Category: News

LOCAL businesses and members of the public in north Clare have criticised Clare County Council’s handling of latest sewage contamination in the drinking water supply in Ballyvaughan.

This is the forth time in the past year that a boil notice had to be placed on the Ballyvaughan water supply, with farm slurry or domestic waste the likely cause of the contamination.

Following a previous contamination in October of last year, Clare County Council promised to set up a text alert service, which would allow local people to be warned that the water was not safe to drink.

However, local people have criticised Clare County Council for not informing them that the water was dangerous to drink, with the local authority only releasing a warning on their website last Friday, February 4, almost a week after the contamination was first noticed.

According to local shopkeeper and tourist centre operator Jim Linnane, he was only notification of the outbreak when Clare County Council asked him to put up a sign warning the public in his shop, three days after the outbreak was first noticed.

“The only notification I got about this was a phone call from a lady in the Environment Section of Clare County Council last Monday or Tuesday. She called asking me to make a sign and put it up in the shop to warn people that the water was unsafe. This is days after the water was bad,” he said.

“We got no notification from Clare County Council that the water was not safe to drink again. Normally we get signs and posters, which are put up to warn people but not this year.

“It’s a ridiculous situation. In this day and age it is completely ridiculous that we cannot have a water supply which is safe for human consumption. We are going backwards. We could drink the water 15 years ago and it was fine; this situation is ridiculous.”

Clare County Council issued a statement last Friday, February 4, requesting that people in the Ballyvaughan area submit their mobile phone numbers to the council if they wished to be included on the boil water text warning system. They also indicated that the current boil notice would be lifted once the Ballyvaughan water system is connected to the main regional supply scheme next month.

Anyone who wishes to be part of the text warning scheme should contact Clare County Council Water Services Section on 065 6846427.

FINE Gael will make Shannon Airport great again – this pre-election promise was delivered local candidate, Deputy Joe Carey his week as he rounded on “a decade of Fianna Fáíl ambivalence” that has “brought the airport to its knees”.

In a wide-ranging document published on Monday, Deputy Carey has pledged key priorities for the airport in the medium to long term.

“A healthy and vibrant Shannon Airport is key for the economic re- covery of County Clare.

“My key policies include: Following a process of engagement with all major stakeholders in Shannon, I want to ensure a plan for the future of the airport is drawn up and acted upon.

“The current DAA governance model is working against Shannon Airport. This must be ended and Shannon must be free to determine its own future, with its own independent board, free from DAA control.

“I have opposed consistently the disastrous € 10 travel tax, which is now reduced to € 3. We cannot generate more business through Shannon by taxing passengers. I want the € 3 tax scrapped and Fine Gael in government have committed to this,” said Deputy Carey.

Continuing, Deputy Carey, who is seeking a second term in Dáil Éireann after being first elected in 2007, says “Shannon has the potential to develop as an international cargo hub with relatively little investment needed.

“Government agencies have been calling for this for over a decade. I want to ensure the investment is provided to make this a reality and begin to generate much needed jobs in the County.

“I believe Shannon can become an Airport the envy of Europe and play a key role in the economic recovery of the whole of the Mid-West region.

“In government I will draw on the expertise of interested persons and organisations, to ensure the very best persons are running and managing Shannon Airport. Shannon was a great airport once. Together we can make it great again,” he added.

ENNIS actor Diarmuid de Faoite will be back on Irish television screens next week when he takes a lead role in TG4’s new crime drama, ‘Corp + Anam’.

De Faoite plays Cathal Mac Iarnáin, a TV crime correspondent who chases stories of health service neglect, boy-racer mindlessness, internet paedophilia and Garda corruption.

The four part series, which is written and directed by first time director Darach Mac Iomaire, begins on TG4 on February 16 (9.30pm).

De Faoite was born and raised in Ennis, where he attended the CBS. He began his professional theatre career with Na Fánaithe Theatre Com- pany in Galway in 1988, beginning his television career two years later with the release of Grásta i Meiriceá, an iconic Irish film by Antoine O Flaithearta, directed by Niall O Briain.

He moved to RTÉ in the early 90’s, co-presenting, writing, researching and performing in the ECU! ECU! and Eureka series over two seasons as well as puppeteering and researching for other RTE series such as The Morbegs and Cúrsaí Ealaíne.

He moved to STV in Scotland to perform in Machair, the Gaidhlig/ English soap opera, returning to Ireland to direct Cathal Ó Searcaigh’s ‘Tá an Tóin ag Titim as an tSaol’ in Belfast.

After stints in Dublin with both Amharclann de hÍde and the Peacock at the Abbey, Diarmuid returned to Galway to write and direct TG4’s first ever drama commission, Une Histoire d’Amour.

He performed, puppeteered, advised and dubbed on many of the early commissions at the time including the Ros na Rún pilot, becoming one of it’s best loved characters (Jack) for seven years.

Since then Diarmuid has been a fairly regular feature in Town Hall Theatre, An Taibhdhearc and POC productions, his own company, as well as performing with Druid.

Diarmuid has won both The Stewart Parker Trust Award and Duais Aitheantais an Oireachtais for his one-man play, ‘Pádraic Ó Conaire’. Together with director Paul Brennan, he won ‘Best Production’ for POC’s stage adaptation of ‘Paris,Texas’ for The Dublin Fringe as well as ‘Best Production’ for POC’s production of ‘The Fairgreen Slaughterhouse’ for Project ‘06 .

Together with Johnny White he won Best Feature Documentary at the Celtic Media Festival 2008.

LESS than 10 per cent of dogs in Clare are licenced, according to the county’s dog warden. Frankie Coote believes there are 35,000 dogs in the county, only 4,500 of which have licences.

He said that by-laws would have to be introduced in an effort to tackle this. Dog licences cost just € 12.70 each. “You can guarantee that the 4,500 are being well looked after and walked,” he told a meeting of Shannon Town Council last week.

He said that Kilrush and Shannon are blackspots for dogs roaming freely.

While the issue of dangerous dogs has abated in general and the “welfare issue” has improved a lot, there are concerns about the number of dogs not on leads.

He said that 177 dogs were surrendered by their owners in the past four months.

He is proposing to carry out a blitz and over the space of a couple of days in Shannon in an effort to clamp down on wandering dogs and said he believes that less than five per cent of dogs in the town have licences.

Mr Coote told councillors that there had been several dangerous dogs in the Shannon area, but most of those have now been taken out of circulation.

“Most of the dogs I identified are no longer in Shannon or they are no longer on the loose,” he said.

He said he was notified of an incident in the town recently where a pitbull terrier “almost killed another man’s dog who was on a lead”.

However, he said that no complaints were lodged “until the dog half killed a dog and attacked a man”.

He said that Clare County Council is reluctant to prosecute people and said it costs € 2, 500 to bring a case to court. On average, 50 fines, of € 32 each, are dished out every year by the dog warden to those who fail to control their dogs.

“When you do pick up dogs I’d be more than surprised if they [owners] came looking for them in Shannon. Either they are abandoning them or the owners just don’t care,” he said.

“Kilrush and Shannon are two blackspots. I have seen massive improvements in Ennis, but there has been absolutely no improvement with the amount of dogs that are loose in Shannon,” he said.

“I am proposing to do a blitz and pick up dogs. I will not have people going around with bull terriers, rotweillers and alsatians on the loose. It is a problem in Shannon. The law says you can be fined € 1,200 if your dog is not on a lead,” he added.

He said that in one instance dogs were running around a garden where dead rats were lying, which created a huge concern.

Cllr Gerry Flynn (Ind) told the meeting that there are issues in relation to dogs roaming in various parts of the town, including Rossbracken. “People are afraid to walk. I walk there myself and it’s like a greyhound track at times,” he said.

A NEW blueprint to revitalise Ireland’s tourism product has been hailed as the way forward for the industry in the county, the hotel industry in the county has told The Clare People this week.

The chairman of the Shannon branch of the Irish Hotel Federation, Michael Vaughan, has backed the broadband coalition that includes the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC), the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), IBEC, Chambers Ireland and the IFA to turn Irish tourism around over the next four years.

He made his comments on the back of the launch of a major report – Tourism Opportunity: driving economic renewal – that identifies the urgent action required to reverse the collapse in overseas demand over the past two years.

And, according to Vaughan the new plan also sets out how tourism can play a significant role in economic recovery as one of Ireland’s top indigenous industries. The report was prepared by Tourism and Transport Consult International and Jim Power Economics, working with a group of industry practitioners.

“This industry-led plan proposes a bold series of actions, which if followed, can by 2015 sustain 180,000 jobs and create over 20,000 new jobs whilst generating some € 6.2 billion revenue for the economy,” said Vaughan.

“But we must be bold and set targets that are well beyond the consensus growth rates forecast for tourism within Europe over the coming years. Like the rest of the country, Clare has experienced a dramatic decline in visitor numbers in recent years and there are few signs that market conditions will improve in the absence of radical intervention.

“By implementing the actions outlined today, tourism can play its role as a substantial driver of recovery in the local economy backed up by more creative and targeted marketing in our key markets such as Britain, Europe and North America,” Mr Vaughan added.

A LOCAL music education partnership has been established by Clare Vocational Education Committee to harness U2-aided funding.

This follows the announcement that a national body, Music Education Network, under the aegis of the Department of Education & Skills, will be administering funding for music education provided by U2. The programme, enabled by a € 5 million donation from U2, with a further € 2 million being raised by the Ireland Funds, gives children and young people across the country access to music education in their own communities.

The chief executive officer, George O’Callaghan, explains that the Clare committee set up the local network to involve a number of agencies including the committee itself which is already involved in supporting Maoin Cheoil an Chláir in Ennis through provision of co-operation hours.

The national music education net work is expected to shortly begin seeking applications to the new fund. They have to be made through the vocational education committee as lead agency and Maoin Cheoil an Chláir as the administrative and employment body for the purposes of the fund, he explained to committee members at their monthly meeting.

On the proposal of the chairman, Cllr Tommy Brennan, seconded by Cllr Pat McMahon, committee member Kathleen Tuohy, music teacher in Ennis Community College and Gaelcholáiste an Chláir, was elected a member of the local partnership.

Funding for up to 12 Music Education Partnerships will be awarded on a phased basis from 2011-2015, most likely in three locations at a time. Music Education Partnerships are eligible to apply for 50 per cent funding, up to a maximum of € 200,000 per annum over three years. The closing date for Round 1 applications is Thursday, March 31.

Music Generation will provide three-year seed funding to establish local services, which will be sustained by Music Education Partnerships on a long-term basis. The music education partnership model, developed by Music Network, has been successfully piloted in Donegal and Dublin.

ONE of the county’s best known policemen is to take up a new post in which he will move from one side of the county to the other.

Detective Garda Michael McDonagh is to leave Kilrush Garda Station next week and take up a post in the Immigration Unit at Shannon Garda Station.

The Miltown Malbay native has worked in west Clare for most of his career in An Garda Síochána, where he has been stationed since 1985. During the past 25 years, he has been involved in several serious investigations in Kilrush and the west Clare area.

Mr McDonagh is a well-known personality across the county, not least through his association with the GAA. He was the chairman of the Clare County Board between 2003 and 2007.

He is one of three gardaí to take up posts in immigration at Shannon airport. He will be joined by gardaí Adrian Mullowney and Barry Walsh. Mr Mullowney has been stationed in the district office at Killaloe Garda Station for a number of years, having previously worked in the Clare Divisional Traffic Corps. Mr Walsh has been based at Quin Garda Station for several years.

They will replace three members of the immigration unit who have recently retired – John Talty, Brian Brennan and Larry Donnellan.

The Immigration Unit is attached to Shannon Garda Station. Two de- tective sergeants and 12 detective gardaí operate the immigration unit, which ensures immigration laws are implemented. Gardaí attached to this unit have responsibility for checking visas and passports and ensure legislation is adhered to.

Inspector Tom Kennedy, who is in charge of policing in Shannon, said the immigration unit plays a key role in policing at the airport.

“It is a valuable unit. It assists with security at the airport in that it provides a back-up. Its members implements all the regulations and laws regarding people coming into the country in terms of visas and passports and the length of time they can stay,” he said.

WHILE flu activity in the mid-west has reportedly now peaked and is declining, all major local hospitals are maintaining a visiting ban until this year’s flu breakout subsides further.

The number of people presenting with flu-like-illness (ILI) to GPs has dropped to a rate of 110 per 100,000, down from 171.4 per 100,000 last week. The drop has occurred in all age groups except for those aged 5 to 14 years. This fall has also been seen in the number of flu related calls to GP out of hours on call services.

A spokesperson for the HSE reminded the public however that visiting restrictions remain in place at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle.

“Unfortunately some members of the public continue to visit the hospital and this puts the health and welfare of patients at risk,” she said.

Visitors are asked not to visit the hospital unless it is absolutely essential and visiting is restricted to critically ill patients only, one visitor per critically ill patient and confined to visiting times only.

Visitors who may be unwell or have flu like symptoms should not visit the hospital.

The elderly, children, pregnant women or young adults, those with chronic illnesses or vulnerable others are also advised not to visit

While attendance at the Accident and Emergency Department should only take place if absolutely necessary, outpatient, day care services and routine hospital admissions are not affected.

“We once again ask the public to cooperate fully with the hospital instruction, to protect the health of their family members and others and not visit the hospital,” the spokesperson said.

“All appropriate infection control measures are being taken to deal with this situation. These visiting restrictions will remain in place until the situation has been resolved.”

So far this season, 749 cases have been hospitalised with flu. Of these, 72 per cent have been due to the H1N1 (2009) influenza strain.

Over the past couple of weeks, the proportion of all hospitalised cases that have been due to influenza B has risen and now stands at 17 per cent.

The HSE explained that the rise in influenza B highlights the importance of getting seasonal vaccine for those in the at risk groups.

“It’s still not too late to get the vaccine from your GP.

“Although intensity is declining, influenza is still circulating in the community, and seasonal vaccination provides good protection against all types of flu,” the spokesperson said.

A TD elected to the 31st Dáil from the Clare constituency can expect to pocket over three quarters of a million euro in salary and expenses for a five-year term in office, figures secured by The Clare People this week have revealed.

These figures have emerged thanks to a Clare People audit of expenses secured by the three outgoing TDs going before the electorate later this month – Deputies Pat Breen, Timmy Dooley and Joe Carey, during the four-year life span of the dramatic 30th Dáil.

Fine Gael deputy Pat Breen tops the expenses league in Clare, having claimed over € 280,000 in the past four years, while Deputies Joe Carey and Timmy Dooley have each claimed over € 220,000 in expenses since being elected to Dáil Éireann in 2007.

However, Deputy Breen’s higher rate of expenses over the past four years also takes into account the first half of 2007, which corresponded with the final months of his first Dáil term between 2002 and May 2007, while he also incurred significant expenses by being a member of the Council of Europe.

And, while Deputy Breen tops the expenses in Clare, earning € 622,141 in expenses since first being elected to Dáil Éireann in 2002, he is the only General Election candidate in the county and one of the few in the country to publish details of his expenses, doing so through his website ww.patbreen.ie.

Expenses figures relating to the three deputies seeking re-election have been secured through the Freedom of Information Act and the Oireachtas website which, since last March, has been statutorily obliged to publish the monthly expense claims of every TD.

Details of TDs’ expenses have been published this week, just as one General Election candidate has told The Clare People that “expenses should be abolished altogether.

Independent councillor, James Breen, a member of Dáil Éireann who claimed expenses from 2002 to 2007, said “we should reduce Dáil expenses and they should be abolished altogether and oblige TDs to live on their salary with no expenses”.

Currently TDs earn a salary of € 92,672 for being a member of Dáil Éireann.

PLANNING permission for a planned train station at Crusheen is due to be lodged with Clare County Council in the coming weeks. The Clare People has learned that details of the much anticipated station will be release this February, when final plans are lodged with the planning section of the local authority.

While no firm timetable has been announced for the construction of the station, Iarnród Éireann confirmed last week that construction will commence in the summer of 2011 with the stations being completed by early 2012 – should planning permission be granted.

This follow a long running campaign by a local group to secure a stop on the Western Rail Corridor in Crusheen. The corridor, which was officially reopened last year, currently has stations at Sixmilebridge, Ennis and Gort. Locals believe that a large number of commuters living in the north and east Clare areas will use the service once it is completed.

According to Clare Fianna Fáil General Election candidate Dr John Hillery, the new station could prove to be a “shot in the arm” for the local economy. The construction phases of the project will provide a number of jobs for the local area while there could also make the region more attractive for business people looking to set up new operations.

The new station will feature a platform and ticket vending machine, with a number of help points for those with mobility and sensory impairments. Bicycle parking and car parking facilities will also be provided.

“It makes economic sense for a rail stop to be provided at Crusheen as it will become the only stop on the stretch of the Western Rail Corridor between Ennis and Athenry. Crusheen also is an ideal location for people coming from Ruan, Gort, Ballyline, Corofin, Tubber, Boston and elsewhere in north Clare as well as Tulla and other areas of east Clare,” he said. “I would like to congratulate members of the local community and Clare County Council for working together to putting forward the strongest possible case for the opening of a rail stop at Crusheen. I also wish to acknowledge the contribution of my colleague Deputy Tony Killeen in the campaign.”