennis Town Council. According to the residents’ spokesperson, Geraldine Dinan, many people living in the area were surprised to learn the matter had come back before the council.

She said residents had met with the council on three occasions between September and December 2010, to discuss concerns over the “general running” of the building.

“We were surprised that it came up at the meeting. We would’ve hoped that we might’ve been informed about the lease,” she said.

Ms Dinan explained that residents did not have an issue with the length of the 10-year lease but added that many elderly residents are worried about the proposed opening hours of the building.

She said, “Most buildings like this are in the middle of a town or in the middle of the community, but this one is different. The concerns are not unreasonable. We would hope that they would be taken into account.”

Speaking at the January meeting of Ennis Town Council, mayor of Ennis Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) repeated his call for details of the building’s opening hours to be brought before the council before the lease is signed.

“We gave a commitment to residents in opening hours,” he said.

Cllr Brennan added, “I would insist that we see the lease. I was the one who insisted that the terms on conditions be brought before the council…We gave a commitment to people about the conditions and they are the people who elected us.”

TOWN manager Ger Dollard has said he his happy that all “checks and balances” are in place with regards to the running of a new € 500,000 youth community and resource building in Cloughleigh, Ennis.

Some details of the lease agreement worked out between Ennis Town Council and Clare Youth Service were revealed at Ennis Town Council’s January meeting. The council is proposing to lease the property to Clare Youth Service for a period of 10 years at a consideration of € 10 per annum.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) expressed concern over the length of the lease and proposed that the € 10 yearly charge be increased to € 1,000.

Town manager Ger Dollard said he was quite satisfied that Clare Youth Service are prepared to “act responsibly” and will run the facility very well.

He told the meeting that a council- lor and a member of the council executive will sit on an advisory board.

“I am satisfied that all the checks and balances are in place and that we have a responsible operator,” he said.

Mr Dollard added that he did not agree with increasing the charge as the youth service is not a business or commercial orgaisation.

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said the history of the building is well known. He said that in the initial consultation process, local residents “felt they were deceived and not listened to”.

He added, “A lot of good aims and objections were put at risk because the council didn’t listen to the concerns of the elderly”.

Cllr Flynn was then asked by Cllr Peter Considine (FF) to withdraw his remark about residents being deceived.

“I certainly never deceived anyone. I would like ‘deceived’ removed from the record,” he said.

Cllr Flynn agreed, and sought to clarify his comments, saying there was a lot of “anger and frustration” among residents who felt they were deceived by the process.

Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) said the Clare Youth Service had an excellent record over 52 years operating services and facilities in Clare. He said he had no problem with the lease and the charge. He said the youth service had “corrected an awful lot of lives that could have gone astray” and had been regularly highlighted as a model of best practice in reports by the Mid West Regional Drugs Task Force.

Cllr Paul O’Shea suggested that the charge be increased to € 500 and that the sum be used to fund a Young Person of the Year award.

Mr Dollard said he would discuss the charge with the youth service, a comment which drew a strong reaction from Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind).

Cllr Neylon said the youth service was getting a “pretty good deal” from the council and that Mr Dollard should “tell them” and not “ask them” about the proposed increase.

SIXMILEBRIDGE Mart could reopen in as little as three months following the decision by a large local consortium to purchase the mart from Golden Vale Properties (GVP) at last Thursday’s public meeting in the town.

An estimated 400 people turned out for the meeting where the bid to purchase the mart was given the unanimous support by those in attendance.

This move comes following the surprise move by GVP to drop the asking price for the mart, which has been closed for more than a year, to € 300,000 last month.

The five-man purchasing committee, who were given the responsibility of negotiating with GVP on behalf of the local community, will now go “full steam ahead” to push through the paperwork in an effort to get the mart up and running again by March or April of this year.

“There was really only one thing up for debate and that was whether we wanted to go ahead with purchasing the mart or not. In this we got the unanimous backing of everyone who was there,” said local farmer Jim Enright.

“Everyone now wants to get this up and going as quickly as possible. It is full steam ahead from here on out and we are hoping to have the mart up and running by March or April. We have done what we needed to do and now it’s about getting the paper work sorted as quickly as possible and getting the mart ready to go.”

While hundred of farmers and local residents have already signed up to be shareholders in the new mart, it is hoped that more people will come on board in the coming weeks.

Mr Enright continued, “We are delighted with how this worked out. There was great support for the project, both from the local community and also from the wider farming community. This was a real community effort – we have people involved from across five or six local parishes.

“We had a sale of shares last year and a lot of people have already bought into the mart. What we need now is for anyone who is interested to come forward and become a shareholder.

“If people do become shareholders we feel that they will be more loyal to the mart and will be more likely to use it. A lot of people also promised that they would come on board if the deal went through and now is the time for that to happen.”

NEW anti-bullying legislation was last week enacted in thousands of public schools in Massachusetts, just days before the one year anniversary of the tragic death of Fanore teenager Phoebe Prince.

In total 390 or the state’s 393 public school districts began enforcing the new legislation, known as Phoebe’s Law, in schools when they returned from their Christmas break last week.

Fanore teenager Phoebe Prince took her life on January 14, 2010, after suffering a prolonged period of bullying at the hands of a number of schoolmates at South Hadley High School in Massachusetts.

This new anti-bullying law is designed to protect victims of bullying and will draw a legal link between bullies and the actions carrier out by the people who they bully.

Speaking on American television last week Phoebe’s aunt, Eileen Moore, said the best way to get justice for Phoebe was to speak out against bullying and raise awareness of suicide and suicide prevention.

“We are coping how any family copes when it has been affected by tragedy: You do the best you can as many other people are trying to do in their own life,” she said.

“I think there has been some change in peoples attitudes to bullying [since Phoebe’s death] but it is in people’s awareness of suicide and suicide prevention that people need to be more aware.

“Our children are in desperate pain. The rate of suicide has increased to the point where it’s the second or third highest cause of death among teenagers. We are not listening or we are not hearing their pain. We need to start a conversation.

“I feel that the school has let these kids take full responsibility for their actions – there are many facets to this and need to look at every aspect of this.

“I think that the truest justice for Phoebe is to speak out on her behalf against the despair and the pain that our children are holding inside and to make it better for another child. We need to better.”

Felony charges have been brought against six South Hadley High School students in relation to Phoebe’s death. Separate pre-trial hearings for all six students took place in October and November and full trials are expected to take place in the coming months.

PROJECTS LIKE the € 10.5 million development of specialist health services at the Mid Western Regional Hospital have become possible thanks to the support of the Mid Western Hospitals Development Trust and the assistance of its philanthropists, and the hard work of charities supporting the health services.

Founded in 1986 the trust has raised well in excess of € 16 million for public hospitals in the region. The trust has benefited from the support accrued from the JP McManus Invitational Pro-Am’s since 1990.

Chairperson of the Mid Western Hospitals Development Trust Louis Creavan explained, “This funding makes such a significant impact on developing health services in this region. We also sincerely thank the public for their committed support and tremendous generosity over so many years to the Trust. The money so generously donated has provided specialist equipment and services such as CAT scanners, a radiotherapy centre, Cath laboratory, MRI centre, hydrotherapy centre, urology, renal, endovascular, intensive care, neurology and ophthalmology equipment.”

In addition to the € 16 million already spent on equipment for midwest based public hospitals, the Mid-Western Hospitals Development Trust is now providing a € 4 million construction costs Dermatology Unit and Specialist Breast Unit. This unit, which is part of the € 10.5 million initiative, will dramatically change the way dermatologic and breast care disease services can be delivered to patients in the mid-west region.

“We are delighted to be associated with the Parkinson’s Association of Ireland and Cystic Fibrosis Association – TLC4CF – in setting a new headline for health service development,” aid Mr Creavan.

Una Anderson Ryan, Chairperson of the Parkinson’s Association said, “It is impossible to describe the dif- ference the new Neurological Unit, which includes an Acute Stroke Unit, will make to the lives of so many of our members and their families. A unit like this should be provided in every hospital in the country. Some patients have very difficult symptoms that require privacy and the smaller wards and private rooms will provide this. Overall, the new unit will be an invaluable resource that will make a significant difference in improving patient care and quality of life.”

Owen Kirby, chairperson of TLC4CF, added, “This is a very positive move and a critical next step in TLC4CF’s goal of achieving a world class facility for CF Adults in the Mid Western Regional Hospital. TLC4CF would also like to acknowledge the other very positive fact that the staff complement at MWRH dedicated to CF patients has increased as part of our overall drive.”

“The number of adult CF patients attending MWRH is increasing all the time as people living with CF are surviving longer. There is a dedicated Paediatric CF team at this hospital, but at present the facilities in the mid-west for adults with CF are very basic, which is why this announce- ment is so important.”

IT HAS BEEN hailed as the building that will fill the significant gaps in the mid-west’s health system.

Yesterday (Monday) the HSE unveiled a € 10.5 million development of specialist health services at the Mid Western Regional Hospital.

The development is aimed at filling significant gaps in the provision of specialist services including cystic fibrosis, neurology, stroke, dermatology and symptomatic breast disease.

The purpose built six-storey building on the hospital’s Dooradoyle campus represents a united effort from the Mid Western Hospitals Development Trust, the Parkinson’s Association and the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland.

Planning permission for the development was received on December 23, 2010. Construction is due to begin in June 2011 and the various components of the project are expected to be operational by January 2013.

Construction costs are estimated to be € 10.5 million and additional funding is available for equipment.

Louis Creaven, Chairperson of the Mid Western Hospitals Development Trust, said, “Pressure on public finances means that the work of bodies such as the Parkinson’s Association of Ireland and Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland, TLC4CF Mid-West Branch of Cystic Fibrosis Association and the Mid-Western Hospitals Development Trust, is today more important than ever in meeting the gaps in the public health service.”

The much needed development will provide for patients from Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary, and will include a specialised Cystic Fibrosis Out-patients Unit with five treatment rooms and an in-patient unit with nine en suite rooms.

A Neurological Unit to cater for 11 neurological conditions will also be included to cater for the very young with epilepsy, all ages with Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neuron Disease and the more common condition of stroke.

Complex technical treatments will be provided in a special six-bed unit. Overall the unit will serve some 5,000 patients.

A Dermatology Outpatient Centre will also be added to bring all dermatology services together at one location and to act as a focus for dramatic improvements in services for dermatology patients throughout the region. As many as 6,280 dermatology patients were seen in the Mid West Regional Hospital in 2010.

A Symptomatic Breast Specialist Unit to consolidate services which are at present fragmented in different areas of the hospital will complete the development.

As many as 5, 500 new patients and return patients were seen in 2009 at

LANDOWNERS have welcomed a decision by Clare County Council to implement the council’s existing Wind Energy Strategy as part of the County Development Plan 20112017.

There was a near unanimous vote in favour of keeping the current wind energy strategy, as proposed by Councillor Brian Meaney (Green), at yesterday’s monthly meeting of Clare County Council.

Cllr Meaney had urged the council not to amend its current wind energy strategy, as it would jeopordise the viability of many proposed windfarm projects in Clare.

Cllr Michael Begley (Ind) said the council had to decide if it wanted to have a wind energy policy that was “likely to happen or an aspirational one”. He said that under the revised strategy proposed in the County Development Plan, many areas identified as potential wind farm locations would be significantly reduced or completely eliminated.

Cllr Martin Conway (FG) criticised the role of the Department of the Environment, who had sought changes to strategy. He said the proposed changes were a “classic example of Big Brother” trying to interfere with a locally formulated policy.

Cllr Cathal Crowe (FF) said that any downgrading of the strategy would “significantly reduce chances of employment” in many areas of Clare.

Cllr James Breen (Ind) said, “At the same time that the economy is struggling we can’t do anything that will hinder employment.”

Landowners from east Clare, who are seeking to develop a wind farm in an area between Broadford and Ardnacrusha, sat in the council gallery while the vote was taken.

After a majority of councillors voted in favour of keeping the existing wind energy strategy, one landowner told The Clare People of his relief at the decision.

He said, “We felt that the original plan that was in place was acceptable to us and now there was an amendment coming. Amendments at this stage are changing the goalpost com- pletely. There was an amount of time and energy put in at that stage. We were happy that we could go ahead with planning a wind farm in our area, or go towards planning one.

“If a decision is made, we need to stay with that particular decision. The amendments that were being proposed would have made it a lot more difficult to proceed with a viable unit.”

Over 30 landowners in the Broadford, Ardnacrusha area are seeking to form a co-op to develop a windfarm over a “large area”.

Another landowner, who did not wish to be named, remarked, “It’s tied down to farmers setting up a co-op in the area. It’s about the local community, local jobs.”

FEWER debt judgments were served in Clare courts than in almost any other county in Ireland in 2010. A county-by-county breakdown of debt judgments obtained in Irish courts in 2010 has revealed that the Banner was one of Ireland’s three least indebted counties.

Clare finished second only to Kilkenny in the list of court judgments per head of population over the last 12 months with counties Mayo and Donegal also recording low levels of debt.

According to the figures the most indebted county in Ireland was Cavan, while counties Cork, Limerick, Laois and Sligo also recorded high debt levels.

This information was compiled by Dublin-based financial research company BusinessPro.

In a separate survey from earlier this year, BusinessPro also showed that the average debt of Clare people rose from € 6,159 in 2003 to € 20,596 last year – one of the highest levels of debt per person of any county in Ireland.

This would indicate that there are still large levels of personal debt in Clare which is not being seen yet in the amount of debt judgments coming through the local courts.

According to the whose managing director of BusinessPro, James Treacy, the situation is likely to get worse in 2011.

“We estimate an additional € 2 billion of non commercial debt coming down the line next year,” he said last week.

“Most of the consumer debt has yet to hit the courts, but with the end of the one-year moratorium for homeowners and other factors such as the proposed changes to our bankruptcy regime, we expect to see a huge surge in personal insolvencies connected with consumer debt,” he added.

The last 12 months saw the largest ever number of individual and corporate judgments registered in one year in the Irish courts.

While Clare courts dealt with fewer cases per capita that almost every other county in Ireland, the largest single corporate judgment was obtained against Donatex, the company used by Lisdoonvarna developer Bernard McNamara to invest in the Irish Glass Bottle Site in Dublin.

A judgment of more than € 62 million was also obtained against Bernard McNamara personally, arising from the € 412 million purchase of the former toxic dump in 2006 by a consortium of investors.