Category: News

TEACHERS, parents and concerned members of communities throughout the county are expected to gather in the county town on Monday night next to voice their concerns at one of the largest cuts to teaching numbers in the history of the state.

Co-ordinated by the teachers’ union, INTO, the meeting will address the growth in class sizes that will lead to the reduction in teachers in many schools throughout the county.

Larger schools such as the Killaloe Boys National School are facing massive cuts.

The East Clare school faces the prospect of having its teaching numbers halved next year, from 14 to nine mainstream and remedial teachers and five special needs assistants (SNA), to just 7.5 – 6.5 teachers and one SNA if the proposed cuts are implemented.

Many smaller rural schools in Clare also face losing a teacher next year, with teachers faced with teaching numerous classes at once.

In many other communities, despite an increase in population and growing numbers at the local schools, teachers will also be lost.

For example a school with 49 pupils are currently entitled to a principal plus two teachers. However, by September 2014 the school must have at least 56 pupils to retain its three teachers.

Clare executive member of the INTO and Mullagh principal Sean McMahon said changes to staffing in small schools would also be applied retrospectively.

“Next year’s teacher allocation will be given to schools on the basis of pupil enrolment last September. Last September, a school with 50 pupils could have expected three teachers next year. The budget changes mean that school will only have two teachers,” he said.

The public is now being invited to have its say on the issue.

The officers of all Clare INTO branches met with Mr Mc Mahon last week and decided to respond to hundreds of requests from parents and teachers throughout the county to help organise a public meeting in Clare to highlight the issues involved, as well as appraise the Clare Oireachtas members on their growing concerns.

The public meeting will take place in the West County Hotel, Ennis, at 8pm on Monday February 20.

THE HOUSEHOLD charge will have no implication whatsoever on local services.

That was the message that came from the February meeting of Kilrush Town Council, with councillors maintaining that the tax has not been thought out beyond what it can financially redeem.

Town clerk John Corry told councillors, “It is giving the understanding that it is an extra funding that is being made available, which is not the case.”

Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF) questioned the cost to the local authority of collecting this tax that will provide no extra funding to local services.

Caroline O’Connor, Management Accountant at Clare County Council, explained that the household charge is collected centrally with all monies collected remitted directly to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

“Consequently this new charge has no impact on the council’s budget for 2012,” she said.

“Income arising from the new charge will allow a reduction by an equivalent amount of the cost of the centrally controlled local government fund.

“This fund is paid out to local authorities and supports that provision of local services for example public parks, libraries, open spaces and leisure amenities, planning and development, fire and emergency services, maintenance and cleaning of streets and street lighting.”

However, there will be an administrative cost to the council, a cost that cannot yet be calculated.

“Local Authorities were only made aware on December 20, that they would have a role in collecting this money, as we are only a month on from this it is difficult at this stage to establish the total administrative cost to the council of collecting this charge,” said Ms O’Connor.

“It is expected that these costs will become more apparent as the dead- line for the due date draws nearer and procedures for collection post March are clarified.”

“I don’t think any of us here would be against local taxes if it supported local services,” said Cllr Prendev ille.

“I don’t think the minister is being strictly honest when he introduced this,” he said.

“The elected members and manager are very aware of the public’s resistance to the new household charge.

“Socialist elements, on weekend surfing jaunts to West Clare, and egged on by Dublin’s ‘Reds-underthe-Beds’ brigade, are stirring up matters on the local front.

They realise that this charge is a prelude to a full-blown property tax on domestic dwellings coming down the tracks on the instructions of the Troika. If there is to be a local taxation to pay for local services, then let the Minister be upfront with his new stealth taxes,” added Cllr Prendeville.

“Otherwise, the public will have strong grounds for believing that the € 160 million to be collected from the household charge will be interpreted as our initial contribution to the recent € 1.2 billion paid out to unsecured bondholders last month.”

Owners of residential properties are expected to register and pay the household charge of € 100 on or before March 31.

A PROMINENT hotelier has said that the tourism industry in Clare could be in for a slight rebound this year. John Madden, owner of the Temple Gate Hotel in Ennis, told a meeting yesterday that hoteliers had reported a 6-7 per cent increase in business last year. He said the boost in trade was a welcome one for the industry, given the tough economic conditions of recent years.

Mr Madden was speaking at a meeting of Clare County Council’s, Community and Enterprise, Tourism and Emergency Services Strategic Policy Committee (SPC). Commenting on the future of Shannon Airport, which he said was essential to tourism in the mid-west, Mr Madden said the indications are that Shannon will have “some definite independence by the end of the year”.

He said he also hoped that there would be a renewed emphasis on marketing Shannon, an area he said had been “sadly lacking” in recent years. “There hasn’t been a specific body for the marketing of Shannon and that is a problem,” he said.

Director of Service, Ger Dollard said the recent announcement of two new flights from Aer Arann was a welcome development for the airport. The move sees the introduction of a new Shannon-Rennes weekly service and improved frequency on the Shannon-Edinburgh route.

Mr Dollard said the council was awaiting publication of a government-commissioned report from consultants Booz and Company on the future of Shannon Airport. He told the meeting that the Department of Transport had responded positively to proposals to develop Shannon as a humanitarian aid hub while progress had also been made on plans to construct new cargo facilities at the airport.

The meeting heard strong criticism of what SPC members called a lack of a definite marketing strategy for Shannon.

Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) said an initiative should be launched to woo customers from the east of the country. He said the ready availability of the airport’s parking facilities should be highlighted as part of the campaign.

Cllr PJ Ryan (Ind) said a € 15 mil- lion budget had been promised to promote the Open Skies initiative but so far Shannon had only received € 3 million. He also criticized Shannon Development, saying, “Shannon Development have virtually put nothing into promoting Shannon.”

Cllr Pat Daly (FF) said Shannon needed to attract another airline like Ryanair. Cllr Pat McMahon (FF) said the absence of year-round transatlantic flights from Shannon was hurting the airport.

He said agencies associated with the airport would have to be more “aggressive” in marketing Shannon

KILRUSH’S Tourism and Marketing Officer Siobhan Garvey will promote the maritime town as ‘Kilrush on the Shannon’ at every opportunity.

She made the commitment following a suggestion from the father of the council Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF) to re-brand the town incorporating its maritime history.

“I would be fully supportive of including ‘Kilrush on the Shannon’ at any available opportunity and incorporating this phase into future promotions in conjunction with the use of the image of the Shannon Dolphin and Scattery Round Tower,” she said.

According to Cllr Prendeville, “The origins and development of Kilrush can be traced back to a time, particularly in the 19th century, when it was the hub of commercial maritime traffic on the Shannon Estuary. In those halcyon days, paddle steamers plied between Kilrush and Limerick bringing passengers and produce to and from the Treaty City.”

“In recent years, the Kilrush Creek Marina has renewed Kilrush’s links with its proud maritime tradition through the development of top-class marine leisure facilities and services. The Kilrush Marina has opened up the magnificent natural resource of cruising waters right up to the ports of Limerick and Foynes.

“The commissioning of the ESB electricity generating station at Moneypoint also offers exciting opportunities for developing the deepwater jetty there and that will surely form the central plank of the Shannon Foynes Port Authority’s Strategic Plan for up to 2012,” he said.

He added that the rebranding of Kilrush as a tourism product should seek to maximise the vast potential of Ireland’s most magnificent waterway.

“It is a linkage between the historic sixth century monastic settlement of Inis Cathaigh and the necklace of ports and creeks along the estuary. The Shannon Dolphin tourism product has captured the public’s imagination and for those who dare broader horizons, Kilrush is the gateway to cruising on the western seaboard while unrivalled access to rich fishing grounds make the open Atlantic a centre for angling connoisseurs,” said Cllr Prendeville.

Ms Garvey said that there are already some tourism links between tourism in Kilrush and the Shannon.

“It has been useful that the Dolphin and Whale Centre at Merchant’s Quay is known as the ‘Shannon Dolphin and Whale Centre’ in all promotional literature and the only operator in Kilrush offering Dolphin Watching trips brands his business and vessel as the ‘Shannon Dolphin Discovery’, which also helps to reinforce the fact that Kilrush is very much part of the River Shannon and shows that there is as collaborative approach to branding Kilrush in this way,” she said.

OFFICIAL figures that claim that just 3,000 people are employed in Shannon could jeopardize future inward investment in the region, a meeting has heard.

According to maps produced using the data, Shannon is “less significant than Portumna” in terms of job creation. The reporting “anomaly” was highlighted yesterday at a meeting of Clare County Council’s Community and Enterprise, Tourism and Emergency Services Strategic Policy Committee (SPC).

The meeting was told that preliminary figures for Clare from the 2011 census have “understated” by 9,000 the true number of people employed in Clare’s second largest town.

Michael Neylon, of the council’s Community and Enterprise section, said the data is used in official maps produced by the Department of the Environment and agencies such as the Western Development Commission. Mr Neylon said the figure does not take into account Shannon Airport and industrial estate. He explained that the anomaly arises from the legal definition of the town with the data only recording employment within the town boundary. There are actually 12,000 people employed in Shannon when figures from the Clenagh and Drumline electoral divisions are used, the meeting heard.

Mr Neylon said that the data, as used by the Western Development Commission, appears to show that “Shannon is less significant than Portumna” in terms of job creation.

Director of Service, Ger Dollard said the council had brought the anomaly to the attention of the Department and the National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis (NIRSA) – the body tasked with carrying out spatial and economic research.

Mr Dollard said the council is concerned that the data “understates” Shannon’s importance as a centre of employment. He told the meeting that the NIRSA had acknowledged the mistake when they stated “it does create an impression that Shannon is not significant employment area”.

Mr Neylon said the data gives a “poor gateway profile” of Shannon in that it does not take into account the number of multinationals operating there. He added that the “apparently small number of people traveling to Shannon suggest it is of little significance to the surrounding hinterland”.

SPC Chairman, Cllr Richard Nagle (FF) said he found it alarming that Shannon could be mis-represented in such a manner. Cllr Pat McMahon (FF) said the understating of Shannon’s importance as jobs centre could threaten future “inward investment” in the area.

Cllr PJ Ryan (Ind) said Clare County Council had “spent a half a lifetime trying to promote Shannon” only for people in the “background” to hinder their efforts. He told the meeting that investment in the area is needed, stating that there are currently 45 empty industrial buildings in Shannon.

Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) said the matter should be brought to the attention of Clare’s Oireachtas members.

A NEW initiative to help regenerate the old traditional shopping streets of Kilrush by improving the streetscape has been introduced by the local authority.

Kilrush Town Council has agreed to fund up to € 750 of the cost of giving shops on Moore Street and Henry Street a facelift.

The Shop Front Initiative will follow on from the resurfacing of Moore Street last year.

The town council is working with the Chamber of Commerce, Shannon Development and the Tidy Towns in this second phase, which will encourage new business in these streets and assist existing businesses in improving their shop fronts.

The scheme will apply to owners and occupiers of existing businesses and also to new businesses in Moore Street and Henry Street.

The scheme will operate on a points basis with the maximum number of points being awarded in the case where new businesses are created.

Traditional shop fronts will be encouraged as will hand painted signs.

People will also be encouraged through the scheme to paint all of the buildings’ façades.

All applications for assistance under the fund must be received by April 30 and all works must be completed by August 2012. Following an assessment of applications, approval in principle will be given to successful applicants and monies paid out on the satisfactory completion of the works, together with evidence of invoices paid and signed declaration of owner or occupier. The maximum grant that will be available is € 750 or 50 per cent of the cost of the works, whichever is the lesser value. However applications for premises where arrears of any statutory local authority charges are unpaid will not be considered. Kilrush town councillor and local business woman Mairéad O’Brien said she was more encouraged by the scheme once she realised that people did not have to completely overhaul their shop front, and that those that under took painting work could also apply. She said, however, that she did not believe it would attract new businesses. “I don’t think 20 businesses will take it up because they won’t have the where with all to pay 50 per cent,” she added. Town Manager Nora Kaye said, “The scheme is intended to be flexible to encourage people to do up the buildings.” There is a budget of € 10,000 available for the project.

AN unemployed construction worker attempted to blackmail a woman he met through an internet dating site for € 15,000, an Ennis court has heard.

Alan Custy (35) demanded money from the woman after he led her to believe that he had recorded an “inti- mate” encounter between them in his jeep. A Garda investigation determined that Custy did not have a camera in his jeep and that no recording existed.

Custy, with an address at 76 Dun na hInse, Ennis, pleaded guilty to making an unwarranted demand for monies with menaces contrary to Section 17 of the Criminal Justice Public Or- der Act.

The court heard that the complainant and the accused met through two websites, connectingsingles.com and smooch.com

The court heard that Custy and the victim were both involved in relationships at the time.

Over a 10-day period from July 9 to 19 (2010), Custy made the demands through a series of 11 text messages and a number of phone calls.

The court heard that he looked for € 15,000 from either the woman or her husband, claiming he needed the money to “pay the taxman”.

According to one text message read out in court, Custy told the woman, “I’d say he would find € 15,000 for proof you cheated on him”.

Garda Claire O’Shaughnessy told the court that the woman told her she was being blackmailed.

The woman said that Custy had told her he was single. She said that he told her “he was under financial pressure”.

THE people of Clare have been asked to give their opinion on the future direction that Clare County Council should take when planning for alternative energy projects.

Just weeks after the local authority placed a ban on fracking in Clare and with a number of high-profile wind energy projects still awaiting planning permission or connection to the national grid, the local authority has opened the floor to the people to point the way forward.

Clare County Council must com- plete a long-term renewable energy strategy in the next 12 months and this strategy will set out the council’s approach to dealing with offshore wind, wave, hydro and biomass energy sources in the years ahead.

Once completed, Clare County Council will become the first local authority in the country with a full Renewable Energy Strategy built into its county development plan.

“We have an opportunity to exploit these resources and in doing so create clean energy and attract inward investment to the county and the country.

“This comes at a time when the country is searching for solutions to many social and economic issues,” said the Mayor of Clare, Pat Hayes (FF).

“I am delighted that Clare County Council is taking a pro-active approach to facilitating renewable energy development in the County.

“The preparation of a Renewable Energy Strategy will help guide the location and development of renewable energy proposals and ancillary businesses while also establishing the views from members of the public and other stakeholders.

“I would encourage people to make their views known to the Planning Authority.”

The update version of the County Development Plan is set to be adopted by Clare County Council in December of 2012 or January of 2013.

“Clare is particularly fortunate to possess considerable wind, biomass, wave and tidal resources. It is imperative that we have a strategy in place to maximise the potential of these resources while minimising any environmental impacts, thus enabling the County to achieve a low-carbon economy,” said County Manager Tom Coughlan.

“The strategy will be prepared to reflect the changing economic environment and to provide a blueprint for increased economic activity and job creation through value added activities such as manufacturing and research and development.

“It also will facilitate development of renewable energy having regard to recent technological advances and will identify the imperative requirement for enhanced grid connectivity regulation.”

The closing date for submissions to Clare County Council is Friday, March 9.

For more information, visit www. clarecoco.ie.

THE amount of racism being experienced by migrants living and working in Clare has increased over the past 12 months – but the vast majority of people still do not report racist activity to the authorities.

The Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI) released its 2011 statistics last week which showed that they received 155 queries from people in Clare over the last 12 months. As the vast majority of people who contact the ICI do not identify their county of origin, the number of Clare-based people contacting the organisation is believed to be closer to 500.

According to Brian Killoran of the ICI, the recession has increased the pressure on migrants – most of whom will lose their legal right to reside in Ireland if they lose their job.

“There is a definite noticeable increase in the numbers who have been reporting racial incidences over the last year. There is still not a huge amount but there has been a very noticeable increase in the negative experiences that people are having on a day-to-day basis. The big hill that we are facing in terms of racist abuse is that people are reluctant to report an incident,” he said.

“The people will speak about it to their own family and friends but will not report it to the authorities or to the Guards. They just get on with it. The results of that is that statistic across the board for racism are still relatively low but all the anecdotal evidence suggests that racism is quite high but people are just not reporting it. They just don’t think that anything will happen if they do.”

According to the ICI figures, the type of questions being asked by Clare-based migrants has changed also – with people now more concerned with what will happen to them if they lose their jobs and how they can apply for full Irish citizenship.

“The tone of queries has changed. Originally it was about family reunification but it is now much more about dealing with people who have been here for five or six years and the questions that they would have about gaining citizenship and things like that. People are very insecure about their jobs – most of the people we deal with are from outside the EU. So they have a work permit that is tied to their job but a lot of people are afraid of what will happen if they lose their job. Will they also lose their home,” continued Brian.

FOLLOWING a number of dog attacks on sheep in Clare over the last few weeks, dog owners in the county are being urged to ensure that their animals are kept under control at all times, especially during the busy lambing season.

One dog, which had been causing trouble for sheep, was killed by a landowner in the Crusheen area last week and farmers all over the county are asked to be vigilant and look out for their sheep.

Farmers are allowed to shoot dogs who are caught attacking sheep or dogs who come onto property where sheep have recently been attacked.

The IFA National Sheep Chairman, James Murphy, last week launched their ‘Do You Know Where Your Dog Is?’ campaign to highlight the damage being done by stray dogs.

“The IFA campaign is aimed at dog owners and is reminding them of their responsibilities to ensure they are in control of their pets at all times,” he said.

“Up to 2.5 million lambs will be born on 30,000 sheep farms across the country over the next three months. Sheep flocks are very vulnerable to dog attacks at this critical time, especially during the night.”

Dog attacks on a sheep flock are extremely stressful and damaging events for farmers and can inflict savage injuries and often fatalities on farms.

“Aside from the economic losses, for which dog owners can be held liable, the welfare implications for the flock can be very severe and longlasting.

“Sheep never recover fully from a dog attack and can suffer ongoing difficulties, including reproduction problems and increased nervousness affecting their general health,” continued James.

“If a dog worries livestock, the owner or any other person in charge of the dog shall be guilty of an offense unless it is established that at the time the dog worried the livestock for the purpose of removing trespassing livestock and that having regard to all the circumstances the action was reasonable and necessary.”