Category: News

WOMEN are largely unaware that they can claim tax relief for being on the pill.

Oral contraception is just one in a variety of expenditures that women can claim relief on. While this relief would fall under the ‘Medical Relief’ section, it is becoming increasingly clear that more and more people are missing out on some extra income every year.

Taxback.com point out that every year thousands of PAYE workers fail to claim relief on a whole variety of expenses that they may qualify for.

It is estimated that there is over one billion euros left in unclaimed taxes in the Exchequers bank account with last years figure alone standing at over €300 million.

PAYE workers are entitled to make a claim going back four years so anyone who has not already done so can lodge a claim for any year going back to 2002.

“We find that people are generally not up to speed on all the various reliefs and allowances they may qualify for which is why they THE Institute of Guidance Counsellors is celebrating the establishment of a new branch to represent members working in County Clare.

Guidance counsellors in Clare work in all second level schools and in various adult guidance settings. Given the growing complexity of the problems that guidance counsellors have to deal with in their work it is very important that they have a locally based structure to provide in-service and mutual support. Guidance counsellors deal with personal, social, educational and career development issues in the lives of their clients, be they young people and adults in educational settings or adults in the would tend to come to a company like ourselves,” said Taxback.com’s Irish Marketing Manager, Colm Murphy.

Murphy also points out that an estimated 70 per cent of the workforce is due some form of refund. “This could be a Trade Union member claiming €60/ €40 (2005) in respect of their annual trade union subscriptions or a student making a claim for Tuition Fees that were paid by themselves or on their behalf by a parent or qualifying relative. It could also be your average PAYE worker making a rent relief claim. The list could go on and on.”

Taxback.com, an Irish based company founded in 1996 is the market leader in organising income tax refunds form Ireland, USA, Australia, Canada, Japan, Luxembourg, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Austria, Gibraltar and Guernsey. It assists both resident and non-resident long-term and transient workers and specialises in International Tax Treaties, income and expenses relating to dual homes, share income, foreign rental income and much more. community.

The President of the Institute in Ireland Brian Mooney attended the official launch of the Clare branch. Brian stated that he was very pleased to have been able to respond to the needs of the members in Clare, particularly so, given that his wife was a Clare woman, they had a home in Lahinch, which gave him a great love for the county and its people. He said that having a local branch based in Ennis Education Centre, would enable guidance counsellors in Clare to build on the expertise that each one of them individually had, as they worked together for the good of the people of Clare.

THE impact of holiday homes on Kilkee has prompted a West Clare councillor to call for the reforming of a community based group.

Dr Tom Nolan called for the Kilkee Planning Review Group to be reformed, claiming that Clare Council Council wasn’t willing to engage with local representatives.

Dr Nolan (Ind), a member of Kilkee Town Council, was chairman of the planning group that fought against a number of tax-driven holiday home developments in Kilkee during the 1990s

“The questions of six-seven years ago remain unanswered and the infrastructure deficit remains the same. I think that it is time that a Planning Review Group be resurrected in some form because there isn’t a willingness from Clare County Council to engage with the people that represent the local people.

“The sad truth is that local people can and never will be able to live in Kilkee because the cost of housing. The only way local people will be able to live in Kilkee is that if developers are compelled to provide social and affordable housing in the area.

“No infrastructure, either social or essential, has been provided for the surge of holiday homes in Kilkee and it is not sustainable. Why doesn’t someone shout stop? It is baffling as to why Clare County Council has granted planning to these developments and you would have to conclude that the council sees Kilkee as a revenue raising area through development charges.”

Dr Nolan made his comments as concern was expressed over the impact a €25 million housing development would have in Kilkee.

Earlier this year, plans were lodged by Paddy Madden, Barry Madden, Jerry O’Sullivan and Paul O’Connell for a 60 home development at Dough, Kilkee. The houses are to be built on six acres of zoned land 250 metres from Kilkee’s Circular Road. The developers are to enter an agreement to give a monetary contribution towards social and affordable housing.

In an objection against the development, Kilkee woman, Martha McGreen states: “The area is losing the very charm that has made it so popular over the years and the very sense of identity of being from Kilkee is being eroded away. How can a person from the town now afford to buy here and with the zoning restrictions how can they even build if they have land?”

A decision is due on the application later this month.

A CLARE Fianna Fáil Senator has claimed that those who he described as placing “mis-information” into the public domain about alleged rendition flights at Shannon Airport were also responsible for causing damage there.

Senator Brendan Daly alleged that while perimeter fences and airplanes were damaged, people who were boarding flights were also frightened.

The Senator derided the number who had turned up at a recent protest at Shannon, during a debate on a Labour proposal to establish a Seanad committee to investigate allegations of “rendition” flights landing there.

“As an indication of the public support for their attitude and their unfounded, wild allegations, which have been examined and rejected by the DPP, four people turned up to protest when the President of the United States was going through Shannon recently.

“There has never been any suggestion that prisoners on their way to Guantanamo Bay, or other places of detention, are being transferred through Shannon. There is no evidence of that.”

However, independent senator, David Norris listed three flights that were routed through Shannon in October 2002, October 2003 and January 2003 that came from Tripoli, Islamabad and Marrakesh.

“The sole purpose of these airplanes was rendition of illegally kidnapped victims and we facilitated that by refuelling those airplanes at Shannon,” he said.

After being interrupted by Senator Timmy Dooley (FF), Senator Norris retorted: “The Senator is not in the county council in Ennis now and he never will be, with the help of God and a toothbrush.”

Senator Norris went on: “The Government signally failed in its duty to inspect these planes and that is why this part of its answer is a downright lie and a disgrace to the Irish people.

“The gardaí told me – this is laughable – that they interrogated the cleaners. The cleaners might notice the odd cigarette packet on the ground, but they would not notice the subtle adaptations, so people can be shackled and manacled in the aircraft.”

Asked by Senator Dooley to withdraw his remark that the government’s answer was a lie, Senator Norris responded: “I will not withdraw anything . . . I sincerely hope that the people for whom the Government has been complicit in their kidnap and torture will sue the State.”

However, Senator Dooley described the proposal before the Seanad as “an anti-American sham”.

“The committee is a backdoor way of getting at the flights. It would establish an unhelpful witch-hunt.

The proposal was defeated by 28 votes to 16.

A GROUP campaigning for maternity services in Clare has rowed in behind the campaign to safeguard accident and emergency services in Clare.

Spokesperson for the Maternity Service Group, Susan Killeen, said that the group is concerned about the Accident and Emergency Department in the Mid-West Regional Hospital Ennis, as it is the first point of call for emergency births in the county.

The lobby group has been campaigning for a midwife-led unit for Clare for a number of years, as well as promoting the choice of a home birth within the county.

There are currently no maternity services in Clare, with the exception of Kilkee based midwife, Sue Cole, who provides a private service.

Last year, 1,387 Clare women gave birth in the Regional Maternity Hospital, Limerick, one third of them by caesarean section.

A further 180 Clare mothers gave birth in the National University Hospital Galway.

Ms Killeen told The Clare People that home births were for the minority. But, the group would like to see a home birth service provided for the county by the HSE, so that women had choices.

She said there was no information provided on home births when looked for by expectant mothers in the county.

A seminar has now been organised by the Home Birth Association in Blackrock Cork on Saturday next. There is currently a pilot scheme on home births in Cork.

A couple who experienced such a birth will talk about their experience while experts provide further information.

SHANNON plane spotter and antiwar activist Conor Cregan is to appeal the decision of the Garda Complaints Board not to investigate his claim that he was falsely imprisoned by gardaí during the visit of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to Clare last month.

Mr Cregan reached national headlines after questioning Mr Ahern on the role of Shannon Airport in transporting prisoners from Iraq during a press conference, which took place in the West County Hotel on February 18.

According to Mr Cregan, when he returned to the press area of the hotel to collect his camera after questioning Mr Ahern, he was followed by a member of the gardaí who closed the door to the room and prevented him from leaving the area.

“I tried to get past him and he wouldn’t let me out,” said Mr Cregan. “He blocked the door and I thought I was going to be beaten up.”

Mr Cregan claimed that he was allowed to leave the room after a few minutes, but was subsequently confronted by a member of the Fianna Fáil party in Clare and a photographer who he believed to be an undercover garda.

“I was accosted by a Fianna Fáil member who demanded my observer pass back and said that I had received it under false pretences – which is untrue,” said Mr Cregan.

“A photographer then grabbed my bag and pulled me over to a security guard and asked him to search it,” he added.

Mr Cregan is to appeal the decision of the Garda Complaints Board and has also written to the Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy. It is Garda policy not to comment on matters which are before the Garda Complaints Board.

A GARDA traffic unit focusing on the east Clare area is to be established in Killaloe within weeks, The Clare People has learned.

The unit, consisting of a sergeant and five gardaí, will compliment the existing Garda Traffic Corps, which is based in Ennis and covers the county.

The establishment of the unit will be paralleled by an increase in size of the traffic corps, based in Ennis, will also be increased in size. All of the changes are due to be finalised by June.

Garda sources say the establishment of the unit in Killaloe follows the increasing number of serious road crashes in that area over the past few years. Traffic members will also clamp down on a spate of crime in the area in recent months.

Overall, the Garda Traffic Corps in the division is to double in size by the end of next year.

This comes amid figures, which show a dramatic increase in the number of drivers arrested for drink driving, across the division. The number of drivers caught speeding is also on the increase.

“It was decided to locate the new unit in Killaloe, given the number of serious accidents there last year. We feel it is needed there,” said a Garda spokesman.

“It is hoped that this will create more visibility in rural areas. Traffic enforcement and crime prevention are the two main aims. The area has been susceptible to burglaries over the past 18 months in particular,” he added.

“There have been quite a number of fatal accidents on the N7 Limerick to Dublin road over the past year and we believe Killaloe would be an appropriate place to locate a second section of the traffic unit,” he said.

East Clare Councillor Paschal Fitzgerald (Lab) welcomed the decision to set up the unit in Killaloe, saying it was a necessary move.

“It is about time. We have been waiting for this for a long time. Speeding is an issue all over the country and it is great to see an initiative being taken,” he said.

He expressed hope that the increased Garda presence may assist in the fight against spiralling crime in the area, most notably burglaries.

“There are only three gardaí in Ardnacrusha. It is great to see the extra gardaí being put in the area. Visibility is important. Hopefully these gardaí will be seen in the housing estates,” he said.

TWO Clare schools have been selected for inclusion in a new initiative aimed at improving the educational needs of children from disadvantaged communities.

Ennistymon Vocational School and Ennis Community College have both been invited to join the newly-established School Support Programme (SSP).

The programme is being run by the Department of Education under the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) initiative.

The decision on whether or not to join the scheme will be made by the boards of management of the schools concerned.

DEIS was launched by the department in 2005 in order to effectively prioritise and address the educational needs of young people in disadvantaged areas.

DEIS has so far been rolled out to 600 primary schools in 300 rural and urban areas and 150 second-level schools. It will be implemented on a phased basis over five years and will involve additional annual investment of some €40 million.

It will also involve the creation of 300 additional posts across the education system.

Addressing the monthly meeting of the board of County Clare VEC, CEO, George O’Callaghan welcomed the news that Clare schools had been invited to participate in the scheme. He added that the invitation might yet be extended to other schools within the county.

“The Department has written to more schools in the county who haven’t been included, to make a case. I know that the schools that have been involved have benefited from the extra resources,” he said.

THE number of people arrested for drink driving over the bank holiday weekend almost doubled, when compared with the same period last year.

Nine drivers were arrested on suspicion of the offence between Friday and yesterday (Monday). Three of these were in Ennis, while the rest were in various parts of the Clare Garda Division. This compares with five arrests during the same weekend last year.

It represents an increase of 14 per cent on last year and a phenomenal 54 per cent increase on the number arrested two years ago.

The head of the Clare Garda Divisional Traffic Unit, Inspector Kevin Moynihan, said the rising trend of arrests for drink driving was a concern.

“It is a worry, but it seems to be mirroring the national trend. There is a high level of enforcement. Hopefully people get the message,” said Inspector Moynihan.

The number of arrests for drink driving each year is continuing to rise in Clare. A total of 283 people were arrested during the whole of last year, which was an increase of 10 per cent on the previous year.

Garda sources said a “significant” number of people from Eastern Europe were arrested for drink driving in Clare in recent months and said this was contributing to the overall figure being so high.

Meanwhile, new measures which will see penalty points imposed for a further 31 offences are due to come into effect at the start of next month.

These include illegal overtaking, failure to obey traffic lights and failing to obey stop and yield signs.

Gardaí using the new hand-held computer system, introduced in recent weeks, say it is working well, with no major problems to-date.

AN East Clare-based woman with the chronic fatigue syndrome, ME, has suffered another setback in her planning troubles with Clare County Council.

Last year, Denise Mitchell of Aughinish, Ogonnelloe, was refused planning permission by the council and An Bord Pleanála to retain her home.

Ms Mitchell chose to live in Ogonelloe due to her hyper-sensitivity to air pollution.

She erected her demountable timberframe house without planning, resulting in the county council serving an enforcement notice on her. Following An Bord Pleanála’s decision to refuse planning permission, Ms Mitchell applied to retain the small demountable home for agricultural and horticultural structures. Now that has been refused as well.

Ms Mitchell’s plight received no sympathy from objector Jim Sheridan of Aughinish, Ogonelloe.

“How many bites at the cherry will the applicant be granted?” his agent asked the council. “The application for retention has no bearing or relevance, whatsoever, in relation to the enforcement obligations of the council. We would submit that the present application, apart from the intended use, is similar in all respects to the earlier opportunities and permission should be refused.”

The council upheld Mr Sheridan’s views, refusing Ms Mitchell on three separate grounds, including scale, visual impact on Lough Derg and traffic.

Ms Mitchell declined to comment on the council’s decision and has until tomorrow (Wednesday) to lodge an appeal.

THE Central Waste Management Facility at Ballyduff Beg could face another rap over the knuckles from the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) following the latest alleged breach of its licence.

Local resident Perry Longe told The Clare People that documents which were required to be available for inspection at the Waste Management Facility were not available on last Thursday, March 16.

The EPA licence states that written documentation which relates to the licensed activities and “copies of the environmental monitoring results and reports” have to be kept on site and available for inspection at all times.

“I asked for both and they didn’t have either. They said that the documents had been removed to head office so that they could prepare for the court case,” said Mrs Longe.

“This amounts to another breach of the licence. They must have €20 million gone into there and if they cannot afford to keep duplicates then there is something seriously wrong.”

Last week it was revealed that local residents John Long along with Tom Harvey and his children Damien and Edel had instigated legal action against Clare County Council, over the operation of the facility.

The four people, who all have houses in close proximity to the Waste Management Facility, are seeking damages as well as the closure of the landfill facility at Ballyduff Beg.

They have been advised by their legal representatives not to speak to the media while the case is pending.

“I feel that it is a vindictive act in retaliation for the court case which is being taken by some of the local people here,” continued Mrs Longe.

“Nobody knows how long these documents might have been missing for. Between March 1 and March 16 there is no way of knowing.”

In January, the Community Liaison Committee for the facility sent a letter of complaint to the EPA informing it of alleged breaches in the licence over the Christmas period.

These breaches concern the closing of the facility’s ninth landfill cell, which the committee have claimed was disturbed without informing the EPA in writing, in compliance with the licence.

The waste management facility has threatened to divide the local community in recent years with local councillor Flan Garvey (FF) receiving a soiled article about the dump, anonymously, in the post before Christmas.