Category: News

GARDAÍ say investigations into prostitution in the Ennis area are ongoing following the arrest of two Romanian women in the Mill Road area of the town last Monday night.

The women were detained at Ennis Garda Station before being brought before Kilrush District Court on Tuesday morning.

Ann Maria Prisaca (19) and Anisoara Popa (25), both with addresses at 19 Millstream Court, Mill Road, Ennis, pleaded guilty to an offence contrary to the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences Act 1993).

The charge states that the women did knowingly live in whole or in part on the earnings of the prostitution of another person and aided and abetted that prostitution.

The charge states that the offence was committed at 19 Millstream Court, Mill Road, Ennis on February 11 (2013).

The women were each sentenced to 10 weeks in prison. Recognances were fixed in the event of an appeal.

Solicitor Patrick Moylan, who represented the women in court, said they had co-operated completely with the gardaí. He said the women had become involved in prostitution in order to get money to send home to their families who live in “dire poverty” in Romania.

Mr Moylan said it had been accepted that the money was not destined for a criminal organisation.

He said the women had been in Ireland for two weeks and are eager to return to Romania.

Speaking on Thursday, Inspector John Galvin of the Clare Garda Division confirmed the arrests are part of an ongoing investigation into prostitution in the Ennis area.

Last February, an RTÉ Prime Time Investigates programme focused attention on a brothel operating in the Mill Road area of Ennis.

Gardaí in Ennis confirmed at the time that the premises had been under investigation.

Garda sources told The Clare People at the time that brothel start-ups are not uncommon in Clare but that they close as quickly as they open.

Internet advertising and mobile phone technology means that brothels can be set up and dismantled within a couple of hours.

FRACKING may not be needed to extract the large reserve of natural gas from the Clare Basin.

In his first ever Irish interview on the subject, Nick Elwes of UK company Enegi-oil, told The Clare People that fracking is just one option being explored for the Clare gas reserve. Mr Elwes also confirmed that Enegi-oil will be applying for an exploration licence for the Clare Basic before the approaching deadline.

“We are aware of the opposition [to hydraulic fracturing or fracking]. As, when and if we get a licence, it is too early to say how we would drill it and whether we would frack,” he told The Clare People .

“We are in the process of applying for that [a exploration license]. We have an option over the area which, as you’ve seen in our announcement last year, showed the prospectively of it and we must apply for an exploration licence before the end of this month.

“It’s too early to confirm at this stage how we’re going to take it forward as we’ve only proved there is some prospective there. We are try- ing to get to the next stage, [which is] the exploration licence. I wouldn’t like to comment on alternative methods at this early stage.”

Hydraulic fracture or fracking is a controversial technique used to release the natural gas from rock. It involves pumping water and other liquids deep underground under high pressure to break shale rock and release natural gas trapped inside.

Opponents to fracking say it could contaminate ground water systems over a large area, especially in West Clare where the shale rock layer is unusually shallow.

A number of anti-fracking groups, including Clare Fracking Concerned, have formed in recent months. It is also unclear if fracking will create any local jobs if it is allowed to go ahead.

“It’s too early to say [how many jobs will be created]. I don’t mean to be difficult but, at this early stage, I wouldn’t like to comment on things like that. It depends on how the project progresses,” continued Mr Elwes.

Public submissions to the EPA regarding the use of fracking in Ireland must be sent by email on or before March 8, 2013. Tue19February13

THE scale of the challenge faced by the newly independent Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) has been revealed with the news that the number of flight movements dropped to just 37 per day, last month – the lowest average monthly total for more than a decade.

This drop, which coincides with the airport’s first month of independence from the Dublin Airport Authority, represents a 10.7 per cent year-onyear drop in flight movements.

Despite these figures, the airport is expected to show an increase in flight movement later this year with a number of new services announced in recent months. It is hoped that the January figures represent a bottom- ing-out in terms of flight movement, which are expected to show significant gain later this year.

“The early months of the year are always the most challenging and particularly in the current climate but we are fortunate that we can look forward to increased traffic over the course of the year thanks to the commencement of new routes and a strengthening of existing ones. This wasn’t the case over previous years,” said an SAA spokesperson.

“On transatlantic routes alone we have 25 per cent increase in capacity during the summer season [from March to October] thanks to new routes coming on stream for Philadelphia and Chicago. The upswing kicks off next month with the return of Aer Lingus early on JFK New York and Boston routes, in time for the St Patrick’s weekend celebrations, and we also have Delta returning for the summer on JFK.

“Outside the US, we also have a new route announced for Faro, which is one of the most attractive sun destinations in Europe, as well as a doubling of our services to Bodrum in Turkey for the summer season. We will be very strong on the UK routes again this year and have recently added Glasgow to our schedule with Flybe.

“In addition to the gains we have already secured, the newly independent Shannon Airport will be marketed aggressively and competitively for other sustainable services.

“The environment remains challenging and these new services, which were hard won, will need to be supported by the public. But after a really difficult four years for the airport, we are confident that 2013 will be the turning point for us.”

It is also understood that the Shannon Airport Authority will soon officially announce the make up of its new board on management.

A NUMBER of new jobs are on the way for Shannon, following the expansion of local firm Tekelek in the UK market.

The Tekelek Group have announced the purchase of English-based company Ingenion Design for an estimated € 2 million. It is thought that this investment will help the company to expand into the markets of Europe and further afield and could provide a major springboard for the Clare company.

The company, which already employs 30 people at its Shannon headquarters, is understood to be planning to increase its staff to meet the increased demand expected follow- ing the purchase.

“Ingenion Design is an excellent strategic fit for Tekelek. Since its establishment in 1984, its innovative designs have been recognised by a series of awards under the UK’s Small Firms Merit Awards for Research and Technology (SMART) run by the UK’s Department for Trade and Innovation,” said Tekelek founder and managing director Peter McCarthy.

“Like Tekelek, it has developed many new technologies within its market and beyond through linkages with leading experts and universities. Its latest innovation, a novel method of measuring the calorific value of natural gas, was developed jointly with the research team at British Gas, and it now has an exclusive manufac- turing licence to produce this product for CUI Global.”

The product has already been tested and trialled across Europe, the US, Canada and South America and is set to transform Ingenion, with turnover expected to double in the next two years.

“This acquisition will give Tekelek access to new technologies, new sectors and new markets. Our Shannonbased workforce will expand incrementally over time from its current level of 30 employees,” continued McCarthy.

Tekelek has partnered with distributors In Australia, US, and other world markets. Founded in 1995, the company is a provider of level sensing and tank monitoring solutions for oil, LPG gas and water tanks.

CLARE County Council paid out more than € 688,000 in legal expenses last year.

At last night’s (Monday) meeting of the council, members asked if such costs had to be entailed.

Cllr Christy Curtin who requested the breakdown of the council’s legal expenses said, “The advice of law is a burden on our resources.”

He asked if the council could avoid the cost of legal advice in the future.

Director of Services Bernadette Kinsella told the members the county manager “was exploring other options”.

Of the € 688,830 paid out by the council on legal fees and for legal advice the majority of the costs were paid to Michael P Houlihan Solicitors.

County Solicitor John Shaw is a member of the firm, accounting for the majority of these costs.

The second highest payment made by the council was to Dublin-based senior counsel, Dermot Flanagan SC. He received € 96,469 for representing the local authority at two An Bord Pleanala oral hearings last year.

The hearing into council plans to construct a new bridge crossing at Killaloe lasted 10 days, while a separate oral hearing into plans to construct a contentious pier at Doolin lasted one day.

The Shannon bridge crossing proved the most expensive project from a legal standpoint last year, adding up to € 134,614 in total.

Extinguishing a right of way also proved legally expensive at a cost of € 93,006. The legal costs pertaining to Traveller accommodation for the year came in at € 89,726 and the Ennis Water Treatment Settlement at € 76,73.

Payments to Michael P Houlihan Solicitors included legal work on the acquisition of land and wayleaves; civil claim water services; extinguishment of right of way; enforcement cases relating to planning and the environment; the Killaloe Bridge Crossing; Traveller accommodation and other miscellaneous services.

A sum of € 59,339 was made from the council to James Connolly SC for a number of legal issues, with Patrick G Quinn receiving € 49,740 for legal work on a number of issues.

CLARE County Council could be set to scrap all planning permissions charges for new commercial buildings as part of a new plan to make Clare the most business friendly county in Ireland.

The local authority confirmed that they will be examining a number of possible changes to the planning process in the next month, including a proposal to wave all planning contributions.

This comes following a commitment by the Clare County Council to Shannon Airport Authority and Shannon Development to help give the Shannon area a kick-start for new commercial development.

A motion, put forward by Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) at yesterday’s meeting of Clare County Council, requested that any waver for planning costs in the Shannon area be extended countywide.

“Under the act planning levies are not mandatory. A local authority can decide what levies they set in different areas. It is my opinion that rates collected after the first three years would cover the costs of waving the planning levies,” he said.

“We should take an initiative here and bring some business to Clare. This would, for example, give Crush- een a huge competitive base over somewhere like Gort. It would give the North Shannon an advantage over the South Shannon. This would create building activity in Clare and it would create a rates base for the future in Clare.”

The motion was seconded by Cathal Crowe (FF), who said that this waver could have the same effect as Ireland’s low corporation tax has nationally.

“The manager has already waved this for Shannon Airport and its hinterland. I think it is important to look at this as a countywide exercise,” he said.

“This would give us a real edge as a county. It would be like Ireland’s low corporation rate, except on a county basis. This would make Clare the best place in Ireland to do business.”

Clare County Council gave a cautious welcome to the proposal, but did indicate that money collected from planning development contributions don’t go directly into the council’s yearly budget – they are earmarked for works associated with the development itself.

“Careful consideration will have to be given to the extent of incentives that can be offered as a balance has to be struck between the need to support economic activity and cost recovery from services provision,” said a spokesperson.

A 62-YEAR-OLD man has appeared in court charged in connection with a public order incident at an Ennis estate last month.

Michael O’Neill with an address at 68B Abbeyville, Limerick Road, Ennis, appeared at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

He is charged with the production of wheel brace capable of inflicting serious injury at Abbeyville on January 21 (2013). It is also alleged that Mr O’Neill did engage in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace at the same location and date. Sgt Mark Murphy of Ennis Garda Station gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution. Sgt Murphy outlined a summary of the alleged facts of the case. He said gardaí were called a number of times to a disturbance at Abbeyville at 1.20am.

He said it would be alleged that the accused came out of his house and started roaring obscenities at another man. Sgt Murphy said it would be alleged that Mr O’Neill took out an item from the boot of his car. Judge Patrick Durcan accepted jurisdiction. Defence solicitor Tara Godfrey told the court that her client is disputing the alleged facts of the case. Mr O’Neill was remanded on bail to appear again at Ennis District Court on March 13.

REMOVING levies from all developments in the county would give Clare an advantage over other counties and improve the county coffers.

In proposing to rid the county of such development contributions, Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) believes this would encourage development within the county boundaries, and improve the rate takings of the local authority.

He told yesterday’s (Monday) meeting of the Kilrush area councillors that he had monitored seven applica- tions for planning for development before the council.

“If they went ahead we would have got planning levies back in terms of rates by now,” he said.

Such developments would also have lead to job creation and knock on benefits for the local economy.

The Lissycasey man requested that the county manager “draw up draft amendments to section 48 levies in order to exempt areas of West Clare, which are in population decline, from charges for industrial and commercial development”.

He later extended the proposal to include all of County Clare.

The Fianna Fáil councillor argued that such a move would give areas like Westbury a distinct advantage over Limerick City, would make areas of West Clare along the estuary more attractive to business than areas to the south in Kerry and such a move would also give Shannon Airport an advantage over Dublin.

Reviewing development contributions as an incentive mechanism was previously referenced in the Shannon Aviation Business Development Task Force Final Report.

“At the moment we have sterilisa- tion. No one is building in the county,” he said.

In his reply Senior Planner with Clare County Council Gordan Daly said that the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government issued Draft Guidelines for Planning Authorities o Development Contribution in June 2012.

“This guidance is designed to assist planning authorities to achieve, through their development contribution schemes, a balance between cost recovery for services provided and the need to support economic activity,” he said.

“The council considers that there are a number of issues that require to be addressed on a county wide basis including issues previously raised at county council meetings.

“It would be prudent to await the final guidelines to be issued by the department before the council would initiate any processes to commence a formal statutory review of the current scheme,” he added.

Cllr Kelly argued that these were merely guidelines and any decision in this respect would be made by the county manager and the council members.

TWO men who attempted to have an altered cheque lodged to a bank account in Ennis have received prison sentences.

Ondrej Pollak (23), with an address at 9A Dun na hInse, Ennis, and Peter Sivak (22), with an address at 311 Brookville, Drogheda, Louth, appeared before Ennis District Court last Wednesday.

They pleaded guilty to dishonestly by deception inducing a member of the bank’s staff to accept a fraudulently altered cheque in the amount of € 4800 to be paid to the Bank of Ireland held at Bank of Ireland, Bank Place, Ennis.

The incident occurred at Bank of Ireland, Dunleer, County Louth on May 24, 2012. Detective Garda Claire O’Shaughnessy said the cheque had been altered from its original amount of € 22.50 to € 4800.

The court heard that Ondrej Pollak supplied the account for which the altered cheque was intended while Peter Sivak lodged the cheque in Dunleer.

Both men claimed they had been approached by a man named Tony, to carry out the transaction.

Mr Pollak said Tony requested the use of the account as his own had expired. Mr Sivak said Tony asked him to lodge the cheque in Dunleer.

Both men told gardaí that Tony agreed to pay them each € 100.

Det O’Shaughnessy told the court that gardaí did not find anyone named Tony connected with the case. She said that the accused claimed Tony was either from South Africa or Nigeria. Bank of Ireland discovered the deception and contacted gardaí. No money was removed from the account. Solicitor for Mr Pollak, John Casey, told the court that his client has lived in Ireland since he was 11. He said CCTV captured Mr Pollak checking his balance at the Bank of Ireland after the deception had been uncovered.

Mr Casey added, “He was always going to get caught. It was his account, his address.”

Solicitor for Mr Sivak, Daragh Hassett told the court his client, a Czech National, has lived in Ireland since he was 13. He said the father of two was in difficult financial circumstances when he was approached by Tony.

Mr Hassett said it was indicative of his client’s amateurism that he had signed the bank lodgment slip with his own name.

Judge Patrick Durcan said the men were not hardened criminals. He said their story involved the introduction of a “most curious character named Tony.”He added, “I do not believe one word about the existence of Tony or the responsibility of Tony.” He said the men had engaged in “criminal thievery of the worst kind”.

Mr Sivak received a six month prison sentence. Mr Pollak also received a six-month sentence but had the final two months suspended. Reco gnaces were fixed in both cases in the event of appeals.

THE group charged with developing tourism in the west of the county is in limbo, as Shannon Development personnel try to find their new role in tourism, and the county council awaits news if the State body is still to take part of the West Clare Economic Task Force.

At yesterday’s (Monday) meeting of the West Clare area councillors, acting senior engineer Cyril Feeney said the area’s marketing officer had written to the body and other inter- ested groups in a bid to regroup for the coming tourism season.

“There doesn’t seem to be an appetite currently for this,” he said, adding that some organisations are involved in amalgamations and restructuring and have not replied.

“But leaving us in limbo is no good to us or ye,” he said.

The West Clare Economic Task Force is in place since 2009, and was drawn up to encourage economic and tourism development in the West Clare region.

It is made up of the council, Shannon Development and other inter- ested tourism bodies.

“I am very disappointed that the agency hasn’t come back. I think a lot of work was done up until now,” said Cllr Pat Keane (FF).

Although not all members of the Kilrush area were as convinced of the vital role the task force had played to date in developing the west.

Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) said, “The task force has been in operation over three years and not one job has been created. We would be deluded to think we have created jobs.”

The Lissycasey man argued that the Loophead Lighthouse project, and the jobs and spin-off jobs it created was the work of Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) who made it one of his pre-election pledges.

Cllrs Christy Curtin (Ind) and Cllr Keane disagreed with Cllr Kelly, and asked that the report on the work of the task force be made public.