Category: News

THE Ennis 2020 project sets out to consult with members of the public to chart a path for Ennis beyond recession. The community visioning exercise is the product of a joint initiative between Ennis Town Council and the University of Limerick.

The UL Practicum is working with the Ennis hub plan committee to gather ideas from the citizens of Ennis. So far UL students of the MA in Technical Communication and E-Learning and students from the Politics and Public Administration Department assisted during the community visioning exercises that took place in Ennis last April and May.

The main objective of the project is to support the development of a participatory plan for Ennis as a hub town in line with the National Spatial Strategy.

The findings can now be viewed online or in a specially designed electronic newsletter. An e-comic has also been produced for school children.

Three UL students – Susan Rice, Sherona O’Donnell and Avril Seery – played a central role in collecting, compiling and presenting the report’s findings.

School children and teenagers are being encouraged to interact with ‘Ennis 2020 People, Place, Potential, phase one of which was launched last November.

The first report on Ennis 2020 – People, Place, Potential, presents perspectives on what local people think Ennis will look and feel like in 2020; the strengths and assets on which it can build; how the image of Ennis might be improved and how Ennis might be developed further as an inclusive town.

In a section focusing on how improved infrastructure can enhance Ennis, the report found, “The related theme of pedestrianisation was undoubtedly one of the most prominent issues to be raised with all of those mentioned it advocating pedestrianisation of some sort or other, ranging from gradual or partial pedestrianisation to an all out approach taking in al of the town centre.” Parking also emerged as a key concern for people in Ennis.

LOCAL interests can’t be trusted to run Shannon Airport properly, because the move to give Clare County Council, Limerick County Council and Shannon Development control of the county’s international airport could bring about its “closure in a short few years from now”.

That’s the warning that has been sounded out by local Fianna Fáil TD and front bench spokesperson on Transport, Timmy Dooley, who has railed against the main recommendation contained in the Booz and Company report.

“This would be hugely damaging,” Deputy Dooley has told Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, who commissioned the report on the future of the three state airports from the team of international consultants at Booz and Company.

“According to Booz, the new air port model will also be based upon developing the land bank at the airport and developing cargo along with passenger traffic,” continued Deputy Dooley.

“We are in the worst economic crisis since the 1920s and there will not be any revenues from the land bank for 10 years and we are way off developing cargo, so before there is an upside from these in 10 years time, the airport could be closed before there is a recovery in the economy.”

Mr Dooley has claimed that the locally-owned based model “would be disastrous for Shannon and the region” in an airport that’s currently making losses of between € 8m and € 10m a year has accumulated losses of an estimated € 100m.

“Under the model proposed by Booz, where will the money comes from? Clare County Council doesn’t have any money. Shannon Development also doesn’t have any money and its functions are currently being reviewed by Government,” said Deputy Dooley.

Shannon currently receives € 8m per annum in subvention from the Dublin Airport Authority.

AS MANY as 1,222 people have retired from the HSE West since last September, but the HSE said it will employ more than 100 “essential” staff to cover some of the loss.

The health service area, which includes County Clare, has lost 680 people mostly front line staff to the Early Retirement Scheme since the beginning of the year.

In the former Mid Western Health Board area, made up of Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary, almost 300 staff had retired just one week before the cut-off mark of February 29. The majority of these staff – 205 – retired from the community sector, an area of health care that has been championed by the HSE as the way forward.

As many as 124 members of personnel retired from the Mid Western Hospital Group which includes Ennis General Hospital.

Four members of the ambulance service in the mid-west retired, with four more gone from corporate services.

At last week’s meeting of the HSE West regional forum, Clare member Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) asked if management had any idea of how the retirements would impact on services.

“Where are we going to have a staffing shortfall?” he asked.

Assistant National Director of HR Francis Rogers said that a robust contingency plans were in place to meet the shortfall.

Regional Director of Operations HSE West John Hennessy said the HSE “would be backfilling 123 post, particularly in midwifery, neonatal services and intensive care”.

CLARE County Council is to begin negotiations with its counterpart in Limerick and Shannon Development to explore the feasability of taking over the management of Shannon Airport from the Dublin Airport Authority.

This move was heralded at a special meeting of the local authority’s Special Policy Committee on Tourism and Enterprise on Monday, which came together to discuss the publication of the censored Booz and Company report on the future of Clare’s international airport.

County Council Director of Service, Ger Dollard; Mayor of Clare, Pat Hayes; Mayor of Ennis Michael Guilfoyle all backed the move to open up discussions between the key stakeholders in the region that the Booz and Company consultants say should take responsibility for running Shannon.

The move was sparked by Cllr Joe Arkins (FG), who questioned whether “any contacts, formally or informally, had been made with the other proposed stakeholders – Limerick County Council and Shannon Development.

“It would be advisable that you make contact with them, in order that Clare County Council might be able to find out what the position of Shannon Development and Limerick County Council is, or if there is an agreed position between all the stakeholders,” added Cllr Arkins.

“I would agree with Cllr Arkins,” said Cllr Richard Nagle, who is chairman of the SPC on Tourism and Enterprise. “There has to be consultation with the other bodies,” he added.

“We have had disjointed approach over the years. We haven’t fought a good battle as a region,” said Mayor of Clare, Pat Hayes.

“The decision that’s made has to be in the long term future of Shannon Airport because the west of Ireland is very much at risk if we don’t get it right,” he added.

“I’d be concerned that Limerick didn’t make a submission,” said Mayor of Ennis, Michael Guilfloyle.

“We haven’t have had any discussions since the report was published,” admitted Ger Dollard. “I presume the next step will be for the Minister and the Government to decide what option that we should pursue on foot of the report,” he added before it was agreed that negotiations with the other stakeholders would be kickstarted immediately.

NORTH Clare businessman Marcus White will fly to Moscow next month to sign a deal that could bring tens of thousands of new visitors to Clare, through Shannon Airport, this year.

White and his father, James White, met with the head of Russian company Pegus Tours in Asia last week and have arranged a second meeting in the Russian capital for April 8 when, it is hoped, contracts can be signed.

Pegus Tours are one of the world’s largest tour operators and currently bring more than 100,000 Russian tourist on package holidays to Thailand each year. It is hoped that this contract could open the door for tens of thousands of Russians to visit Lisdoonvarna each year on wellness holiday tours.

An estimated € 5 million was generated in North Clare last year as a result of the 6,000 German tourists who visited Lisdoonvarna as part of the Whites’ seven-day wellness trip to Clare operated with Trend Tours. It was confirmed last week that 16,000 German tourists had already booked to come to Ireland with Trend Tours for 2012, with a large portion of them coming to North Clare.

“We met a major tour operator in Asia last week and he already brings several hundred thousand Russians into Thailand each winter for sun holidays. We met the owner personally and we have another meeting for April 8 when, hopefully, we can sign contracts to bring Russians into Shannon or Dublin Airport,” said Marcus.

“Russia and China are the markets to go after at the moment. We always go after bulk business and, if we can get this Russian charter into Shannon Airport, then I think that everyone in the area will be very happy.

“This is something that we are do- ing completely off our own bat, without the help of any state agencies. We got the Germans in ourselves, myself and my father, and we now want to get the Russians into North Clare and to go after China after that. This has been done with absolutely no help from anyone else.

“If this starts off, we hope that everyone involved in the tourism business will come in and get behind it.”

James White, who is a former Fine Gael TD for Donegal, will meet with the Minister for Tourism, Jimmy Deenihan (FG), in the coming weeks to discuss speeding up the visa system for Russians visiting Ireland.

LIMERICK County Council says they stand ready to play a major role in the future development of Shannon Airport, should a member of the local authority be appointed to the new management structure for the airport.

Following the publication of the Booz Report into the future of Shannon Airport last week, it looks increasing likely that both Clare County Council and the soon to be amalgamated Limerick City and County Council will have a seat at the table when a future management structure for Shannon is announced.

According to the Cathaoirleach of Limerick County Council, Mary Harty (FG), a public voice on board of the airport will prevent it getting “wrecked” in a similar way to the local health services.

“I think it is important that the locally elected representatives have their say when it comes to something as important as the airport. We all know the difference it has made to the health system not to have a local say in how that operates and we don’t want the airport to be wrecked in a similar way to this,” she said.

“Shannon Airport is a massive driver for everyone in the mid-west, for Limerick and for Clare. We are very keen to have a role to play, Shannon Airport is the biggest gateway location in area and there is no question that it is vitally important to everyone in Limerick that it is made to work.”

Cllr Harty also dismissed the notion that councillors would not have the expertise to operate a complex facility like Shannon Airport.

“At the moment we don’t have the experience but we will never get the experience until we have a chance to work with all the other stakeholders and make our points heard,” she continued.

“This is such an important facility for the area it is vital that a local representative has a say in its future.”

EAST Clare could soon become Ireland’s destination of choice for canoe and kayak trails following new proposal to first map, and then open up the scores of rivers and lakes in the area to tourists.

North Clare canoe enthusiast and businessman, Fergus Brogan, is currently at an advanced stage of negotiations with LEADER and the Clare LDC and, all going well, a canoe trail could be up and running in area before this summer.

“There was a book published last year, the first major list of canoe trails in Ireland, and there was not one trail at all in Clare. That got me thinking. It is crazy that a place like Clare, that has so much water, has no real canoe infrastructure. There is 30 lakes within a 10 mile radius of Peppers Pub in Feakle – 30 lakes and not one of them has ever seen a canoe,” said Fergus. “That is just one area. This is a major major resource that is not being tapped at the moment. I would estimate that there must be more than hundreds of lakes in East Clare alone – along the path of the Scariff River. I am going to be the first person to paddle the full length of the Scariff River.

“I know that the English tourists would absolute love to come to East Clare and go canoeing with their family. I am talking about an area between the M18 and the River Shannon – this is an area which at the moment has very little tourism and something like this could really get it going.”

Fergus is hoping to begin by developing between 10 and 20 recognised canoe routes in East Clare. This would require mapping the routes as well as collecting some valuable information for the canoeists such as the distance and time needed for each route, a details description of the routes and any points of interest or facilities along the way.

“I have been talking to LEADER and they do seem keen about the idea. The beauty about this is that with a very reasonable amount of investment you could have a product in place and ready to go very quickly,” continued Fergus.

“You don’t need signpost or things like you might need for a walking trail. It would be very very each to get this off the ground.”

CLARE County Council will only step up to take over the running of Shannon Airport if the Government stumps up enough money for ambitious plans to finally give the airport its freedom from Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) control.

And, the financial package for a local authority takeover in conjunction with Shannon Development would have to include diverting Aer Rianta International profits away from greedy hands of the DAA and straight into Shannon’s coffers, where the inspiration for ARI originated in the first place.

That was the resounding message sent out to Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, on Monday during a specially convened meeting of Clare County Council’s Special Policy Committee on Enterprise and Tourism.

“We need to fund the airport going forward if we are to get involved,” said SPC chairman Richard Nagle. “We are not in a position to come up with large-scale funding for Shannon – money that the airport requires. Funding, that’s the kernel of the issue,” he added.

“The Government owes Shannon,” said local hotelier, John Madden, who addressed the SPC meeting. “I would like to see Clare County Council and Shannon Development involved in the ownership, provided we get back Aer Rianta International,” he added.

“Until the financial data is made available and it’s made clear to local stakeholders what they’re being asked to take, I don’t think formal decisions can be made on this report,” said Director of Service, Ger Dollard.

“The financials at the end of the day have to add up for local stakeholders taking on a liability when they can’t fund that liability,” he added.

In putting the future of Shannon firmly back in the Government’s court, SPC chairman Cllr Nagle highlighted the pivotal role Shannon has to play in terms of balanced regional development.

“We have a spatial strategy. There is supposed to be balanced regional economic development. Shannon Airport is an international airport servicing the west of Ireland,” he said. “It is an integral and essential part of the infrastructure. If we are to have any form of rebalancing in terms of economic growth and development,” he added.

THE Clare branch of Legalise Cannabis in Ireland (CLCI) has vowed to continue to fight for the decriminalisation of the use of medicinal cannabis following the withdrawal of a case against one of the group’s key members last week.

The case, which was taken against one of the founding members of CLCI, Kevin Clohessy, was withdrawn last week because of a technical issue involving the search warrant used by Gardaí in the case. Mr Clohessy suffers from Osteoarthritis, which is a progressive condition that effects his shoulders, hips and knees.

“It is very painful for him to move, and he has reduced flexibility in certain areas. This is a progressive condition so it is going to continue to get worse as he gets older. Cannabis is an anti-inflammatory; it also provides pain relief and is a muscle relaxant.

“When he can smoke, all of his body frees up and he can flex his wrists and his shoulders in ways that he just couldn’t before,” said Niamh O’Brien, founder of CLCI.

“There is a chemical tablet for cannabis about to come on the market in the coming weeks. We can’t understand why it is okay for some pharmaceutical company to grow it, put it in a pill and sell it to people for a massive profit, and it is not okay for us to grow this natural plant for ourselves.”

According to Clare LCI, the decriminalisation of cannabis will help stop people with genuine medical conditions from coming into contact with criminals and help stop the drugs trade in Ireland.

Medicinal cannabis has been legalised in a number of European countries to date, including Spain and Portugal as well as a number of US states.

“We don’t want to be involved in criminality, we don’t want to go down any dark alleyways and be involved with unsavoury people. We want to know what we are smoking. We are being responsible, we know that this stuff works and all we want to do is to be able to treat ourselves in the best way possible,” continued Niamh.

“What we need is more education and information about this issue. The Clare organisation is still going strong but it is hard to get people actively involved.

“People are still afraid of what might happen if they speak up. We really do want to reach more older people in Clare. They are the people who are most likely to get a benefit from this.”

THE financial aspects of the proposed take-over of Shannon Airport by local authorities and other agencies in the mid-west region would have to be hammered out before Clare County Council agrees to enter into such a role.

This message was delivered to transport minister Leo Varadkar on Monday, after Clare County Council was told to “step warily” with any decision to enter into an agreement to manage the airport.

“You also have to be careful what you wish for,” said Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) in voicing concerns about any county council involvement in management role at Shannon.

“This report is very much a first step and there will be many more steps to be taken before there is a model or a solution put in place in terms of the longterm future of Shannon,” said Director of Service, Ger Dollard.

“I would say that the local authority should be very wary of taking on this. It may be a huge burden. Who would pay the losses, rates etc, etc? We’d want to,” said Pat Gaughran, the community representative of the council SPC.

After a debate, it was agreed by members of the SPC that “the council continue to be involved in discussions in the future model for Shannon Airport, with the Deparment of Transport, Shannon Development, and all other local agencies and stakeholders” and that the local authority would undertake a “due dilligence process and obtain whatever professional advice that may be necessary”.