Category: News

FOREIGN Affairs Minister, Dermot Ahern, has told the US authorities that no airplanes used for rendition are to be allowed land at Shannon.

The minister was answering questions in a heated session with a committee of MEPs investigating CIA rendition flights.

He told the committee that “we do not want any plane – and we have told that to the Americans bluntly – that is involved in extraordinary rendition entering our country and we have explicit assurances that is the case. They will not use our country in any shape or form for extraordinary rendition.”

Ireland is one of 11 EU countries named and shamed in a report by Italian socialist MEP, Claudio Fava, as allowing CIA ghost flights to stop over.

The report alleges that the CIA flew terrorism suspects to secret prisons around the world with the apparent co-operation of certain EU states.

Earlier this week, MEPs identified 147 landings in Ireland which they considered suspect.

A plane that landed at Shannon is alleged to be the same one that took Obu Amar from Italy to Egypt on February 17, 2003 and delivered him into the hands of interrogators, where he is still being held.

MEP Proinsias De Rossa, who is a member of the committee, said that it was “indisputable” that the plane landed at Shannon en route.

“It is an established fact that Abu Omar was kidnapped in Italy and transferred to Egypt by the CIA and tortured. The plane used in that kidnapping, known as the Guantanamo Express, stopped over at Shannon – presumably to refuel – on February 18, 2003. That clearly makes Ireland an accomplice to that illegal operation,” the Labour MEP said.

But Minister Ahern insisted that the US had given categorical assurances that no plane carrying terrorist suspect prisoners had landed here.

“The United States has stated authoritatively to us that prisoners have not been transferred through Irish territory, nor would they be without our permission,” he said.

The assurances were not legally binding and had not been given in writing.

Minister Ahern said that the Government had no powers to board flights as this was the remit of the Garda. He added that the Garda not only had the power to board planes if they suspected a breach of anyone’s constitutional or human rights, but that they would be expected by the Government to do so.

ENVIRONMENT Minister, Dick Roche, has given the go-ahead for sewerage and water schemes for Kilkee and Broadford.

The minister announced that he had given approval to Clare County Council to invite tenders for a major contract to bring a new water supply to Kilkee from the West Clare Regional Water Scheme.

The works, estimated to cost some €9m, will give Kilkee a new connection to the regional scheme. The town is currently served by a small local source, supplemented by a limited supply from the reservoir serving the regional scheme.

The Minister said that the contract would be for 23km of new watermains to replace the present inadequately-sized connection pipes.

“In particular, it will eliminate the likelihood of water shortages, especially in the busy tourist season. It will also ensure that there is plentiful spare capacity to cater for residential, commercial and tourism development in the town,” he added.

This scheme is one of over 20 water and sewerage schemes in Clare, valued at more than €196m, that have been approved for exchequer funding in the minister’s Water Services Investment Programme for the period 2005-2007.

The Minister also announced yesterday that he had approved exchequer funding of more than €1.3m under his department’s Water Services Investment Programme 2005-2007 for a new sewerage scheme in Broadford.

The Minister said that he had cleared Clare County Council’s revised preliminary report for the scheme and that, “the way is now clear for the council to prepare contract documents and then to invite tenders”.

The minister highlighted the environmental benefits for Broadford, which at present depends mainly on septic tanks.

“The scheme will provide the sewerage infrastructure the village has been waiting for and that is needed to facilitate new development.”

He has confirmed that the €1.5m project includes the construction of a new sewage collection system and wastewater treatment plant that will meet the needs of the village well in to the future.

The Minister said that he would be asking Clare County Council to advance it to tender as quickly as possible.

CLARE County Council has expressed concerns for the local bird population in the Burren if birds of prey from the proposed falconry centre at the Ailwee Cave escape.

Earlier this year, Aillwee Cave lodged plans for the country’s largest falconry centre to feature a large variety of raptors such as vultures, eagles, falcons, hawks and the country’s only snowy owl.

The applicants point out that the idea of a falconry centre is relatively new in Ireland, but such centres are very popular in Britain.

The application states that, during the summer months, there will be two birds flying at a time, in a very controlled manner and that there will also be flying displays for any school tours that may be visiting the facility.

“None of the birds will make any noise to cause a nuisance. They would make the odd call to each other as they would in the wild.”

In their submission on the proposal, the Clare Association of An Taisce has stated, “We find the idea interesting, but we are uncertain what effect falconry will have on the habitat of the Burren.”

However, putting the plan on hold, the council state that it has concerns that if any of the birds of prey escape, there will be significant implications for the native bird population as a result.

“Please address these concerns by management for the facility to include mitigation measures to counteract same and liaise with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS),” the council states.

The applicants have also been told to state whether the facility is to operate as a separate entity to the cave, or in conjunction with the cave.

Aillwee Cave is one of the many thousands of ancient caves beneath the Burren with over one kilometre of passages. Its features include an underground river and waterfall, as well as stalactites and stalagmites.

The remains of bears can be seen inside the caves. Unlike many other caves, there is no evidence that the cave has been used by humans. Local man Jacko McGann, who discovered the cave while searching for his dog and explored much of the cave by candlelight, was perhaps the first human who set foot in it.

The cave, which is privately owned by two local families, first opened to the public in 1976.

THE long-awaited Ennistymon Community School looks set to face even more delay due to legal red-tape involving the transfer of lands from the Redress Board to the Department of Education.

The proposed school, which would see the amalgamation of Scoil Mhuire, the CBS and Ennistymon Vocational School, was first mooted more than two decades ago. It was officially announced by the Department of Education in September of last year and is due for completion in September of 2009.

A spokesperson from the Department of Education revealed that no further progress could be made on the school until the land was transferred from the Redress Board.

“The amalgamation is not taking place until the new building has been delivered,” said the spokesperson.

“Ennistymon is not yet included because the critical issue of a site is still outstanding. The department’s property management section is, however, in the process of acquiring a site under the terms of the Residential Institutional Redress Act 2002. The transfer of ownership of the site is currently being addressed.”

Local county councillor, Martin Conway (FG), has reacted angrily to the delay, describing it as “unacceptable” and “a classic case of footdragging”.

“This has been on the table for more than 20 years and it now looks like it will be another 10 before any progress is made. It is disgraceful and another example of the Government taking Clare for granted. North Clare and Ennistymon seems to be the poor cousin of Ennis, Shannon and Kilrush who have already got schools.”

The Redress Board was set up in 2002 under the Residential Institutions Redress Act to make fair and reasonable awards to persons who, as children, were abused while resident in industrial schools, reformatories and other institutions.

The board cherry-picked a number of Catholic Church-held properties to oversee their transfer to community organisation and individuals.

Other properties, such as those related to Project Ennistymon beside the proposed Community School, were transferred by mutual consent and for nominal fees from the Sisters of Mercy.

A CHRISTMAS party turned to tragedy when a mother of two boys died from hypothermia, after she tragically fell and lost consciousness on her way home from a night out in Ennis.

Maria Talbot (42) was returning from her Christmas night out with her colleagues when she lost her footing, a mile from her home at Claremount, Clarecastle, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

She had socialised with her colleagues from Liam Cleary’s garage on Saturday evening. The group of 14 enjoyed a meal at Season’s 52 restaurant, over Charlie Stewart’s pub on Parnell Street. This was followed by drinks in the pub.

Maria, who had looked forward to the night out for several weeks, went to the Queen’s nightclub with some of the group to continue with the Christmas celebrations.

She was seen on CCTV footage, leaving the premises at 1.40am. She made her way up to O’Connell Square in Ennis where she got a taxi, along with two other women.

She was later dropped off and was found by a passer-by, unconscious, on open ground outside a truck testing centre at Lissane, a mile from her home, after 11.30am on Sunday, amid treacherous weather conditions.

She was taken to Ennis General Hospital where she died from hypothermia shortly after 5pm.

Gardaí initially treated the death as suspicious, but ruled out foul play, after Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Michael Curtis, carried out a post mortem examination at Limerick Regional Hospital yesterday.

Maria’s American-born partner Stephen, who works in Shannon, was in the States on a training course and her distraught sons Ryan (18) and Nathan (14) were being comforted by relatives and friends yesterday.

She was separated and her Portlaoise-based husband travelled to Ennis. He and Ryan formally identified her body.

Maria, who is from Dublin, moved to Clare five years ago. She recently celebrated her 42nd birthday and enjoyed her son Ryan’s 18th birthday just last week.

Maria worked at Cleary’s garage for the past six months.

THE DIRECTOR of Glór said yesterday that the centre was financially secure, but would continue to require subvention from Clare’s two main local authorities, in order to satisfy its cultural and community remit.

Five years after the opening of Glór, Katie Verling told The Clare People , “I think the main thing is that Glór has become embedded in the town and we are very much part of Ennis and Clare. We are part of the landscape, we have been accepted and approved by the people of Clare.”

Speaking before the Board and staff members celebrated Glór’s fifth anniversary, Ms Verling said, “The numbers are better than ever and we are breaking even and we have done so for the last three years. We are very financially secure and we are getting regular funding from the Arts Council.”

Glór this year received €100,000 from the Arts Council, while the subvention from Clare County Council and Ennis Town Council has been over €300,000 per annum which compares to the contribution the Arts Council makes to similar sized venues across the country.

Explaining the necessity of the local authority subvention, Ms Verling said, “The costs of a place like Glór are huge. There are three prongs to activity: culture, community and commerce. Culture loses money, community needs money and you need commerce to subvent them.

“If we were to become focused commercially, we would have to compromise our cultural and community remit and what the financing from councils does is that they ensure that we can get the balance right and make sure that we can be available to the community.

She added, “The aim is to generate enough money to fulfil our artistic and cultural objectives all the time.”

Currently, Glór is seeking funding for a €2 million extension to the facility that will provide a new theatre space for Glór.

“I’d love to see it happen. I think it would be an amazing facility for us to have and the costs base in Glor wouldn’t increase,” she said.

Five years on, Ms Verling said, “I am happy. It has been hugely challenging, but by God, it has been rewarding.”

Ms Verling also revealed that Glór Irish Music Centre will soon just be Glór.

“Glór means a lot to people now and can stand on its own,” she concluded.

There are more children with special needs per head of population awaiting speech therapy services in Clare than anywhere else in the HSE western area.

As many as 453 Clare children are still waiting assessment for the service where early intervention is vital, just one child less than in Galway city and county together.

There are currently 13 speech therapists employed in the county, to cater not just for children but all aged groups including adults and elderly.

Therefore the waiting time for children with special needs is estimated at four months.

Just one therapist is in situ to cater for all children with special needs aged from six to 18.

It emerged this week that there were 4.5 posts vacant for this muchneeded service in the county, despite earlier information published by the HSE West that there were 15 posts filled and 15 vacant.

Three of the 4.5 vacant positions are in the services for children over five years old.

The vacancies are for senior positions to supervise basic service. There are very few senior therapists available to the HSE however.

“A major recruitment drive has been undertaken as part of the development of the primary care service to recruit additional speech and language therapists. It is also proposed to have an international recruitment campaign for speech and language therapists, with a view to filling all vacant positions within the Health Service Executive areas,” the HSE said.

While the HSE is trying to recruit, however, frustrated parents in Clare have taken on the responsibility themselves and have raised money to employ a Canadian therapist to begin a new clinic in Ennis for children with Cerebral Palsey.

Meanwhile, Green Party County Councillor Brian Meaney has described the incorrect, information relating to speech therapy statistics released earlier in the week at the HSE Regional Forum as “an example of an ever increasing lack of accountability.”

The councillor who is one of four Clare representatives on the forum said that after the information was disclosed, he tried to ascertain the accuracy of the information but the system did not allow him to do so.

“This total absence of a good information system means it is impossible to determine an accurate assessment of performance, or lack of, and the significance and scale of shortfalls, problems and difficulties.”

“What measures are being taken to encourage trained therapists back into the service?” he asked.

THE controversy surrounding right of ways through Doonbeg Golf Club to Doughmore Beach continues, with a letter from a solicitor acting on behalf of the golf club coming to light, which details talks between his client and Clare County Council.

The letter to solicitors acting on behalf of five people who have already secured a private right of way to the beach, states that an “agreement in principle has now been arrived at between the council and the golf club”.

According to the letter seen by The Clare People , under this agreement, the golf club will “grant to the public a pedestrian right of way from the end of the Caherfeenick Road across the golf course to Doughmore Beach over what is colloquially referred to as the Surfers’ Path.”

The golf club will also construct for the county council a 30-space car park by enlarging the existing small car park off Caherfeenick Road and transfer the ownership of the completed car park to the council.

The letter, dated November 14, stated that, “The golf club will also transfer, free of charge to the Clare County Council, a sufficient space to allow the Clare County Council, should it wish to do so, to construct an additional 30 car parking spaces. The council will, in consideration of the above, extinguish any other claimed public right of ways from the Caherfeenick road across the golf course towards Doughmore Beach.”

According to the letter, the new arrangement “if and when implemented” will not in any way change the settlement agreement dated January 15, 2004, between the five, who secured a private right of way, and Doonbeg Golf Club Limited.

The Clare People made several attempts to contact Clare County Council on the issue, but to no avail.

THE Garda file into the death of a man outside a pub in Kildysart three months ago has been completed and sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Vincent Hehir (32), a father of five, was attacked as he socialised in the village of Kildysart on Sunday night, September 6. He sustained serious injuries.

He remained critically ill in hospital, where his family remained by his bedside. He lost his battle for life three days later.

Gardai say they believe he was subjected to a number of blows, before falling to the ground and hitting the back of his head in the impact. They say they understand he was kicked a number of times to the body, whilst on the ground.

A major garda investigation was launched and more than 100 statements have been made, by people who were in Kildysart on the night Mr Hehir sustained his injuries.

Three local men, aged 21, 23 and 33, were later arrested and questioned at Kilrush Garda Station, before being released without charge.

A post mortem examination was carried out on Mr Hehir’s remains at the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Limerick, which showed that he died as a result of head injuries. At the request of one of the men questioned in connection with the death, an independent autopsy was carried out by Belfast Pathologist Dr Carson.

The Clare People has now learned that the substantial file has now been completed and has just been sent to the DPP’s office for direction. The DPP will decide what charges, if any, are to be brought in the case. This direction is expected to be delivered to Kilrush gardaí within weeks. According to garda sources, a decision may not be made by the DPP until after Christmas.

Mr Hehir had grown up at Glencanane, Kildysart and moved to London some years ago, where he managed a bar in Ilford. He had been home visiting his family for the weekend when the incident occurred.

Meanwhile, the community of Kildysart is continuing to rally around the heartbroken Hehir family.

The local pastoral council have set up a benefit fund for Vincent’s wife Mairead and their five children, Katie (9), Sinead (7), Patricia (6), Molly (3) and baby Margaret, who was baptised in a private ceremony at Vincent’s bedside at Ennis General Hospital. The council hopes to give the money raised to the family in the run-up to Christmas.

SHANNON Town Centre operations company, SkyCourt is not opposed to the expansion of a local filling station and shop but is unable to give approval for the scale of the development envisaged.

SkyCourt Manager, Pat Kelly issued a statement on Monday evening in response to claims that the company had refused consent to local businessman Darragh O’Connor for the upgrading of the Texaco service station which he operates in the town centre. Mr O’Connor wants to renovate the service station and expand the 600 sq. ft shop into a 1,450 sq.ft. supermarket.

In his statement, Mr Kelly said that SkyCourt was not refusing consent to upgrade the premises but was restricted in granting permission for the scale of the supermarket proposed.

“SkyCourt generally welcomes the development of new units and the expansion of existing outlets at our Shopping Centre in Shannon. However we have a legal responsibility to act in accordance with our obligations to all tenants and in this instance we were obliged to refuse consent to one element only of the proposed re-development on this basis”, Mr Kelly explained.

“On January 14, 2004 and again on the January 30, 2004, the Manager of the Texaco Service Station was informed by letter that no development on foot of the planning permission they had received could take place until they received the necessary consent from SkyCourt under the terms of their lease.

“Any suggestion that Texaco were unaware or surprised by the requirement for consent is simply untrue.

“Indeed, SkyCourt is still waiting to receive up to date detailed plans of the works to be carried out”, Mr Kelly concluded.