Category: News

CLARE County Council is seeking to increase by 500 per cent the number of homes provided through contentious Government legislation, in order to drastically reduce its housing waiting list.

The plans mean the council will provide 73 affordable housing units this year.

At the council’s monthly meeting last Monday, it emerged that the authority had provided only 14 affordable homes through Part V of the 2000 Planning and Development Act.

Part V requires developers to provide cash to local authorities towards the provision of affordable housing.

However, at the council’s Special Policy Committee (SPC) on Housing last week, the Acting Director for Housing, Josephine Cotter-Coughlan, said that the council intended to provide 73 Part V Affordable Housing Units this year.

The 73 Part V units form part of the council’s “expanded housing provision” in 2006, by which the housing authority intends to provide 312 new homes.

Ms Cotter-Coughlan said that the council intended to start 114 social houses. Twenty-four of these would be located in Corofin, 20 in Miltown Malbay, 19 in Sixmilebridge, 16 in Killaloe, 14 in Scarriff, 10 in Kildysart, eight in Shannon and three in Lisdoonvarna.

Ms Cotter-Coughlan said that 46 turnkey starts would be provided with 22 Clarecastle, 14 in Lisdoonvarna and 10 in Newmarket.

She said that 49 starts for voluntary housing would be made this year, with 30 in Killaloe, 10 in Clarecastle and nine in Mountshannon.

The council is also planning to commence work on 30 “affordable homes” at Kilkee.

Ms Cotter-Coughlan said that the council also intended to purchase land at Newmarket, Lisdoonvaran and Ennistymon. Currently, the Council has a landbank for social housing in 10 settlements throughout Clare, including Ballyvaughan, Miltown Malbay, Kilkee, Corofin, Broadford, and Corofin.

However, there is a demand for social housing in 36 settlements and for affordable housing in 30 settlements.

The meeting was told that the council currently didn’t have enough land to complete its housing programme and was currently short 40 acres of land for sites.

Ms Cotter-Coughlan said that a major obstacle to achieving targets in the provision of housing are the continual difficulties in securing funding from central Government in the provision of water infrastructure in a number of towns and villages.

She said, “It is a major issue.”

AN Ennis couple who received over €100,000 from a property developer for withdrawing their objection to a €20 million housing development have successfully blocked a retail development in the town.

An Bord Pleanala has sided with Vincent and Ann Coffey of Clon Rd, Ennis, who objected to plans by Galvin Construction Ltd to build a retail outlet on Francis Street.

The appeals board ruled that the development would be contrary to proper planning and development of the area.

In its decision to refuse, the appeals board cited the absence of available parking, and traffic movements that would endanger public safety. The board’s inspector, in a report, also highlighted the lack of parting.

“This is not a town or village street location. It is an edge of town, or suburban location as it currently exists. I would envisage a considerable amount of convenience sales type traffic associated with the proposed development.”

Last September, Ennis Town Council granted planning permission for the Galvin Construction proposal, in spite of an objection lodged by the Coffeys.

The couple own property near to the site.

In lodging their appeal against the application, they claimed that the proposal would “devalue our property by virtue of its proximity along the lateral boundary.

“It will result in overshadowing, loss of amenity and privacy.”

In 2004, it emerged that the Coffeys withdrew their objection against a €20 million housing scheme at the Quin Rd, Doora by Luxury Homes (Galway) Ltd., after the company paid them £85,000 (€107,930) and gave them two free sites.

The couple expressed concern over the impact the proposal would have on their business, operated adjacent to the proposed development.

The couple have denied their objections were done to earn money.

The Coffeys successfully blocked a subsequent application by the same developers, in June 2004, to build a €10 million development on zoned lands in Ennis.

In August, Luxury Homes lodged new plans with the Clare County Council for 108 two-bedroom apartments at Doora, Ennis and the Coffeys lodged a fresh objection against the proposal, but the couple objected citing concerns including traffic.

A MAN with an address in Ennistymon has appeared in court on a series of motoring charges, arising out of a hit and run road crash.

David Wheeler (30), of Apartment 2, The Glen, Ennistymon, appeared at Ennistymon District Court, in relation to an accident on October 1 last, at Killura, Ennistymon.

Superintendent Eamon Dolan said the accused, who was driving a friend’s car, hit another car and carried on driving, before hitting a ditch and overturning.

Defending solicitor, Eugene O’Kelly, said his client was attempting to go home to his mother on the night in question.

He lost control, hit the ditch and the car turned over. He paid compensation for the damage to the other car.

“He was the first black person to captain a county championship team, when he captained Inagh to the hurling championship, some years ago,” said Mr O’Kelly.

He said his client has started coaching football in schools.

The court was told the damage to the car he collided with was almost €3,000 and the accused had paid €1,000 compensation.

“I was asked to pay €1,000 by the garda,” said the accused.

The owner of the car told Judge Joseph Mangan he received €1,000 in compensation and said he was satisfied with that, as the car was a 1988 car.

Judge Mangan adjourned the case to finalise the compensation issue.

AN English company has failed to secure the go ahead for a “Wellness” destination spa hotel near Killaloe.

An Bord Pleanala has refused planning permission to Unfinity Ltd., of Worcestershire, England to develop a 28-bedroom hotel on 37 acres of land.

Last August, Clare County Council refused the application, ruling that the proposal would seriously injure the amenities of the area and generate dangerous traffic congestion on local roads.

The council’s planners also warned that the development’s scale, siting and design would fail to integrate into the rural landscape.

In their appeal to An Bord Pleanala, the company said their proposal was aimed at a niche market known as “Wellness” destination spas.

“The destination spa’s sole purpose is to provide guests with lifestyle improvement and health enhancement through professionally administered spa services, physical fitness, educational programming and on-site accommodation.

The Board refused planning permission on a number of grounds following their inspector’s recommendation to refuse.

The Board stated that the site of the proposal was located outside any identified settlement in a rural area under development pressure and it was the policy of the council to encourage the development of integrated tourist facilities in, or adjacent to, existing settlements.

“This policy is considered reasonable. It is considered that the proposed development, located in a rural area lacking certain services and infrastructure, would militate against the preservation of the rural environment and, by reason of its scale, setting and design, would fail to integrate into the landscape and would seriously injure the visual amenities of the area.

“The proposed development would, therefore, contravene the provisions of the Development Plan and would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.”

LISCANNOR looks set to be twinned with the town of Paterson in New Jersey, to commemorate the invention of the submarine by local man John Holland 125 years ago, this year.

An open invitation has also been extended by the Mayor of Paterson, José Torres, to the people of Liscannor, to join in the celebration of the invention in New Jersey on May 1.

Holland was born in Liscannor on February 24, 1841, but later moved to the small New Jersey town, where he set up a naval company and won the contract to build the world’s first working submarine, ‘the Fenian Ram’ in 1881.

A public meeting was held in Liscannor last week to discuss the possibility of setting up a twinning agreement with the American town.

After attending St Macreehy’s National School in Liscannor, Holland spent some time in the Christian Brothers School in Ennistymon. He moved to Limerick, following the death of his father when he was 17years-old.

His father was in the coastguard and, as a young man, Holland expressed an interest in following him in this career. His eyesight was not of the required quality however, and he instead joined the Christian Brothers.

While in training to enter the Brothers he came into contact with a science teacher named Brother Dominic Burke, who encouraged him in his designs for a submarine.

Just before his final ordination into the Christian Brothers in 1873, he decided to leave the order and join his mother and his two brothers in Boston.

After working for a brief time in an engineering firm, he took up a teaching position at St John’s Catholic School in Paterson, New Jersey.

His original attempt to attract the US Navy to invest in his design were rejected, but following help from his brother Michael and funding from the Fenian movement, he constructed the 14-foot prototype, the Holland No 1, in 1877.

Using further money invested by the Fenians, Holland built the Fenian Ram in Delamater Iron Works in 1881.

He later set up the John Holland Torpedo Boat Company, which won the contract to build the first submarines for the American Navy in 1896.

A damning picture of staff shortages and accusations of restrictive practice in the planning process, was painted at yesterday’s monthly meeting of Clare County Council.

During a lengthy debate, council officials were urged to take immediate action to alleviate staff shortages in Clare County Council’s planning department. The situation at the planning office was said to be at “crisis point”. The council was also advised to adopt a common-sense approach to addressing the accommodation needs of people with physical and mental disabilities.

Councillor Christy Curtin (Ind) said resources for the planning department had remained static, even though the workload had dramatically increased.

“We need more planners and resources for the people of Clare. We have to carry on this campaign as the service is suffering,” said Cllr Curtin.

County Manager Alec Flemming accepted that problems existed, but admitted his hands were tied because of strict staffing regulations.

“There is a staff embargo in force and there’s not much we can do about it. Even if I did manage to be successful in allocating new resources there is still the question of money,” said Mr Fleming.

Earlier, the council heard that planning restrictions in the County Development Plan discriminated against the “physically incapacitated and the mentally dependent”.

In a motion tabled jointly by Councillors Peter Considine (FF) and P.J Kelly (FF) it was proposed that the plan be amended to ensure disabled people living with their families weren’t forced to seek residential care because they were denied permission to amend their households.

Cllr Tony Mulcahy (FG) said he knew of cases “where people with cerebral palsy had been treated appallingly”, while Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) said in such cases, planners should adopt a “common-sense approach”. Accusations were also made that the County Development Plan inhibited rural regeneration.

Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF) said planning guidelines, in particular Section 47, made it impossible for people to settle in rural areas.

Comparing the situation to one faced by Jews in the film Schindlers List, Cllr Prendeville asked, “are we forcing people to locate to towns and villages of County Clare.”

“Cromwell had an expression ‘to hell or to Connaught’ and now it seem to be the case of ‘to hell or to town’” said Cllr Martin Lafferty (Ind).

THE search is on for the next Clare Rose and entries are now being invited to choose our representative in the Kerry Festival.

Entrants can complete an application form and return it to Clare Rose, c/o Clare FM, Francis Street, Ennis with a sponsorship fee of €200.

Clubs, societies, associations, businesses, family or friends are invited to nominate contestants. The Gala Rose Selection will be held at the West County Hotel, on May 12, and the new Clare Rose will contest the Irish Regional Final in Tralee on June 9 and 10.

Eligibility criteria for the International Rose of Tralee contest include that entrants must be aged between 18 and 28 years, be of Irish birth or ancestry and be single without children. Closing date for applications is Friday, April 28.

A YOUNG man has been charged with assaulting a woman in the accountant’s office where she worked.

Patrick Hall (20), of 8 Beech Park, Kilrush, is charged with assaulting Bernadette Adams and with burglary, at Francis Street, Kilrush, last Thursday, April 6.

Detective Garda Michael McDonagh said he arrested the accused at lunchtime on Friday. After charges, the accused replied, “I did not do it.”

Ms Adams said she was working upstairs at Leahy’s accountants, last Thursday.

She went to the toilet and while there, heard footsteps.

She was then confronted by two youths. She said they tried to push her forward and she ended up at the bottom of the stairs. She was taken to hospital for treatment and was discharged later that night.

“I am in great pain. I have never been confronted like this before and I find it very distressing,” she said.

Defending solicitor, William Cahir applied for bail, saying his client was willing to surrender his passport. Inspector Tom Kennedy said he was opposing that application, based on the “seriousness of the charges and the weight of the evidence against the defendant.” He said there would be a fear of intimidation and a fear the witness would abscond. The solicitor said, however, that there was no basis for the fears of intimidation.

Det Gda McDonagh said he was aware that the accused purchased sterling in the last few days and planned to visit his mother in the UK. Det Sergeant Dave Sheedy told Judge Mangan that he could not understand why so many members of the defendant’s family were in court.

“It is obviously distressing and intimidating for the witness,” he said.

The judge said he was refusing bail, based on the seriousness of the charges, the weight of evidence against the accused and the fears that he may abscond.

“I have to confess I have an open mind on the intimidation issue at this stage,” he said. He ordered six members of the Hall family, who were in court, not to contact the witness and to stay out of Leahy’s shop, until the case is finalised.

A MAN who was “caught red handed” with ten Rohypnol tablets claimed in court that he took them to come down off another drug.

Josef Duna (39), of Pineview Estate, Killarney, and who is originally from the Czech Republic, admitted possessing the Rohypnol tablets – commonly known as the date rape drug – and three wraps of speed, in Ennis, in July 2005.

The court was told the street value of the drugs was €110.

Defending solicitor, Tara Godfrey, said her client paid over money to the alleged supplier when gardaí arrived on the scene.

She said her client, a father-ofthree and a kitchen porter, moved to Ireland six years ago. He hadn’t taken drugs for five years before this incident and was not a regular drug user, she said. The solicitor pointed out that one of the uses for Rohypnol was for an acute sleep disorder.

“The speed he was found with is a particularly potent form of speed. The Rohypnol tablets were to come down off the speed,” she said.

She said her client was in a position to offer money to the court poorbox and that he was at a low risk of reoffending.

Judge Joseph Mangan adjourned the case, to allow for a professional report on drug and alcohol abuse to be carried out.

LONG serving Fianna Fáil politician Senator Brendan Daly has warned his Government colleagues that unless they address some of the ongoing contentious issues in the county, they can firmly rule out a third seat for the party in the next general election.

“I am concerned that issues not being dealt with by the Government would exacerbate an already contentious situation,” he said.

The west Clare Senator referred to the ongoing delays in securing an adequate sewerage scheme for Mullagh, Quilty and other smaller villages in west Clare, local concerns about the future of the accident and emergency department in Ennis General Hospital and the future of Shannon Airport.

“Unless there are serious commitments given on these issues the possibility of three seats in Clare is remote in the extreme,” he said.

The former minister, who did not make it onto the party ticket at last week’s convention, said he was now considering his future in politics.

He consulted with his local Comhairle Cheantar in Kilrush last evening on the issue. He is to take a few more days before announcing if he is available for the next election.

A spokesperson for the Fianna Fáil Party admitted that the four times minister and junior minister was the favourite to be added to the Clare ticket, along with Senator Timmy Dooley and Junior Minister Tony Killeen.

When asked by The Clare People if a contingency plan had been put in place to find a candidate should Senator Daly retire, the spokesperson said “it hasn’t been thought that far through”.

Just days before the Fianna Fáil convention, the party’s headquarters directed that the Clare delegates select just two candidates to represent the county in the General Election. The party would later add a third candidate.

Speaking following the convention, Junior Minister Tony Killeen reminded delegates that he was defeated at the last convention and was later added to the ticket by headquarters. He then went on to top the poll for the party in Clare.

Minister Killeen also admitted that a candidate was needed in West Clare. Having been selected on to the ticket on the first count, Senator Timmy Dooley told the convention delegates that “we have lost out in the last four years since Minister de Valera was taken from the cabinet table.”

He said it was critical for the party to return three seats if Clare was to have a representative in cabinet.