Category: News

CLARE Vocational Education Committee (VEC) has confirmed appointments to positions at Scariff Community College.

In a statement, a VEC spokesperson confirmed that Angela McNamara would replace the retiring Sean Daly as principal of Scariff Community College. Ms McNamara is currently deputy principal of Ennis Community College.

Brian Crossan, who is currently director of East Clare Adult and Community Education Centre, Scariff, will take up the role of deputy principal at Scariff Community College. He replaces retiring deputy principal John O’Donovan. Mr Crossan is a former director of St. Joseph’s Training Centre, Ennis.

The issue of teacher retirements was raised at the January meeting of Clare VEC. The meeting heard that the number of retirements, including principals and their deputies, is “up a little bit on average”.

Under the Croke Park agreement, teachers who retire before the end of February will have their pensions and lump sums calculated on ‘pre-cut’ salary, the salary they were earning before the pay cut imposed in January 2010.

Clare VEC is waiting to see how many teachers take up the option in order to assess the impact on Clare schools.

Last month, in response to concern over teaching retirements, CEO George O’Callaghan said that teachers could be hired in a temporary capacity to take classes until the end of term.

Mr O’Callaghan said the VEC does not expect to encounter any problems in filling posts. He said the VEC would examine the situation more closely in February.

Concern was also expressed over the impact of cuts to career guidance services announced in last November’s Budget.

Mr O’Callaghan told last week’s meeting that meetings are due to take place with principals in the coming weeks to ascertain the impact of the cuts. He said these discussions would guide the VEC’s response to the situation.

Meanwhile, three delegates will represent County Clare Vocational Education Committee at the annual Eigse Colm Cille Winter School Conference on Magee Campus in Derry.

Responding to an organisers’ invitation, the committee unanimously chose the chairman, Cllr Tommy Brennan; Bernard Hanrahan and Cllr Gabriel Keating.

The conference, on February 24 to 26, is a literary weekend of events celebrating the Irish language in the North-West.

DRIVERS and pedestrians in Ennis have been urged to be vigilant after two accidents on the Clare Road in just over a week.

A fourth-year student from St Flannan’s College escaped serious injury when he was struck by a car on a stretch of road between Captain Mac’s Cross and the Turnpike.

The incident occurred at lunchtime last Thursday. The student received medical treatment.

Deputy Principal John Minogue explained that the student was brought to hospital but that the school had not received a report of any serious injury.

Another teenager was injured 10 days ago by a car exiting the carpark of the West County Hotel. An ambulance was called to the scene.

The incidents have led to calls for greater vigilance and awareness on routes around Ennis.

Road Safety Officer with Clare County Council, Barry Keating, said yesterday that there is an onus on both drivers and pedestrians to be aware of the dangers, particularly at busy periods of the day.

“In general, we would ask people to be extra vigilant and to pay extra attention, particularly around schools. There are a lot of people exiting schools at lunchtime and we would ask drivers to be cognizant of this.”

He added, “This applies to pedestrians too but in general we would always say to drivers to be extra vigilant when they are driving past schools, especially at lunchtime. when you have a large number of people looking to cross the road.”

Concern was also expressed yesterday over bus- and car-parking on roads near St Flannan’s College.

Senior Executive Engineer, Eamon O’Dea said yesterday that he is aware that some cars are parking on the slip road that leads from the roundabout at Lynch’s joinery to Flannan’s, a situation he described as “disgraceful”.

Cllr Brennan said that buses parked at Flannan’s school are “blocking up the road” in the morning and afternoon.

He said measures were needed to improve safety at the location.

Cllr Brennan said that electronic speed repeater signs, similar to those in place on the Tulla Road, should be placed on the road between the Éire Óg GAA grounds and St Flannan’s.

THE long-awaited development of a new junction at Blake’s Corner in Ennistymon could be jeopardy following the shock announcement by Clare County Council yesterday that they will have to fund an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) before any work can take place.

This means that any progress at the site will be delayed by at least 12 months and € 100,000 will have to be found to finance the EIS. It is unclear where the € 100,000 will come from as Clare County Council do not have the money and the National Roads Authority (NRA) generally do not fund a project until after it has passed through the planning stage.

The decision to voluntarily complete an EIS was made, according to senior council engineer Tom Tiernan, because the local authority felt certain that groups opposed to the destruction of the listed building at Blake’s Corner would object to An Bord Pleanála should Clare County Council grant Part 8 planning permission for the site without a complete EIS.

A similar objection was used by a number of surfing organisation to delay the construction of a new pier at Doolin last year.

“There is no point in us doing this and then being told down the line that we need to go for EIS. This is terribly disappointing but I think that in the long run this will be the shortest route,” said Mr Tiernan

“The NRA have stated very clearly to me that they are committed to this project. But their commitment does not translate into money in any way until a time that you have all the approvals that are required.

“I would sincerely hope that they can allocate money [for the EIS], they are aware that this is a very important and controversial project and something that needs to be pushed forward as soon as possible.”

According to one local councillor, more than 100 local jobs could be lost if the scheme at the junction is not sorted out soon.

“I am stunned that this has happened. Common sense has gone out the window,” said Cllr Bill Slattery (FG).

“We have a factory in Deerpark which employs 100 people. If this isn’t fixed, I know from speaking to the owner of this factory, they will be forced to pull out of Ennistymon.”

Cllr Richard Nagle (FF) said that he was “absolutely stunned” by yesterday’s development and said that it was the latest is a list of delays for the project.

CANNABIS herb valued at € 2,700 was discovered during a Garda search of woods near Newmarketon-Fergus, a court has heard.

The detail emerged at Ennis District Court last week where a 20-year-old man pleaded guilty to having cannabis for sale or supply.

Shane Purtell, with an address at 18 Marian Avenue, Ennis, was arrested by Gardaí after an intelligence-led search at Mooghaun, Newmarketon-Fergus on October 9 (2010). The court heard that the accused had weighing scales and moneybags in his possession.

Insp Dermot O’Connor told the court that the accused was brought to Ennis Garda Station and, during his detention there, he admitted that the cannabis found in the woods was his. Insp O’Connor said the cannabis was valued at € 2,700.

Solicitor Stephen Nicholas said his client had co-operated fully with Gardaí and made a full admission.

He said his client came from a wellknown family in Ennis and never had any involvement in drugs.

Mr Nicholas added, “He fell into drugs due to unemployment. This was his first attempt to go into dealing.” He explained that the incident had served as a wake-up call to his client. He said Purtell had been accepted on a pre-treatment programme Bushypark but had declined the place as he had secured employment through FAS.

He said his client urine analysis would show that his client is drugand alcohol-free. “He was a man of excellent prospects until he got sucked into this spiral,” he added.

Judge Aeneas McCarthy adjourned the matter until March 14 for the preparation of a report by the probation and welfare service.

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.

CLARE farmers could find farming “unworkable” if some of the suggested new CAP reforms are pushed through in their current form. That was the opinion of the ICSA president Gabriel Gilmartin, who warned EU Agriculture Commissioner, Dacian Ciolos, that his proposed reforms of the Common Agriculture Policy were too “revolutionary” and far too disruptive to Irish farming.

Ciolos was in Dublin last week for a number of meeting with the Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney (FG) and representatives of the Irish farming organisations.

“While there may be a welcome for a greener, more equitable CAP in theory, ICSA is concerned that, in practice, the Commissioner’s reforms are too revolutionary and will simply be unworkable in Ireland,” he said.

“The moving to a flat rate payment and the introduction of a greening top-up has the potential to severely stunt the growth of successful and productive farms in the country.

“We cannot have a fair reform that imposes severe cuts on family-sized farms. Due to spiralling input costs, the average farmer is now more reliant than ever on their single farm payment (SFP) from the EU.

“Strong factory prices are being counteracted by the rising costs of fuel and other operational costs, therefore excessive cuts in the SFP has the potential to drive farm families out of agriculture.”

Speaking after the visit, Minister Coveney said that he impressed upon the Commissioner the key CAP reform priorities for Ireland.

“The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy will set the policy framework for Irish and EU agriculture, so it is important that we get it right. I have told Commissioner Ciolos today that the first priority from an Irish perspective is to secure the maximum possible funding from the EU budget negotiations in order to provide for a strong and well-resourced CAP,” he said.

“The second priority is to ensure that Ireland’s funding for both direct payments and rural development is maintained at current levels. In addition, we must provide the maximum possible flexibility for Member States to implement the payment models and transitional arrangements that best suit their farming conditions.”

The minister emphasised the commitment of both Ireland and the Commission to sustainable intensification of production, responsible environmental stewardship and the maintenance of a vibrant rural economy.