Category: News

THE SHANNON Airport Authority (SAA) has generated an estimated €14 million in revenues from US troop traffic in the first quarter of this year. Figures released by the SAA show that 116,540 US troops have flown through Shannon on 743 flights. The figures for March show that 41,138 troops used the airport during the past month. This is in addition to the 75,315 troops that have used Shannon for the first two months of this year.

The figures show that there has been a 21 per cent increase on the corresponding period for last year where a total of 95,984 US troops used the airport’s facilities.

The figures released for the first quarter confirm that the airport is on course to exceed the record number of American troops that passed through Shannon Airport last year.

The estimated €14 million generated from troop traffic brings to almost €100 million the amount Shannon has received from the US Government as a result of its campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent times.

Troop traffic has also been instrumental in sustaining the airport’s catering operation in recent years. Last year troop traffic accounted for 10 per cent of the overall traffic numbers going through Shannon Airport.

Senator Timmy Dooley (FF) told The Clare People , “The business is very welcome and has assisted Shannon in its transition to a low-cost airport.

“I understand that the greater numbers of troops going through Shannon is as a result of shorter terms for the troops in Iraq.”

The number of troops going through Shannon represents 16 per cent of the overall total. It is expected that this percentage will significantly decrease during the peak Summer season.

It is estimated that there are currently 150,000 US troops in Iraq and an unknown number of troops that flew to Iraq via Shannon have not made the return journey home.

However, Senator Dooley said: “The troop business is welcome, but the airport would not want to depend on it going forward as we don’t know when the US will pull out of Iraq.”

Along with civilian aircraft carrying troops, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that last year the Government granted permission for 753 military aircraft to land in Ireland.

It is understood that the vast majority of these aircraft were US military landing at Shannon.

The Department also confirmed that the Government gave permission to 3,582 military aircraft to overfly Ireland last year. This figure represented a decrease of three per cent on the 3,691 military aircraft that overflew Ireland in 2003.

A THIRD level college could be on the cards for Ennis after Clare County Council said it was pushing ahead with plans for a facility.

The council announced that serious consideration was been given to the proposal and that funding was currently been sought for the appointment of a full time project manager for the proposed facility.

A submission has been sent to the Department of Education and Science while Clare VEC are also said to be exploring the possibility

The motion for a third level institution was put forward by Councillor Pascal Fitzgerald (Lab) at last Monday’s resumed March meeting of Clare County Council.

In response, the council stated that the provision of additional facilities for further and higher education was a priority in the County Development Board Strategy.

Speaking yesterday, Cllr Fitzgerald said a third level facility was essential for an expanding town like Ennis and that it would have a major positive impact on the town’s long term growth.

“I feel Ennis needs a third level college and it would have a major impact on the town. It would be hugely beneficial for Ennis and the county. The council are looking at it and so are the VEC.”

A third level institution was first mooted for Ennis in 2004. The grounds of the Our Lady’s Hospital were proposed as a location for a college and an information age technology park.

RESIDENTS of an Ennis housing estate have received assurances that a fence will be installed as part of the Westbourne housing development.

The controversial development received the go-ahead at this month’s meeting of Ennis Town Council.

Councillors decided to accept Town Engineer, Tom Tiernan’s recommendation, that the construction of 66 dwelling houses and 16 apartments including site development works and associated services, at Westbourne be approved by members.

But, despite opposition, Mr Tiernan said that the wall separating Bishop’s Court from the proposed Westbourne development will be constructed.

Ennis Town Council invited submission from residents of Bishop’s Court and Mountain View on the Watery Road. In total, 18 submissions were received.

The Bishop’s Court resident’s expressed the view that the provision of a three metre high wall between the proposed development and Bishop’s Court was essential. However The Killaloe Diocesan office said that it could not justify spending diocesan money on the wall.

“The wall proved to be the most difficult issue and we need to make inroads into it. We will provide that fence in time. The Department have made their feelings clear on that issue,” Mr Tiernan told the meeting.

Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) praised the work of Mr Tiernan and proposed that the council accept Mr Tiernan’s recommendations.

As part of the construction, three houses will be facilitated with solar-power technology.

A FRESH row has broken out over military use of Shannon airport, with revelations that Russia has been using the facility to export military helicopters to South America.

The revelations come in the wake of newspaper pictures, which showed USchartered Antanov cargo planes on the runway at Shannon. These planes are used to carry three military helicopters bound for Israel.

The Russian cargo flight landed at the airport on February 20, one week before the US plane. The flight was carrying a cargo of Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters bound for Venezuela.

The use of Shannon by Russian flights carrying the helicopters has been confirmed by Transport Minister, Martin Cullen.

The overall consignment from Russia included 20 Mi-17’s, mostly used for troop transport, 10 Mi-35’s assault helicopters and three Mi-26ts, the heaviest and most powerful helicopters in the world.

In a statement, Minister Cullen said that an inquiry launched after it was revealed that the US flights carrying choppers had landed, had now been upgraded to “a review.”

The minister’s statement said that under international aviation rules, “aircraft making technical stops do not need an authorisation. In Ireland, however, permission is required if munitions are being carried.”

He said that the Russian flight notification had “indicated that no dangerous goods or munitions will be carried on board. In the course of our enquiries the department has learned that helicopters were, in fact, carried.”

The latest controversy also follows claims that CIA planes landing at Shannon are carrying prisoners bound for torture.

The Green Party has called for an independent probe into the matter.

Green Party chairman, John Gormley asked whether “the Foreign Minister of the Taoiseach knew that these killing machines were exported from Shannon?”

A SERIES of public meetings to ease concerns over the application process for third level grants will take place in May.

The meetings are being organised by Clare VEC to advise students and parents on how to proceed with applying for a third level grant.

The application process doesn’t begin until late summer, but Clare VEC hope that by holding the sessions people will be better prepared.

Clare VEC handles over 700 applications each year for third level grants for institutes of technology and students who have earned VEC scholarships. George O’Callaghan, CEO with Clare VEC, explained that many people experienced difficulties in the past, which led to payments been delayed.

“We hope that with these sessions, we will be able to answer people’s queries before the process begins in late August. It will take some of the fear out of it and that unknown factor.

“There has been some issues over the correct documentation with regards to passports and P60’s, so we are hoping that we will be able to clear that up. If the application is delayed, then payments will be delayed”.

The meetings will take place in Killaloe Community College, on May 2; Scoil Muire Ennistymon, on May 8; Kilrush Community School on May 15 and Ennis Community College on May 10.

The sessions are open to parents of Leaving Cert students and other adults, or mature students, who will be applying for maintenance grants. They will attended on the night by Mr O’Callaghan and VEC staff members.

THE POPULARITY of Shannon as Ireland’s low-cost airport continues, with the airport recording a 22 per cent increase in passenger numbers in the first quarter of this year.

According to the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA), for the first quarter of this year, 716,000 passengers used Shannon.

Over the Easter bank-holiday weekend alone, an estimated 40,000 passengers used Shannon – an increase of 28 per cent on last year.

However, the continuing growth at Shannon comes against the background of continuing uncertainty over the airport’s future with a recommendation by the Labour Court on the Dublin Airport Authority’s (DAA) €30 million ‘survival plan’ for Shannon imminent.

The DAA’s Director for Change, John Horgan and Shannon unions, made their case to the Labour Court on the March 24. Workers who decide to remain with the company will receive “substantial lump sum payments”.

Mr Horgan described the package on offer to the airport’s workers “as probably the highest severance package available in Ireland and probably the highest available ever”.

The package gives staff with over 24 years experience a €100,000 pay-off, while it also entitles workers to their company pensions at 55.

The Labour Court has been inspecting proposals by the DAA, which is seeking to cut its workforce at Shannon by 200, through the voluntary redundancy scheme.

“Based on the expressions of interest that we have had, I am completely happy that we will reach our target of voluntary redundancies,” Mr Horgan said.

The company’s proposals for Shannon involve the outsourcing of a number of sections. This is facing stiff opposition from SIPTU, which claims that the proposals would result in the displacement of over two hundred of the existing workforce and their replacement by staff on inferior pay and conditions.

A REPORT on the inquiry into the resignation of the most senior member of the county’s Vocational Educational Committee has been sent to the Department of Education and forwarded to the VEC.

Former CEO of the Clare VEC, Padraigín Úi Riordáin, informed the educational committee at its July 2004 meeting of her “involuntary resignation” from September 24 of the same year.

Her shock departure came just over two years after she took up the post.

An inquiry into the performance of Clare VEC and how it related to the CEO’s resignation was completed and the resulting report forwarded to all interested bodies last week.

At the July 2004 meeting, Ms Úi Riordáin received the support of the majority of VEC staff and members of the committee. At the time, the former CEO declined to elaborate any further on the precise reason for her unexpected departure. However, she admitted that she had taken legal action as a result of the resignation, and requested that the Minister for Education and Science establish an inquiry.

She later took up a new post as principal of a second-level college in County Cork. Chairperson of the Clare VEC committee, Clare County Councillor, Tommy Brennan (Ind) said that the inquiry was conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Vocational Education Acts.

“The inquiry officer had full statutory powers to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of evidence. The Minister or County Clare Vocational Education Committee has no power under the Vocational Education Acts to interfere with, or influence, the inquiry process.

“The statutory function to inquire into matters contained in the relevant terms of reference, rests solely with the inquiry officer,” he added.

“Any attempt by the Minister or the VEC Committee to assume a function in this regard would clearly be ultra vires. Therefore, the report prepared by the inquiry officer on foot of the inquiry cannot be re-examined or amended by County Clare VEC.”

While the Department of Education and Science has circulated copies of the report to those persons affected, it has also stated that “no further publication is anticipated or proposed”.

It was considered by members of County Clare VEC at a Special Meeting of the Committee held on Thursday last.

THE Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Mary Harney, has given an undertaking that the voice of Ennis General Hospital Development Committee will be considered in a major review of acute hospital services.

But Clare Fine Gael TD, Pat Breen, has called on Ms Harney to “come clean and admit” that their assurances on the future of accident and emergency services at the Ennis hospital did not stand up.

Ms Harney promised to listen to the development committee, in a response to a Dáil question.

“Concerns raised by individuals and groups, particularly in relation to the smaller hospitals, and the work already undertaken by groups such as the Ennis General Hospital Development Committee, the Independent Reconfiguration Panel in the United Kingdom and the Nenagh General Hospital Action Group, will be taken into account as a key component of the review process.”

She said consultants currently undertaking a review of acute hospital services would make recommendations, “on the options for reconfiguring and redesigning services and, in particular, to identify the elements of healthcare that can be most effectively delivered at each site and set out what needs to be done to achieve this objective.”

But Deputy Breen claimed that the Tánaiste’s assurances put previous assurances “in a new light”.

“The future of such services will remain in doubt right up to the general election and, even then, the Government might hide behind its flawed mantra that management and delivery of health services rest with the HSE,” Deputy Breen said.

“This is an intolerable situation. We have had half assurances followed by fudge followed by silence, followed by withdrawals of statements. I have continually called for a clear statement from Minister Harney on this issue by way of Parliamentary Question and by letter, and every time the nub of the issue is ignored.

“However, it is clear now that the jury is out on the future of A&E services pending the outcome of the review of acute services. If the review goes against Ennis General, then the best the people of Clare can hope for is that they may be thrown the bone of guaranteed A&E services as a pre-election promise. This is a scandalous way to govern in a modern democracy.”

LAHINCH Golf Club are to invite new members to join, against a backdrop of accounts showing the club recorded a modest operating loss last year.

In his report to members, Captain of the Men’s club, Denis Creedon, said that moves had been made to open up membership.

Describing it as a “thorny issue”, Mr Creedon said that a sensible scheme had been supported by the club’s board of management and council to open up membership, in a limited way, over the next year or two.

Members attending the club’s annual general meeting last Friday were told that an operating loss of €42,767 was recorded, in contrast to the €139,782 operating profit of 2004.

The loss is being attributed to the €177,930 spent on upkeeping its links golf course last year. In 2004, the maintenance bill came to €139,925.

The golf club is one of the top visitor destinations in Clare and is vital to the north Clare economy and, in particular, to Lahinch.

Last year, the total number of visitors to the course was 19,146, compared to the 19,786 in 2004.

The golf club also encountered added catering costs, where it spent €47,353 in 2005.

This was almost triple the €19,309 spent on the same item in 2004.

Green fee income was slightly down on 2004. Last year, €1.515 million was generated, compared to €1.534 million the previous year.

The accounts also show that, last year, the golf club made no contribution to Lahinch Seaworld, whereas in 2004, it provided €15,000.

Total income stood at €2,630,327, which was down slightly on the 2004 income of €2,665,724. There was a slight increase in expenditure with €2.673 million in 2005 against the €2.525 million spent in 2004

However, the overall health of the golf club’s finances remain very good. The operating loss was wiped out by €55,000 in income from “overseas life membership”. The golf club has accumulated income of €4.509 million. The current membership stands at 2,187, which is a slight increase on the 2,142 members in 2004. The golf club is budgeted in 2006 to return to an operating surplus of €103,357, through increasing income by €200,000 in green fees.

But bar gross profit is anticipated to drop from €128,434 last year to €18,088 next year.

A DISTRICT Court judge has expressed amazement at the failure to ensure that witnesses for the prosecution against a garda were available when the case was fixed for hearing.

Judge Joseph Mangan turned down an application by the State to have the case against a Shannon-based garda adjourned because three witnesses, including the main witness, would be unavailable to attend.

Inspector Tom Kennedy had sought an adjournment in the case of Garda Pat Keating, of Woodlands, Cahercalla, Ennis, who faces one charge under the Public Order Act arising out of an incident at the Shannon Knights carpark, Tullyvarraga, Shannon, on March 13, 2004.

Inspector Kennedy told Judge Joseph Mangan that three of the State’s 12 witnesses would be unavailable to attend court for the case which was fixed for hearing on this Thursday (April 20).

Inspector Kennedy said the main witness, Ms Eavan Drysdale, would be out of the country on that date and that the trip had been arranged before the hearing date was set. Garda Keating was recently acquitted in the Circuit Court of threatening Ms Drysdale.

The Inspector said that two others would also be unavailable and that one of those would be sitting exams.

The Judge asked whether the State had ascertained what dates witnesses would not be available prior to a day for the hearing being set.

When told that the State had not done so, Judge Mangan replied, “That amazes me.”

Judge Mangan said that the State should have known whether its witnesses would be available on the day a date for the hearing was confirmed. He asked that Ms Drysdale appear before him in the afternoon to clarify the position in relation to her availability.

When the mother of two appeared in court later in the day, she told Judge Mangan that she had been asked by her employer to travel to Sweden on a business trip and that this had been confirmed two weeks ago.

Solicitor Daragh Hassett, acting as agent for Garda Keating’s solicitor, objected to the adjournment.

“Mr Keating already has his council booked to travel from Dublin for the hearing.

“He has made numerous attempts to have this summary matter dealt with as soon as possible.”

Mr Hassett added, “Mr Keating is on desk duty until this matter is disposed of and cannot return to active duty then. He is also suffering a loss of income as a result.”