Category: News

HOUSE building in the county has increased over the past 12 months, despite the reduction in planning permissions granted by Clare County Council.

But the 11.4 per cent reduction in planning permissions granted in the first three months of this year could lead to a significant drop in the number of houses being built over the coming years.

Figures revealed by the Central Statistics Office last week showed a marked decrease in the number of units granted planning permission in the past year.

During the first three months of this year 575 units were granted full planning compared to 716 during the same period last year.

Construction Industry Federation (CIF) Housing Executive Kevin Flavin told The Clare People that the 12-month figure showed a more significant reduction in planning permissions granted and a larger increase in the numbers of projects started.

The CIF executive pointed to a 19.7 per cent decrease in the number of planning permission granted between the 12-month period ending March 2005 and the same period ending March 2006.

Meanwhile, there was an estimated 27.8 per cent increase in building between the first five months of this year and the same period last year.

“Things are going very strong at this very moment in time, as in other parts of the country,” said Mr Flavin.

Commenting of the figure Clare County Councillor PJ Kelly said he felt they did not give a clear indication of building in the country as the figures did not account for withdrawn planning permissions.

He told The Clare People that the figures would not give a true reflection until the number of planning permissions applied for was compared to the number granted.

He said it was also his belief that the majority of refusals were in rural areas and for one off houses.

“It has been so difficult to get planning permission in rural areas,” he said.

Last year there were 2,487 planning applications with approximately 800 of those from rural areas according to the councillor.

Meanwhile, house prices in county Clare continue to experience huge growth increasing by 253 per cent over the last decade, according to a special edition of the permanent TSB House Price Index.

Compiled in association with the ESRI, the index shows that the average cost of a house in county Clare in 1996 was just €69,330. Ten years later the average cost had increased to €244,415.

Nationally house prices have increased even more – by 270 per cent over the past ten years.

CLARE Gardaí are encouraging informers to spill the beans on drug dealers operating in Clare, amid a dramatic increase in the amount of drugs being seized.

Thirty nine drug seizures were made in the Clare Garda Division over the past two-and-ahalf weeks, and 45 people were arrested.

In one of the hauls, two men – aged 32 and 27 – were arrested after cannabis resin with a street value of €3,000 was found after their car was stopped and searched on the Limerick road in Ennis, shortly after 8pm on Saturday.

In another incident, a 16-year-old boy was found in possession of cannabis resin, valued at €1,500 and 20g of speed, on Abbey Street, Ennis, in the early hours of Saturday morning. A subsequent search of a house recovered more speed and cannabis resin, which gardaí say was intended for sale.

Last Tuesday night, a man in his 40s was arrested after up to 60 cannabis plants were found at the rear of a house near Crusheen.

Gardaí say the vast majority of drugs being supplied in Clare come from Limerick.

Superintendent John Kerin said an assortment of drugs has been seized. “We are talking about every kind of drug – ecstacy, cannabis resin, heroin and cocaine. The number of seizures is extraordinarily high. We are putting a lot of resources into this. We are asking people who know who is providing these drugs to come forward,” he said.

GARDAÍ investigating claims that a woman was raped in a west Clare village last weekend have questioned a local man.

A 26-year-old woman, who is from the UK, and who was visiting Clare for the weekend, alleged to gardaí that she was raped in the bedroom in which she was staying.

She alleged that a man in his 30s went into the bedroom in the early hours of the morning and attacked her.

The allegations followed an evening’s socialising in the west Clare village. The young woman travelled to Ireland on Saturday evening, to stay with friends. According to the complainant, she met a number of people, including the young man who she later made the complaint about. The woman was staying at a friend’s house, and a number of people went back there, after they had socialised in a licensed premises.

A Garda spokesman said that while no-one was arrested, one man was questioned.

“We have questioned a local man, as part of our investigations and the investigation is continuing,” he said.

“The young woman alleges she was raped and that allegation is being investigated,” added the spokesman.

CLARE County Council yesterday said it had no record of a report from the Ombudsman outlining its handling of the administration of named planning applications in 2002.

According to the summary of a response to a complaint brought by David McNamara to the Ombudsman and seen by The Clare People there were a number of errors on the part of the council in its handling of the administration of two specific planning applications.

In the document the Ombudsman said her examination showed there were a number of errors on the part of the council in its handling of the planning applications P02/590 and P02/591 “including the date stamping documents, the handling of the fees in relation to the applications and in particular the information provided to you on April 9 2002 and April 12 2002.’

“The errors which occurred contributed to your sense of grievance and unfair treatment and to your submission being late,” she told Mr McNamara.

“Your late submission was refused by the council and this refusal resulted in your ineligibility to appeal the council’s decision to An Bord Pleanála.

“In light of this, my office asked the council to review its handling of the matter and to advise my office of the steps it has taken to ensure that the errors which occurred in this case do not re-occur and to state the redress it would propose to offer to you,” the document continued.

The Ombudsman also told the Parteen man that, “The council has outlined its current practices regarding the receipting, stamping and validation of applications and the handling of fees for invalid applications. These have been referred to in some detail above. The systemic issues arising in your complaint have been addressed by the council and it is hoped that the event which occurred in you case will not reoccur.”

A PRIVATE prosecution taken by the father of a young man who was killed in a road accident in west Clare over two years ago has been withdrawn.

The case, taken by Seán Cotter, of Henry Street, Kilrush, against the driver of the car in which his son Gary was travelling when the accident occurred, was withdrawn at Kilrush District Court last Wednesday.

Mr Cotter’s solicitor Eugene O’Kelly said the State had dealt with the prosecution in the case and “accordingly, I’m looking to withdraw, strike out that.”

In May, Mark O’Gorman (22), of Woodfield Drive, Kilrush, was found not guilty at Ennis Circuit Court of dangerous driving causing the death of 20-year-old Gary Cotter, at Moyasta, Kilrush, on April 11, 2004. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was acquitted by a jury. Mr O’Gorman was driving a silver Ford Focus car from Kilkee to Kilrush when the accident occurred. Mr Cotter was a front seat passenger. The private prosecution taken by Mr Cotter was mentioned at Kilrush District Court last September, but was adjourned, until after the Circuit Court trial.

Meanwhile, an internal Garda enquiry is examining certain aspects of the initial Garda investigation into the death of the 20-year-old, after his parents raised grave concerns. Seán Cotter and his wife Mary say they are unhappy with the way the investigation was handled and say many questions remain unanswered. They complained to the Minister for Justice and an independent Garda investigation was subsequently established. A senior garda from outside the Clare Garda Division was appointed to carry out the enquiry.

THE top cause of loneliness among the 16,500 seniors living in Clare is a lack of money, a recent nationwide survey has found.

The survey conducted by financial consultants, Seniors Money found that a large portion (33 per cent) of those over 55 years surveyed feared that a lack of money when they retired would lead to a lonely life.

Geraldine Clare, CEO of Aware, a voluntary organisation assisting those affected by depression told The Clare People that “although there are certainly socio-economic factors to consider in retirement, money doesn’t necessarily improve isolation and loneliness. There are a number of other factors which cause isolation and loneliness in later life such as the passing of loved ones and peers.”

The survey also found that almost two thirds of Irish people worry that they will experience loneliness when they retire as a result of not having enough interests. Many fear that they have put so much time and energy into work that they have neglected other aspects of their life such as friends, hobbies and sports, while 53 per cent also felt that poor health contributed to loneliness.

This, according to Ms Clare, does not necessarily have to be the case. She said that, “although depression can be perceived as part and parcel of growing old and elderly people can become more debilitated making them more predisposed to depression, this is very treatable. There are also many activities and facilities now available for the elderly.”

SHANNON Development yesterday came under fire over its failure to date to appoint a tourism development officer for Clare.

Councillor Richard Nagle (FF) said that it was “extremely disappointing” that Shannon Development hadn’t yet made the appointment.

“We were told at a Clare Tourism Forum meeting last March by Shannon Development that the Tourism Development Officer for the county would be in place by April. That has come and gone and we were then told the appointment will be made in July,” he told Clare County Council’s Special Policy Committee (SPC) on Economic Development.

“We have requested that the person would work closely with the Clare Tourism Forum . . . but to date, we have met with no response.”

The council’s Director for Economic Development, Bernadette Kinsella said that it was disappointing that the officer hadn’t yet been appointed.

“There doesn’t seem to be any reason and it may be an in-house issue for Shannon Development,” she said.

Cllr Martin Lafferty (Ind) said that the Economic Development SPC had come up with the idea before Shannon Development jumped in.”

The SPC first proposed the post in March of last year in order to increase the annual tourist dividend for Clare.

Councillor Madeleine TaylorQuinn (FG) said it was critical for Clare that there was better coordination between tourism agencies.

“The difficulty has been that different agencies are competing rather than co-operating. There is a greater need for co-ordination between the agencies and a priority should be given to the establishment of a website dedicated to Co Clare,” she said.

The council’s then Director for Economic Development, Ger Dollard told the meeting that a specific rates rise of a half a per cent by the council could raise €100,000 towards the office of the post. He also pointed out that the tourist trade in Clare spent €4 million in marketing and €100,000 could be diverted towards the activities of the officer. But, the plan was set aside to allow Shannon Development announce that it was to appoint the officer.

CAMPAIGNERS opposed to the erection of an ESB telecommunications mast will have to wait a little longer to discover if they can begin their legal battle.

Local residents in Cahercalla More are attempting to take the action against the ESB who have asked that the case to be heard in the High Court be adjourned for two weeks until July 17.

Residents agreed to the request providing no work commences on the proposed site in the meantime. Residents have applied to the High Court to seek leave to appeal a decision by An Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission to the ESB for an 80 foot telecommunications mast. Locals are confident leave of appeal will be granted.

While campaigners await the outcome of the legal battle, attention now turns to mass protest that will take place in Ennis on Saturday, July 8. The protest is being organised under the auspices of the Better Environmental Safer Telecommunications (BEST) group to highlight the concerns of communities throughout Clare. Large numbers are expected for the march which will set of from the Éire Óg clubhouse at 11am. The march will continue down the Kilrush Road, across the Mill road and up Parnell Street. The march will conclude with a rally featuring a number of speakers in O’Connell square.

Leading campaigner Noel Mulhaire said, “We would appeal to people from across Clare to take part on Saturday. This is an issue that has affected many communities and we want to make it clear to the government that it is not okay to put up masts near houses and schools.”

THE Health Service Executive in the mid-west was forced to employ the services of a private ambulance company to cover emergency and routine calls in Ennis last week because its own staff were not available to work, it has emerged.

The HSE has confirmed it had no option but to hire the private ambulance to cover calls in the Ennis area on Saturday, June 24. The HSE spokesman confirmed that it is not common practice to employ the services of private ambulance firms to cover calls and does so only “when there is no other option.”

The ambulance, operated by a Kildare based private ambulance company was deployed in the town where it located itself in the carpark of a local hotel rather that at the general hospital where the HSE ambulance service station for the greater Ennis area is situated.

“Our primary concern is for the safety of the public. The question has to be asked, what qualifications do these ambulance crews have? Our understanding is that the driver of the private ambulance did not have adequate training while the second crew member was Polish and had little or no English,” one angry Emergency Medical Technician said.

The HSE has rejected these claims saying, “the private ambulance company operates in the four HSE areas and is HSE approved. It also has an ongoing training programme with the national ambulance training school. Both staff were qualified EMT’s and have fluent English.

“There are several other issues here as well. That ambulance was sent to Dublin with a patient. This left the HSE crew out of pocket by the loss of overtime and allowances. What’s going to happen next? This could become the norm across the board and where would that leave us? This is our biggest fear,” one Clare based EMT said.

“We are also concerned that this private ambulance was secretly parked up behind a local hotel awaiting calls from the Regional Control Centre in Limerick,” another EMT added. “Why wasn’t it based at the hospital or the ambulance station,” he added. In response the HSE said, “It is a matter for the private ambulance company where they base their ambulance once they are in the general area required and we can communicate with them.

“It is simply bad management. How can you have five people to cover holiday work while as many as 15 people are on holidays at any one time?” staff ask, claiming they were not told in advance of plans to bring in a private company.

The HSE has confirmed however that, “At several meetings, staff representatives have been informed that if HSE staff are not available, a private ambulance will be employed.”

The HSE also declined to comment on the reasons why staff were not available to work.

THE BANNER is officially booming, with an €80 million offer made for Cusack Park; 300 more jobs to top the 285 just announced in Shannon and hotels worth more than €11 million being opened back-to-back.

The deadline for bids to buy the GAA facility closed last Friday and it is understood that the leading bid, which includes building a state-ofthe-art stadium and training ground, is worth in excess of €80 million.

Clare GAA is sitting on at least three multi-million euro offers for the development of a new playing and administrative headquarters on a greenfield site in the environs of Ennis, in return for Cusack Park.

The top bid is understood to be from a Clare-based consortium. The three proposals will be considered by the board over the coming months, before a final decision is made on what will be the biggest property deal ever in the county.

In February, a special sub-committee of the GAA board was established to examine all proposals after a bidding-war erupted between rival property developers seeking to acquire Cusack Park, in return for building a new stadium in the environs of Ennis.

Meanwhile, Enterprise and Employment Minister, Micheal Martin, is expected in Shannon later this month to announce more than 300 new jobs for the Shannon Free Zone.

The jobs will be created by US ecommerce firm Digital River and come on the heels of last week’s announcement of 285 jobs in existing companies, Halifax Insurance Ireland and SYKES Enterprises Inc.

And Tourism Minister John O’Donoghue has officially opened the new Cliffs of Moher Hotel in Liscannor. The €3.5 million development is the second hotel in as many months to be opened by The Atlantis Holiday Group and will create 40 jobs for the area. Last month, the Clare-based holiday and accommodation body opened the €8 million Tír Gan Éan House Hotel and Holiday Complex in Doolin, leading to the creation of 30 new jobs.

It has also been revealed that house prices in Clare are rocketing, with increases of 253 per cent over the last decade, according to the latest Permanent TSB House Price Index. The average cost of a house in Clare in 1996 was €69,330. Ten years later, this had increased to €244,415.