Category: News

THE NEWLY elcted chair of the East Clare Municipal District, Joe Cooney (FG) has admitted that councillors will face a major challenge to meet the need of the people living in the newly redrawn constituency.

Cllr Cooney, who was elected after the first count of last months local election with a massive 2,843 first preference votes, also said that making due with the council’s tight budget for works will not be easy.

“My priority is to try and make sure that people in the new Killaloe district get proper representation on Clare County Council. It is a massive big area – from Clonlara back to New Quay, to Whitegate and up to the Galway border.

“It is not going to be easy to make sure that all areas are well covered and people are property looked after and the right services are there in communities and in villages,” he said.

“It wont be easy but it is important that all areas are looked after.

“With funds limited, as they are at the moment, it is also important that everything is kept to a proper standard.”

While all of the councillors elected in the area are based in the eastern section of the constituency, Cllr Cooney insists that they people of North Clare will be represented.

“They do have councillors. There are six councillors nominated to represent that area.

“I will be representing the people up there [North Clare] and if there are any issues there, I will be there,” he said.

“Unfortunately, it is badly balances, there are six councillors in the east side of the area and none in the north side – but it our jobs to represent those people.

“I definitely see that as my job and I will be doing that for the next five years.”

Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) will serve as Cllr Cooney’s deputy for the next 12 months.

A MAN has appeared in court charged in connection with a string of burglaries at businesses in Ennis in recent weeks.

Brendan Sherlock (21) was brought before a special sitting of Ennis District Court on Saturday morning.

Mr Sherlock, with an address at Dromard, Lahinch Road, Ennis, is charged with six offences allegedly committed between May 31 and June 12.

The charges concern four burglaries and criminal damage and theft offences.

It is alleged on dates unknown between May 31 and June 3, Mr Sherlock entered Delia Keane’s coffee shop on O’Connell Street on as trespasser and stole € 300.

Mr Sherlock is charged with trespass and criminal damage at Mocha Coffee, Arthur’s Row, Ennis on June 5; trespass and theft of € 50 in coins at The Tan Lab, Barrack Street, Ennis on June 11 and trespass and theft of € 70 in coins at D’Barber Shop, Francis Street, Ennis on dates un known between June 10 and June 11.

Mr Sherlock is further charged with the theft of € 120 from Enzo’s Fast Food on Abbey Street on June 12.

It is also alleged that on June 7 at Taste of the Sea, Market Place, Ennis, Mr Sherlock did without lawful excuse damage a wooden door. It is alleged the cost of the damage is € 50. In court on Saturday, Detective Garda Michael Kelly of Ennis Garda Station gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution in respect of five of the charges.

Garda David Hannon of Ennis Garda Station gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution in respect of the other charge.

The court heard Mr Sherlock made no reply to any of the charges after caution.

Judge Mary Larkin granted legal aid following an application from solicitor John Casey.

Mr Casey said legal aid was appropriate in the case and the State had no objections to his application.

Mr Casey’s application for bail on his client’s behalf was opposed by the State.

Detective Garda John Casey of Ennis Garda Station outlined the objections to bail. The court heard gardaí would say they have strong evidence against Mr Sherlock in respect of the charges.

Mr Casey said his client was born and bred in Ennis and would live with his girlfriend at her home in the town. He said Mr Sherlock was willing to sign on daily at Ennis Garda Station and observe any curfew conditions set down by the court.

Judge Mary Larkin said she would only consider granting bail on the basis of a substantial cash bond from the accused or from an independent surety.

Mr Casey said the money is not available and Mr Sherlock did not have anyone to stand as independent surety for him at the moment.

Judge Larkin refused bail. However she said it was open to Mr Casey to raise the issue of bail again if his client could meet the strict bail terms sought by the court.

Judge Larkin remanded Mr Sherlock in custody to appear again at Ennis District Court on June 18.

THE COST of renting a house in Clare continues to fall, despite anecdotal evidence of a recovery in the property market in the county.

The average monthly rent paid by Clare people in for the first quarter of 2014 was € 513 – a drop of € 4 on the € 517 per month average recorded over the same period last year. These figures represent a 25.2 per cent decrease on the average monthly rent of € 686 which was recorded for Clare in 2008. The report also signals a clear disparity in the cost of renting a domestic property in different parts of Clare.

The least expensive place to rent a home is Kilrush – with an average monthly rent of € 469 per month while Newmarket on Fergus was the most expensive Clare location at € 582 per month. Sixmilebridge comes in at € 576 per month, Shannon at € 573, with Ennis at € 511 and Killaloe at € 544.

These Clare figures are in contrast to the national average where a year on year increase of 3.5 per cent was recorded for the first three months of 2014.

The largest increase was in the apartment sector – where average rents have climbed by 5.6 per cent while the cost of renting a house has increased by 1.6 per cent.

THE Ombudsman for Children is to be asked to investigate a case where children in State care in Clare were unallocated a social care worker for more than three months.

Judge Alan Mitchell directed that the children’s Guardian Ad Litem also refer the matter to the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).

The children, who were found to have been neglected by their mother, have since been allocated a social care worker.

Figures supplied to the Clare People yesterday by the Child and Family Agency (CFA) show that there are currently 10 childcare cases unallocated in Clare.

The Children in Care team in Clare (CIC) is currently providing services to approximately 160 children in Clare.

The order that HIQA and the Ombudsman for Children consider a particular case involving social care services in Clare formed part of an extensive written judgment delivered at a sitting of the Family Law (District) Court on Tuesday.

Judge Mitchell was told by senior social worker Tina Wiseman that due to staffing difficulties, a “con- siderable case load” of the CIC team in Clare had been unallocated since November 2012.

The Judge said, “That’s a source of serious concern to me”. He said the un-allocation of childcare cases is something that the CEO of the CFA, Gordon Jeyes could hardly condone. He asked Ms Wiseman if it was worth highlighting these deficiencies both locally and nationally. She said, “I’m in total agreement with you. It is scandalous”. Ms Wiseman said, “I can’t stand over what has happened and at the end of the day, the children are in state care.” Judge Mitchell granted a full child care order on application from the CFA in respect of a number of children. The children’s parents were not present or legally represented in court. The children were represented by their Guardian Ad Litem. Judge Mitchell commended Ms Wiseman “for not trying to defend the indefensible”. After hearing the case Judge Mitchell ruled that the Court was satisfied the children “have been neglected that their health, development, welfare has been and is likely to be avoidably impaired or neglected and the child requires care or protection….” He ordered that the Guardian Ad Litem “refer this case to the Ombudsman for Children to request her to carry out a preliminary investigation under Section 8 of the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002 and to HIQA to consider the non allocation of a social worker to the child in excess of three months, without sufficient reason being acceptable to the Court and the Court finds this practice was not in the best interests of the child and may have adversely affected the child”. The court was told that Clare CFA social workers have written to Gordon Jeyes, and the Minister for Children to express their concerns over resource concerns. Judge Mitchell adjourned the case for review to October.

DIGGING has started on the remains of a Medieval structure in North Clare, which could reveal secrets of life in the county in the 10th and 14th centuries.

Work began last week on a major excavation at Caherconnell Stone Fort in Carron with a large area in the centre of a 1,000-year-old cashel. It is hoped that the excavation, which is being led by Michelle Comber from NUI, Galway, will uncover remains of a freestanding structure which is though to have stood in the centre of the cashel.

This structure is likely to have been the home of the highest status family in North Clare at the time and it is hoped that the excavation could provide new clues about the live in the area 1,000 years ago.

“We are excavating the centre of the cashel. When you excavate in the ringfort of a cashel you would normally expect to meet some sort of free-standing structure of house and that is what we are hoping for,” said Ms Comber. “This is where the person who owned the cashel, the most prominent family in the area, would have lived. We have opened a a 10 metre by 12 metre section and we are now getting down towards the stony area. We are getting slices coming through already, which are possible wall lines, but we will have to go deeper before we know for sure.

“What we are looking for could be from anything from the 10th to the 14th century. There were people living the cashel in the 15th and 16th century but we know where these people lived. So we are hoping for something much earlier than this.”

Excavation will continue in Caherconnell Stone Fort for the next six weeks and all the materials will be processed and dated over the winter months.

COUNCILLOR John Crowe (FG) is the new Mayor of Clare – the first Sixmilebridge councillor to be elected as Clare’s first citizen in exactly 100 years.

Crowe will be assisted in his duties by Deputy Mayor Tony O’Brien (FF), who returned to council chamber today after losing his council seat in 2009.

Cllr Crowe is the first Sixmilebridge Mayor of Clare since James O’Regan was elected in 1914. O’Regan was the father of the late Brendan O’Regan, who pioneered many developments at Shannon Airport including both Duty Free and the Shannon Free Zone.

Speaking just after receiving his chain of office, Cllr Crowe became visibly emotional when he thanked his family and supporters.

“This is my proudest day as an elected member. I look forward to representing my family, the ‘Bridge and the people of Clare,” he said.

“I wasn’t sure that I would be elected as a councillor this time around, never mind being afforded the hon- our of representing all of you as Mayor of Clare. I accept this honour knowing that I follow in the footsteps of so many councillors who have done great work for this county in the past.”

Crowe’s elevation to the office comes 100 years ago to the month that James O’Regan was made mayor in 1914. James and his son Brendan are synonymous with Shannon Airport – with Brendan leading many innovations in Irish and international aviation in the 1960s and 1970s.

“Brendan O’Regan’s spirit and innovating thinking are in this chamber, as his believe in local people. These are characteristic which are very valuable this day,” continued Cllr Crowe.

“Make sure you support our airport, because without our airport we have nothing.”

Cllr Crowe was formally proposed as Mayor by his party colleague Joe Cooney (FG) and seconded by Independent Shannon Cllr Gerry Flynn.

A GROUP that represents retailers in Ennis has said that pedestrianisation will not work and is bad for business in the town.

Michelle Madden, a member of Ennis Chamber’s Retail Committee, described pedestrianisation of the town centre as an “impediment to business”.

“It doesn’t help business, I’m afraid and I don’t think Ennis town is actually geared for pedestrianisation,” Ms Madden told a public meeting in Ennis on Thursday night.

The former Ennis Town Council has on several occasions attempted to introduce pedestrianisation on a trail basis in the town centre.

In recent years, a limited system of pedestrianisation has been in place during the weeks before Christmas.

Ms Madden, a former President of Ennis Chamber said, “Pedestrianisation is a big impediment to trade in Ennis.

“Four years ago we did a survey over the summer months. It was meant to last for six months on Saturdays. It lasted five weeks.

“I have a report here from Ennis traders, particularly O’Connell Street traders. Over the five-week period, 22 of them were strongly opposed to pedestrianisation on a Saturday. Only five of them were in favour of continuing.”

Ms Madden was speaking at a meeting on proposed measures to stimulate job creation in the town.

She put forward a “shopping list” of measures, including reduced parking and better motorway signage for Ennis that retailers want local councilors to deliver upon.

“That’s a big impediment to retail,” said Ms Madden on the current cost of parking in Ennis.

She continued, “We’ve done sur- veys ourselves on it. People are not happy paying € 1.40 an hour. I think € 1 an hour is plenty and maybe the first hour every morning free.”

Ms Madden praised the former council’s free parking policy brought in last December alongside pedestrainisation of the town’s streets in the week before Christmas.

“It was great. It brought people into town. They spent money in town. They stayed in town. That creates jobs, it retains jobs,” she said.

The meeting was attended by 67 business people from industry, retail, hospitality, construction, town centre management and other key sectors.

The aim was to provide initial enterprise and job creation input to the Clare Local Enterprise Office’s (LEO) six year economic plan as well as to compile a result-driven report asking the LEO’s and the Ennis Municipal District Council’s support in the implementation of measures outlined.

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG), an elected member of Clare County Council and local businessman, told the meeting it is important that Ennis and Clare is “not left behind” when it comes to job creation.

“We need to pull back job creation to the West of Ireland,” he added.

A NUMBER of high profile positions were divided up at last Friday’s AGM of Clare County Council with the power-sharing ar rangement extending far beyond the appointment of Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

Following the abolishment of local councils in Ennis, Kilr ush, Kilkee and Killaloe – and the redrawing of the electoral boundaries to abolish a stand alone council district in north Clare – there will be four separate Municipal Districts, who will each have a yearly chair person.

The power-sharing arrangement agreed between Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Technical Grouping of Independents and Sinn Fein will see a Fine Gael chai rperson elected in Ennis this year, with a Fianna Fail councillor taking the West Clare and Shannon and a Fine Gael councillor taking the top job in East Clare.

The Ennis Municipal Chair person will be a Fianna Fail councillor in 2015, followed by a councillor from the Technical Group, Fine Gael and then the Technical Group.

Sinn Fein’s Mike McKee will serve as chair person of the Shannon Municipal District over the next five years, as will Independents PJ Ryan and Gerry Flynn.

The Fianna Fail councillor, understood to be Cathal Crowe, will be the first chair person later this month, followed next year by a councillors from the technical group, Fine Gael, and then two councillors from the technical group.

The chairperson of the West Clare area will be councillors from Fianna Fail, Technical Group, Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Technical Group over the next five years respectively. In East Clare it will be Fine Gael, Technical Group, Fin Gael, and then two from Fianna Fail.

There was a host of other appointments made at last Friday’s annual general meeting with Pat McMahon (FF) and Bill Slattery (FG) appointed to the Regional Assembly.

All of the appointments were uncontested and received cross par t support.

THE head of the largest retail industry trade body in Ireland has said Ennis has been “forgotten” as a shopping and hospitality destination by the people of Clare.

David Fitzsimons, the CEO of the Ennis-based Retail Excellence Ireland, says new forms of customer communication and a fresh look at the town’s urban environment could aid retail activity in the town.

Mr Fitzsimons was speaking on the issue of how to make Ennis a retail destination of choice for local people in Clare.

He said Ennis could learn from Letterkenny, which recently established a Town Team to formulate policies to revive the town centre.

He told a public meeting in the Temple Gate Hotel on Thursday that the introduction of a rates incentive for hospitality and visitor-based businesses helped boost tourism in the Donegal town.

“They’ve realised they’ve been forgotten by the people of Donegal and in many ways Ennis town has been forgotten by the people of Clare,” Mr Fitzsimons said.

“As consumers we’re convenience based shoppers during the week, we nip into Tesco and Dunnes Stores. We do one thing and we go home. At the weekend we’re willing to travel longer distances for experiences and that’s why Kildare Village, Dundrum, Avoca… and all these destination venues are thriving.

“We need to remind people that Ennis is here, that it’s theirs, it’s their public realm. We need to maybe communicate with people differently. We need as a town to get out, we need to be communicating really professionally to citizens and give them a reason to come into their civic space. It doesn’t have to always be ‘shop more, spend more’. It’s just come in an enjoy the space. It’s yours,” he added.

CLARE County Council is to write to Health Minister, James Reilly (FG), demanding that A&E services are reopened in Ennis until a new state of the art building is opened at the Limerick Regional Hospital.

This comes in the wake of a damning report of services at the Limerick facility by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) which described the Limerick A&E as “not fit for purpose”.

At last night’s meeting of Clare County Council, councillors voted unanimously to contact the Department of Health demanding both the temporary reopening of A&E services at Ennis General Hospital and the fast-tracking of funding for the promised state of the art A&E services at Limerick General Hospital.

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) also confirmed that local Fine Gael councillors held a meeting with TDs Pat Breen (FG) and Joe Carey (FG) yes- terday morning – and requested they secure a meeting with Minister Reilly and Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

It was also claimed at last night’s meeting that the Limerick A&E was “cleaned up” during a recent visit by Minister James Reilly, with 35 people on trolleys on the day before the meeting and only 10 during the meeting.

Last week’s HIQA review found serious delays and risks for patients and staff due to persistent overcrowding in A&E in Limerick.

It also found that there were delays in transferring patients from the Emergency Department to the Intensive Care Unit and the High Dependency Unit, partly due to the absence of a single clinical governance structure.

The report found that there was just one toilet in the Emergency Department for all patients, adults and children, and there were no single rooms to isolate patients with communicable diseases.

“The review also found that people in Clare were not using the minor injuries units in Ennis General Hospital.

In a statement to The Clare People