Category: News

A TOURISM promotional hat-trick has been scored for the Shannon Region last week as three major US radio station broadcast live from Limerick City.

The initiative was organised for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of last week by Tourism Ireland’s US team, Delta Air Lines, Fáilte Ireland, and Shannon Development, and thanks to it almost 20 million US radio listeners had the opportunity to hear about the Shannon Region and Ireland.

“We are delighted to be playing our part in this innovative campaign which gives us a unique opportunity to showcase the Shannon Region as a premier international tourism destination. This initiative complements our overseas marketing programme for 2006 and we will be working hard to ensure that a strong tourism message is delivered during the broadcasts,” says John King, Heritage and Tourism Director, Shannon Development.

The visit to Limerick City was coordinated by Shannon Development and the three US radio crews broadcast their regular shows from the Clarion Hotel in Limerick City over three days.

THE policymakers and people of Clare must make more of an effort to help the county’s estimated 6,000 strong foreign population integrate into the workforce and society of the county.

That’s according to Orla Ní Eilí of the Ennis Refugee Council, who says integration needs to be prompted because it will not happen by itself.

There are no formal events taking place in Clare to mark Intercultural Week, this week.

“We all need to keep looking at it and working at it. I think that at public policy, services, and community development level, integration has to be fostered and encouraged.

“It needs a bit of work and it needs to be managed, because it is not happening organically,” said Ms Ní Eilí.

Intercultural Week is taking place throughout the island of Ireland. The theme of this year’s week is participation and it culminates today with the United Nation’s International Day Against Racism.

“We are encouraging emigrants and refugees to get involved in every element of their society. We have to make sure that the opportunities are there for participation.

“We are running courses on employment and diversity and these are very important for people looking to integrate into working culture of Ireland,” said Ms Ní Eilí

While progress towards greater integration is being made in some sections of Clare society, others are lagging behind.

“Some sectors are better than others.

“The schools in Ennis, for example, are doing great work to ensure that all the children attending their school have proper access to education,” said Ms Ní Eile.

“We need to work very hard with our children to foster this understanding and sharing with different cultures.”

In excess of 60 events are taking place throughout the 32 counties as part of Intercultural Week.

Events are set to take place in Galway and Limerick but in Clare, where almost six per cent of the public are foreign nationals, no formal events have been planned.

“This is a special week and today (the International Day Against Racism) is a special day, but some of the events we had planned, like the intercultural soccer tournament didn’t make sense at this time of the year,” continued Ms Ní Eilí.

“There was a great participation in the Ennis Paddy’s Day parade in Ennis however with 90 flags being carried to represent 90 different countries.”

Intercultural week is being co-ordinated by the NCCRI. For more information check out: www.nccri.ie.

AN Ennistymon man accused of possessing equipment to manufacture smart cards to allow free access to payable satellite television channels will learn his fate next month.

Caoimhín Haren of Sunnyside Cottages, Lahinch Road, Ennistymon appeared at Lisdoonvarna District Court last week to face a charge under Section 9(1)(c) of the Broadcasting Act which prohibits the “interception of services.”

Sergeant Brian Howard gave evidence of going to the accused’s home on October 9th 2004 with a warrant to search the premises.

Gardaí found two digital decoder boxes on the floor in the hallway. Several items were seized including the decoder boxes, three laptop computers, a card reader/writer, a quantity of smart cards and receipt books.

Con Matthews and Sean O’Connor of satellite TV provider Chorus gave evidence of how it had come to their attention that Mr Haren possessed decoder equipment belonging to Chorus.

Mr O’Connor told the court that he made a statement to gardaí in June 2004.

Asked to explain why there was a four month delay between making his statement and the search warrant being executed, Mr O’Connor said that Chorus was continuing to conduct its own investigation of the matter.

In court, Mr Haren said he did not know where the two decoder boxes found at this home came from.

“They weren’t there at 7.30 on Friday night but were there at 8.00 on Saturday morning because that’s the time the guards came,” Mr Haren said.

The accused, who said he also repaired decoder boxes, claimed that the boxes must have been left outside the door and that his wife had brought them in.

Inspector Tom Kennedy dismissed this as “rubbish”. The accused was “using the story to circumnavigate the legislation.”

Mr Goucher BL also argued that Con Matthews, who was also at Mr Haren’s house during the Garda search, had no right to enter his client’s home and inspect equipment. Counsel also said and that there was no evidence that Mr Haren used the equipment to interfere with Chorus or its signal.

Judge Mangan adjourned a decision until next month.

WELL-KNOWN priest, Fr Harry Bohan, has added his voice to concerns over Church rules requiring priests to be removed from their ministry when a sex abuse allegation is made against them.

“There is a danger of over-correctness on the issue. The discussion has begun and it is vital that the discussion does take place,” he said.

“It is a cliché to say that a person is innocent until proven guilty, but the bottom line is that children have to be protected.”

“It is a cruel business in every way for all. It is a huge issue and I am delighted that the bishops have taken it on,” said Fr Bohan, who is the Director for Pastoral Planning in the diocese.

Fr Bohan said that morale amongst priests in the diocese was “quite good and a lot of that must go down to the leadership provided by the Willie Walsh as bishop.”

He said he didn’t know what the solution was to the Church rule requiring accused priests step aside.

Last week, another senior Clare cleric, Canon Caimin O’Carroll asked whether it was fair that a priest would be removed and have to wait in limbo for years before any decision was made on an allegation.

Canon O’Carroll’s move to air his concerns came against the background of two priests in Clare parishes being asked to stand aside in the past six months, as a result of allegations being made against them.

Canon O’Carroll said that his views were shared by others in the local clergy. “There would be a lot of sympathy and feeling for the priests that have been asked to step aside from other priests,” he said.

THE mid-west received a double jobs boost this week with the news that 140 new jobs were set to be created in the region.

Partners in Europe (PIE), a Shannon-based company that fulfils online trading orders for customers, has signed a five-year contract with Discovery Channel Europe that will see the creation of 20 new jobs at its facility in Shannon.

This followed the announcement by Limerick-based firm Vistakon that 140 jobs would be created in the city over the next 12 years.

The deal will see Discovery Channel Europe handle all of PIE’s e-commerce business activity and is estimated to be worth around €8 million to Discovery Channel Europe, with the Irish firm due to receive a small percentage of that.

PIE hopes to benefit from the its association with the Discovery media giant who broadcast to about €28 million people across Europe and the Middle East. The company is currently planning on expanding its online range from 600-1000 products by the end of September. The company was set up in 1993 and currently employs 56 staff and enjoys revenues of €5 million.

Last Thursday, Vistakon announced that it was set to significantly expand operations at its facility in the National Technology Park. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, Vistakon, who design, manufacture and market soft disposable contact lenses, will invest over €100 million in their Limerick facility. The investment will result in 120 new jobs being created over the next 12 years.

“Since its arrival in 1995, Vistakon has provided high calibre employment and has made a meaningful contribution to the local economy. The news that it is to invest in new product development is a vote of confidence in the capability of its staff and in the environment in which it operates,” said Kevin Thompstone, Chief Executive, Shannon Development.

“As developers and managers of the National Technology Park, Limerick, Shannon Development continuously works to position the park as an attractor for knowledge-based enterprise activity. Ninety-five companies, a mix of foreign direct investment, indigenous companies, support services and training entities, now operate from the park, providing employment for over 4,000 people. This additional investment by Vistakon is great news for the area,” added Mr. Thompstone.

IRISH MEPs will be asked to come to Shannon Airport to protest against the airport’s use by the US military.

Campaigner Roger Cole wants the country’s European parliamentarians to follow the example of a crossparty Oireachtas group, who staged a demonstration at the airport last Wednesday.

Mr Cole of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance, who organised the event, told The Clare People that he was pleased with how it worked out and planned to invite MEPs to take a similar action at a later stage.

Among those who partook in the protest were Labour TDs Joe Costello and Tommy Broughan, Independent TDs Finian McGrath and Tony Gregory, Green Party TD John Gormley, Socialist party leader Joe Higgins, Sinn Féin’s Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Senator David Norris.

They were joined by members of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance. The group unfurled a large banner with the logo “Army out of Shannon”, in the arrivals hall, before leaving the area, on direction from the airport police.

Those involved felt they made their point, but compared their treatment with that of US President George W. Bush, who met with US troops at Shannon during a recent refuelling stop.

“We find it strange that we have been asked to leave. President Bush was welcomed here with open arms. It is quite clear the Irish Government is colluding totally with the US in relation to the war in Iraq,” said John Gormley.

According to Joe Higgins, the reason for the protest was two-fold.

“This is a protest on the war in Iraq and in particular to protest at the fact the Commander-in-Chief of the army of occupation, George Bush, was allowed to have a rally with his troops here on Irish soil which I think is an outrage,” said Joe Higgins.

Meanwhile a group of around 15 protesters gathered at Shannon on Saturday, to coincide with the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.

They remained outside the terminal building for up to two hours. According to gardaí there were no arrests and the protest passed off peacefully.

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.