Category: News

MORE than three quarters of a million euro was yesterday allocated to 26 different community roads works projects in Clare.

A total of € 767, 529 will be spent on the 26 Clare projects – with a € 614,023 coming from the Department of Transport and the remaining € 153,506 coming from the local communities where the roads will be built.

The scheme is specifically targeted a more rural roads in the county and requires that a portion of funding to be put forward by local communities.

Half of the allocated projects are located in the Killaloe electoral area, where 13 projects have been earmarked funding totally € 420,000. Shannon was the least represented electoral area with just one successful project receiving funding of more than € 15,000.

There were six successful projects in the Kilrush electoral area, four in Ennistymon and two in Ennis.

Clare County Council’s roads maintenance budget has been cut drastically in successive years with decreasing budgets meaning that a large number of roads projects are being delayed by years – or indefinitely.

This funding crisis was compounded by the unseasonably cold and wet winters in recent years which have caused unexpected damages to a large number of roads, with most or sometimes all of the annual roads budget being spent on repairing these roads.

“Local authorities have asked communities to come up with a portion of the cost of road maintenance ei- ther through funding, labour provision, machinery supply or other forms of benefit,” said Alan Kelly, Junior minister at the Department of Transport.

“This funding is then being added to my department’s spend to prioritise maintenance in rural isolated areas and will allow communities have a direct input along with their local authority into local road maintenance.”

It is expected that the funding will effect a total of 108 households in Clare, 56 farms and two forestry plantations.

A TEENAGER has been ordered to stay away from parts of Ennis town centre after being released on bail.

The 16 year old pleaded guilty to multiple charges of burglary and theft at Ennis District Court in April

He was one of two people who stole a car from Castlewood Park, Ennis last summer. The teen pleaded guilty to trespassing on a farmhouse in Lemenagh, Kilfenora last October. He admitted stealing items from a house in the Lifford area of Ennis, also in October

He also pleaded guilty to his role in burglaries at houses in Westwood, Ennis on dates unknown between December 25 and 26 and at Showground’s View, Ennis on dates unknown between December 26 and 27. He appeared back before Ennis District Court on Wednesday having been remanded for a month to Oberstown detention centre.

Reports handed into court offered contradictory views on the teen’s behaviour, the court heard. Inspector John Galvin said it was hard to be “optimistic” given the boy’s attitude to bail conditions previously imposed by the court.

Defence solicitor John Casey said his client was fully aware of the consequences of not abiding by the court’s orders.

He added, “If he betrays this trust, he will be putting himself away. He will be throwing away the keys.”

The court previously heard that the boy had been led astray by a man described in court as a “Fagin” type character.

Judge Patrick Durcan said he was willing to give the boy a chance.

The teen was ordered to abide by the directions of gardaí; stay away from named individuals; stay away from parts of Ennis town centre. He was remanded on bail to appear again at Ennis District Court on June 28.

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A MAN alleged to have had drugs for sale or supply in Ennis has been returned for trial.

Sean Slattery (23), with an address at 39 Park Avenue, Clon Road, appeared at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

He is charged with the unlawful possession of ecstasy and cannabis at 39 Park Avenue, Clon Road on February 17 (2013).

He is further charged with having cannabis for sale or supply at the same location and same date.

His case was adjourned to Wednesday to allow time for the service of the Book of Evidence.

Inspector John Galvin applied to amend some of the charges against Mr Slattery.

Defence solicitor Daragh Hassett said he could not consent to the changes.

Judge Patrick Durcan permitted the State to amend the charge sheets.

He consented to the deletion of the word ‘herb’ in two of the charge sheets.

Garda Irene O’Flynn of Ennis Garda Station gave evidence of serving the book of evidence on Mr Slat- tery.

Insp Galvin told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) consented for the accused being returned for trial to the next sittings of Ennis Circuit Criminal Court.

A legal aid application for one junior counsel was approved. Judge Patrick Durcan delivered the alibi warning.

Judge Durcan made the order returning Mr Slattery for trial.

IN THE last three years the Loophead peninsula has gone from one of West Clare’s best kept secrets, to attracting thousands of visitors every year and being shortlisted as one of the top five places in Ireland to visit.

Much of the credit for the prominence of the Loop has been attributed to the local community who is working hard to promote the area and the opening of the lighthouse as a tourist attraction during the summer of 2011.

The numbers of tourists visiting the lighthouse has increased steadily since, and figures release yesterday (Monday) shows that despite the inclement weather conditions of the past two months, more than 2,000 tourists passed through its doors.

That is an average of 250 people every weekend.

The 19th century lighthouse’s opening hours will be extended to weekdays from the June bank holiday weekend and will remain open up to the end of September, attracting even more tourists.

The speculation of a local ghost is also adding to the mystery at the westerly lighthouse, with modern day ghost busters currently writing up a report of their findings in the historical building.

And the peninsula has been shortlisted in the last number of days as one of the five finalists in the The Irish Times Best Place to Holiday in Ireland competition.

For the competition – which has been running since March – members of the public were invited to nominate the places they love to holiday. The shortlist features three remote areas of natural beauty: the Glen of Aherlow, Co Tipperary; Inishbofin island, Co Galway; and Loop Head peninsula, alongside Derry city and Killarney, Co Kerry.

The Mayor of Clare, Cllr Pat Daly, congratulated the people of Loop head and said;

“The fact that Loophead has made the shortlist from an entry list of more than 1,400 destinations throughout Ireland is testament to the quality of the tourism product on offer. A huge amount of work is being carried out by local community groups, supported by Clare local authorities, to promote the peninsula as a visitor destination to both domestic and international tourists.”

START up companies seeking incubation facilities and enterprise support to allow them to progress from business idea stage to commercialisation are being invited to apply to the 2013 Ennis Innovate Programme.

Facilitated by the Ennis Innovate Regional Innovation Centre, the Programme supports and guides companies through the start-up process and provides them with introductions and linkages to various support bodies in the West of Ireland.

Based in Shannon Development’s Information Age Park in Ennis, the centre is funded by NUI Galway, UL, Shannon Development, Clare County Council and Ennis Town Council and supported by partners Enterprise Ireland, Clare Local Development Company, Clare County Enterprise Board.

Commenting on the Ennis Innovate programme, Gert O’Rourke, Director of Ennis Innovate said: “The aim of the centre is to provide practical support to entrepreneurs as they navigate the start-up path and provide them with introductions and linkages to relevant support bodies and processes, ultimately improving their chances of success.”

“Applicants to our programme should ideally have a number of years industry experience, and have the enthusiasm and drive necessary to develop and grow a successful business. If you’re looking for practical help and linkages to help your business grow then this programme is for you,” added Ms O’Rourke who has over 20 years experience in the micro-enterprise and SME sector.”

The Ennis Innovate Regional Innovation Centre, which was officially opened in early 2012 by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton TD, has already supported a number of business in the region through its Ennis Innovate Programme, including Empress Cosmetics, Fraysen Systems, Golf Voyager, Greenieland and Egan Concepts.

A number of applicants have already been accepted on to the 2013 Ennis Innovate Programme. There are a limited number of places remaining. Interested applicants should visit www.ennisinnovate.ie or email gert@ennisinnovate.ie.

THE value of Clare’s water infrastructure, which will soon be transferred to the Irish Water Agency, has been estimated at more than € 400 million. Councillors at last night’s meetings of Clare County Council raised fears that this valuable public resource could be sold to a private company – and possibly even a for eign-owned private corporation.

Figures released at last night’s meeting of Clare County Council puts the total fixed assets of Clare County Council at € 637.2 million. When depreciation of € 247 million is taken into account and € 10 million of works currently being built – that brings the total value of Clare water system to € 400.1 million.

Councillors last night criticised the lack of clarity about the transfer of water resources from Clare County Council to Irish Water – and raised fears that the county’s water infrastructure could be sold to private companies in China and Singapore.

“Our water infrastructure could end up in Chinese hands – maybe we will have the Who Flung Dung corporation looking to take control of the Irish water system. We won’t have a control over the pricing structure and there will be no investment in water systems over the years,” said Cllr PJ Kelly (FF).

“Who is going to control water charges in the future? Is it going to be public representatives like this? No. It will be companies who will see every price increase as profit.”

The discussions follow a pair of water-related motions put forward by six councillors – including PJ Kelly and Pat Hayes (FF).

“There are a lot of critical issues which need to be insured if we are going to transfer to Irish Water. Irish Water should be retained permanently in Irish control. That any price increases would be list to the cost of living. That a percentage [of money collected] be invested back to infrastructure. And that all loans [on the water projects] be written off. I am not in supporter of Irish Water but if it going to happen then these points should be looked at and put in place.”

The meeting also heard that there is currently € 24.8 million owed on Clare water projects.

“Everything that we have heard to date states that the assets will remain in public ownership and we can only accept that as it stands,” said Director of Services, Anne Haugh.

“The basis of the negotiations at the moment are that liabilities will be transferred along with assets.”

DI RECTOR of Ser vices Ger Dollard is rounding up the t roops as the battle for tour ism prominence for the upcoming Brian Bor u Millennial Celebrations begins.

With Clontarf also closely linked to the historical Ir ish figure, it is his homeland of County Clare and Killaloe that plan to be central to the 2014 celebrations and al ready tourism groups from all over t he county have met to discuss a count ywide plan.

“The council has also commenced engagement with other bodies including Waterways Ireland and does see potential for the promotion of this celebration utilising the nor t h-sout h st r uct ure that exist,” said Mr Dol lard agreeing that the event has real tourism potential.

“Effor ts are also being made to have the event recognised at na- tional level in terms of var ious funding at other suppor t schemes,” he said.

The council official was responding to Cll r Pat Burke (FG) at last evening’s meeting of the council, who asked that the council set up a similar st r ucture as is being used for the Gat heri ng to build a county celebration.

He also asked t hat the programme of events be considered in the preparation of t he council budget of 2014.

The membership of the group al ready involved in drawing up the plans for Clare are Shannon Development, East Clare Heritage Centre, Killaloe Ballina 2014, Ennis Town Counci l, Scat ter y Island Group, Shannon Heritage, Clare Librar y Service, Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience, Clare Local Development Company, Nor th Tipperar y Leader Par tnership and Clare County Council.

DISABLED people in Clare believe that they are being lined up for major funding cuts in this year’s budget – and that a survey commissioned by the Department of Health will be used to justify these cuts.

The survey, which was commissioned by the Department of Health as part of the public consultation into the future Mobility Allowance and Motorised Transport Grant, has been completed by scores of disabled people in Clare over the past two weeks.

According to disabled campaigner Dermot Hayes, the survey has been designed in such a way as will help the Department of Health justify future cuts to disabled people.

“The question which concerned us most was in relation to the mobility allowance. It seemed like the survey was guiding people to a particular answer, and it seems to me that that answer could be used to justify taking the allowance off us down the line,” he said.

“We were asked a lot of questions about public transport but many of the disabled [Clare] people taking this survey are living in an area where they would never see a bus. That’s the reality for a lot of these people.

“I thought that the whole way that the survey was concocted was outlandish – it is like they were trying to trick people into answering questions in a way that suits themselves. We are really worried about how this survey will be used down the line and how the responses will be analyses and presented.

“At the moment I think [disabled] people are scared. They don’t want to complain for fear of what might happen to them if they do. People are just about surviving and it seems that more cuts are being lined up.”

The survey also asks people to rate what level of disability is most de- serving of the transportation grants. This could be used by the department to divide the disabled community in Clare – and justify the removal of the transportation grants from people with less profound disabilities.

A public meeting for disabled people and their family will take place at the West County in Clare this Friday, May 24 from 10.30am to 1pm.

Guest speaker for the event will be Martin Naughton, activist and member of the Motorised Grant Department Review Group, disabled campaigner Leigh Gath and local disabled campaigners Thomas Connole and Ann Marie Flanagan.

THE homeless Czech national who has been described as “a real legend of a man” who died on the streets of Ennis after living in a public toilet in the town is finally being laid to rest this week. Fifty-two-year-old Josef Pavelka is to be buried in Drumcliffe Cemetery this Tuesday, following the removal of his remains to Ennis Cathedral on Monday evening where he was received by Fr Ger Fitzgerald. This final resting place for Mr Pavelka comes over two weeks after he died after efforts to repatriate the man’s body to his native country failed. With the help of the Czech Embassy in Dublin and Interpol, contact was made with a daughter and sister of Mr Pavelka concerning the repa- triation of the body.

However, his family members confirmed that they did not want his remains returned.

The remains of Mr Pavelka have remained at the morgue at the Midwest Regional Hospital in Limerick since his death on May 4 in a laneway just off O’Connell Street in Ennis.

“The people of Ennis will be delighted to hear they will be able to pay their respects to Josef as we have had numerous requests from people over the last 10 days asking will he be laid to rest here,” said Administrator of Ennis Parish.

“Josef was a believer and a churchgoer and he probably knew more people in Ennis than he did in his na- tive place,” he added.

Along with his friend, 35-year-old Polish national Piotr Baram, Mr Pavelka’s plight received national attention when district court judge, Patrick Durkan, said it was a scandal that he was living in a public toilet in the Market area of Ennis.

Speaking to