Category: News

THE director of Breast Check has said that the mammography unit currently being commissioned for Clare and the Western area is not suitable for detecting breast cancer in younger women. Addressing a meeting of the HSE Forum West Tony O’Brien said that the technology available was not suitable for screening premenopausal women.

According to Breast Check the incidents of breast cancer is lower in women under 50, and mammography is less efficient at detecting breast cancer in younger women because the breast tissue is denser.

“The onset of breast cancer is more aggressive in younger women so a screening programme would have to screen more frequently to be effective,” a circular from the national breast-screening programme explained. Mr O’Brien said that women with a family history of breast cancer should refer to their General Practitioner. Younger women are also likely to have more than one GP, who they attend for different reasons, making it difficult for the health service to track their history of breast cancer, he said. The Breast Check director said the service would be rolled out throughout the West including Clare during the last six months of 2007.

The 7,999 Clare women eligible to take part in the screening will then be called to visit one of the mobile units visiting their area every two years. Cancer is likely to be detected in an estimated 41 Clare women during the two-year cycle.

During the meeting Mr O’Brien heard the concerns of the councillors from the Western area, who said many women are walking around with breast cancer unknown to themselves due to the delay in rolling out the breast check service nationwide.

“I understand the cynicism and concern because I lived through that too,” he said. “We cannot deliver the programme more quickly that what I have outlined,” he added.

The director also warned that without a team of radiographers the mammography unit is of no use.

Breast Check is currently trying to recruit 36 radiotherapists for the west and south. Planning permission has been granted for a unit at the University Hospital Galway, which will accommodate both the Breastcheck base for the West and the existing symptomatic breast disease service in UCHG. In addition to its base in Galway, Breastcheck will have three mobile screening vehicles covering counties Clare, Tipperary North, Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal.

OWNERS of the Two Mile Inn Hotel on the Clare/Limerick border have had plans to construct a new phase to the premises turned down by An Bord Pleanála.

The long-established hotel was seeking planning permission to construct a two-storey leisure facility associated with the existing hotel including a swimming pool, beauty facility, fitness suite, games and entertainment centre, six all-weather pitches and car parking spaces.

Last year, Clare County Council refused planning permission for the development and the decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála.

However, in its decision, the appeals board ruled that “it is considered that the large volume of additional traffic movements likely to be generated by this development, combined with that generated by existing and permitted development on the site, would interfere with the safety and free flow of traffic on this road”.

As the site adjoins the N18 roadway at a point where a speed limit of 100 km/h applies, the board ruled that, “the proposed development would endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard”.

An Bord Pleanála also ruled that “the design and scale of the proposed development fails to integrate visually with existing development on the site, would appear as an incongruous and discordant element in this rural area and would seriously injure the visual amenities of the area. The proposed development would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.”

The board upheld the recommendation of its inspector. The inspector stated, “I consider that the proposed sports, leisure and entertainment facility will depend significantly upon public access and patronage, rather than functioning solely as an ancillary element of the hotel complex.

“In this regard, I have grave concerns that the proposed means of access from the subject site for eastbound traffic, relying upon an unregulated U-turn across the busy N18 corridor, will have a significant and adverse impact upon public safety.

“However, larger-scale and more extensive or visually prominent schemes on the subject site, whether associated with the hotel operation or otherwise, have been consistently refused. There is clearly an onus on the applicant to demonstrate that the reasons for refusal in those previous instances have now been overcome in respect of this instant proposal.”

BUSINESSES in Ennis have been warned not to give in to requests for money, after at least two companies received letters from cybersquatters.

The owners of the Belleek Shop and the Temple Gate Hotel were sent letters, asking them to hand over €2,100, in exchange for ownership of a .eu domain.

The letter was sent to the businesses last week, from a company, entitled Domainguard Ireland, which stated that it was based close to Ennis.

The letter, signed by a woman, and seen by The Clare People , stated that the importance of having a .eu website could not be “overestimated.”

It suggests companies stand to make a huge saving and avoid legally complex processes, by coughing up the €2,100.

“The problem with open registration is that someone could register your site and then either sell it on the open market to someone, at an average price of €7,500 or worse, they can put damaging items on it and force you to buy it back for many times that amount,” said the letter.

“We are a Clare-based company and we secured many .eu sites so that we could guard them and safely transfer them back to their owners without any massive payouts or any court proceedings,” it added.

Managing Director of The Belleek Shop, Ronan Cahir said he was “disgusted” to receive the letter and has no intention of paying the money.

“There are two things we could do. We could go to court and fight to get it back, or we could succumb to the blackmail and pay the money.

“Anyone can purchase a domain name for €12.50, but they don’t have any legal right to use that name,” said Mr Cahir, who confirmed he has sought legal advice over the issue.

“If the .eu address is used or activated, we will take the corrective action through the courts,” he added.

He said he has operated under www.belleekshop.com for almost ten years and this has been to his company’s satisfaction.

President of Ennis Chamber of Commerce and owner of The Temple Gate Hotel John Madden – whose company binned the letter it received last week – said Ennis businesses must be vigilant.

“We have sent out an email to our 190 members (Chamber), asking them not to rush in and pay the €2,100. It would appear there are many of these sites being registered,” said Mr Madden.

The Clare People’s attempts to contact the mobile phone number on the letter proved unsuccessful.

Ennis’s Kilrush Rd. THE Ennis-based Mangan Brothers Wholesalers is Clare’s top locally-owned company, acis Element Six – formerly De Beers – in the cording to a new survey. Shannon Free Zone.

Measured in terms of the size of its business, Mangan’s is one of 24 Clare-based companies manufactures industrial diamonds, recorded a listed in Ireland’s top 1,000 companies, pub-

turnover of €279 million to the end of 2005. It lished by The Irish Times .

employs 533 at its Shannon facility. Recording a turnover of €196.8m to the end of 2005, the locally-owned company – steered

the Shannon Free Zone that feature in the surby chief executive, Terence Mangan – came in

vey, underlining the importance of the zone to at 197 in the list.

the Clare economy. Employing 300 people, Mangan Bros enjoys a comparatively low profile and has outlets in Galway, Tullamore, Sligo and Letterkenny. 45 people in telecommunications and networkENNIS Town Council has refuted suggesment plant at Clonroadmore was capable of tions that a ban is to be placed on the grantsustaining the current level of development in ing of planning permission for future develEnnis town, and that this situation was been opments in the county capital. regularly monitored.

Speculation had grown locally that because Town Engineer, Tom Tiernan told of limits in the capacity of the town’s sewClare People erage and wastewater infrastructure, a cap cerns regarding capacity at a smaller plant at would be placed on new developments for a Clareabbey, but this is being monitored in the period of time. normal way.

A spokesman for the local authority has “No refusals are being issued because of also described as “unlikely” the prospect that this and potential difficulties can, in general any changes would be made to its process of terms, be overcome by the willingness of degranting planning permission to developers velopers to deal appropriately with issues of for future developments in the town. this nature that are brought to their attention

The spokesman said that the sewerage and by the council.” waste water infrastructure at the main treatAsked if there were any future upgradTHE West of Ireland Alzheimer’s Foundation (WIAF) has offered to extend its services into Clare and throughout the Western HSE area.

The organisation’s chief executive, John Grant told this month’s meeting of the HSE Forum West that the voluntary group were willing and prepared to extend the services to all areas of the west.

The non-profit organisation promotes awareness of the nature of Alzheimer’s disease and its impact on families through education, talks, promotional material, and consultation and support group meetings. As well as providing in-home support and respite facilities throughout Mayo, Roscommon and Mayo, it is currently developing a 26-bed unit on the grounds of Merlin Park Hospital, Galway.

It is now prepared to meet the challenge

Its headquarters are located at Ashline, on The top-ranked multinational based in Clare Ranked 140th in the list, Element Six, which Element Six is one of 12 companies based in Enterasys Networks, a company employing The that, “there were some conthat will emerge from the new HSE West nine county region, members of the HSE forum were told.

An estimated 1,043 people in Clare are currently suffering from the disease.

Last week the HSE granted €1 million for a respite centre in Waterman’s Lodge in Killaloe.

Services are also provided at St. Joseph’s Hospital Ennis, the Clarecastle Day-Care Centre and Carrigoran House. With a growing elderly population in the county, more services will be required in the coming years, including the expansion of those currently being provided.

Mr Grant said that an acute bed for an Alzheimer’s patient costs the HSE €450 per annum. The cost of a bed to the WIAF is €40,000.

It costs the WIAF €1.36 million to run 34 beds, while the same number of beds cost the HSE €2.25 million, he said.

ing, which recorded a turnover of €147 million

to the end of 2005, is one of the top five Clare

companies. Avocent, the computer peripherals

manufacturer, is another. The US-owned Avo-

cent recorded a turnover of €137 million to the

end of 2005, making a profit of €36 million,

with 280 employees.

Other companies to feature in the top ten, in-

clude the long-established Roche Ireland with

a turnover of €124 million; Molex Ireland, the

electric component manufacturer, with a turno-

ver of €119 million and Shannon Engine Sup-

port recording a turnover of €83.4 million and

a profit of €39 million.

The top-ranked Clare-based builder on the ing works planned for the town’s sewerage system, Mr. Tiernan replied, “Yes and the council is at present awaiting approval to the preliminary report retaining to the Ennis/Clarecastle main drainage scheme from the Department of Health and Local Government.

“This approval is expected shortly.

“Incorporated in the scheme is a new 50,000-population equivalent treatment plant for Clareabbey.”

“The scheme is incorporated in the current national water services investment programme and at present, I would envisage that the new plant will be operational in about three years from now,” Mr Tiernan said. list is Brian McCarthy Contractors, with a turnover of €82 million. Other builders to feature are M Fitzgibbon Builders and Michael Lynch Ltd, which both generated turnovers of €30m.

Two companies that have come into focus through their dealings with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Schwarz Pharma and Finsa Forest Products also feature in the list. Finsa recorded a turnover of €35.9 million, while Schwarz Pharma’s turnover was €35.5 million. Finsa Forest Products is one of the few rural-based companies featuring in the survey. Another is the east Clare-based Olympus Diagnostica Ireland, which recorded a turnover of €55 million.

AN EXTENSION to the Burren National Park is one of the measures that the County Clare Tourism Forum is demanding in order to boost the local tourism industry.

The forum’s members warn that “physical access to and within County Clare is a key requirement for future tourism development in the county”.

They also want resources be allocated to provide a pilot bus transport service from Shannon Airport to service a “Circle of Clare” tourist route.

In a submission to Government as part of the consultation for the National Development Plan 2007-13, the Tourism Forum states that the extension of the National Park and the creation of woodland parks in Clare “would have significant benefits from a tourism, quality of life, conservation and landscape management perspective”.

The members say that expanding the park and creating woodland parks, “would mean that the most outstanding landscapes of Clare and Ireland would be owned by and made available to the nation”.

Their submission states that high quality access to all parts of the county is of fundamental importance to the future of the tourism industry of Clare.

“Visitors landing at Shannon Airport need to be provided with a regular countywide bus service option from the airport terminal. The development of a Transport Service Management Plan for the County including the provision of a necklace of Park and Ride facilities tied in with road, rail and air transport modes countywide is necessary.”

Against the background of the decline of farming, the forum states that if Clare “is to tap into this niche tourism market, walking routes in the county, i.e. the Burren Way, East Clare Way and Mid Clare Way and current proposed extensions thereof, need to be established in a formal way and not just at the goodwill of the landowners involved.”

“The Clare Tourism Forum propose that a pilot programme of funding be put in place administered by existing agencies, i.e. CDB’s, Leader etc. to formalise established walking routes and to properly compensate the landowners affected.

“The tourism industry of Clare is dependent on the high landscape quality of the county.

“Changes in agricultural practices and sustained development pressure from a rapidly growing and affluent economy have implications for the county’s landscape.

As agriculture declines as a source of employment, the importance of rural tourism increases.”

CLARE’S first ever suicide awareness walk has been hailed a success by organisers Claire and Sasha O’Brien and Keith Molloy.

The money raised surpassed all expectations, with an amazing €24,000 collected for the Samaritans.

“If we raised €10,000, we would have been over the moon, but we are even more delighted by the awareness we raised,” said Mr Molloy.

More than 300 people turned out on the day for the main event. Further funds were raised through a pub quiz, pub collection on St Patrick’s night and bag packing in Tesco.

The walk, which was held last month, was originally organised in the memory of Claire O’Brien’s brother, Peter.

Aware of the devastation suicide can cause to a family, Ms O’Brien hoped that raising awareness through the walk would help erase the taboo surrounding the subject.

Mr Molloy, who lost seven Clare friends through suicide in the last two years, said the response to the walk gave a small indication of the number of people affected by the issue.

The only 24-hour support for potential suicide victims in Clare is the Samaritans, according to Mr Molloy. This was why all money raised went to the charity.

The organising committee wished to thank the Barge Rooms for providing a venue and refreshments on the day of the walk.

A special thanks also went to Mary Coote, who provided food on the day, and Kevin Cooper and The Banner Motor Club for escorting the walkers.

The group also thanked “Logies Bar” for hosting the quiz and Quiz Master, Slim Corry.

Finally a special word of gratitude was sent to all the walkers and sponsors.

WHY two of Clare County Council’s most senior planning officials apparently ignored professional advice to grant permission for a contentious development near the 17th-century Lemenagh Castle in the Burren, was the centre of controversy yesterday. Last year, plans were lodged by the Council for a one-off home by Anna Maria Murphy to be located between Lemenagh Castle and an area containing 27 recorded monuments.

Two previous applications for a home at the site were withdrawn in 2005 by Ms Murphy, with the second application withdrawn after the planner in the case had recommended refusal.

In response to the third application in one year for the site, the Council’s Conservation Officer, Risteard Ua Cronin, “strongly recommended” that planning permission be refused, due to the “importance of this archaeological landscape and the potential to do irreparable damage to the existing monuments and visual amenity and to set an unwelcome precedent for development in the vicinity of Lemenagh Castle and its unique 17th century house”.

Mr Ua Cronin said, “The provision of another new, modern house so close to these complexes would seriously impact on the monuments both visually and archaeologically.”

The area planner in the case recommended that planning be refused on four grounds. Firstly, that Ms Murphy didn’t meet the criteria in the Council’s ‘locals-only’ policy. Secondly, that the proposal would be visually intrusive. The third point was the unacceptable risk to ground water protection and the fourth the impact the development would have on Lemenagh Castle.

However, the reports by Mr Ua Cronin and the area planner are swept aside in a hand-written note on file by Senior Executive Planner, Brian McCarthy.

Mr McCarthy disagreed that there would be significant negative impact on the visual and archaeological setting of Lemenagh Castle.

The issue that Ms Murphy didn’t meet the criteria was cast aside by Mr McCarthy.

Mr McCarthy then requested the area planner to prepare conditions for a grant to Ms Murphy. The council then granted planning permission, ruling that it would not seriously injure the amenities of the area having regard to the rural nature of the site, the intended use of the proposed building, the policies of the Clare County Development Plan.

PLANS for a fourth quarry to help build the €190 million Ennis by-pass have suffered a setback.

Clare County Council has asked GAMA Construction, the group building the new roadway, to submit a full Environmental Impact Statement on the scheme (EIS).

The new quarry is already facing opposition from a couple of locals.

GAMA is currently working towards having the eastern section of the scheme open by next October. The group has secured planning for three quarries along the route to excavate 900,000 m of rock material, with 480,000 m of the total to be excavated from the largest quarry granted planning at Killow/Kilbreckan on the outskirts of Ennis.

They want to develop a fourth quarry on a site extending to 4.34 hectares with an extraction area of 3.635 hectares.

According to GAMA, “the proposed development is solely for the purpose of the provision of rock to the N18, Ennis bypass, which is presently under-construction immediately to the west of the application site”.

The council states that the EIS should detail cumulative impact of the proposed quarry and a nearby existing quarry.

GAMA has also been asked to submit a detailed assessment of the proposed crushing and processing operation at the identified location on the surrounding environment and include mitigation measures.

In his objection, Pat Hehir of 9 Phoenix Court, Kilrush Road, Ennis states that it “relates primarily to the negative impact of the proposal on the residential amenity value and property value of nearby dwelling owned by Mr Hehir”.

Another local resident, Claire Daly of Kilbreckan, Doora, states that there has been no communication from GAMA over the current proposal.

Ms Daly acknowledged that while there were plenty of safeguards in relation to blasting, “there was inadequate provision for processing of rock in relation to crushing and stockpiling”.

The works on the by-pass are due to end in 12 months time. It is difficult to see how much of a material difference the operation of the quarry will make to the overall project.

The application will become ‘live’ again, when GAMA lodges the required EIS.

THE actions of two of Clare County Council’s completely undermines the planning system in Clare, according to Cllr Brian Meaney (GP).

He claimed that Senior Executive Planners Brian McCarthy and Liam Conneally, ignored professional reports and the Development Plan to grant planning for a one-off home near Lemanagh Castle.

“I have reviewed the file and the implications of their actions are very worrying and it makes responsible representation worthless,” said Cllr Meaney.

“Here is an instance where management has turned everything on its head and the rule book has been thrown out the window and we need to know why.

“There is a need for decisions to be made in a recorded and transparent way so that they can be tested properly.

“But that hasn’t been done in this case and the hundreds of people who are either refused or don’t apply at all because of the local rule, will be very frustrated when they see this case.”

An Taisce has appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanála.

The organistion points to the refusal recommendation by both the area planner and by the conservation officer.

Planning was subsequently awarded following the intervention of the Senior Executive Planner.

“There is a lack of transparency in establishing the circumstances in which this occurred and whether this was as a result of the initiative of the Senior Executive Planner or any managerial intervention,” according to An Taisce.

“Whichever was the case, the manner in which this intervention occurred is not based on any memo or considered deliberation which is available for consideration on the planning file.”

Asked to comment on the decisionmaking around the file, the Director for Planning, Bernadette Kinsella, said that she was unable to comment on the planning application as it was currently before An Bord Pleanála.

Senior Planner, Liam Conneally, said, “I understand that the file you refer to is on appeal to An Bord Pleanála. Clare County Council’s response to the grounds of appeal will be made in the normal way, that is, through the appeal process.”

A decision is not expected in the case until September.

AN Bord Pleanála has granted permission for a 30-metre-high mast for the ESB at Knockanean, on the Tulla Road, Ennis.

They have cited, in their ruling, the decision to grant permission to another ESB mast at Cahercalla More, near the Eire Óg GAA grounds. That mast is at the centre of a major local controversy.

Noel Mulhaire who has campaigned against the erection of the ESB mast at Cahercalla More, said the latest decisions marked a worrying development.

In both cases, the planning appeals board over-ruled Clare County Council.

In the case of Cahercalla More, board members rejected the recommendation of their own inspector, who warned that granting permission would set a precedent for similar development in urban areas.

It has emerged that Ennis Town Council does not plan to seek a judicial review of the permission for the 80-metre mast at Cahercalla More.

In a bitter blow to campaigners, the council says that on foot of legal advice it will not pursue the review.

Objectors had hoped a legal challenge could be mounted as the proposal contravened Environmental Policy Five of the Ennis and Environs Development Plan.

But campaigners have vowed to fight the decision. They say the original notice of planning permission for the mast was invalid.

“We were particularly disappointed that Ennis Town Council didn’t take the case,” said Mr Mulhaire.

Locals will meet this week to discuss whether to mount their own costly legal challenge.

“It’s going to be costly but we are not going to stop fighting. We will get legal opinion, but funding is a major issue.

“The original planning permission for the mast was invalid.

“The notice went up at the site on June 3 (2005) and must be maintained for five weeks until July 8, but was taken down after three weeks.

“There are four letters dated July 6 on file with the planning office, pointing this out”.

Residents living close to Cahercalla strongly expressed fears the mast would pose a serious health risk to children living in the area.