Category: News

THE Department of Health said no date has been set for the downgrading of the former Accident and Emergency Unit at Ennis General Hospital to a Local Injuries Unit, similar to that opened in Nenagh yesterday (Monday).

It added that any decision to make changes to the hospital would be subject to yet another report – the Smaller Hospital’s Framework Document.

Changes to the role of the County Clare hospital within the Mid Western hospital group are already been included in numerous reports such as HIQA’s report into safety at the Ennis hospital and the acute medi- cine programme.

All reports point to what the HSE say is now policy, the changing yet again of the role of the former A and E.

However the announcement last week of the changes due in Ennis, led to political unrest.

Fine Gael Clare deputies, Joe Carey and Pat Breen, said they received confirmation from the Minister for Health, James Reilly, that no final decision has been taken in relation to services at Ennis hospital.

“I wrote to Minister Reilly seeking clarification on a number of issues, following reports locally that changes were to be made at Ennis hospital. The Minister has assured me and Deputy Carey that final decisions will not be made in rela- tion to changes at Ennis before the publication of the Small Hospital’s Framework Document,” said Deputy Breen.

“I believe our focus needs to be on improving services in the mid-west region, in order to support patient care and ensure the services provided at both Ennis and Limerick hospitals complement each other. For example, upgrading ambulance services across the county will ensure people can be transported quickly and receive the treatment they need.”

Deputy Carey said, “The reality is, despite the claims being made by Timmy Dooley [Fianna Fáil TD], people with major traumas have been treated at Limerick Regional Hospital for the past three years, since Fianna Fáil downgraded services at Ennis. What we need to do now is push ahead with acute improvements at Limerick Regional Hospital together with the development and enhancement of current services at Ennis General and the provision of those which are proposed.”

In a joint statement the deputies said, “Our health services are going through a major period of change, and there will be huge challenges ahead. We cannot shy away from hard choices, but what we can do is demand patient care is not compromised.” The Clare People asked the Department of Health who would make the final decision on the role of the current Local Emergency Centre and former A and E – the HSE, the minister or the cabinet?

It said the change would be subject to a final decision made on foot of the publication of the Smaller Hospital’s Framework document.

“In advance of the publication of the Smaller Hospital’s Framework Document, final decisions have not been reached,” a spokeswoman said.

“The information provided by the HSE locally in Limerick (related to Ennis hospital) is informed by the categories articulated by the National Clinical Programmes and is also informed by exigencies related to standards required by HIQA. The response sets out respective relationships between three hospitals. It also adds that no date has been set for such changes,” she added.

A DISTRICT court judge showed his determination to have his court run efficiently and on time on Tuesday last when he issued up to eight bench warrants for people missing from the body of the court when their case was called.

Judge Patrick Durkin was also annoyed when one defendant who was resident in Limerick Prison was not taken to Kilrush in time for the 10.30am start.

“I don’t see why I should drive a considerable distance, up to three hours, and members of the Gardaí can’t be here on time,” he said.

Superintendent Gerry Wall reminded the judge that it was the prison service that was responsible for getting the prisoner to court on time in this case.

Those responsible for their own appearance were also chastised for their lethargic attitude.

One defendant was not present when the registrar called his name as he had according to his solicitor Patrick Moylan, “gone to sign on this morning”.

“Mr Moylan, I am hearing of fellas who are never in court when they are called but were there before and there after.

“If you are not at the station when the train comes you miss the train,” remarked Judge Durkin as the second bench warrant was issued.

A bench warrant was then issued for a defendant who was believed to be in the restroom at the time her case was called.

“There is no point being in the lavatory in the station when the train leaves,” said the judge.

Within 20 minutes of the court sitting four bench warrants were issued.

By lunch time the figure had more than doubled.

It later emerged that one of the defendants had gone home for a cup of tea.

Supt Wall told the court he agreed with the actions taken.

“I am in total support of what is going on his morning. We have to get some order,” he said.

In the afternoon four of the defendants came before the judge to explain their absence and had their bench warrants vacated.

WOULD-be barbers, hairdressers and stylists are being offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – the chance to shave or dye the hair of an Ennistymon barber.

Barber Ed has offered his head in a good cause, with all money raised going to the William Winder Rainbow Foundation.

Tickets are on sale locally for just € 5 and the winner will be able to shave the barber’s head with any design they wish or shave their name on to his head.

There is also the option of dyeing his hair any colour they wish on September 21.

This event will be the highlight of the ‘Barber Ed’s head to cut, to shave to dye and to make Ed cry’ event.

The night is in aid of a foundation set up in memory of a local schoolboy William Winder who took his own life last June.

His heartbroken parents, Mark and Caroline, have set up the foundation to help other struggling teenagers and make them aware of the different options and support groups available to them.

The foundation aims to provide a safe and confidential counselling service to teenagers, and provide support to families.

Its website, which is a one-stop shop for teen support and counselling, is www.williamwinderrainbowfoundation.ie and is currently being completed, but people can also log on to the organisation’s Facebook page for more information.

THE Ennis Town Manager has defended Ennis Town Council’s record of investment in amenity facilities following criticisms over the Post Office Field.

Ger Dollard was speaking yesterday in response to comments made Cllr James Breen (Ind). In a motion tabled at the September meeting of councillors in the Ennis West Electoral area, Cllr Breen called on the council and the county manager “to take immediate steps to develop the Post Office Field at Bank Place and Bindon Street into a community area”.

Cllr Breen said the field is a “marvelous amenity” in the heart of the town that has been underused and underdeveloped for decades.

In his response, town clerk Leonard Cleary stated that the Post Office Field is a major natural resource for the town centre. “It is rich in wildlife and natural heritage. It offers significant potential for appropriate development. Previously the resource was considered as a proposed site for series of different functions. The issue of resources is key in moving any project forward. The Ennis Hub Town Strategy is currently being drafted by Ennis Town Council after considerable community consultation as part of the Ennis 2020 visioning exercise with University of Limerick,” he said.

“The hub strategy indicates strong support for the development of the post office field as an amenity area. It also presents this type of project as an opportunity for the town to re-orientate towards the great River Fergus resource, which bounds the field. A key challenge in implementing this action in the hub strategy regarding the post office field relates to the available financial resources. Any future proposals for the Post Office Field will in the first instance need to be considered by the elected members of Ennis Town Council.”

The field had been put forward as the site for a new library but the project was abandoned due to a lack of funding.

Mr Dollard said a consensus should be established about the future of the field. However he warned that it would be “a number of years before we have funds available to use”.

Cllr Breen said such a timescale was “unacceptable”, adding that it did not “argue” well for what Ennis Town Council had been doing at times when resources were available for the development of the field.

Mr Dollard said the Council invested hugely in amenities in Ennis, citing the money spent on Lees Road and Tim Smyth Park.

Town Engineer Eamon O’Dea told the meeting that field had only come into the ownership of the council within the last 10 years.

MOTORISTS and residents are “giving out stink” about ongoing roadworks in Spancillhill, a meeting has heard.

In a motion tabled at a meeting of councillors in the Ennis East Electoral Area, Cllr Sonny Scanlan (FG) asked when the “Spancilhill Road will be completed and re-opened as it causing a lot of anger and inconvenience to the residents”.

Cllr Scanlan told the meeting that he had received numerous complaints from people on the area “giving out stink about how long it is taking to finish the road”.

He said people are also giving out about the council. Senior engineer Tom Tiernan admitted that the “inconvenience that has been caused is regrettable”. He explained, “A number of issues have combined to create this situation – drainage management complexities, rock removal, the gradual erosion in a number of available staff and the incapacity to replace them etc. The objective at present is to restore two-way traffic in four to six weeks from now and to have completed the project by the end of this year.”

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said he too had received a high number of complaints about the length of the works. He said the road is one of the main arteries into Ennis and that the delay in completing the road “paints the council in a bad light”.

Mayor of Clare, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) said the delays are very unfair on motorists coming from East Clare.

Committee chairman Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) also urged the council to do what it can to expedite the project.

THE emergency services at Ennis General Hospital are to face further downgrading, more than three years after it lost its 24-hour accident and emergency unit.

A date has not yet been set, but the HSE confirmed to The Clare People that the Local Emergency Centre (the former A&E) would be replaced with a Local Injuries Unit.

Once these changes are implemented, all patients with emergency cardiology or medical problems will no longer be treated at Ennis General Hospital but will be taken directly to the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick.

According to a spokesperson for the HSE, “The Local Emergency Centre will become a Local Injuries Unit focusing on the care of adults and children over five with injuries such as broken bones, soft tissue injuries and wounds.”

Clare representative on the HSE West Forum, Tom McNamara said this news was in complete conflict with what he was told last week.

MOTHERS of children with severe medical conditions and physical and intellectual disabilities are prisoners in their own homes as they work night and day to care for their little ones. Cutting their home care services even more would all but put these Clare parents into solitary confine ment, experts have warned.

As the budget approaches and cuts to home care packages and home help services in Clare are likely to be announced on Friday, families of children with disabilities are feeling the pressure.

Many families in Clare rely on these services to allow them time to collect the glossary shopping, spend time with their other children or even just get a few hours much needed sleep. As well as respite assistance, these families also require help with the day-to-day medical treatment of their children.

The Jack and Jill Foundation provides such support to eight children in Clare up to the age of four years old.

Liaison nurse with the Jack and Jill Foundation, Mags Naughton is dedicated to her role of providing as much help as possible to families of children with medical conditions and intellectual disabilities, but admits it is getting more difficult during the recession. Fundraising, especially corporate fundraising, for the charity has decreased in the last three to four years.

“We have gotten much busier too. In the past, we would have taken less severe cases but we have had to tighten the criteria since the recession as funding has fallen. This is very difficult. It is so difficult to say no,” said the Clare nurse.

Despite the challenges, the foundation and Ms Naughton continue to finance paediatric nurses for an aver- age of eight hours a week.

“That is max standard. It is very tiny but that is what we can give. Unless it is a palliative baby, in which case we can give up to 16 hours.”

As well as supporting the families medically, Mags provides emotional support and helps out with advocacy work. In many cases, families struggle to fill out all the forms associated with the assistance they are entitled to. Most families don’t know their entitlements and when they find out, they are often too busy or tired to fill out the booklet of information required.

Asked abut the proposed cuts, she said, “I think there is a lot of hurt: this is what has happened our child and now doors are just closed on us. A lot of people think they have a sick child and everything will fall into place but this is not the case. You are hammering on doors.

“It is already quite tight for moms to go shopping and they are watching the clock. Most moms are prisoners in their own homes and that is no exaggeration, they really are,” she said.

There is also an inconsistency around the country when it comes to applying for medical cards and other assistance.

“Carers allowance and carers ben efit, because of cutbacks for staff working in those offices, they are all held up for 16 to 18 weeks and that has a huge impact on parents as well. Domiciliary allowance is at least a 16week wait and parents have to furnish so much information; they don’t just take a consultant’s letter, they have to have an occupational assessment. That is very stressful for parents.” * The Ja ck a nd Jill Founda tion a re r a ising funds by collecting old a nd used cr utches. Anyone with old cr utches a t home a re encouraged to br ing them to Applegreen Ser vice Sta tion, a cross from St Fla nna n’s Filed in Ennis before this Sunda y September 16.

THE two men arrested following the shooting of a wedding guest at a Bunratty hotel have been released without charge.

Gardaí investigating the death of Robert Sheehan confirmed that they released the two Limerick men arrested in connection with the September 2, shooting.

A file will now be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Mr Sheehan of Pineview Gardens, Moyross was shot a number of times by two gunmen as he stood having a cigarette outside the Bunratty Castle Hotels at approximately 3.40am on the Sunday morning.

He died on Monday evening September 3, at the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Limerick from his injuries. The father of one, who turned 22 years-old last week, was attending a family wedding in the County Clare hotel.

Shortly after the shooting two men were arrested in Cork and were ques- tioned in Ennis and Shannon Garda Stations before being released on Friday morning last.

Mr Sheehan was buried in Limerick on Thursday.

Speaking at Corpus Christi Church in Moyross during the funeral mass, his father Patrick Sheehan, called for no retaliation for his son’s murder.

“As a family, we would not like to see any other person in the world go through what pain we are going through at the moment. No parent should ever have to bury their child through senseless violence or any other reason,” he said.

CLARE County Council is considering the introduction of new waste byelaws, as figures estimate that up to 25 per cent of all household waste in Clare is unaccounted for.

It follows a report, which shows that almost 53 per cent of households avail of a regular waste collection service. The collection figures are taken from 2010 waste records complied by the Environmental Protection Agency. They are contained in a report prepared by the council in response to concerns raised by members of Ennis Town Council over household waste.

Anne Haugh, Director of Services Transport, Water Services and Environment, explained that 53 per cent is a “stark figure” that needs to be put in context before any conclusions can be drawn.

Ms Haugh cites figures from the Regional Waste Management Office in Limerick showing that 14 per cent of households share a bin service.

Ms Haugh adds that almost 8,400 tonnes of household waste was deposited at the council’s “five civic amenity sites and 54 bring banks” in a single year. The report states that this equates to waste from 20 per cent of households in Clare.

Ms Haugh adds, “This means there are approximately 20 to 25 per cent of households in County Clare where their waste cannot be accounted for. It is in this context that Clare County Council is examining the introduction of updated presentation of waste byelaws that would, with some exceptions, require households within 200 metres of an existing waste collection route to avail of a waste collection service.”

The waste byelaws were due to be presented at yesterday’s meeting of Clare County Council.

The report states that local authorities in Clare work closely to address waste and litter issues. Ms Haugh added, “Environmental patrols, CCTV surveillance and a joint gardaí / waste enforcement checkpoints are carried out on an ongoing basis to counter illegal waste and litter activity.”

The council recently secured three separate prosecutions against people found to be illegally disposing of waste.

Margaret SMITH (nee Cahir)
of 55 Cahercalla Heights, Ennis, and formerly of Ballyshannny, Kilfenora. Laid to to rest in Drumcliffe cemetery. May she rest in peace.

Michael MOLONEY
of Drimeenagun, Doon Road, Broadford. Late of Ballymcdonnell, Bodyke. Funeral mass onTuesday at 11.30amat St. Patrick’s church, O’Callaghan’s Mills, followed by burial in Killuran Cemetery. May he rest in peace.

Peter GRIFFIN
of Cloonlaheen, Mullagh. In his 93rd year. Laid to rest in Mullagh. Donations if desired to the Alzheimers Unit, Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Ennis. May he rest in peace.

Teresa O’NEILL (née Kilmartin)
of 8 Church Drive Clarecastle. Peacefully at home surrounded by her loving family. Laid to rest in Clarehill Cemetery. May she rest in peace.

John SCANLON
of Chicago and late of Cooga, Kildysart and Cloncolman, Lissycasey. Funeral has taken place in Chicago. May he rest in peace.

Elizabeth (Lilly) DONNELLAN
(née Fagan) of 34 ConnollyVillas, Ennis. Laid to rest in Drumcliffe Cemetery. May she rest in peace.

Nora McGUANE (née O’Sullivan)
of Letteragh, Kilmaley. In her 96th year. Laid to rest in Kilmaley Cemetery. May she rest in peace.

John QUEALLY
of Drumcliffe, Ennis. In his 96th year. Laid to rest in Drumcliffe Cemetery. May he rest in peace.

James CASEY
of Kilrush Road, Kildysart. Laid to rest in Kildysart. May he rest in peace.

Chrissie O’HALLORAN (née Garvey)
of Ballyliddane, Sixmilebridge, Suddenly. Laid to rest in in Ballysheen Cemetery, Sixmilebridge. May she rest in peace.

Mary KIELY
of 16 Fearnog, Shannon. Late of Tullamore. Laid to rest in in Newlands Cross Crematorium, Dublin. May she rest in peace.

Bernadette MINOGUE
of 6 Station Court, Quin Road, Ennis. Formerly of Glendree, Feakle. Peacefully. Laid to rest inTulla Cemetery. May she rest in peace.

Jack O’DEA
of Ballygannor, Kilfenora. Peacefully, surrounded by his family. Laid to rest in Kilfenora. May he rest in peace.

REPRESENTATIVES from Ireland’s largest provider of addiction treatment services may be forced to appear before Ennis District Court to explain why a Kilrush man has not been admitted to one of it’’s centres.

Cuan Mhuire Bruree, County Limerick have been ordered to send a letter to the court confirming that Martin Burke (30) has applied for a place at the centre.

The order was made by Judge Patrick Durcan at Ennis District Court on Wednesday. He said that if a letter were not forthcoming, he would issue a witness summons to Cuan Mhuire.

Mr Burke (30), with an address at 4 St Senan’s Terrace, Kilrush, previously pleaded guilty to handling stolen property at John Street Kilrush on June 25.

The court previously heard that Mr Burke was found by gardaí rolling a wheelie bin containing a keg of Budweiser down a street in Kilrush. Mr Burke has also admitted to charges of criminal damage, theft and public order.

The court previously heard that on April 29 (2012) the accused damaged the side of a car at Convent Road, Kilrush and then stole a handbag valued at € 20.

The other offences were committed on May 5 (2012) when the accused smashed a window of the Central Pharmacy causing an estimated 200 euros worth of damage.

Mr Burke also pleaded guilty to be ing intoxicated in a public place on the same night. Mr Burke has 82 previous convictions.

In June, Judge Durcan ordered that Mr Burke enter a treatment centre to deal with his alcohol and drug addiction problems.

He had also previously requested a letter from a doctor recommending that Mr Burke enter a residential treatment programme.

On Wednesday, solicitor Fiona Hehir said her client is still on a waiting list for Cuan Mhuire.

She told the court that Mr Burke is clean of drugs but may have to wait another month before gaining a place in Bruree.

She explained that Bruree does not accept doctor’s letters as a form of recommendation.

Ms Hehir said Mr Burke had been in near daily contact with the centre.

Judge Durcan ordered that a letter be sent from Cuan Mhuire confirming that Mr Burke had applied for a place in Bruree.