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A WEST Clare man accused of multiple counts of rape and sexual assault over a three-year period appeared in court in Kilrush on Tuesday.

The man who cannot be named for legal reasons was charged with two counts of rape of a female under Sec- tion 4 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990 on dates unknown between, and including, July 1, 2009 and November 26, 2012 in the West Clare area.

He was also charged with four counts of sexual assault contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990 as amended by Section 37 of the Sex Offenders Act 2001.

Garda Patrick Costelloe told the court that the defendant made no reply when he was charged and cautioned.

The defendant was released on his own bail subject to a number of conditions. He must reside at a named address, sign on at Kilrush Garda Station three times a week.

Additionally he have no contact with the alleged injured party or her family members.

He was also obliged to surrender his passport.

Superintendent Seamus Nolan told the court that directions on the case are to be sent to the Central Criminal Court and the Book of Evidence should be served by April 15.

CLARE County Council reached settlements totaling € 8,837 on pothole related public liability claims since 2012.

The figures for public liability and employee liability claims settled or in process for 2012 and 2013 were revealed at yesterday’s meeting of Clare County Council.

Cllr Brian Meaney requested the information in a motion submitted to the adjourned March meeting.

He stated, “I request a case by case listing of all public liability and employee liability claims lodged settled or in process against Clare County Council for the year 2012, 2013”.

The Fianna Fáíl councillor also requested details of any legal costs arising from the claims.

The figures supplied by Clare County County Council show € 4,269 was paid out in pothole settlements in 2012.

Almost half of the settlements re late to a pothole in the Claureen area of Ennis.

In 2012, the council agreed settlements of € 2,117 for claims made in relation to potholes in Claureen.

Cllr Meaney questioned what measures the council is taking to ensure it doesn’t have to make further payments for pothole related claims.

He said in the case of Claureen pothole, it might be more accurate to call it the “Claureen chasm”.

Cllr Meaney also questioned what work had been done to repair a pothole in Fanore, which he said seems to have become more of a “fissure”.

The figures show that the council agreed a settlement of € 3,369.24 in 2013 for a claim arising from a pothole on the Fanore Coast Road.

“Did the car fall in, in its entirety to the thing or what happened”, asked Cllr Meaney.

He also sought further information on why the council paid out a settlement of € 10,912 in 2012 for a defective public litterbin in Shannon town.

Senior Executive Officer, Michael McNamara told the meeting that he did not have the information to hand.

A COTTAGE industry in the cultivation of cannabis seems to be forming in West Clare according to a District Court Judge.

Judge Patrick Durcan made the comments during the case of a 44year-old man who appeared before him charged with growing six cannabis plants in his Tullycrine home.

Stephen McMinn of Tullycrine, Kilrush pleaded guilty to the cul- tivation of cannabis plants without a licence contrary to Section 17 of Misuse of Drug Act 1977 and the unlawful possession of a controlled drug contrary to Section 3 and Section 27 (as amended by section 6) of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1984.

The court heard that on May 23 gardaí searched the defendant’s home in the presence of his wife and discovered six potted plants.

Defence solicitor Fiona Hehir told the court that he was growing the plants for his own recreational use.

“He is on social welfare and doesn’t have the money to go out at night and grows it as a pastime,” she said.

She added that he no longer smokes the drug and was “not a man typically involved” in this crime.

“It was more of an experiment,” she said.

Judge Durcan questioned if this did not make the issue more serious.

“You seem to have a bit of a cottage industry here in Clare,” he said to Gardaí.

“There is a bit of it,” replied pros- ecuting Garda Supt Seamus Nolan.

“More than a bit,” replied the judge.

The superintendent pointed out that there were a number of similar cases before the court.

“You don’t have a poitín problem down here?” queried Judge Durcan.

“More sale and supply,” replied the Garda Superintendent.

He added that it was “not something we take lightly.”

The judge ordered a probation report for Mr McMinn for May 20.

NINE schools that cater for 1,600 students in Clare will get a face lift this year as the Government announced its first round of the Summer Works Scheme for 2014.

The seven primary schools and two post-primary schools include Cratloe NS, Scariff Central NS, Killaloe Boys NS, Cooraclare NS, Scoil Mhichil Cahermurphy, Connolly NS, Kilnaboy NS, Ennis Commu- nity College and St Michael’s Community College, Kilmihil.

The nine Clare schools are among 387 schools nationwide to receive funding under this year’s scheme, which covers projects such as electrical, gas and mechanical works.

A second round of the scheme is expected to be announced in coming weeks. This round will cover other types of improvement works, with applications still being assessed.

The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn (Lab), said, “These works will be carried out in schools over the summer months, when the pupils are on holidays, so the disruption to schooling will be kept to a minimum.

“In this Year of Jobs, I and the department are committed to doing everything we can to ensure as many people as possible get back to work. These projects will stimulate economic activity by supporting 2,160 direct and 430 indirect construction jobs in the local economy,” he concluded.

THE ESB have not ruled out the possibility of constructing a nuclear power plant at Moneypoint, once the current coal burning plant is decommissioned in 2025.

The company also say they are aware of Small Modular Reactors ultra safe mini-reactors based on the technology used in nuclear submarines – but have not yet investigated the technology in detail.

With nuclear energy prohibited by law in Ireland, the company say that their current focus for Moneypoint post-2025 involves the investigation of a coal of gas site.

However, any coal plant would require the integration of carbon capture technology, which has yet to be developed, as well as the expensive exportation of the captured carbon waste, as the storage of carbon is also currently prohibited by Irish law.

The creation of a gas burning plants is also likely to bring about a large increase in costs, unless a cheap source of gas is made available, possible through hydraulic fracturing in the Clare Basin.

“Since nuclear generation in Ireland in prohibited by law, ESB’s focus on future low-carbon generation options for Ireland does not currently include nuclear generation,” said a spokesperson.

“ESB is aware of Small Modular Reactors, but has not examined their suitability for Moneypoint.”

The ESB says it has also investigated the possibility of building a giant pipe-line from Moneypoint to the old Kinsale field off Cork, should carbon capture technology become viable and carbon storage become legal in Ireland. It is understood that such a scheme would be prohibitively expensive. “Such data is commercially sensitive but it is widely acknowledged within the industry that the cost of carbon capture and storage is high at present and that the industry is attempting to reduce these costs,” said the ESB spokesperson. According to Denis Duff of pronuclear group Better Environment with Nuclear Energy, (BENE), the ESB faces a difficult decision when the existing Moneypoint facility is decommissioned. “For environmental reasons, coal or gas fired replacements would need to have carbon capture facilities attached. ESB acknowledge that this would be a very expensive option and this is exacerbated by the costs of having to export the captured gases,” he said. “I believe that replacing coal at Moneypoint with these small reactors would be very beneficial to County Clare. The reactors are due out in 2021 and will supply affordable, clean, safe and reliable energy. For reasons of climate change, energy security and the economy in general, it is entirely likely that Ireland will install a number of these within 20 years. This will be the safest energy technology ever built and will be able to produce electricity significantly cheaper than any similar alternative.”

UNTREATED raw sewage is being discharged into rivers and bathing areas at five locations in Clare, including key tourist towns such as Kilkee, Ballyvaughan and Liscannor. A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has revealed that the discharge of raw sewage is still a major problem in Clare, with nearly 20 percent of all offending towns – five of the 28 towns nationally – located in Clare. Five Clare towns, with a popula- tion of more than 500 people, were identified as discharging raw sewage. The report also reveals a lack of progress made in recent years in tackling the problems each of the five Clare towns – Kilrush, Clarecastle, Kilkee, Ballyvaughan and Liscannor – already identified as having on sewage infrastructure by the EPA in their 2006 report.

The Shannon town sewage system was also identified in the report as not reaching mandatory effluent quality and sampling standards. The system, which was identified as the source of a mysterious odour, late last year, will undergo a € 1.02 million upgrade of four pump stations later this year.

It is hoped that this upgrade will bring the system up to the standards set by the EPA and also rectify the ongoing odour issues in Shannon town.

A campaign to construct a sewage treatment system at Kilkee has been underway for more then a decade, with an investment promised by the Government as far back as 2005. The wait looks set to continue for the time being however as the transfer of responsibility for the project from Clare County Council to Irish Water adding an extra layer of uncertainty to the project.

The Kilkee sewage system was included in the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government’s investment programme for 2010 to 2013 but remains a number of steps away from development.

While Clare County Council will be involved in the day to day provision of water and sewage services for a number of years through a Service Level Agreement with Irish Water, all responsibility for funding new schemes now rests with Irish Water.

NEW charges have been brought against a Polish couple charged with offences arising from the discovery of an alleged cannabis grow-house in West Clare earlier this year.

Jagoga Gajewska (19) and her partner Adam Wrobel (22), both with a former address at Lislanahan Lower, Kilkee appeared before Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

They are both charged with offences relating to the alleged discovery at Lislanahan Lower, Kilkee on January 13. On Wednesday, the court heard that new charges have been brought against the pair. Mr Wrobel and Ms Gajewska are charged with knowingly permitting premises at Lislanahan Lower, Kilkee on January 13, to be used for the manufacture, production and preparation of a controlled drug.

Mr Wrobel is charged with possession of cannabis, which at the time had a market value of € 13,000 or more. He is charged with possession of a cannabis plan and cultivating without license, plants of the cannabis genus, contrary to the misuse of drugs act.

Garda Eoin Daly of Kilrush Garda Station gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution in respect of both accused. Counsel for both accused, Alice Harrison applied to have the legal aid certificate extended to cover the new charges.

Judge Patrick Durcan granted the application. Insp Tom Kennedy requested the matters go back to April 2 to allow time for the preparation of the book of evidence.

Counsel consented to the application and to time being extended for the service of the book of evidence.

She told Judge Durcan that Mr Wrobel has secured bail in the High Court but has been so far been unable to take it up. Ms Gajewska has taken up High Court bail, the court heard. Judge Durcan adjourned the cases to April 2.

A BUS company that aims to make Ennis one of the country’s tourism capitals says it intends to double its workforce in the town over the next 12 months. Dublin Coach commenced its daily Dublin to Ennis service in December 2013.

The company employs in excess of 100 people nationwide, with 27 of those jobs in Ennis.

Owner John O’Sullivan says the rolling out of new tourism products will see the company hiring more staff in 2014. “As of today we have 27 based in Ennis and we see that as growing significantly over the next 12 months. The tourism products haven’t kicked in yet and we expect that to double,” he explained. Mr O’Sullivan told The Clare People

A NUMBER of people in Clare have received a bizarre phishing email, written entirely in the Irish language, offering them $4.1 million dollars to take part in a business venture in Africa.

The emails, which are addressed from a Mr Ignacio Nwaku, are understood to be the first phishing emails of their kind written as Gaeilge.

A number of Clare people have reported receiving the email since they first appeared last week but there is no indication as yet that the emails are targeting Irish people because of the proximity to St Patrick’s Day.

The email professes to be from Ignacio Nwako – a barrister from the Togo Republic. Mr Nwako claims to be acting on behalf of his late client “Mr David” whose $4.1 million fortune has been lodged in a “coded deceased account”.

Phishing email work by enticing people to reveal important personal details like their online usernames, passwords and even their bank account details.

A spokesperson for Údarás na Gaeltachta, who examined the email for The Clare People , said it contained “jumbled up, nonsensical Irish” and was most likely made using automatic translation software.

The spokesperson also confirmed that this was the first phishing email in Irish that Údarás na Gaeltachta had ever come upon.

“I didn’t notice it at first [that is was written in Irish]. I saw that $4.1 million dollars and I knew straight away it was a scam. I was about to delete it and then I noticed that it was in Irish. I couldn’t believe it,” said one Ennis recipient who asked not to be identified.

The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources have asked members of the public to delete the email straight away.

The email reads: Tá mé Barrister. Ignacio Nwaku ó Phoblacht Tóga, chuaigh mé i dteagmháil leat ar feadh méid togra gnó i gceist é US $ 4.1 milliún dollar mbaineann le mo chliant go déanach Mr David agus tá sé sábháilte sa chuntas códaithe éagaigh. Beidh níos mó sonraí a relayed do duit ach má f haighim do freagra dearfach. Go raibh maith agat. Mr Ignacio Nwaku.

A JUDGE has refused jurisdiction of a case where it is alleged a man confronted another man with an iron bar on a main street in Ennis last summer. At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Judge Patrick Durcan said it appeared to him that alleged incidents of this nature are becoming “too prevalent in Ennis”.

He was speaking after details of an alleged assault that took place on Carmody Street on July 1, 2013 were outlined in court.

James Galbraith (37), with an address at Lissanisaka, Claureen, Ennis is charged with assault causing harm to Dylan Dinan.

He is further charged with the production of an iron bar while about to commit assault.

Insp Tom Kennedy said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed summary disposal of the charges in the district court on a plea of guilty only.

Defence solicitor John Casey told the court his client would be pleading guilty.

Insp Kennedy said the alleged in- jured party was a passenger in a van when noticed the accused behind him at around 1.30pm on the day in question.

Insp Kennedy said it would be alleged that when the van stopped, Mr Galbraith came towards it with a crowbar and started to assault Mr Dinan.

Judge Durcan refused jurisdiction. “In my mind this type of stuff is becoming too prevalent in Ennis”, he said.

The case was adjourned to April to allow time for preparation of a book of evidence.