Category: News

THE Samaritans is celebrating 30 years in operation in the Banner County and the local branch is taking steps to raise awareness of its work in Clare.

New signs with Samaritans contact details are being installed at Doolin, Liscannor and at Clare’s premier tourist attraction the Cliffs of Moher, which has been visited by over four million people in the last five years. Two of its recent high profile visitors were Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping and Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni.

It’s hoped that the signs will increase awareness of the Samaritans and will lead to an increased level of engagement with the service.

The Samaritans first began taking calls in Clare in June 1982 and it now has well over 100 volunteers, and operates from a base on the Kilrush Road in Ennis.

Its work will be acknowledged by Clare County Council on June 11 when a reception will be held at Áras Contae an Chláir in Ennis.

Gerry Dobbin is director of the Clare branch of the Samaritans and has volunteered with the organisa- tion for many years.

He said that the branch has invested in the new signs in an attempt to raise awareness among people who may be at risk.

“We feel it is important that we get our message out to the public and we are particularly grateful to the Cliffs of Moher for their assistance in this. The Samaritans vision is for a society where fewer people die by suicide,” he said.

“We offer a listening ear to people who are experiencing feelings of distress and despair and we are available 24/7. We can be contacted by phone at 1850 60 90 90, by email at jo@samaritans.org, or by visiting our centre on the Kilrush Road in Ennis between the hours of 10am and 10pm each day.”

Some 15,000 dialogue contacts were made with the Clare and Ennis branch of the Samaritans in 2009. In 2010, 15,922 contacts were made by way of phone, face-to-face meetings and emails delivered and this increased by about 16 per cent to 17,383 in 2011. It is estimated that between 15 per cent and 20 per cent of all calls made to the Samaritans are from people who have suicidal thoughts.

The experience of the Clare branch has been replicated across the country, with a very noticeable increase in contacts to the service since the onset of recession.

Gerry said that the Samaritans don’t offer those who make contact any advice but talk to them about their feelings and the issues facing them. “It can be of great benefit for people to talk about what’s going on for them and by contacting the Samaritans they can talk about their problems. If they are feeling very low, or even suicidal they will get a chance to talk about that, an opportunity that people might not have otherwise,” he said.

THERE have been calls for land at Drumcliff and Ballyalla to be setaside for the purposes of developing a sporting and recreational hub in Ennis.

Clare County Council has also been urged to ringfence any proceeds from the sale of 98 acres of land at Drumcliff for reinvestment in the same area. The council announced that it is to put land in the area up for auction.

The proposal has been put forward by three Ennis councillors, Tony Mulqueen (FG), Johnny Flynn (FG) and Pat Daly (FF).

Their proposal is due to be discussed at the June meeting of Clare County Council.

The motion states, “In light of the innovative use of this council’s resources such as land, development levies etc by Clare County Council to enable recent proposed sport facility development initiatives in association private and voluntary groups in Killaloe and at Doora; that a similar approach be adopted with regard council owned lands at Drumcliff and Ballyalla Lake. These lands and lake are in a central location with over 50 per cent of the Clare’s population living within a 30 minutes drive time and which enjoys nearby high quality access to the national motorway system.”

The statement continues, “That Clare County Council ringfence the proceeds from the upcoming sale of 98 acres of council land at Drumcliff for reinvestment in that same area and into the local economy by its utilisation to create a new public private community/voluntary ‘Drumcliff and Ballyalla Sports, Recreational and Environment Hub’ (including pitches, watersports, motorhome park, walks, cycling, biodiversity awareness, etc) which would be complimentary to existing facilities at Lees Road. Strategic use of the land sale proceeds in addition to other resources such as; other adjoining council lands, other sports/community organisation lands/funds, sports capital grants, Leader funding, etc could lead to such a development becoming a major tourist attraction resulting in increased utilisation of other existing facilities within short distance of hub.”

There have also been calls for Ennis Town Council to seek funding to improve facilities at Lees Road and Tim Smyth Park.

In a motion due to be discussed at today’s meeting of Ennis Town Council, Cllr Johnny Flynn states, “The phenomenal growth in use by the public of the sports and recreation facilities at Tim Smythe Park and Lees Road indicates the social and medical benefits of such investments made by Ennis Town Council. The council should continue to add to such facilities by providing such as a MUGA (multi use games area) and improved lighting and surfaces in Tim Smythe Park; adult exercise equipment, general athletic equipment and mountain bike trails in Lees Road.”

Ennis Town Council had previously sought funding through the Sports Capital Grant programme to install new dressing rooms and MUGA. However the application was turned down by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.

THERE have been calls for a system to be put in place to allow for weekly battery checks of difibrillators to be installed in Ennis.

Four defibrillators have already been purchased for Ennis following a well-supported fundraising drive.

The Ennis Defibrillator Committee are now seeking to make Ennis the town with the most people trained in the use of defibrillators.

It was launched last February after the issue of defibrillator cover in the town raised at a meeting of Ennis Town Council.

In response to a motion tabled by Labour councillor Paul O’Shea, the Health Services Executive informed the council that defibrillators were available in three locations – Clare County Council, Ennis Leisure Centre and Lees Road.

That sparked calls for the life saving equipment to be made available on the 24/7 basis in the town cen- tre.

Each defibrillator costs € 2,300 and the committee have raised enough money to purchase four units. These units will be positioned at key locations throughout Ennis in the coming weeks.

The campaign has also been backed by the Clare Area Red Cross, who are now providing training in defibrillator use.

The Red Cross has already provided training to 20 community groups and over 400 people in the use of defibrillators.

The Chairman of the Ennis Defibrillator Committee, Cllr Paul O’Shea (Lab) has now called on Ennis Town Council to provide staff to carry out battery checks on a weekly basis.

In a motion submitted to today’s meeting of Ennis Town Council, Cllr O’Shea states, “That Ennis Town Council provide personnel to undertake a weekly battery check on public defibrillators that are to be installed throughout the town.”

THE life and times of the the founder of the GAA, Clare man Michael Cusack, is to be celebrated in a new annual summer school which has been proposed for the Michael Cusack Centre in Carron.

The summer school, which was proposed by Cllr Michael Kelly (FF) at yesterday’s North Clare Area meeting of Clare County Council could see the local authority working hand and hand with the GAA to bring hundreds of delegates to Carron each summer.

Councillors resolved at yesterday’s meeting to make contact with the Clare GAA county board in an effort to move forward the summer school in partnership with the GAA.

“There are schools taking place all over the country. A school like this would be a great source of income and would also showcase the Burren to tourists,” said Cllr Kelly.

“You could get more than 200 people in an area for such a conference. Michael Cusack was the founder of the GAA and, to be honest, I can’t believe that there isn’t already a summer school to mark the man.”

The motions in favour of the sum- mer school received widespread support from local councillors.

“I think that it is an excellent idea. Maybe the GAA could help lead the way in this as well. It would be a money making venture for the GAA and the spins offs for the wider areas could be massive,” said Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) who seconded the proposal.

“It could help put the Burren and the Michael Cusack centre on the map – more then they are already.”

THE new 50-bed unit at Ennis General Hospital is to open at the end of next month.

The exact date to the opening has not been announced at the HSE awaits the arrival of specialist equipment for the unit.

Clare county councillor Tom McNamara (FF) said there was a lot of disappointment that it still wasn’t opened as the builders had handed over the unit last October.

“I cannot see how the delivery is taking so long. We were way under budget (at Ennis General Hospital) last year. Why couldn’t that saving have been used?” he asked.

“We need to put a definite date on it.”

CEO Mid Western Hospital Group, Ann Doherty, said the delay was not a budgetary issue.

“I don’t want to give a date and not meet it,” she said.

“We are well on the way to the opening of our new inpatient accommodation in Ennis. Currently the equipment is on order and delivery schedules are being agreed.”

“As of yet, delivery dates are not confirmed for all items of equipment and therefore an opening date cannot be confirmed. It is anticipated that the unit will be open in the next four to five weeks,” she said.

Ms Doherty said that once she had received definite information about the equipment and its installation she would confirm a date for the opening of the € 15 million extension.

The extension will include two new wards with 50 new beds and ensuites, and facilities for CT scanning, operating theatres, endoscope facilities and day surgery.

THERE was joy for the family and friends of baby Sergio O’Connor who came through a gruelling six hour operation in Boston on Saturday.

One year-old Sergio, who is one of a set of twins, had been in America for more than a week waiting for the life saving surgery to reconnect his oesophagus.

Sergio was born on March 5 last with a rare condition which prevents him from eating, drinking or swallowing. Sergio, who before travelling to America had only been released from hospital for a few hours on Christmas day, came through the operations well but is still in an induced coma.

Sergio and his twin brother Tadhg were born into one of North Clare’s best loved traditional music families with his father Donal, his grandmother Ann O’Connor (nee Dillon) and his uncle, the former TG4 Young Musician of the Year, Liam O’Connor, all taking part in countless sessions around the county over the years.

Sergio still has a large number of relatives in Ennistymon and other areas and a large number of fundraising concerts have taken place around the county in recent months, in help in the cost of his life changing surgery.

The youngster went into surgery at 7.30am local time and with surgeons using a rare process known as the Foker treatment, to reconnect his oesophagus. The operation went well but Sergio will remain in an induced coma for another week so that his oesophagus has time to heal up.

Sergio’s family in America say that are “over the moon” with the surgery and are very thankful to the entire team here at the hospital. Sergio will still require other procedures and surgeries in the future but last Saturday’s operation is seen as a key milestone in his recovery.

THREE thousand Clare people were unaware that they were close to becoming citizens of Limerick last week as amendments were made to the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012 at Dáil committee level.

Limerick Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins attempted to add an amendment to the bill that would in essence bring in the proposals of the controversial Limerick Local Government Com- mittee (LLGC) report more commonly known as the Brosnan report.

He put forward amendment nine, which stated, “The administrative area of the new Limerick Local Government Authority shall be extended to include the residential areas of Shannon Banks, Westbury, Carrig Meade and Athlundard in Co Clare and shall also include that part of the campus of the University of Limerick also in Co Clare.”

The new Limerick Local Government Authority that would take over from Limerick County Council and Limerick City Council was one of the Brosnan proposals accepted by Government last year.

The proposal to extend the boundary of this new authority into Clare was rejected however after much protest from the Banner County by the Government last year and by the committee on Thursday.

Labour Junior Minister Jan O’Sullivan, who was chairing the committee meeting, told Mr Collins that the Government would not be accepting the amendment after those in attendance voted to reject it.

Among them was Clare Labour TD Michael McNamara who described it as an attempted land grab.

“In Government, Fianna Fáil transferred Aer Rianta International in Shannon to the Dublin Airport Authority and privatised Aer Lingus so that it can leave Shannon on a whim. In opposition, Fianna Fáil now wants to move part of the campus of the University of Limerick and the residential areas of Shannon Banks, Westbury, Carrig Meade and Athlundard out of Co Clare,” said Deputy McNamara.

Flan CUNNINGHAM
, Sallus, Quilty East. Suddenly. Funeral mass today (Tuesday) at 11 o’clock at The Star of the Sea Church, Quilty, with burial afterwards in Mullagh Cemetery. Family flowers only please, donations, if desired toThe Irish Heart Foundation. May he rest in peace.

Kieran FAHY,
26 Lower Main St.Tulla and late of Lahardan. Peacefully at home. Funeral mass today (Tuesday) at 11 o’clock at Ss Peter and Paul’s Church,Tulla, with burial after in local cemetery. May he rest in peace.

John GALVIN
of 32 Liosard,Tulla Road, late of 2 Chapel Street, Longford town. Laid to rest in Drumcliffe Cemetery, Ennis. Donations, if desired, to Milford Hospice. May he rest in peace.

THE Mid Western Hospital group had exceeded its budget by as much as 13 per cent at the end of March, while € 30 million goes uncollected from health insurers.

Ennis and Nenagh general hospitals were breaking even during the first quarter of this year, however the Mid West Maternity Hospital and the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick was surpassing all budget alloca- tions, having overspent by € 6,869. This is the largest deficit among hospital groups in the HSE West.

Meanwhile as much as € 20 million has not been collected from health insurance companies due to consultants lack of paper work in the HSE West, with a further delay in the payment of another € 10 million.

Liam Minihan, Assistant National Director of Finance HSE West, said it takes the HSE 145 days to collect its income from these companies. He added that a private company would not survive this practice.

“Insurance companies have slowed down paying us. € 20 million is also waiting for consultant signatures so that it can be processed,” he said.

Mr Minihan explained that the biggest drain on the HSE’s budget was the nursing home Fair Deal programme. The HSE’s nursing homes must have more than 95 per cent occupancy to receive payment from the Government. In total the HSE West was € 26.3 million over budget by the end of March, with the hospital budget over by € 20.4 million and the community sector bursting its budget by € 5.5 million.

The 361 retirees from the HSE West will save the health service € 34 million this year, and travel costs are down by € 300,000 according to the financial expert, with a further € 3 million saved by cutting the agency nurses bill from € 9 million to € 6 million.

Hospitals are already implementing seasonal closing in a bid to cut their spending but a cut to the overall budget at the beginning of the year has put them under serious financial pressure.

Bill Maher, CEO Galway Roscommon Hospital Group, said, “Year on year spending has been reduced, and there was a significant reduction in our allocation this year.

“The money follow patient system has been mentioned for the last five years and that it is always around the corner,” he said adding that such a scheme would make it easier for hospitals to break even.

LIVES could be lost on Lahinch beach as a result of new parking bylaws which will force all the town’s surf school to trade in one area of the promenade. That is the opinion of surf school operator Ben Bennett, who believes that the schools provide the first line of defense for people who get into difficulty while in the water at Lahinch.

Mr Bennett, who operates Ben’s Surf Clinic in Lahinch, was responding to the introduction of the new bylaws which he says will not fix any of the difficulties experienced by beach users at Lahinch.

The bylaws force the surf school to operate and to enter the beach at the northern end of the Lahinch Promenade. They were put in place after a number of complaints were made by members of the public about overcrowding at the beach.

“There seems to be a confusion between surfers and surf schools,” said Ben.

“None of the surf schools allow the surfers into the swimming zone but it is the inexperienced surfers that do drift in there. The surf schools are getting blamed for what the surfers are doing.

“Surfing is keeping Lahinch alive all winter long. It is not just a summer thing – the car park will be filled with surfers in the middle of the winter and all of them will be paying parking fees to Clare County Council – we are getting a really bad rap here.”

According to Ben, the surf school also provide a year round safety net for people using the beach at Lahinch.

“I personally rescue about seven to eight people a year at Lahinch because I am on the beach all the time. I would imagine that every other surf instructor would do something similar,” continued Ben.

“The council are putting us at the furthest point possible from the beach. We can’t see the beach. I am located at the first ramp down and from there I can see the beach and advise the people who are there about the tides and the currents.

“There will definitely be more accidents and more incidents due to the fact that surf schools are being placed at the back of the prom. I think the safety issues are very serious and I believe that some day, someone is going to be stretchered off very badly injured just as a result of moving the surf schools back. Someone is unfortunately going to drown.”

FIANNA Fáil Director of Elections took the treaty campaign to his home county this week supported by party leader Michéal Martin.

Deputy Timmy Dooley walked the street of Ennis on one of the sunniest days of the year campaigning for a yes vote at Thursday’s Stability Referendum.

Deputy Martin was still confident that the treaty would be passed as he met the public.

“People are very concerned at the moment about the future of the country about their own futures as families, individuals, mothers are very concerned about prospects for their children, so they are looking at everything through that prism. Many people’s lives have been changed as a result of this recession which is the worst since the 20s,” he said.

“Up to last week or so there were more definite yeses than nos because people see it as a step that is safer than no, because they are not sure where no leads you to, and because of the crisis there is a fear about go ing down that road.

“On balance they feel that yes is a better than option than no,” he told The Clare People .

Asked if the shadow of Éamonn Ó Cuiv still hung over the party’s campaign he said, “I think Éamonn’s position is well known it has been well articulated on a number of occasions and I suppose that brought a degree of authenticity to the debate.”

He was also in the unusual position of campaigning with the Government as an opposition party leader.

“I think people do appreciate the fact that as an opposition party we are not playing games with the treaty. We are not trying to undermine the Government through the treaty. We have taken up the fact that we are taking an honest broker approach on the issue,” he said.

“I suppose there is less pressure in some respects in the terms of the nature of the campaign. What we have found is that there has been plenty of engagement.”

Through that engagement on the streets of Ennis he said, “The big lie from the beginning of the campaign has been labelling this treaty as the austerity treaty because the actual reality is that the rules contained in the treaty are there anyway under the stability and growth pact and the regulations the Government agreed to last year.

“Our reasoning is that actually if you vote for the treaty then you are giving yourself as a country a better chance to access money at a cheaper rate over the year.

If you vote no you could end up with more cut faster because you are not sure where you are going to get your money from and at what cost,” he said.