Category: News

THE definitive government policy on Shannon Airport won’t be known until later in 2012.

Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar has told business leaders in the Mid-West region that the deadline for a formal announcement on the future direction of Clare’s international airport, originally due this January has been delayed for a number of months.

A timetable for the delivery of a new policy blueprint for Shannon was confirmed by Minister Varadkar on Friday last when he addressed a Limerick Chamber of Commerce breakfast gathering at the Radisson Hotel in Meelick.

And, the future of the former hub of the aviation world, Minister Varadkar said could involve a substantial or complete “write down” of Shannon’s debts which are now running at € 100m, with losses from 2011 standing at € 8m.

“There is no point in proceeding with independence if it’s not going to work and. in that context, the debt would have to be written down, if not written off,” Minister Varadkar revealed.

In opening up the possibility of Shannon having a fresh start, freed from the strictures of Dublin Airport Authority control and no overhanging legacy debts, Minister Varadkar said “what we want is to secure the future of Shannon. There is no question of closure”.

“It is my absolute intention to give certainty (concerning the airport’s future) in 2012. Whatever solution we decide on will be decided this year,” the Minister added in a question and answer session with journal- ists and business leaders.

Last October Minister Vardakar commissioned a study on the airport’s future from Booz & Company, which suggested that Shannon be separated from DAA control and placed under the management of a new company drawn from public bodies like Clare County Council and Shannon Development.

On Friday, Minister Varadkar revealed that this process of change at Shannon would begin with the appointment of a interim board by Easter to deliver a business plan going forward.

This announcement follows on from the revelation earlier this month that Bertie Ahern appointee, Brian O’Connell, was no longer chairman of the Shannon Airport Authority.

It was O’Connell who controversially proposed to Minister Varadkar last year that Shannon be semi-privatised by way of the State entering into a 15 to 35-year lease agreement with private business interests who would take over the operation of the airport.

Minister Varadkar’s pledged to decide on Shannon’s future in 2012 comes in the wake of latest passenger figures which have revealed that numbers through the airport dropped to 1.6m in 2011, which represents a drop over 2m from the historic high of 3,639,046 in 2006.

IT WAS mixed news for Clare this week when it came to the care of the county’s roads. While the budget allocated to Clare County Council for the care of its non-national roads was almost on a par with last year, the funding for the county’s national roads was significantly down.

The spending on the county’s main roads has dropped by more than € 1.9 million to just over € 3.5 million this year.

However, the council was breathing a sigh of relief yesterday, Monday, when its funding allocation for all non-national roads was announced.

Clare County Engineer Tom Tiernan explained that once the allocation for the Killaloe bypass is removed from the € 14.9 million allocated, it equates almost exactly to last year.

“Anything that has not gone down is good,” he said referring to the funding.

Meanwhile, one of the busiest roads into Ennis is a death trap for young mothers, according to one member of Clare County Council, but the council is hopeful the situation will be resolved very soon.

Cllr James Breen (Ind) described the Quin Road bridge as “deadly dangerous” and is frustrated that nothing has been done about it, despite plans being drawn up for a footbridge by Clare County Council more than two years ago.

“It is frightening on the day of a mart to see women trying to come over the bridge pushing a pram. It is deadly dangerous if a cattle lorry and car meet on that bridge,” he said.

The former TD said he raised this issue as far back as 2006 when he was in the Dáil and still it has not come to a satisfactory conclusion.

It has emerged, however, that the council has finally received the go-ahead for the work on the longawaited footbridge from the Railway Safety Commission, an independent body that oversees the safety of the railway system.

The local authority is now finalising some details with CIE and it is hoped that work will begin on the bridge within the next two months.

WEST Clare could be enveloped in a “toxic mud” that would be poisonous to animal, plant and human life should fracking be allowed to take place. That is the opinion of one of Ireland’s top doctors, Dr Elizabeth Cullen of the Irish Doctors’ Environmental Association, who believes that an outright ban on fracking should be put in place to avert a possible public health catastrophe.

This stark warning comes following a decision by the Department of the Environment not to follow the example set by Clare County Council last month and ban fracking. Speaking in the Dáil last week the Minister for State in the Department of the Environment, Fergus O’Dowd (FG), refused to back any move to ban fracking, saying that there could be billions of Euro in untapped gas resources which could provide a “massive economic boost” for the country.

According to Dr Cullen the toxic mud and other fluids produced by fracking could have a massive negative impact on all lives in West Clare. “It is difficult to ascertain the precise nature of chemicals used in fracking. Drilling companies to date, it seems, have not registered the chemicals they use according to the European law REACH,” she said.

“Research in the US has found that 58 out of 262 chemicals used in fracking gave rise for concern. Among these, 17 were found to be toxic to aquatic organisms, 38 were classified as being acutely toxic to human health and eight were classified as known carcinogens. Six were suspected carcinogens, seven were mutagenic and five were known to have adverse impacts on the reproductive system.”

Dr Cullen raised a number of other possible concerns about the fracking process including the risk of large amounts of contaminated fracking fluid remaining underwater and entering the natural water system.

There is also research which indicates that fracking can lead to a build-up of methane gas in private wells close to the fracturing site – which could lead to explosion, air pollution and an increased release of radon.

The Irish Doctors’ Environmental Association also highlighted the possibility of soil contamination which could hurt West Clare as a tourist location and as an agricultural area.

A spokesperson for Clare Fracking Concerned last week criticised the Government, saying that they had no faith in the Government to address the fears of people effected by fracking in West Clare.

THE importance of the Clare LEADER programme to community and voluntary groups around the county is set to be showcased this Saturday at a special workshop being hosted by the Clare Local Development Company (CLDC). Groups around the county involved in conservation, tourism or heritage-related activities are being urged to attend the workshop in Woodstock Hotel.

Since 2009, grant aid totalling € 3 million has been allocated to a diverse range of community and enter- prise projects in Clare, while in 2011 alone funding amounted to € 1.8m.

Between now and 2013, the CLDC, which administers funding under the EU-backed LEADER Rural Development Programme, will allocate more than € 5m to projects in the county. The group is also set to pay out € 2.5m to pre-approved projects during 2012.

“CLDC has recently embarked upon a new support programme for community groups in Clare. We are keen to seek out and provide support to a broad range of community projects in the areas of heritage, conservation and tourism in 2012 and 2013, and enable community and vol- untary groups to avail of LEADER funding,” says Sue Targett, Social Inclusion and Community Development Manager with CLDC.

“The aim of the upcoming workshop, entitled ‘Applying for LEADER funding – the process and benefits explained’, is to help community groups to become more familiar with the significant benefits of LEADER, to facilitate a better understanding of LEADER requirements, and also to support more communities to potentially avail of rural development funding towards improving tourism, conservation and/ or heritage projects, activities and facilities in their local areas.

“Over € 5m in LEADER funding is available to support and fund a wide variety of projects in Clare in 2012 and 2013. CLDC is keen that new community projects and initiatives are encouraged and supported, firstly through groups gaining a better understanding of LEADER and, secondly, so that more groups are in a position to avail of and make successful tourism, conservation and heritage funding applications during 2012 and 2013”, Ms Targett adds.

The workshop takes place between 9.30pm and 1.30pm. The closing date for those wishing to register for the event is this Wednesday.

SCOUTS are to return to the Burren region after an absence of more than 30 years with the reformation of the Ennistymon branch of the Scouts later this week. The Ennistymon branch, which will be known as the 9th Clare, will retain the colours of the original Scout group in Ennistymon, which means that the Clare county colours will be worn proudly by each member of the Scout group.

While the group will be based in Ennistymon, the 9th Clare will be open to boys and girls from all over North and West Clare.

After months of planning and training, the new Scout group will host an open day for parents and potential new Scouts this Sunday, February 5, in Ennistymon. The event will take place from 12 midday to 2pm in the Ennistymon Enterprise Centre.

Scout meetings will start officially in February and the open day is designed to provide information to parents and young people interested in joining. The information event will outline what’s involved in becoming a Scout – be it as a Beaver, a Cub, a Scout, a Venture or a Rover.

The two-hour event will be informal in nature and family-centred and will include one-to-one meetings with leaders, details of planned events, illustrated talks, slideshows, demonstration of scouting, walking, camping and mountaineering gear.

Scouts and leaders from other groups in County Clare will also be on hand to talk to young Scouts and parents alike.

“Beavers caters for ages six to eight, Cubs caters for ages nine to 11 and Scouts from 12 to 14. Scout leaders are also welcome and the greater the number of leaders involved, the greater the number of Scouts that can be catered for,” said Cian Kearns, Group Leader of Ennistymon Scouts. “While former Scouts and leaders, and those with experience in the great outdoors, are most welcome, all potential leaders will be provided with full training by Scouting Ireland, so past experience is not essential or necessary.

“Supports are also required in many other ways so, if you wish to get involved, please come along to the information event on Sunday.”

For more information, visit www. facebook.com9thClareEnnistymonS couts.

ROAD deaths in Clare last year were the lowest in the country with two fatalities. The number was half of the previous year, when four people lost their lives on the county’s roads.

Welcoming the reduction, Chief Superintendent John Kerins said the number of deaths on the road has reduced significantly from a time when there were 15 to 16 people a year los- ing their lives on Clare roads.

Serious injury also fell by almost one-third with just seven cases in 2011.

Non-serious traffic collisions were also down significantly from 128 to 97 – a drop of 42 per cent.

Gardaí in Clare recorded an increase in the number of material damage collisions from 774 to 826 – an increase of seven per cent.

Superintendent Peter Duff said that many commentators attribute the increase in the figure to safer built cars.

People are now walking away from accidents with minor injuries, where previously they would have been seriously hurt.

Chief Supt Kerins attributed the reduction in deaths and serious injuries on the roads to new traffic laws and the penalty point system, as well as Garda enforcement and the work of Clare County Council.

On driver penalty points he said, “Whether we like them or not they are having a positive affect on our roads.”

He also paid tribute to Barry Keating, the road safety officer with Clare County Council.

Meanwhile the numbers of people arrested for drink driving in 2011 had reduced by 15 per cent on the previous year, while the number arrested for driving under the influence of drugs had increased by 15 per cent.

The number of missing people cases logged with the gardaí in 2011 was 374 people, but Supt Duff explained that this figure was not necessarily reflective of the number of people going missing.

“A small number of people make up a large number in this case,” he said explaining that many of the cases were young people in the care of the HSE that went missing repeatedly and were returned within hours of the report.

HUNDREDS of acres of Clare forestry have been siphoned out of public ownership in the past three years, according to the East Clare-based Woodland League.

According to Coillte’s own end-ofyear accounts for 2009, € 33 million worth of forestry has been transferred from the forestry company to a number of forestry “funds”, with the majority going to the Irish Forestry Unit Trust (IFORUT).

This trust was established by Coillte itself, alongside AIB and Irish Life in 1994. At present, little is known about the internal workings of the fund but the Woodland League believe that details of the fund should be made open to Freedom of Information Requests, following the substantial investment made by the State in both the AIB and Irish Life.

“We should know what is going on with these forests but we don’t. Our forestry in this country is being dictated by pension funds and that has been the case for the past 15 years. And all of this has happened away from the public eye,” said Andrew St Ledger of the Woodland League.

“The land is bit by bit being trans- ferred from Coillte to these funds and, from there, who knows? We feel that because Coillte is a government agency, and because of the amount of public money that has gone into AIB and Irish Life, that this trust should be open to requests under the Freedom of Information Legislation.

“Our understanding at the moment is that pretty much every bit of public-owned forestry in Clare is up for sale if someone wants to buy it.”

At present, Clare has about 55,000 acres of Coillte-owned forestry, one of the largest stocks of publiclyowned forestry in Ireland.

Meanwhile, three Clare forests have been put forward as part one of the largest sale of forests ever to take place in Ireland. A single fund company, whose identity has not been made public, is to sell 20 separate holdings across Ireland in the coming weeks, including three holdings located in Clare.

The woodlands cover a total area of 917 acres and have reached around 50 per cent maturity. The sale is expected to generate an estimated € 4.5 million for the trust – or just under € 4,900 per acre. The selling agents for the properties say they have already registered interest from a number of Irish and overseas investors.

CLARE farmers can look forward to another 12 months of decent farming conditions, with the level of growth likely to maintain steady into 2012. That is according to a new study released by Teagasc last week which indicated that the next 12 months will be a period of consolidation for local farmers.

The Teagasc Outlook 2012 Report found that the prospects for Irish agriculture, while still broadly positive, are not as good as they were at the beginning of 2011. The forecast for the sector as a whole remains highly dependent on circumstances in the wider EU and in the developing world.

Higher agricultural commodity prices over the last two years have made most sectors of Irish agriculture more profitable and farmers around the world have responded by increasing production.

However, with the EU likely to enter recession for a period in 2012 and the US economy also struggling, demand for agricultural commodities in advanced economies may weaken in 2012. This is likely to create a situation where most agricultural commodity prices fall slightly in 2012.

According to Teagasc economist Trevor Donnellan, little change is expected in overall production costs for most sub-sectors of agriculture, with lower feed prices being offset by increased fertilizer prices. “Overall, most Irish farmers are likely to experience a decline in profitability in 2012, but the sector will remain in a much better position than it was at the onset of the recession,” he said.

The pig sector, which endured considerable losses in 2011 due to high pig feed prices, is likely to be an exception to the general trend for 2012. Teagasc pigs specialist Michael McKeon said that profitability in the pig sector is set to be restored in 2012 as pig prices rise and the cost of feed decreases.

Despite these warnings, the ICMSA’s newly appointed beef chairman is optimistic about the price of beef in 2012. “The first thing to note is that farmers producing beef have been operating in a loss-making situation for many years and current prices are required to keep the farm business viable,” said Michael Guinan.

“Farmers are now operating in a more positive environment but that progress is coming from a very low base over the last decade and we should also acknowledge that we operate in an increasingly volatile market strongly influenced be outside factors, such as the current economic crisis.”

A SOUTH African man is picked on because of the “colour of his skin” on nights out in Ennis, a court has heard.

Derek Matha (20), with an address at 108 Woodhaven, Kilrush Road, Ennis, appeared at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

Matha faced the potential activation of a two-month suspended sentence previously imposed by the Court.

Solicitor Darragh Hassett said his client had never come to the court’s attention as a juvenile.

He told the court that the suspended sentence related to a public order incident that involved a number of people in Ennis.

Mr Hassett explained, “The colour of his skin was called into question. The N-word was used and he reacted badly.”

He said Matha “gets picked on because of the colour of his skin”, adding that drink doesn’t agree with him.

He said Matha is “quite naïve”. He said his client is now off the drink and is living a “hermit life”. Mr Hassett said his client is currently carrying out community service.

He added that Matha is enrolled in the youthreach programe and is currently looking for work.

Mr Hassett asked that the suspended sentence not be enforced.

The court heard that Matha was convicted of assault causing harm at Athlone District Court earlier this month. Mr Hassett said compensation had been paid in the Athlone case.

Judge Aeneas McCarthy said that, under the circumstances, he would not invoke the suspended sentence

He fixed bail and remanded the accused to appear at Athlone District Court on January 25.

UP TO 10 new jobs will be created this summer with the reopening of Loop Head Lighthouse.

The project was one of the tourism success stories of Clare last year when a trial opening of the historic lighthouse saw almost 17,000 people visit the landmark during an 11-week period in the summer. It is estimated that that 11-week period was worth € 400,000 to the local economy.

Loop Head Tourism, Clare County Council, Shannon Development and the Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL) now plan to further develop the West Clare amenity by expanding the facilities at the 19th-century lighthouse.

The groups responsible for the running of the lighthouse project are now seeking suitable consultants to research, design and implement an exhibition and interpretation plan to further expand the tourism offerings there. The request for tender was advertised on the e-tenders website last week.

Councillor Oliver Garry (FG), Chairperson of the West Clare Economic Task Force, said that the trial opening enabled the project partners to gain valuable feedback regarding the operation of the site and the impact on tourism in the area.

“It is anticipated that the content of the exhibition and interpretation plan should draw on the unique tourism resources of the area in order to produce a distinct experience that will enable Loop Head to maintain and grow a competitive advantage in tourism terms. A key objective of the overall project, therefore, is to increase bed nights and visitor spend in the area,” he said.

“Feedback was received through comments made directly to the guides, through ‘mystery shopper’ visits to the lighthouse and through surveys of local tourism businesses. The majority of tourism businesses in the area reported a positive impact on their season. It is estimated that the opening of the lighthouse was worth approximately € 400,000 to the local economy during the trial period,” he added.

Ruairi Deane, Tourism Product Development Executive with Shannon Development added, “We believe the new exhibition will further enhance the tourism product offering at Loop Head Lighthouse and will continue to draw additional visitors to this spectacular area of West Clare.

“The 2011 trial opening scheme exceeded expectations and complemented a range of initiatives that we have undertaken during the past year in West Clare, including the new loop walks in Lissycasey and Kilkee,” added Mr Deane.

Loop Head Lighthouse, located at the mouth of the Shannon Estuary, is steeped in history and rich in maritime heritage with its origins dating back to the 1670s.

In January 1991, the lighthouse was converted to automatic operation, and today is in the care of an attendant and is also monitored by the CIL.