Category: News

THE lack of capacity at wastewater treatment plants in the Ennis area has been cited by An Bord Pleanála as one of its reasons for refusing planning permission for a proposed 12-unit development in Barefield.

Martin Fitzgibbon (Builders) Ltd had applied for planning permission to develop 12 houses with garages, foul sewer pumping station with associated rising main connection to existing pumping station at Barefield School and ancillary site works, at Carrowdotia, Barefield.

Clare County Council refused permission earlier this year and the matter was appealed to An Bord Pleanála.

In upholding the decision of the Board’s inspector, the Board stated, “Having regard to the lack of capacity of the local authority wastewater treatment plant to adequately treat the wastewater from the proposed development in addition to the existing load on the plant, it is considered that the proposed development would be prejudicial to public health”.

The report adds, “Furthermore, the proposed development would set an undesirable precedent for and lead to demands for the upgrading and uneconomic provision of public services in the area and would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area”.

Clare County Council is currently awaiting a decision from An Board Pleanála regarding approval for a proposed upgrade of the Clonroadmore Wastewater Treatment Plant in Ennis.

The Board also ruled that the proposed Barefield development “would constitute an excessive density of suburban-type development in a rural area, which would militate against the preservation of the rural environment, would detract from the rural character of the area, would seriously injure the visual amenities of the area and would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area”.

The Inspector’s site also cited the provisions of the Ennis and Environs Development Plan 2008-2014, which sets “out and overall strategic settlement strategy for the area”.

The report continues, “Notwithstanding the planning history of the site, and having regard to the nature and scale of the proposed development in a rural area, the provisions of the current development plan for the area, and the said Guidelines, it is considered that the proposed development would constitute a material contravention of the objective of the planning authority, would conflict with national guidelines, would militate against the future ordered development of the village of Barefield and would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area”.

THE Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) programme is well co-ordinated at St Joseph’s Secondary School in Spanish Point. That’s according to the findings from a Department of Education inspection, the details of which were published last week.

The report pointed to several strengths of the programme. These include that teachers are encouraged and facilitated within the school to attend relevant continuing professional development sessions; that guidance provided in the context of programme choice is appropriate to the needs of the students and that additional educational needs of students are well supported within the programme.

“The co-ordinating structures are operating very effectively. The joint co-ordinators liaise closely with school management and the programme teaching team and they discharge their duties very effectively,” stated the inspectors.

“Students displayed very positive attitudes to their work and to learning, and this was borne out by the quality of the work they produced in their tasks and key assignments,” they added.

It stated that policy and practice in the school regarding communication with parents supports effective links with the homes of LCA students.

“Parents receive meaningful feedback regarding the progress of the students by means of the session results issued by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) in addition to which school reports are issued. Parent-teacher meetings are held annually and letters are issued if a student is at risk of not being awarded a credit due to non-attendance.

“The school newsletter provides in- formation on the progress of the programme and letters are sent to parents as the need arises to provide additional information,” stated the inspectors’ report.

According to the report, the written LCA plan is “coherent and forms a very good basis for further development”.

Two joint co-ordinators form the core programme team and meet regularly to plan, monitor and evaluate its implementation. The programme is evaluated annually in line with “good cyclical practice”, said the report. This evaluation is done by the co-or- dinators in conjunction with the team and students.

“There is evidence that the programme has benefited from evaluation and review, and it is reported by the school that morale among the students has improved, largely due to the inclusion of more suitable elective modules. These changes have been introduced in the past two years in response to the expressed interests of the students. This responsiveness to change by the LCA co-ordinators and team is a strength of the implementation of the programme in the school,” stated the report.

TRADERS’ representatives have welcomed plans by Ennis Town Council to make safe the derelict McParlands building on Parnell Street.

Last week, Town Manager Ger Dollard revealed that the council intends to demolish and reconstruct a section of the building, which is deemed unsafe. Scaffolding was erected around the building two years ago. McParlands is home to a rare 16th century triple diamond Jacobean chimney and is believed to have been the oldest home in Ennis.

In a report on the matter, Mr Dollard said the council has been “extremely concerned regarding the McParlands property. He said works undertaken to date by the council had been done to render the building safe. He said, “It is clear however that the building has been deteriorating and the shortterm measures put in place do not render the structure safe on a long term basis.”

He added, “The council has taken detailed professional advice and inputs have also been made by the National Monuments Service regarding the conservation of the property.”

It has been estimated that the cost of conserving the privately-owned property will cost the council around € 170,000. Mr Dollard said last week that work on the building must be completed by the end of November in order for the council to fully avail of an € 85,000 grant from the Department of the Environment.

Speaking yesterday, Noreen Twomey Walsh of the Parnell Street Trader’s Association said businesses in the area are happy that the issue is finally being resolved. She explained, “We feel as traders that it gives a very un-sightly appearance to the street. We didn’t want to see it [scaffolding] there for that long. We’d be delighted to see it resolved. Any solution will be welcomed. We did know that there was a problem with funding.”

She added, “What concerned us as traders was that when people looked down the street and saw a building site, they wouldn’t come down. It was preventing some people from going down the street.”

Ms Twomey Walsh also acknowledged that the presence of scaffolding on one of the town centre’s main street also represented a serious health and safety issue.

NEW figures show that since 2009 Clare County Council has issued 201 statutory notices instructing the removal of temporary dwellings from unauthorised encampments around the county. The figures, contained in a new report on Traveller accommodation in Clare, come as communities express frustration with Traveller encampments in areas of Ennis and Barefield.

11 caravans were parked between Barefield village and a section of road leading onto the M18 on Thursday. A spokesman for local residents said there had been a build of rubbish in the area over the past week. “We’ve been absolutely pestered. We don’t deserve that. We’re trying to keep the village tidy. We heard from the council that they got something like 45 calls about this. It seems that there is one law for Travellers and one law for the rest of us.”

According to the spokesman, temporary dwellings can be removed from the side of the road under the local government sanitary services act; the planning and development act and the road traffic act.

Councillors also expressed concern over developments at Barefield at yesterday’s meeting of Clare County Council. Cllr James Breen (Ind) said action needed to be taken to prevent caravans parking at the side of the road.

The meeting also heard that resi- dents of Fioruisce on the Gort Road in Ennis are concerned after four caravans moved into the area over the past month. Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said children are at risk by dogs and speeding cars while an area of the housing estate was being used as a “toilet”. Cllr Brennan said it was time for the council to act and to get rid of the caravans.

According to a report prepared by Bernadette Kinsella, Director of Housing, Social and Cultural Services, 201 statutory notices instructing the removal of temporary dwellings from unauthorised encampments were issued in the past two years.

The report explains, “In most cases, the occupiers of the temporary dwellings were previously accommodated by this council or another housing authority and/or they have refused offers of accommodation. There are currently five unauthorised roadside encampments being addressed.”

In relation to the existing legislation, the report states, “In the course of implementing the legislative framework on unauthorised encampments the council has identified some weaknesses in the provisions which need to be addressed. These issues were recently highlighted to the Clare Oireachtas members and have also been referred by the council to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government with a view to securing a review and revision of the roads and housing legislative provisions.”

CLARE has emerged as the county to lose out in a government costcutting plan that has seen Minister for Education Ruáiri Quinn implement a radical restructuring of the Vocational Education Committees around the country.

On Tuesday, Minister Quinn announced that the county’s VEC headquarters at Station Road in Ennis is to close as part of merger of VECs in Clare, Limerick City and County.

As part of this new blueprint for the administration of vocational education around the country, which was first mooted by the Fianna Fáil/ Greens coalition, Limerick City has been chosen as the new headquarters for the mid-west.

The slashing cuts across the sector are being achieved through the amalgamation of existing VECs bringing the total number from 33 to 16.

Hopes were high a sub-office of the VEC would be maintained in the county capital, but Minister Quinn has confirmed that this would not be the case.

This decision has been made, despite local Fine Gael TD Pat Breen claiming that “the retention of a sub-office in Ennis would be costneutral because the Department of Education owns the building in Ennis”.

Concluding he said that “County Clare always seems to be the poor relation when decisions on regional services are being made. We have already lost our accident and emergency service and our Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food office to Limerick and now we are about to lose our VEC office.”

Minister of State Ciaran Cannon, said that “the main purpose of the VEC rationalisation is to bring about greater efficiencies” and in that regard he said that “the optimum headquarters location for the new merged VEC is within the greater city of Limerick area”.

However, Minister Cannon agreed that in the short-term a sub-office in Ennis will be maintained in order to facilitate an “orderly merger”.

GARDAÍ say an investigation is ongoing into the armed robbery of the Bank of Ireland in Kilkee on Thursday afternoon and say that several people were involved in the incident.

Two men arrested in connection with the incident were released without charge on Saturday night. The two, aged 26 and 31 – who are from west Clare – were arrested in the Doonbeg area on Thursday night, just hours after the incident which took place shortly after 2pm.

During the incident, one man stood at the door of the bank carrying a sawn-off shotgun while another as- sailant threatened staff with a knife.

More than € 8, 500 in cash – including some £2,000 in sterling – was stolen by the gang. No shots were fired and nobody was injured. There was one customer in the bank at the time.

The two arrived at the bank on a high-powered motorbike and travelled along the side of the O’Curry Street premises before entering the building. They made their getaway on the same vehicle.

Members of the Regional Armed Support Unit – which is based in Galway – were called in to assist gardaí in the investigation and gardaí say every effort will be made to solve the crime.

Gardaí have recovered most of the cash stolen, along with a motorcyle and helmets but have not yet located the weapons.

“A file will be sent to the DPP in relation to this,” said a senior garda spokesman. “We believe that there were a number of people involved in planning and implementing this. Our investigations are continuing.

“We have made very substantial progress in it. We are appealing for members of the public who were in the area before, during and after this incident to contact us,” he added.

“We have video footage. One of the men was wearing a green jacket. There might have been a rugby world cup logo on it, and he had white gloves. “The other had a grey jacket and black woollen gloves,” he said.

Gardaí say that the incident is isolated in that it is “completely unrelated” from recent incidents in which burglaries have been carried out in east Clare and Ennis.

The head of the Clare Garda Division Chief Superintendent John Kerin praised gardaí involved in the investigation of this crime.

“I am very pleased with the very proactive and professional response by gardaí, who were assisted by the Divisional and Regional Units,” said Chief Supt Kerin.

IN ECHOING the famous words of WT Cosgrave at the opening of the Shannon Scheme in 1929 when he said “our most famous river will harnessed to the service of the nation”, Clare County Manager Tom Coughlan has said that the Shannon Estuary has a key part to play in Ireland’s economic recovery.

He made his comments this week when announcing the commencement of public consultation on an innovative new Strategic Plan for the Shannon Estuary.

“This is a very exciting initiative for the Shannon Estuary and for the counties of Clare, Limerick and Ker ry as for the first time we are developing a single Strategic Plan for the whole Shannon Estuary including the lands immediately adjacent to the estuary,” Mr Coughlan said.

“It will identify the nature and location of future development on the estuary and allow us harness its potential to a greater degree. I would encourage interested parties to make a submission,” the county manager, who is chairman of the steering group overseeing the plan, added.

The Shannon Estuary is the largest estuary in Ireland with some 500km2 of navigable water running from Kerry Head and Loop Head as far as Limerick City.

The estuary with its sheltered character is Ireland’s premier deepwater port, routinely catering for ships up to 200,000 deadweight tonnage, with key ports at Limerick and Foynes. The estuary supports a variety of economic uses but is also rich in natural resources, wildlife and ecosystems.

“The aim of the Strategic Integrated Framework Plan (SIFP) is to identify the nature and location of future development, economic growth and employment that can be sustainably accommodated within the Shannon Estuary,” said senior Clare County Council planner Gordon Daly.

“Such developments may include, but are not limited to: port functions, shipment, aquaculture/mariculture, fisheries, tourism, leisure, industry, energy generation, fuel storage, aviation, transportation and agriculture,” he added.

However, as the estuary is home to a number of environmentally sensitive sites, Mr Daly has cautioned that new blueprint for the estuary “will also aspire to achieving a careful balance between promoting development, and protection and conservation of this natural resource”.

The strategy is being funded by the local authorities in addition to Shannon Foynes Port Company and Shannon Development. Shannon Foynes Port Company is responsible for all maritime activities and port management on the estuary and is currently in the process of preparing a master plan for the Port of Foynes and Limerick Docks which will input into the preparation of the SIFP.

In addition to the local authori- ties and Shannon Development and Shannon Foynes Port Company the steering group comprises of representatives from the Mid West Regional Authority, Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, Shannon Airport, Clare/Limerick Energy Agency, OPW, National Parks & Wildlife Service, National Monuments Service, OPW, Shannon River Basin District Project, Marine Institute and the Environmental Protection Agency.

A Public Notice has been published to encourage stakeholders, interested parties and the general public to get involved and to bring forward proposals and ideas which will help shape the production of the SIFP.

SEVEN cubic metres of grease were recently removed from a wastewater pumping station in Ennis, a meeting has heard.

The grease had built up over a two-year period at the Francis Street pumping station. Town Engineer Eamon O’Dea revealed the detail at yesterday’s meeting of Ennis Town Council

Mr O’Dea’s comments prompted Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) to remark, “Europe has a problem with Greece but Ennis has a problem with grease.”

In a report to councillors, Mr O’Dea stated that “the difficulty with the build up of grease in sewers and pumping stations has increased over the last number of years and has resulted in greater maintenance costs”.

Mr O’Dea was responding to a motion tabled by Cllr Paul O’Shea. Cllr O’Shea had called for an inspection of the sewage system servicing the Fioruisce estate.

Mr O’Dea explained, “Clare Coun- ty Council water services area staff monitor this section of sewer each week and the last occasion that difficulties were encountered was Tuesday, September 6 when the council jetter was unsuccessful in fully clearing the sewer and this was done on Thursday, September 8.”

He added, “The primary problem is the build up of grease in the sewer and this has become a more significant issue over the last 12 to 18 months”.

Mr O’Dea said the Council had delivered an advisory sheet to all busi- nesses involved in the production of food in Ennis in regard to their obligations in disposal of grease, oils and fats into the sewer network.

He said the discharging of oils/ grease from frying utensils directly into the sewer is a “particular concern”.

He said the Gort Road recycling centre has a facility for the collection of household cooking oils.

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) told the meeting that the grease problems had resulted from people having a “lack of respect for public infrastructure”.

THE family of a young Shannon man who is undergoing treatment in the US for a brain tumour have appealed for assistance to help cover the costs.

34-year-old Keith Gibbons is currently in Texas on clinical trials for the tumour. Keith was initially diagnosed four years ago and after undergoing treatment in Ireland, the tumour disappeared and Keith returned to work.

In May 2008, he got married to his long-time girlfriend Brenda McGuane from Shannon. The couple tied the knot in Las Vegas and anticipated a long, happy future together.

Sadly, however, in March 2010, a routine scan showed that the tumour had returned.

His wife Brenda recalled what happened at that stage.

“Keith had another surgery in April where the tumour was fully resected once again. Gliadel wafers, a type of chemotherapy, were inserted at the tumour site. We hoped, like we always did, that this would be it and the tumour wouldn’t return. Keith returned to work again but the tumour returned almost straight away so Keith had another surgery in September 2010,” she recalled.

“We learned then that the tumour had been upgraded to the most malignant grade four tumour called Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). Keith did not go back to work for a long time after this surgery. He also had a seizure and has had a couple since then. Keith had to under go more oral chemotherapy which seemed to help until the course of it finished and the tumour started to get more aggressive and spread to the other side of his brain. He was then put on an IV course of chemotherapy,” she said.

“All the time we were researching other options. We were always being told by doctors that Ireland had everything treatment-wise that was in the US but we didn’t believe that. The chemotherapy was making Keith very tired and took a lot out of him. We knew we had to pursue other options.

“Around March, I found out about a clinic in Houston, Texas, called the Burzynski Clinic which specialises in a treatment that involves a drug called Antioneoplastons. It is genetargeted treatment that has seen very good results on brain tumours. It is not a form of chemotherapy and is non-toxic.

“Dr Burzynski’s treatment is not seen as a fully approved treatment yet even though for years he has being curing people that were told there was nothing more that could be done for them after conventional treatment didn’t work. We sent off all scans and paperwork and after a lot of correspondence over and back we heard that Keith was accepted for treatment at the clinic. We knew we had to go for it,” said Brenda.

The couple travelled to Texas in recent weeks and remain hopeful that the treatment will be a success.

“So here we are in Houston hoping that treatment at the clinic will work out. Treatment is very expensive here as all medical treatment in the US is but we can’t let that stop us. We really hope that one day we can say the treatment has worked and finally one day we may be able to get on with our lives like every other couple in their 30s. Keith so deserves this to happen to him as he is the most amazing man you will ever come across,” said Brenda.

Friends of Keith and Brenda have organised a fundraiser to help cover the costs of the treatment. It will take place at the Mill Bar in Sixmilebridge on Friday night at 8pm. Tickets at a cost of € 10 are available on the door or phone 087 9370395 with donations.

CLAIMS that the cost of parking charges is “crippling” businesses in Ennis have been rejected by the Ennis Town Manager.

Ger Dollard was speaking at a debate on parking at yesterday’s meeting of Ennis Town Council.

The discussion was prompted by a motion tabled by Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) who called on the council to “urgently review public car parking usage” in Ennis.

Mr Dollard said a review of car parking in Ennis commenced in autumn 2010 and resulted in the introduction of the 2011 on-street payand-display and car park byelaws on March 21.

He said the 2008 Ennis Car Parking Study had made a number of recommendations. In a report, Mr Dollard stated that the council had implemented seven short term measures aimed at improving parking in Ennis, including: discouraging long-stay parking within 100m of Abbey Street; re-designation of 39 long-stay spaces in Friars Walk for use as short-stay parking only; and reviewing the use of Bindon Street and the extension of two-hour-maximum stay zone to Market Place and Friars Walk.

Mr Dollard stated that supply currently exceeds demand at the Friars Walk car-park.

Reacting to a comment from Cllr Paul O’Shea (Lab) that “car parking is crippling businesses”, Mr Dollard said, “I wouldn’t accept the suggestion that the price of car parking is crippling business in Ennis”.

Mr Dollard said the debate on parking in Ennis had initially focused on the shortage of spaces but had now shifted to cost.

He said that just three sources of funding are available to local authorities: government funding, commercial rates and parking charges. He added, “If all of your income streams are under pressure, you are limited about what you can do.”

Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind), dismissed the impact parking charges are having on local businesses. He said that the cost of shopping in Ennis is expensive, adding, “I don’t think Ennis is a cheap place”. Cllr Guilfoyle said the “doom and gloom (in Ennis) is blamed on car parking charges in the town”.

Cllr Flynn said he put forward the motion to stimulate debate on parking. He said businesses are down 50 per cent to 60 per cent on their Saturday trade.

Cllr Peter Considine requested that a report comparing parking charges in Ennis with 10 other similar sized towns be provided to councilors in advance of their annual budget estimates meeting. Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) claimed people are boycotting the Friars Walk car park.