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CLARE County Council has been granted € 16.8 million to repair the damage wrought by this January’s devastating storms – more than € 7 million less than than the € 23.7 million in damage estimated to have taken place in the county.

This tranche of funding represents an allocation for the January storms alone, with the possibility of additional funding being made available to cover the € 13 million worth of damage, which was suffered by the county during the St Brigid’s Day storm in February.

The € 16.8 million is made up of an € 16,205,637 allocation from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government alongside a once-off refund of € 608,878 to cover money already spent by Clare County Council.

The funding has been already earmarked for a programme of repair works to roads, piers and harbours, coastal protection repairs and tourism infrastructure but no decision on how much funding will be allocated to each local area has yet been made.

“Clare County Council is cogently aware of the importance of undertaking repair works to damaged infrastructure and has already invested a considerable amount of its own resources in undertaking interim remedial works to ensure that the impact of the storm damage on local communities has been minimised,” said County Manager Tom Coughlan.

“In light of this extremely positive announcement, the council will now begin a process of engagement with the relevant funding departments and agencies with a view to proceeding with vitally important infrastructure repair works along Clare coastline.

“We would hope that further funding allocations will be made but the level of this allocation enables very significant works to be progressed. Due to the extensive disruption to community life along the Clare coastline and in light of the upcoming summer tourist season, the local authority is committed to progressing the planning and delivery of repair works as quickly as possible.”

The combined funding of € 16.8 million is in addition to the € 6 million already allocated by Government for the construction of a new pier at Doolin. This work includes the development of a pier as well as some flood defense works for Doolin.

It is unclear if the original Clare County Council estimated presented for damage at Doolin included a request for flood defenses which were already accounted for in the other € 6 million development.

ST JOSEPH’S Secondary School Spanish Point is continuing the fight to raise funds for the county’s first second level education unit for students with Autism.

In its second year, the ‘Fight for Autism’ white-collar boxing competition has been organised again to raise funding to equip the specialised unit.

Last year € 20,000 was raised for the cause, with the organising committee hoping to reach the same fundraising milestone this year.

As many as 12 women and 20 men from all over west and north Clare have been training to get into the ring for this cause since January 1.

So popular is the event that the 700 tickets have already almost completely sold out, even though they only went on sale on Saturday morning.

The Fight for Autism will take place in the Armada Hotel, Spanish Point, on Sunday evening next.

The boxers parade will begin at 6.30pm, with six women’s fights and 10 men’s fights then scheduled to take place.

Deputy principal at St Joseph’s Secondary School, Spanish Point, Paul Reidy paid particular tribute to Ennis Boxing Club.

“We have to say a huge thanks to the club, without them this would not be possible,” he said of the boxing club that provided training and facilities to train to the 32 participants.

A SHANNON based company has been ordered to fund a third level science scholarship after pleading guilty to health and safety breaches.

Seven people were hospitalised after the accidental release of a “toxic” and “corrosive” gas at Chemifloc, Smithstown Industrial Estate, Shannon on December 20, 2012.

Details of the accident were heard at Ennis District Court on Friday.

Inspector Dermot O’Callaghan of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), told the court that 6000 litres of sodium chloride were being loaded onto a tanker for delivery on the day in question.

Insp O’Connor said that after the loading of the fourth container, a yel- low green chlorine dioxide gas was produced, “which is classified and toxic and corrosive”.

The warehouse and yard were evacuated and emergency services were called to the scene.

A number of people were hospitalized and one person spent two days in intensive care, the court heard.

Insp O’Callaghan explained that an investigation determined that an unknown and unidentifiable container was accidentally loaded beside the sodium chloride, which led to production of the gas.

Chemifloc pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that all containers used at work for hazardous chemical agents were clearly labeled or identified.

The company also pleaded guilty to failing to manage and conduct work activities in such a way as to ensure, as was reasonably practicable, the health and safety of employees.

The offences are contrary to the Safety, Health and Welfare Act Work Act, 2005.

Solicitor James Nash said his clients had acknowledged the accident. He said it had resulted from a “systems error” and the company have fully changed their labeling system at the plant.

The company has no previous convictions. Mr Nash said the company, who were represented in court by the managing director and another director, were embarrassed by what happened and would suffer a 70 per cent jump in insurance costs.

He said Chemifloc had always been compliant with health and safety regulations.

“They are both here. They are both embarrassed to be here and they want to take it on the chin”, he added.

Judge Patrick Durcan said this was a very serious matter.

However he noted this was a local company that provides employment and has complied with every regulation and law.

He said if Chemifloc funded a € 10,000 third level science scholarship and discharged total witness and legal costs of 4714 euros, he would strike out the summonses.

He adjourned the case to March 14. Founded in 1982, Chemifloc employs 40 people.

The company is involved in the manufacture and supply of water treatment products.

THE promise of a belated Lisdoonvarna pub crawl is bringing Oscar winning director Cynthia Wade, to North Clare this St Patrick’s Day where she will film one of the most original musical groups ever to form.

Wade, who won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2008 and was nominated for a second Oscar in 2012, is currently producing a documentary on groundbreaking American group, the Hutchins Consort.

The Hutchins Consort is the only group in the world who play violin octets – a collection of eight violintype instruments, which are each of a different size and produce a different sound.

Wade is currently working on a new documentary on the group and its founder, the late Carleen Hutchins who invented the instruments. The family of the band’s leader Joe McNally visited the Roadside Tavern in Lisdoonvarna two years ago and that prompted him to bring filming all the way to Ireland.

“When I heard of the group I sent an email to them them over in San Diego, saying that they had got me interested. The man I spoke to was Joe McNally and as luck would have it his whole family had been in the Roadhouse in Lisdoonvarna two years ago and Joe had missed the night,” said Peter Curtin of the Roadside Tavern,

“So when he decided to come over, he said it was make up for the pub crawl that he missed two years before. It’s a very exciting event. Where else in the west of Ireland would you get an Oscar winning director coming to film this incredible group on St Patrick’s Day.”

Footage from the Roadside Tavern will be used as part of Wade’s latest film, ‘Second Fiddle’, which tells the story of Carleen Hutchins. Wade has won festival accolades all over the world including at the Academy Awards, Primetime Emmys, Sundance Film Festival, Palm Springs, Aspen and the Hamptons, as well as film festival awards in Spain, Italy, Argentina and Belgium.

The Hutchins Consort will perform at the Roadside Tavern St Patrick’s Day, Monday March 17, from 2pm.

THOSE dying for a bargain have the opportunity to avail of a once in as lifetime sale this month, as plots in a West Clare graveyard are part of a once-off sale.

The new extension to Burrane Cemetery can accommodate more than 50 double graves and from now until the end of the month they are available at a knock down price.

A single grave at the cemetery overlooking the Shannon Estuary will set the buyer back € 350 but this will drop to € 300 if bought in the next four weeks.

WITH 275 awards totalling almost € 8 million, Clare accounted for the sixth highest number of personal injury awards in the country last year.

More Clare people opted again last year to settle their personal injury claims through the Injuries Board.

The board makes awards relating to motor, employer and public liability accidents, without the need for litigation.

The board’s annual review showed that its non-adversarial model has delivered direct savings of over € 72m in 2013, relative to the prior litigation.

The average award in Clare was € 28,747 and total compensation for the county amounted to € 7.9m million.

The number of new claims received by the board in 2013, a useful barometer of future award volumes, increased by 5.8 per cent last year, driven by an 8.2 per cent increase in motor claims, which are typically of lower value.

Neighbouring County Limerick had the largest number of awards as a proportion of population with 788 people claiming through the board.

The average award in Limerick was lower than in Clare however at € 21,010.

Patricia Byron, CEO of the Injuries Board said, “I am pleased that as a self-funding agency, the board has delivered cumulative savings of € 1 billion on the cost of handling personal injury claims with no cost to the Exchequer and at considerable benefit to insurance policy holders.”

“Last year the board’s processing fee to respondents, typically insurers, reduced by 30 per cent from € 850 to € 600 and, as a result, the cost of processing personal injury claims is now at historically low levels.”

HAIL stones, which struck cars like “little ball bearings”, caused a spate of car accidents on the M18 near Newmarket-on-Fergus, as people made their way to work on Thursday morning last.

The freak hail storm caused three separate accidents involving five cars in just half an hour – with both lanes of Clare’s busiest motorway being closed for extended periods during rush hour.

The first accident was reported on the north bound carriageway just after 8.30am – with the motorway being closed for 90 minutes and one person being hospitalised with minor injuries.

Two separate accidents were then reported at the same location on the south bound carriageway, just ten minutes after the first accident. No one was hurt in either of the south bound accidents but the south bound carriageway was closed for more than a hour.

The National Roads Association (NRA) yesterday blamed the freak hail storm for the spate of accidents.

“Weather totally changes the conditions on how the driver and the road interact. Depending on the severity of the hail, it can act like little ball bearings and therefore the best course of action is to reducing your speed,” said NRA spokesperson Sean O’Neill.

The NRA also confirmed yesterday that it will now conduct an “engineering assessment” of the the M18 north of Crusheen, where six separate accidents took place during stormy conditions on the morning of December 19 last.

Despite requests from Clare County Council, the NRA will not conduct a full safety audit, but have instead committed to completing a engineering assessment within the next next few months.

Mr O’Neill also said that the NRA “cannot fully eliminate” the possibility of water pooling on this section of the road during heavy weather and suggested that permanent signs asking motorists to reduce speed in bad weather could be erected.

A FIREMAN from Ennis is being hailed as a hero for the second time after jumping to the aid of a drown- ing woman at the weekend. Eli Brace jumped off Sarsfield Bridge in Limerick City as the woman was swept under. Eli is a member of Limerick City Fire and Rescue Service. The Shannon-based Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter 115 had been dispatched to help out in the river rescue, but due to high winds the winch man could not reach the woman. Eli then jumped from the bridge. The woman was being swept under the water when he rescued her from the water. The Ennis native was previously in the army before joining the fire services in 2008. He is a member of the fire service’s Swiftwater Rescue Team, who receive specific training to carry out rescues in river conditions. It is not the first time the married father has been involved in a dramatic river rescue. In March 2011, he was one of 10 members of the fire services who attended an emergency at Shannon Bridge in Limerick city. Emergency services were called to the scene after a man was seen entering the water. Eli, who is originally from the Cloughleigh area of the town, jumped into the water at Limerick Docks in order to save the man from drowning. In January, Eli was one of three people who co-opened Crossfit Ennis in the Quin Road area of Ennis. He spent his military career training soldiers in all aspects of fitness in his capacity as a PTI (Physical Training Instructor).

A FLOOD warning remains in place along the western and northern coast of the county with high tides expected to threaten beleaguered flood defenses again today.

A number of roads were closed across the area yesterday with Loop Head, Quilty, Lahinch and Liscannor already sustaining damage.

At high tide, 6.30pm last evening (Monday), the people of the Loop Head peninsula were preparing to be isolated from the rest of the county again.

This is now the fourth month the community has to endure tidal and storm damage. Just six hours before, the only remaining road on to the peninsula was reopened as it has been flooded again by high tide earlier that morning.

At 6am the Fodra Road, the only life line for the West Clare communities was closed by the tides. The main road to Kilbaha remains closed as Clare County Council works to repair it, while the road at Ross is closed and no work has begun on it.

Yesterday the people of Rhinevilla and Kilduane were again virtually living on an island as the high tides raised the floods once again.

On a happier note, Yvonne McNamara from Kilbaha, who had feared she would not be able to make it to hospital to have her baby if the tides were in, gave birth to a healthy baby girl and Friday. Mother and daughter were safely home in Kilbaha again before the only access road was closed for a period of six hours.

Meanwhile in Quilty the high tide burst through some of the council work at Cloughnainchy, and water has come in on some of the land again, while other coastal defences held.

Meanwhile, the Lahinch to Liscannor road was closed once again yes terday, while Clare County Council cleared boulders and other debris from the road. The promenade in Lahinch sustained further flooding during the high tide on Monday morning but it is not thought that and further significant structural damage has been done.

“High spring tidal conditions resulted in some flooding at various locations along the Clare coastline overnight and this morning [Monday],” said a council spokesperson.

“This flooding has since receded. The main road at Liscannor was closed for a time this morning to enable council workers to remove rubble from the road.”

THE number of planning applications in the county were up last year, albeit by a very slight margin.

According to the National Housing Construction Index, there was an increase of two per cent in planning applications for Clare in 2013.

However, project commencements for the year showed a decline, of five per cent. The majority of the projects seeking planning or about to go to construction in the county are selfbuilds or extensions to homes.

The team of researchers at www. link2plans.com have examined every housing construction planning application and planning commencement from January to December 2013, in the production of the National Housing Construction Index.

Viewed on a nationwide basis, the National Housing Construction Index reveals there is a very slight decrease in planning applications – down one per cent, with a drop in project commencements of four per cent since last year.

Clare bucks the national trend however and with the number of planning applications made increasing by five.

From January to December 2012 there were 322 planning applications made in the county, compared to 327 for the same period in 2013.

The previous year again, 2011, there was a decrease of 32 per cent, indicating the rate of decline has slowed and there are signs of recovery in the sector.

While there was a drop in the number of builds started in Clare in 2013, the reduction was not as significant as the previous year.

According to the managing director of Link2Plans, Danny O’Shea, the National Housing Construction Index shows a positive outlook for construction in Clare.

“The slight decline overall in the National Housing Construction Index for project applications and commencements was further evidence that the construction sector in Ireland is stabilising. Also of note is the introduction of the new Building Regulations which has resulted in a sharp increase in the number of planning commencements, in order to get started on projects before the more onerous building regulations come into force,” he said.