Category: News

CLARE County Council has spent € 20 million on Traveller accommodation in Clare over the past 10 years, according to a new report.

The council has invested in 10 group housing schemes and one temporary site in the county that were put in place over three Traveller accommodation programmes since 2000. According to a report prepared by Bernadette Kinsella, Director of Housing, Social and Cultural Services, the capital cost between 2001 and 2011 has been € 20 million.

The report provides a detailed breakdown of all costs associated with Traveller accommodation incurred by the council.

It shows that maintenance costs of Traveller accommodation are “high relative to other accommodation provided by the council”.

Ms Kinsella explains that the council incurred high security costs on the Beechpark group scheme in Ennis, which was the subject of criminal damage and remains the subject of threat and intimidation since 2010.

The report adds, “Efforts to let three refurbished houses in this scheme are ongoing but unsuccessful due to intimidation and threats within the Traveller community. While the council has reported all such incidents to the Gardaí, victim statements have not been lodged with the Gardaí.”

The report states that a total of five units of accommodation have been destroyed by arson attack in the last 22 months (Beechpark, Ashline, Ballymaley). “Tenancy sustainment over time is an ongoing challenge and the turnover of accommodation units is a further driver of maintenance expenditure,” the report adds.

According to the report, “several hundred thousand euro have been incurred in defending these complaints, in addition to an inestimable staffing cost”.

Ms Kinsella states that in 2009 the council instituted judicial review proceedings to prohibit the Equality Tribunal from proceeding with hearings.

She continues, “Approximately 1,300 complaints were referred to the Tribunal by Ms Heather Rosen on behalf of Travellers. As each complaint carries a potential award of damages of € 6,000, the council is exposed to significant potential cost. To date 73 decisions have been issued by the Tribunal and all these cases were dismissed.”

In terms of staff resources the report shows that “five full-time and one part-time staff are deployed to work exclusively on Traveller accommodation issues, the majority of the focus being on resolving and responding to matters in respect of Travellers who have been accommodated by the council”.

It continues, “The council’s capacity to continue to commit this dis-proportionate level of resources, in the context of our overall housing stock of 1, 500 units and of ever diminishing staff resources is seriously limited.”

COURT FACILITIES in Clare have been “a total mess”, with the exception of Ennis and Kilrush, according to retiring Judge Joseph Mangan.

The Judge made the statement in his first interview since stepping down from the bench at Ennis District Court on Friday.

He told The Clare People that Killaloe court – which currently sits in Ennis – should be reopened and that courts should also return to Ennistymon (they currently sit in Kilrush). Over the years, while on the bench, the judge repeatedly hit out at conditions in various courtrooms across the county, due to the cold conditions and poor acoustics.

“One would have to say in Ennis facilities are perfectly satisfactory. One could say the same about Kilrush. Gort isn’t bad. After that, the facilities that we have had in this district were a total mess,” he said.

“When the District Court was set up at the foundation of the State, it was intended to be an accessible court. It’s the only court that most people see.

“When I first came to the district, I would have wanted to keep every venue open, but unfortunately the reality is there are no votes in courthouses. There are no votes to be got out of making courthouses an issue.

“When a court venue is closed, you will from time to time observe a local representative publicly shedding tears over the fact. Ask any one of them if they every put their head inside a court in the 30 years before the closure to observe the conditions in which work had been done. I believe that any society that allows justice to be administered in such appalling conditions has very little respect for itself as a nation,” he said.

“In retrospect, I think it was right to close a number of the outlying courts (in Clare) because of the conditions in which they had to function and the lack of realistic expectation of anything being done about them in the foreseeable future.

“I don’t believe it would be right to close any of the existing ones, including Killaloe and Athenry. Killaloe is temporarily closed and I know there is a wish on the part of the Courts Service to close it permanently. In fact, the expense caused to the guards by closing Killaloe would probably double the saving made by the courts service by closing it,” he said.

CONCERNS over burglaries and the theft of scrap metal and home heating oil will be on the agenda when the Joint Policing Committee meets in Shannon later this month.

One of the JPC meetings is held in public every year and the next Shannon meeting, on Monday, October 24 (Oakwood Arms Hotel), at 8pm, is open to the public.

Those with queries on crime prevention and general policing are invited to attend the meeting and submit any questions in advance of the event. It will give members of the public the chance to make their views known or ask questions of members of the committee which includes gardaí, local councillors and community representatives.

The chairman of the Shannon JPC, Councillor Tony McMahon, said that home security is an issue for homeowners in the town. However, he said that overall, residents are generally happy with the crime levels in the town.

“In Shannon, we don’t have a whole lot of issues. Security has been a concern. There have been a number of break-ins. There are concerns in some areas. Heating oil and scrap metal seem to be the focus of a lot of attention. People need to be alert and aware of that. Overall, though, policing is working quite well in Shannon.

“There is always a concern about drugs but when we look at the figures presented at each meeting the gardaí seem to be in control,” said Mr McMahon.

“Public order is not a huge factor,” he added.

He said that a number of local disputes, which have led to concern in some parts of the town “wouldn’t reflect on the overall situation in the town”.

“In general, the crime levels are as good as can be expected in a town of its population,” he said.

“We would like to see more gardaí on the beat but there are a number of gardaí on bikes which is good,” he added.

A number of local schools including community alert, neighbourhood watch and business watch schemes have been set up in Shannon and surrounding areas over the past few years. These have been credited with preventing some crime in the area.

“They seem to be working very well. The two community gardaí there are to be commended,” said Mr McMahon.

He is urging people to attend the public meeting. “It is essential that people attend public meetings. It’s a forum giving people the opportunity to express their concerns,” he said.

Those interested in submitting queries should do so to the Shannon Town Clerk Liam O’Connor: email shannontclerk@eircom.net or phone 061 362319 by 5pm on Friday.

A SMALL number of Traveller families are causing a lot of concern and costing Clare County Council a lot of money, a meeting has heard.

Those were the comments made by County Manager Tom Coughlan at yesterday’s meeting of Clare County Council. Mr Coughlan was speaking after a new report revealed the high cost incurred by the council in providing Traveller accommodation over the past 10 years.

Mr Coughlan told the meeting that a small percentage of families in Clare were behind many of the problems associated with accommodation including, vandalism and intimidation of council staff. Mr Coughlan said Clare County Council had led the field when it came to providing Traveller accommodation.

He said that the last specific piece of Traveller legislation had been introduced 23 years ago. He suggested that it was now time to examine legislation in the area of Traveller accommodation, saying further discussion and debate on the matter would be helpful to local authorities.

Commenting on figures that show that 1,300 complaints have been referred to the Equality Tribunal, Mr Coughlan said that if all cases are heard individually “it will take up a lot of council time and resources”.

Mr Coughlan paid tribute to staff working in the council’s housing section, saying that the job can be “extremely difficult and demoralising”. “There is a limit to the amount of money and staff the council can put into this,” he added. At the meeting, councillors expressed concern at the rising costs of the programme. Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) pro- posed that the council stop spending money on Traveller accommodation until such time as new legislation is introduced. “It’s high time they were taught a lesson,” he added. Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) said that while Travellers have rights and entitlements, they also have duties and responsibilities. “But it seems to me that with elements of the Traveller community, it’s all a one way street.” Commenting on the council’s report, which shows that the percentage of rent collected for Traveller accommodation is low, Cllr Arkins said rent should be deducted at source from Social Welfare payments. “There are only so many times you can get two fingers in the face,” he added. Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) said that the figures contained in the report were very “disheartening” given the council’s ongoing commitment to providing Traveller accommodation. Cllr James Breen (Ind) said the gardaí should be invited to speak on incidents of vandalism and arson at Traveller accommodation at the next council meeting.

A CAMPAIGN to secure a potential € 1.2 milion three-year funding boost for music teaching in Clare got underway in Ennis yesterday.

Music teachers and musicians met with members of the Clare Music Partnership in the Old Ground Hotel to offer their input into Clare’s bid for the latest round of funding from the Music Generation Initiative.

Despite making an initial 23 county shortlist, Clare missed out on round one funding from the initiative, which has been made possible through the support of U2 and the Ireland Fund.

Clare VEC is co-ordinating the Clare bid, which is aiming to secure grants of € 200,000 per annum over a three-year period. County Arts Officer Siobhan Mulcahy explained that the Clare Music Partnership would be expected to supply matching funding over the period of the programme. She said that this could lead to € 400,000 being invested in music teaching in the county each year over the next three years.

Ms Mulcahy said the funding would be used to augment and compliment music teaching in Clare. Dr Helen Phelan of the University of Limerick told the meeting that the € 7m commitment from the initiative represented “one of the largest trenches of money to be ever invested in music education in Ireland”.

Dr Phelan said music teachers and providers would be asked to identify gaps and barriers in the area of music education. She explained that the programme is aimed at enhancing the existing network of music provision in Clare. She said that funding would be handed out over the course of four rounds. “We need to be in this for the long term so we need to be strategic about how we develop it,” she added. Guitar teacher Paul O’Donoghue said that there is no direct link from primary school through secondary school to third level education for children studying music. He said that music teaching in schools shouldn’t “zone in” on just traditional music. Concern was expressed over the availability of matching funding.

Dr Sean Conlan, Clare VEC Education Officer, said local authorities in Clare and groups such as RAPID and LEADER had previously committed to providing funds. He said the programme had received “fairly serious promises from senior people” that the Department of Education would continue to fund the project when U2’s commitment comes to an end.

THE exploits of an Ennis man who was considered to be one of the most flamboyant figures of 19th century politics are set to be exposed to the present and future generations thanks to the University of Chicago.

In what is considered to be boon to historians of 19th century Ireland, the library at the university is now giving free on-line access to thousands of documents relating to Charles James Patrick Mahon – better known as The O’Gorman Mahon, who hailed from Newpark House in Roslevan.

The O’Gorman Mahon, who lived from 1800 to 1891 was a key figure in Ireland and internationally, first coming to prominence when, along with Tom Steele, nominating Daniel O’Connell to stand for parliament in Ennis in 1828 – an election that paved the way for Catholic Emancipation the following year.

Some of Mahon’s numerous correspondents include: Ellen Courtenay, Daniel O’Connell, Ferdinand de Lesseps, Lord Palmerston, Ann Choquet, John Adams-Acton, Henry Cardinal Manning, Captain William O’Shea, Lord Francis Conyngham, Charles Stewart Parnell, William Gladstone, John Redmond, James O’Kelly, T.P. O’Connor, and G.O. Trevelyan.

“Perhaps the most noteworthy segment of the correspondence is the group of nine letters from Charles Stewart Parnell, dated from 1880 to 1888, including three written from Kilmainham Prison,” a spokesperson for Chicago University has revealed.

“In addition, there are three drafts of letters from Mahon to Parnell, including one of a reply to a telegram sent by Parnell. It was written after the O’Shea divorce proceedings had been completed and Parnell was attempting to reassert his authority in the party,” the spokesperson added.

Mahon was elected M.P. for Clare in 1830, while 49 years later he was also returned as an M.P. and again in 1885 as the parliamentary career in the county spanned nearly 60 years.

However, he earned a worldwide reputation as a career solider. The Czar of Russia appointed him lieutenant in his international bodyguard, a position above many of his generals. He held the rank of captain or general under most of the flags of Europe and colonel in the French army under Napoleon III. In the 1860s, he was a general on the side of the Uruguayan government in their civil war and fought in the American civil war on the side of the North.

A MAN WHO obtained building supplies worth more than € 2,000 in the name of another did so to pay off a drug debt, a court has heard.

Detective Garda Jarlath Fahy told the court that he arrested Thomas Ryan (28), of Knockgreana, Old Pallas, Limerick.

He said that the accused obtained goods from Shannonside Building Supplies on the Clon Road in Ennis on the account of a man he knew was building a house. The offence was committed in July 2009.

“He obtained them for himself and pretended they were for the other man. An invoice was sent out to the other man. He knew nothing about it,” said the garda.

He said that while € 695 in compensation was paid, more than € 1,700 was outstanding.

The court was told the accused had several previous convictions.

Defence solicitor John Casey said that his client had a previous conviction for a drugs offence, having been a “small cog in this wheel”.

“This was a pathetic attempt by him to get money and pay off what he owed for drugs. These were serious people,” he said.

“He was in serious debt to serious people and had to come up with money.

“He put nearly € 700 together which he paid over,” said Mr Casey.

The court heard the accused is currently serving an eight-year sentence in prison.

“He will be 31 before he gets out. He has a young family. He is serving a very serious sentence, one of the longest sentences you can get,” said Mr Casey.

He asked that any new sentence run concurrently with the sentence his client is currently serving.

Judge Joseph Mangan imposed an eight-month jail sentence, to run consecutively with the sentence currently being served. He suspended four months of this, on condition that compensation be paid.

He fixed a bond in the event of an appeal.

THE move towards establishing a new secondary school in Clare where everything will be taught through the medium of Irish has taken a huge step forward this week following the publication of a feasibility study report that was commissioned by Clare VEC.

A copy of the extensive report seen by The Cla re People has revealed that an overwhelming number of respondents to the countywide survey have backed the concept of a standalone Irish secondary school.

Key figures contained in the report show that 88 per cent of the 854 respondents to the survey “agreed or agreed strongly that Irish-medium education should be available at second level”, while 69 per cent of survey participants said that Gaelcholáiste an Chláir would move to its own campus. These are the main findings of the report, which was commissioned by Clare VEC in January when it “appointed an independent external consultant to conduct a survey to assess the demand for second-level education entirely through the medium of Irish in Clare and to inform future planning and options for Gaelcholáiste an Chláir”.

As part of the process participants were asked their views on whether the Gaelcholáiste “should establish independent status and move to its own campus”, or whether the school “should remain as it is, operating within Ennis Community College”.

“There was clear evidence from respondents’ comments that more parents will be encouraged to enroll their children in Gaelcholáiste an Chláir if it can provide full immersion education and establish its own ethos and identity,” the report says.

“In 2006, Limerick VEC established a very successful stand-alone independent Gaelcholáiste. Gael- choláiste Luimnigh began with 30 pupils and now attracts over 100 applications annually and has an intake of 80. This positive experience might either encourage the Department of Education to establish a similar entity in Clare or the view may be taken that the region already has a standalone Gaelcholáiste in Limerick City with the capacity to become a much bigger school,” the report adds.

The move to establish all-Irish secondary education in the county was born in 1993 when Ghaelcholáiste an Chláir opened on the Ennis Community College site. Since then, the school has built up to a full six-year secondary cycle with an annual intake of approximately 30 pupils.

The project was initiated by parents and involved polling parents of potential pupils as well as supporting the Vocational Education Committee and Department of Education to find the way to fund the project.

DETAILS of proposed new flood defences for housing estates near the Watery Road in Ennis have been outlined in a report by Ennis Town Council.

The proposed development comprises of an embankment along the eastern side of the River Fergus between the southwestern edge of Willow Park housing estate and the western perimeter of Westbourne. The embankment is to be constructed on the existing flood plain, which is located between the river and the Watery Road.

The works also comprise a pumping station and an area of ground that will be excavated to form a retention pond for temporary floodwaters.

The Willow Park residents association (2) and David Casey made submissions on the proposed development.

The report states, “David Casey (12/8/11) – raises concerns that the proposed development will result in flood waters been directed to Cusack Road / Victoria Court side of the river and that as such the said development should be refused; Willow Park residents association (9/9/11) – wishes to object to the proposed development on the grounds that it will leave Willow Park vulnerable to increased water levels during flood events.”

The planning report, prepared by Executive Planner, Andrew Hersey, responded to concerns raised by residents of Willow Park and Elm Park that the development will result in an increased chance of flooding to the estates. Referring to reports compiled by area engineers, Mr Hersey writes, “It is stated in these reports that the floor levels of dwellings in Willow Park exceed that of the proposed embankment.”

The report continues, “In this respect the proposed development will not result in an increased chance that this estate will flood during severe weather events. With respect of Elm Park, I note the report from the area engineer on file which states that flooding occurred to Elm Park as a consequence of localised flooding from the road which resulted as a consequence of a blocked storm drain specifically during the flooding event of November 2009 and not as a result of flooding from the river. Works will be carried out on said drain so that this will not happen in the future and that the council are seeking funding with regard to the same.”

The report states that the proposed embankment will be on par with the level of dwellings in Elm Park. “In this case the embankment would have to significantly breach during severe weather conditions so as to cause flooding.”

Mr Hersey recommended that the development proceed having regard to a number of conditions.

A MAN who was jailed for three years for a drugs offence earlier this year has had another drug charge taken into consideration.

In January of this year, father-ofthree Declan O’Dea (38), of Gort na hAbhna, Tulla Road, Ennis, was jailed, after he was found with more than € 4,000 worth of drugs.

Ennis Circuit Court was told heroin with a street value of € 4,133.40 was seized by gardaí, along with drugs paraphernalia including weighing scales and plastic bags.

At the time, the court was told that the accused had a serious heroin addiction, for which he underwent treatment.

At Ennis District Court on Friday, the accused pleaded guilty to possession of drugs.

His solicitor Daragh Hassett told the court that his client had had a bad drug problem. “He is currently in custody. He is thriving physically and mentally. He’s not enjoying it of course,” said the solicitor.

“He is drug-free,” he added.

Judge Joseph Mangan marked it proved and took it into consideration with the other sentence currently being served.