Category: News

ALMOST 10 per cent of Clare’s drivers have not yet passed the driving test, with 605 of them on their fifth or successive provisional, according to Government figures.

There are 9,725 Clare people driving on provisional licenses with 5,527 on their first license, 1,549 on their second, 559 on their third and 557 on their fourth.

Nationally, there are 410,602 people on provisional licenses.

Fine Gael TD, Pat Breen said yesterday that the high number of provisional license holders in Clare was “symptomatic of the nationwide crisis in driving test waiting lists”.

He added, “That there are almost 10,000 people in Clare on a second, or subsequent, license demonstrates that these people are frustrated at the waiting periods involved.

“This is contributing to the sense some people have of not feeling compelled to go for a full driving license. This situation has been calling for an effective solution for years now. We need to have driving tests held in a timely manner and when they are in place, for road safety reasons, we have to move to stop provisional license holders being able to reapply for those licenses indefinitely.”

Deputy Breen added that figures released to him earlier this year showed that there were approximately 3,000 people on the driving test waiting list in Clare. According to those figures, Shannon has a waiting period of 45 weeks, Ennis, 32 weeks; and Kilrush, 27 weeks.

Senator Brendan Daly (FF) said it was unacceptable that there are so many provisional drivers on the road and it had to be dealt with.

“The unions and the Department of Transport have to resolve their difference,” he said. “There is a need for more driving testers in order to eliminate the backlog and that needs to happen now.”

Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) said he would be concerned at the 1,000 or more people who were driving on their fourth and fifth licenses.

“These people have failed their test multiple times and continue to drive on our roads,” he said.

“More should be done to ensure that these people pass their tests. They should be compulsorily required to have more driving lessons to ensure that they pass.

“That said, I know of many provisional drivers who are competent drivers. I would also like to know the proportion of L-plate involved in traffic accidents.

“This type of information could feed into proper Government policy on the issue.”

THERE has been a “hands off” response to renewed calls for parts of Clare to be taking into Limerick in a boundary extension.

The latest call was made by the University of Limerick’s Professor Ed Walsh in a presentation made at a lunch organised by the Shannon and District Chamber of Commerce.

Professor Walsh said that Limerick “is currently at a disadvantage.

“The 40-year boundary dispute has sapped local political and administrative energy.

“The city boundary bears no relationship to the urban area.

“As a result Limerick lacks a coherent vision or future plan to entice a prospective investor,”

He was urging the ‘twinning’ of Limerick and Galway to produce a counter balance to Dublin as a centre for investment and growth.

To do this, it is necessary for Limerick to take control of the area surrounding it and not be at the dictates of three local authorities, he said.

“This region has failed to attract any major investment in the past decade.

“The debilitating 40-year boundary dispute needs to be resolved and the people of Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary should work together.”

But east Clare councillor Paschal Fitzgerald said that Clare should not be included.

“For Limerick City to take Limerick County is the natural conclusion but people in Clare have their own identity,” he said.

A 19-YEAR-OLD Kilmaley learner driver with 17 motoring convictions has been put off the road until he passes his test.

Noel Keane of Kilcolumb, Kilmaley, Ennis, must also pay a fine of €1,300.

He was found guilty of operating his car without a silencer fitted to his exhaust and of having defective number plates at Liscannor Road, Lahinch, on January 13.

Garda John Cleary of Lahinch Garda Station told Ennistymon District Court last Wednesday that Mr Keane had 16 driving-related previous convictions.

Three of these were for having no silencer fitted to his exhaust.

Garda Cleary said that the other previous convictions were of a minor nature, relating to driving without Lplates and having no NCT certificate displayed.

In imposing the conviction, Judge Joseph Mangan banned the accused from driving for six months, but imposed a continuing ban until Keane produced a completed driving test pass to Clare County Council.

His license was also endorsed. Recognisance was set in the event of an appeal.

Judge Mangan’s ruling was described as “innovative” by a member of Clare County Council’s Road Safety Committee, Cllr Brian Meaney (GP).

“I would very much welcome the judge’s ruling, though I believe that it discriminates against provisional drivers and legislation should be put in place to punish drivers with full licenses who continually flout the road traffic laws in a similar way,” he said.

“For example, I believe that repeat offenders with full licenses should be made re-sit their driving test.”

Conor Faughnan of AA Roadwatch declined to comment on the individual case.

However, speaking generally, Mr Faughnan said it was possible to have anti-social behaviour in a car in a way that was not dangerous and there were laws there to prevent this.

“It is open to the courts to prevent such behaviour and it is a good thing to see that in action.

“Most people would welcome a firm hand with that sort of behaviour,” he said.

CONCERN was expressed yesterday that all Turkish workers employed by GAMA, the Turkish company constructing the €190 million Ennis bypass, may not have received back-monies owed to them by the company.

Independent deputy, Joe Higgins expressed concern over the situation after the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Michael Martin said that he is unable to give guarantees that all GAMA workers have been paid their back-monies from the company.

The company is currently aiming to have the first phase of the Ennis bypass completed by October of this year. It will remove all heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) from Ennis.

Last year, as controversy surrounded GAMA over alleged under-payments, Clare County Council erected a wall of silence over their contract with GAMA following legal advice.

Along with the bypass project, GAMA has been involved in a number of other construction projects in Ireland and in a written Dáil reply to Deputy Higgins, Minister Martin said: “the Department wrote to GAMA Turkey’s legal advisers on 29 April, 2005 seeking certain details on each current and former employee, including the money transferred to Finansbank and the money transferred from Finansbank to their personal bank account in Isbank in Turkey.

“Some weeks ago a substantial volume of data was presented by GAMA to the Department and was examined by my officials. The information was not sufficient to enable me to assure the Deputy that all GAMA workers in Ireland, past and present, have received value for the amounts that were transferred into their personal accounts in Finansbank. GAMA has been asked again to supply the missing information.”

Minister Martin said that he was assured by GAMA’s senior managers, legal adviser and human resources consultant that all workers in Ireland, past and present, would have full access to the money transferred to their accounts in Finansbank.

In response to the Minister’s statement, Deputy Higgins told The Clare People : “it is very unsatisfactory and exposes the shortcomings in the level of transparency of how the workers were paid.

“The Turkish GAMA workers who were working in Ireland when this came to light received their money, but we don’t know about workers that had left Ireland prior to this becoming an issue. I want the Minister to continue to pursue GAMA to ensure that the payments have been made.”

County councillor Brian Meaney said: “GAMA has secured the largest ever public contract in Clare and it behoves the company to make all information requested by government available.”

SHANNON Airport bosses have confirmed that there will be more than 2,500 extra seats from the airport to Cardiff and Bristol to help Munster’s Red Army travel to the Heineken Cup Final. Details of the flights and tour operators are available on www.shanonairport.com.

But supporters determined to have a ticket for the showdown are prepared to travel much further than Cardiff to get what they want. Last week, fans were turning up at the French side’s stadium, Stade Aguilera, where tickets for the Cardiff game were in plentiful supply.

Two supporters went as far as buying up 100 tickets which they say they will charge just face value for to friends, sources in the Munster supporters side said.

And when the Red Army goes overseas, there will be no shortage of red flags to mark their passage. The Limerick company with the franchise for the official Munster flag has used contacts in China to help produce enough flags for the supporters.

DJ Daly will turn out more than 40,000 Munster flags at his factory in Pallaskenry, County Limerick but his company has been swamped with orders.

To met demand, he contacted a friend who runs a similar business in Beijing and they have obliged with a shipment of flags for Munster supporters to wave.

CLARE County Council have revealed a €40 million shortfall in capital funding for the County’s water services program.

Alec Fleming, County Manager made the announcement at yesterday’s monthly meeting of Clare County Council at which members debated the lack of progress on the County’s water services investment programme.

Mr Fleming said that the provision of sewage treatment plants across the county was the “single biggest issue” facing the council at the moment.

Mr Fleming said that the Council was working hard to address the shortfall.

“On the positive side it does seem that a number of schemes are progressing and we are expecting progress on the Services Land Initative (SLI).

“The biggest problem is with sewage problems across the board, it is the single biggest issue facing us at the moment.

“We are negotiating that process. I would also like to tell councilors that there is a big capital shortfall.

“There is between a €40 to €50 million shortfall in the water services programme which we addressing,” said Mr Fleming.

Councilors had earlier called for updates on on the progress of water treatment proposals currently with the Department of Environment and Local Government.

The long running saga over the wait for treatment facilities in rural areas again came in for sharp criticism.

Cllr Joe Arkins raised the issue of the delay in a foreshore loicense for Ballyvaughan and Doolin.

“We have supplied all the necessary information and complied with all the conditions, why is it not progressing.

“We have been given no reason why these schemes are not progressing, this is not appropriate.”

Cllr Richard Nagle said the blame lay firmly at the feet of the governmnt and that the wait for water services was a disgrace.

“It is an absoloute scnadal, just when towns were about to benefit, the department moves the goalposts.

“We have been waiting two years for a foreshore license for Doolin and it has been years years since funding was announced.

“We are blue in the face talking about it at this stage, not €1 has been spent on the development.”

Tom Carey, Director of Services, said the Council was putting the department under pressure, but that no definite timeline had been given for schemes in Feakle, Quitly and Scariff, Cooraclare and in Doolin and Ballyvaughan.

He added that engineering difficulties had delayed the installation of the interim water treatment plant for Ennis.

DRASTIC traffic calming measures are to be introduced in a Clarecastle estate to curb mounting traffic problems in the area.

Temporary speed ramps are to be installed in St Joseph’s terrace after a petition containing 100 signatures from residents in the area was presented to council officals. Locals are said to be very concerned that the estate had become a “rat run” for traffic avoiding delays on the N18.

Councillors had originally wanted to install two permanent ramps in the area but agreed a temporary solution after Hugh McGrath, senior execuCALLS were made by a Clare TD at the weekend’s Fine Gael Árd Fheis to liberalise the Irish insurance market by allowing EU-based competitors greater freedom.

Speaking on a motion proposed by the Sandymount, Dublin, branch of Fine Gael, Clare Deputy, Pat Breen, tive engineer, expressed reservations about such a course of action.

The petition was presented by Cllr Joe Carey (FG) at yesterday’s Committee Meeting for the Ennis Electoral Area. Cllr Carey’s motion called on the council to urgently provide speed ramps as the heavy volume of traffic using the road posed a definite risk to children living in the area.

Cllr Carey said residents’ concerns had been ignored for too long and that urgent action was needed.

“There is potential there for a serious accident,” he said. “I know that this is tied up with the bypass being finished, but I don’t want to be the one explaining to parents that said that in a market such as Ireland’s, the insurance industry was relatively small and despite a lowering of prices in recent times, many analysts felt there was room for improvement.

“A small market restricts choice and leads to high prices. In any survey comparing profits, Irish insurers always come out better than insurance companies, for instance, in the ramps didn’t go in because the bypass wasn’t finished. Clare County Council must deliver speed ramps to the people of Clarecastle. It’s like a rally circuit down there at eight in the morning.”

Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) supported Cllr Carey’s call, saying other forms of traffic management had a negligible effect on speeding.

“I’m living in an area where there were traffic calming measures imposed and you might as well have been lighting candles. If residents want that, then we should accept it.”

Mr McGrath said he was against the idea as speed ramps represented a last resort. “Speed ramps are the very UK market.

“In one notable survey by the Motor Insurance Advisory Board, it found that motor insurers in Ireland reported 11 times the profit earned by their UK counterparts between 1983 and 1999,” he said.

Deputy Breen, his party’s spokesman on small business, added that he received many queries from young last option on a list of traffic calming measures. We would conduct a traffic flow survey of the area to assess its needs. Lighting and signage are far more effective. Ramps have a detrimental look, feel and sound.”

There were some heated exchanges over the issue. When Mr McGrath asked whether councillors now determined engineering policy for Clare County Council, Cllr Brennan replied that as elected officials, wanted their decisions carried out.

Tom Coughlan, director of services, intervened and proposed a compromise. “There has never been a vote at an Ennis Electoral meeting. We could put in temporary ramps.” people in particular who are frustrated at the prohibitive cost of motor insurance.

“I feel that new entrants would encourage more attractive packages for such people,” he said.

He pointed out that if the Irish insurance market was healthy and competitive as was often claimed by the industry here, then they have nothing to fear from competition.

“In the same way that entrants such as the Bank of Scotland are shaking up the mortgage market, I feel the entrance of new insurers to the market would have a positive effect for consumers.

“If Ireland is to shake off its ripoff image then the underlying reality has to be tackled. It’s not just about marketing the image but tackling the cause,” he said.

Deputy Breen said afterwards that any person unable to get a quotation for motor insurance could contact the Insurance Information Service (016761914) who would assist them and arrange for their case to be considered under the terms of the Declined Cases Agreement.

Among the other Clare Fine Gael members who attended the weekend Ard Fheis for a special meeting of the party’s councillors were cllrs Madeleine Taylor Quinn, John Crowe, Martin Conway, John ‘Mashen’ McInerney, Oliver Garry, and Joe Cooney. Councillor Crowe missed by one vote being elected to the executive committee of Fine Gael councillors.

FIANNA Fáil members in Clare will kick off the party’s 80 year anniversary celebrations over the weekend with a commemorative evening in Kilfenora.

The event, which has been organised by the Ennistymon/Miltown Malbay and North Clare sections of the party, is the opening event in a nationwide calendar of events taking place over the weekend.

Retiring Clare TD, Síle deValera, will be guest of honour at the ceremony which will take place in Vaughan’s Bar on Saturday evening.

“The main event of the celebration will be Síle deValera’s speech,” said one of the events organiser, Mary Crawford.

“She will speak on the topic of ‘Fianna Fáil: 80 years on’ and will be the only person to make a speech on the night.”

Another highlight of the night will be a special commemorative booklet compiled by the west and north Clare groups.

The booklet will include a variety of photographs from the last 80 years as-well-as messages from An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds.

“It is a compilation of all the things that people have picked up from over the years,” continued Ms Crawford. “All the photos that are in there have some significance for Clare people. For example, there is one great photo of Charley Haughey meeting a group in Miltown Malbay where his driver at the time came from.”

The event will be attended by Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Corofin’s Tony Killeen who remembers some of the parties biggest achievements in the county.

“Undoubtedly, Dr Paddy Hillery signing Irelands accession in to the EU was a major achievement for the party in Clare,” said Minister Killeen.

“Clare has also benefited from the economic revival over the last number of years and Fianna Fáil can claim a lot of the credit for that.

“I have a slightly different view of this from that of other people as I have attend Council of Ministers meetings in the EU and see the level of admiration that is there for the Irish success story.”

The Kilfenora commemoration will be followed on Sunday by a major exhibition of artefacts in University College Dublin. This exhibition will feature a significant amount of photography and election material and includes Fianna Fáil’s first ever policy poster.

CLARE’S 2,300 registered Fine Gael members are focused on this Sunday’s selection convention in Ennis where five party members, including sitting TD Pat Breen, will fight it out for two nominations to run for the party at the next general election.

The other four candidates seeking selection are former TD Cllr Madeleine Taylor Quinn; Cllr Joe Carey, the son of former TD Donal Carey; Cllr John Crowe; and Cllr Tony Mulcahy.

Deputy Breen said the number of people seeking selection was a mark of the vibrancy of the party in Clare.

“Unfortunately there will be losers as well as winners at the convention but I know that everybody has their eye on the greater goal of regaining a second seat in Clare,” he said.

“I am looking forward to a dynamic convention where the party faithful in the county will get an opportunity to assess the candidates.”

With five of the better-known members of the party vying for a position on the blue team’s ticket in 2007, one Fine Gael insider has predicted, “it will be a right dog-fight.”

Fine Gael won two seats in Clare in the 1982, 1987 and 1989 elections. Deputy Breen added that it was apparent from this weekend’s Ard Fheis in Dublin that there was a new mood of optimism in the party which had built itself up and unified itself under the leadership of Enda Kenny.

“Leading the Fine Gael team going into the next election will be an honour,” he said.

“I have spent the last four years seeing at first hand what the problems and issues are for people in Clare and after nine years of the same Government, people are looking for change.”

The party selection convention is scheduled for the West County hotel in Ennis this coming Sunday.

The Fine Gael party has seen a 2,000 per cent increase in its membership in Shannon town in the past year.

Membership has increased three fold across the county.

The Shannon town branch has swollen to 21 and a half times its original size, from 24 to 516 in the run up to its election convention now pencilled in for mid-May.

Across the county the party figures have also increased to more than 2,400 members as the party prepares for its one member, one vote general election candidate selection process.

RESIDENTS living close to the Éire Óg GAA grounds in Ennis say they are shocked by a decision to allow the ESB build an 80 foot high mast.

The telecommunications mast for the ESB’s compound at Cahercalla More got the go-ahead after An Bord Pleanála chiefs overruled a strong recommendation from their own inspector.

“I am absolutely gutted by the decision,” a local resident told

.

“Citizens have no rights and everything is dictated by Government. It is an absolute disgrace that the Board has granted permission for this mast and ignored the recommendation of its own inspector.

“This mast will tower over all of us. It is extremely distressing. I feel absolutely powerless.

“There is no resource to any other body as our only option would be to seek leave for a Judicial Review which could cost between €25,000 and €100,000.”

The ruling may come against future objectors to mobile phone masts, because with regard to this mast’s height, the Board cited the presence of Ennis Cathedral spire.

Local residents had told the appeals board that the structure was of excessive height, out of keeping with existing development in the area and would effect a significant visual impact, including the protected view on the Rocky Road. They also claimed it would depreciate the value of properties in the vicinity.

The Board’s inspector agreed, writing, “The proposed development would set an unwelcome precedent for similar development within urban areas. The proposed development would therefore be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area”.

However, rejecting the inspector’s recommendation, the Board had regard to national policy, the commercial zoning of the site, and fact that the site consisted of an existing ESB substation.

When refusing planning permission, Ennis Town Council stated that the mast would materially contravene the Ennis and Environs Development Plan.

The Board stated that it noted that the council had decided to refuse permission. But it cited Department of Transport guidelines to conclude that it was not constrained in granting permission.

As a result, the Board granted planning permission.