Category: News

CLARE County Council will effectively be sounding its own death knell if it approves plans by the National Roads Authority (NRA) for a new salt depot outside Ennis, a senior member of the council has warned.

Independent councillor Tommy Brennan said the council would be “cutting its own throat” if planning permission for a 6, 500 tonne regional salt depot at the old GAMA site on the Tulla Road Interchange.

The NRA will take charge of maintenance of the country’s motorway network with the proposed Tulla Road depot used to service the motorway in Clare and parts of Galway and Limerick.

However the project came in for blistering criticism at yesterday’s meeting of councillors in the Ennis East Electoral Area. Committee chairman Cllr Brennan labelled the project a “waste of time” and taxpayer’s money, saying it represents a unnecessary duplication of resources.

Cllr Brennan said the council had adequate salt supplies at its depots in Beechpark while council workers had worked “night and day and provide exemplary” maintenance services on the county’s road and motorway network.

He said the Minister for the Environment should be made aware of the concerns that exist over the project. Cllr Brennan said that he firmly be- lieved that if the minister examined the project “logically” then it would not go ahead.

He described the NRA as a “quango that has nothing to do”, arguing that authority’s move to road maintenance is based on the fact that no more roads are being built.

He said, “I firmly believe that all we are doing is cutting our own throats.”

He added, “I think it’s a down right disgrace. We have four salt barns on the Miltown Malbay road.”

Members received an update on the Part 8 planning process for the salt depot. Cllr Brennan said the council should not engage with the process, adding that the NRA should follow the same planning process as other applications.

Cllr Brennan was also critical of the layout of the proposed project. He said the installation of a roundabout must be included as a condition of planning if the project is approved.

He explained that a landowner is seriously concerned that the project, as currently designed, will impede access to his property.

County engineer Tom Tiernan said he would highlight Cllr Brennan’s concerns to the minister. He said he had urged the NRA to consult with the landowner.

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said the site should be used for the development of secondary school for the Barefield area.

“The needs locally in the community are greater than those of the NRA,” he added.

FIGURES from Clare County Council show that approximately 31,000 septic tanks in the county could face inspection under new water services laws.

A countywide breakdown shows that the highest number of septic tanks are located in the River Fergus catchment area (11,700). There are 8,400 in the West Clare area, 7,600 in the Lough Derg area and 3,400 in South Clare.

The figures, which were taken from the Water Framework Directive Reports, were presented at a special meeting of Clare County Council on Wednesday.

The Water Services (Amendment) Bill is currently being debated in the houses of the Oireachtais. It is expected to be enacted in 2013.

Households that have septic tanks will have to pay a € 50 five-year registration fee. Concern has been raised about the impact of the Bill, with critics claiming that householders will be forced to spend thousands of euros to upgrade septic tanks.

In a report to councillors, Paul Mo- roney, Senior Engineer Environment, outlined the main aspects of the Bill. He stated that the “principal requirement of the proposed legislation is that the owner of a septic tank is required to maintain and operate their septic tank in a manner that does not cause risk to human health or the environment.”

He added, “This requirement is in the best interest of preserving the existing environment and is consistent with the approach in other environmental legislation.”

Mr Moroney explained that under the proposed new bill, the council would be required to establish and maintain a detailed register of septic tanks located in its functional area. Owners of septic tanks will be required to register them with the local authority. The certificate will be valid for a period of five years.

Mr Morney stated that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is charged with appointing inspectors and establishing and maintaining a register of septic tank inspectors.

On the powers of EPA inspectors, Mr Moroney explained, “Inspectors will have the power to examine, take samples, take photographs, examine sub-soil, obtain information and inspect records of maintenance servicing or operation of a septic tank. An inspector may not enter premises without the permission of the occupier.”

Mr Moroney continued, “Once notification of an inspection has been provided by a local authority it will be an offence for a person to prevent an inspector from entering a premises, obstruct or impede the inspector or provide false or misleading information to an inspector.”

If the EPA finds that a septic tank is “causing or is likely to cause a risk to human health or the environment” they are required to issue an advisory notice to the owner.

A person who does not agree with the results of the first inspection can request a re-inspection at a fee not exceeding € 200. A person who does not agree with an advisory notice issued after the re-inspection can appeal the notice to the District Court.

Mr Moroney added that it will be an offence for the council not to comply with directions from the EPA.

He told the meeting that the new legislation would apply to all domestic wastewater treatment systems.

THE only Garda station to close in Clare this year is Carrigaholt in the West of the county, but the Garda chief has predicted further closures in the coming years.

Chief Superintendent John Kerins told the members of the Joint Policing Committee (JPC) that there will be at least 41 less members on the force in Clare at the end of February than the end of March last year.

He said that there was a wrong perception however that the Kilrush district was worst affected.

Three members of the force have retired in Kilrush in the last year, with one more likely before the end of February at which time a change to civil service pensions will be introduced.

As a result of the drop in personnel and the ever-tightening Garda budget Carrigaholt will lose its Garda station this year. The West Clare station is to close in the next two to three months the chief superintendent con firmed. The area will continued to be patrolled by gardaí from Kilrush and Kilkee.

Meanwhile the chief superintendent, in conjunction with the local su- perintendent, Gerry Wall, are planning to reassign gardaí from Kilrush to the smaller sub-stations in the area on a part time basis.

The stations, such as Labasheeda and Doonbeg, will be manned by these gardaí at advertised hours a few days a week.

Chief Supt Kerins reassured members of the JPC that he did not believe the policing service would be affected.

“We are confident that we can do it. It is a challenge but there is no choice. We are faced now with what we have got.”

Community representative on the JPC Pat Gaughran raised concerns about having small rural stations open for just a few hours a week.

“Having a station open for a few hours a few days a week is like having the A and E open nine to five,” he said.

Supt Kerins told Mr Gaughran that currently the maximum number of people calling to those stations on a daily basis is three.

“It is not necessary to open Garda stations as much as previously. The need does not exist with mobile phones available and other technology,” he said.

“We cannot continue with the serv- ice we had in the 1920s. I would much rather see a garda out in the patrol car, at a check point or on foot patrol rather that sitting in a Garda station,” said Chief Supt Kerins.

“The value of neighbourhood watch and community alert cannot be over stated,” added Supt Wall.

It was not all bad news, with the Garda Commission confirming last week that he has earmarked three new patrol cars for the county.

With the fleet reduced in the last number of months however, the gardaí in Clare are hoping that number will be increased again in February.

MEMBERS of Clare County Council have rejected claims that new septic tank laws will have no impact on homes in urban areas.

Critics of the new water services Bill have claimed that it will unfairly target rural areas by imposing high upgrade costs while urban dwellers will not be penalised. However at a special meeting of the council called to debate the new Water Services Bill, councillors rejected the suggestion that it would create a divide between rural and urban communities.

Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) said that the highest density of septic tanks occurred around urban areas such as Ennis (east and west) and Kilrush. “It’s not simply a rural/urban issue,” he added.

Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) said that the new legislation would affect both rural and urban areas. She said homeowners are “genuinely scared” by some of the comments being made on the issue. She said that the view has been out forward that most of the septic tanks in the county would fail inspection. She said this was not the case.

Mayor of Clare, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) said communities in small villages could struggle to upgrade sep- tic tanks because of a lack of space. Cllr Pat Keane (FF) said a simple solution could be found if the Government agreed to pay homeowners to upgrade their wastewater systems. Members agreed to pass three motions calling for the Government grant scheme to be put in place to assist with the upgrading of septic tanks. A motion proposed by Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) and seconded by Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) also stated that “time allocated to householders to upgrade their septic tank systems should reflect evidence from on the ground inspections needed to quantify cost, risk of pollution, appropriate grant aid etc.”

CLARE County Council is preparing to introduce new by-laws which will prevent surfers from parking and surfing on large section of Lahinch Promenade and Lahinch beach.

This was revealed at yesterday’s North Clare Area Meeting of Clare County Council when it was also revealed that the local authority has received more than € 1 million from the Lahinch area over the past three years, including from the prom car park, parking fines, and proceeds from the sale of the old public toilets in the village.

Senior Executive Engineer at the Ennistymon Area Office, Stephen Lahiffe, said that by-laws would be introduced next month to restrict the areas where surfers could park and surf shops could operate.

“Clare County Council have parking by-laws prepared and ready to go. This will make a surfing-specific location in Lahinch where all surfers can congregate and sell their wears,” he said.

“There is currently an issue surrounding some land that is needed for the development but we would certainly hope that this will be in place for the summer.”

This news was revealed after comments from Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) who said that surfers in Lahinch needed to be controlled.

“We welcome the surfers in Lahinch and we realise that their needs need to be looked after. But there is no control on the prom in Lahinch. There are vans everywhere. There should be an area designated on the promenade where the surfers can park and even an area of the water that they can use,” he said.

Councillors at yesterday’s meeting were angered by the progress being made on the council’s Lahinch Masterplan, with Cllr Slattery accusing Clare County Council of going back on its word to ensure that the money made from the Lahinch Prom was invested into the village.

“I was born and reared in Lahinch and, in my opinion, the prom in Lahinch has gone back about 20 years in recent times,” he said

“The railing along the prom has gotten into an incredibly dangerous condition and should never have been let get into the condition that it is now in.

“The cliffs on the Miltown Malbay side of the beach collapsed about 12 years ago and these have not been taken away. There is no public toilet on the prom anymore; the surface and the lining of the car park is in very bad condition and floods all the time.

“There is only one person on duty there and that is the traffic warden who is making all the money. There is no one picking up litter or doing anything else for the place.

“Lahinch car park is probably the second highest revenue centre in Clare. Clare County Council need to put back in the money that has been taken out of Lahinch over the years. Where has this money gone?”

Mr Lahiffe said that a contractor will soon be appointed to fix the railing on the promenade but admitted that, following the economic downturn, it “has become impossible to achieve what we had wanted” from the Lahinch Prom Masterplan.

The local authority also came in for criticism for spending € 94,000 on consultant reports for the prom.

“We have paid € 94,000 for consultants and if that money had just been given to the local area office, I’m sure we would have gotten better value for money out of it,” said Cllr Richard Nagle (FF).

THE people of Clare have been urged to engage in a period of “civil disobedience” in protest at new septic tank laws and the household charge.

The call was made Independent councillor James Breen who said people should bring the country to “standstill”.

Cllr Breen was speaking at a special meeting of Clare County Council held to debate new legislation that will require homeowners to register their septic tanks for a € 50 fee.

Cllr Breen was strongly critical of the new Water Services (Amendment) Bill. He said that instead of forcing new fees on hard-pressed homeowners, the Government should look instead at abolishing town councils and the Seanád. He also called for a reduction in the amount of councillors sitting on local authorities. “I am speaking against myself on this,” he said.

Cllr Cathal Crowe (FF) said that while there was a need for a proper and effective water supply in the country, the manner in which the new legislation is being imposed on rural dwellers “is entirely unfair”.

He added, “Rural Ireland needs to be as equal as urban Ireland and the Government hasn’t shown that.”

Cllr Michael Kelly (FF) said rural homeowners have already paid for water services through planning regulations. He said there remained a lot of unanswered questions in relation to the inspection process, standards and the role of inspectors.

He continued, “It will affect the pockets of thousands of country people. We will discuss no more important motion for a long time.”

Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) acknowledged the concerns of rural communities but said the Minister for the Environment was determined to introduce the legislation in a “step by step” basis.

Cllr Joe Cooney (FG) said there had been a lot of “scaremongering” on the issue.

He added, “It’s essential there is grant aid.” Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) said the legislation is being “rushed through”.

CLARE County Council is to examine the historic remains of the O’Brien family at St Bridget’s Well, including the family vault which contains the remains of Cornelius O’Brien, the man who built O’Brien’s tower at the Cliffs of Moher.

The O’Brien family vault, which is located in the St Bridget’s Well cemetery, and the famous monument dedicated to the family, have suffered severe damage in recent years, with the monument now badly in eed of repair and in danger of collapsing.

“This is of real historic importance. Part of the ancient heritage of Clare is located in these structures and they are rapidly deteriorating,” said Cllr Richard Nagle (FF).

“Cornelius O’Brien was the man who built the tower at the Cliffs of Moher and this monument dates back to 1854.

“All of the spire of that monument has now cracked and it is only a matter of time before this monument is going to collapse.

“The same thing applies to the vault in the cemetery, which is where all the family has been buried. There is nothing to prevent people from going over the railing and into the vault.

“Both of these are listed structures and regarded as structures of historical importance.

“We need to contact the Heritage Officer and get them to make contact with the OPW quickly and seek resources for this work and seek their assistance.”

Meanwhile, Lahinch-based Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) has asked Clare County Council to examine the prospect of using some of the local authority’s own land in Liscannor to create a place where the Lahinch RNLI can store and launch their boat from.

Currently, the rescue service has to launch their boat from Lahinch and can face major delays, especially at times of high tourist numbers at Lahinch.

“I know that Clare County Council have property in Liscannor but we are using Lahinch for water rescue at the moment.

“Surveys have been done that show that it would be far easier and quicker to launch boats in Liscannor. I believe that the council have land on the dock in Liscannor.

“Maybe we could use this, or buy more land beside it if needed,” he said.

These comments were supported by Ennistymon-based Cllr Richard Nagle (FF), who said that a proper facility would have to be put in place in Liscannor.

“I would support the provision of facilities in Liscannor but I would certainly not support some sort of container being put in place. Not on the main route to the Cliffs of Moher, at a scenic spot that the local people enjoy.

“This would have to be a proper building,” he said.

AN ON-FARM slaughter scheme, which is available in major beef-producing counties such as Meath and Kildare, would save Clare farmers thousands of euro and stop viable beef going straight to the knackers yard.

According to Clare County Councillor Paul Murphy (FG), Clare farmers with injured animals are being penalised on the double, as on-farm slaughtering is not available to farmers with cattle with minor injuries.

The Clarecastle councillor said that animals with a broken bone, who have not “fallen”, are being refused by abattoirs when taken there by the farmer for slaughter.

“These mildly hurt animals are being turned away from the abattoir and the animals have to be put down and the meat disposed of,” he told members at the January adjourned meeting of the council.

The farmer is then at a financial loss on the double, he explained. Firstly, he has the loss of the value of the animal, and then has to pay a hefty sum to have its remains disposed of.

He called on the agriculture minister to review the efficiency of the onfarm slaughtering services scheme, particularly where an animal with a broken limb, but who is otherwise healthy, can still be transported humanely to the abattoir rather than that animal be classified as a fallen animal.

Cllr Pat Burke (FG) told the members that there is a farm slaughter scheme in place, where the animal is shot and bled out on the farm.

He raised concerns that the meat can be damaged when dragged into the trailer during such a process, however, and suggested that the ideal scenario would be to see these animals slaughtered in an abattoir.

The farm slaughter scheme does not seem to be available in Clare.

Cllr Michael Kelly (FF) said, “During a recession, it is unfortunate that the farmer is left with a loss of up to € 1,000 to € 1, 500.

“Bringing the animal to the factory would be less destructive for everyone,” he said.

Ennis councillor Tommy Brennan (Ind) raised concerns about the safety of meat from an animal with a minor injury, which was slaughtered on a farm.

“Would this go in for public con- sumption and who would decide if it is safe for human consumption?” he asked.

“I think where possible it would be safer to transport the animal to the abattoir.

“For the on-site process, there would be a vet to say if it was safe for animal consumption,” answered Cllr Joe Arkins (FG).

Supporting the motion, the mayor, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF), said that the council was asking for a change in policy to allow animals with minor injuries to be brought to the abattoir as soon as possible rather than to the knackers yard.

A WOMAN has received a suspended sentence for her role in an altercation in Ennis town centre on New Year’s Day.

At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Rose McDonagh (29) with an address at 31 Childers Road, Ennis, pleaded guilty to a section six public order offence.

Insp Tom Kennedy told the court that the accused became involved in a fight with another woman on Abbey Street, Ennis at 2.30am, January 1.

The court heard that McDonagh has 24 previous convictions. Solicitor Tara Godfrey said her client had been on a night out with a friend. She explained that while McDonagh was waiting for a taxi, another car pulled up.

Ms Godfrey said the women in the car were female relations of a man who previously beat her client up. She said the assault was so serious that the man is now in prison.

Ms Godfrey added, “She pulled her hair and she pulled her hair back. It was a very wrong thing to happen.”

Judge Aeneas McCarthy sentenced McDonagh to three months in prison. He suspended the sentence on condition that she be of good behaviour for a period of two years.

CLARE County Council has invited the HSE and HIQA to come before the members in chamber to answer numerous questions relating to the health and safety of the area’s hospitals.

At this month’s adjourned meeting of the council, two independent councillors – Cllr Patricia McCarthy and Cllr James Breen – raised concerns about the number of bugs, infections and viruses in the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick, and the affect of these outbreaks on the public.

At this month’s meeting of the council, Cllr McCarthy queried how many times visitors were denied access to the Mid West Regional Hospital Limerick due to the presence of an infection especially during 2010 and 2011.

The Shannon councillor also wanted to know how these figures compared to hospitals in other regions.

Cllr Breen, a prominent health advocate for years, called on the two health bodies – the HSE and HIQA – to publish the hygiene audits that were carried out on all hospitals and nursing homes in the mid-west, and to publish the number of people affected by hospital superbugs in 2011.

The Kilnamona councillor, who was victim to a superbug in the past, was also critical of his own recent experience within the public hospital service.

He raised concerns about hygiene and safety at the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick and other hospitals in the mid-west region.

He described how during one night he spent at the Limerick hospital he was forced to clean the toilet himself it was so dirty. He was equally revolted by the state of the shower, he said.

“While I was there, I had to go from unit three to unit four and it was like an obstacle course,” he said.

The concerned councillor described how he had to find his way around food carts, beds and wheelchairs left on the corridors.

He raised concerns as to the difficulties such obstacles would pose in the case of an emergency at the hospital.

All members of the council agreed to write to the HSE and HIQA to invite them to address them on such issues.