Category: News

A SENIOR Clare cleric has raised concerns over the Church rules that require priests to be removed from their ministry when a sex abuse allegation is made against them. In a newsletter circulated at masses in the parish of DooraBarefield over the weekend, Canon Caimin O’Carroll outlined his concerns over the issue.

Speaking to The Clare People yesterday, he asked, “Is it fair that a priest be removed from his home, his mission and then wait in limbo for a couple of years before any decision is made because an accusation is made?

“In our democracy, a person is innocent until proven guilty, but requiring a priest to leave his parish and his home would appear to me to contravene natural justice. This is something that I am bothered and worried about and that is why I circulated the statement contained in the newsletter at the masses.”

Canon O’Carroll’s move to air his concerns comes 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, “I included the statement because I want people to talk about it and get a discussion going on it, because if there is to be any change to Church policy it must come with pressure from the people.”

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”.

Canon O’Carroll said that the Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh, was bound by Church rules to ask priests to step aside when allegations were made. Canon O’Carroll said, “It breaks his heart the whole thing and he is under a lot of pressure emotionally over the issue. I would hope that the people and priests would give more thought to the issue.”

AN 18-year-old man has appeared in court, facing charges arising out of the death of a young Ennis woman in a road accident last year.

Aidan Quilligan, of Cloughoolia, Sixmilebridge, is charged with dangerous driving causing the death of Charelle Howard, at Shanaway Road, Ennis, on July 16, 2005.

Mr Quilligan is also accused of carrying passengers, the number of which exceeded the passenger accomodation of the car.

17-year-old Ms Howard, an only child from Watery Road, Ennis, was a back seat passenger in a Volkswagen Polo car when it was involved in the single vehicle accident.

Inspector Michael Gallagher told Ennis District Court last Friday that the “unfortunate” accident happened at 12.30am, at a time when road conditions were good.

He said the accused was driving the three-door car in which six others were travelling, all of whom were aged 17 or 18. The group was coming from a birthday party, travelling towards Ennis.

“He lost control of the car, hit a kerb and overturned a number of times. A number of the others were injured. The defendant escaped injury,” said Inspector Gallagher.

He said it is alleged that Mr Quilligan was driving “okay” after leaving the house party, and increased speed after a friend’s car overtook him.

“Inexperience caused him to lose control,” said the Inspector. Relating to the speed, he added, “Whether that could be proved is another matter. A lot of that could be speculation, to be fair to the defence; up to that point he was driving slowly.”

He said there was no question of any racing, adding that the car the accused was driving was “overloaded”.

Inspector Gallagher said the accused was a “fine young man, of good character, who has never come to the attention of the gardaí before. He comes from a highly respected family.”

Judge Joseph Mangan was told that the DPP would consent to a summary disposal of the case in the District Court on a guilty plea.

Defending solicitor Rachel Dobson said there was a guilty plea. After hearing the facts, the judge said he would accept jurisdiction.

Ms Dobson requested an adjournment, for preparation of the relevant reports on the matter. The accused will appear again in court in June.

Charelle’s mother was in court while solicitor Tara Godfrey said she was holding a watching brief.

THE controversial mining of a quarry in Moveen, Kilkee is destroying the tourism potential of the area, according to local representatives and some local people.

Controversy surrounds the quarry on the coast road, for which 11 applications of registration have been received by Clare County Council.

Two main contractors – Gerard Whelan and Gerard O’Callaghan – are currently mining the area owned by 11 local farmers and landowners.

Nine of the 10 owners who have registered the land for a quarry claim that they have not given permission to Gerard Callaghan to mine the site.

Mr O’Callaghan from Kilkee has also applied to register as an operator of the quarry.

In his application Mr O’Callaghan states that the total quarry covers two hectares. He estimates that approximately 500 tonnes are extracted every year with a digger between May and October from 9 am to 5 pm.

In his registration form, he says that there are no emissions from the quarry.

Meanwhile four of the quarry members claim that Gerard Whelan is mining without their say so.

Mr Whelan, Furoor, Kilkee, said in his application to register the quarry, that it began operating before 1964. He said that it was operated by Sean Keating since 1962, and was previously operated by farmers.

He recorded an extraction rate of 240,000 tonnes of stone every year through “blasting”. The plant, he stated, operated between 7am and 7pm on weekdays and 7am to 3pm on Saturdays.

In his application, Mr Whelan said the traffic generated by the quarry was not recorded, but he could supply further information if required.

Both Mr Whelan and Mr O’Callaghan would not comment on the issue when contacted by The Clare People .

Kilkee Town Councillor Dr Tom Nolan (Ind) said that the tourism future of Kilkee was in jeopardy while the quarry remained open. He said that the quarrying was unregulated in its present form and called on Clare County Council to impose strict guidelines on any operations there. The Kilkee councillor said he would prefer if the use of the quarry for industrial purposes was curtailed completely and that it was returned to use solely by the local farmers. One local family has objected to the quarrying, expressing concern the proximity to the scenic drives to Loop Head. The objectors also stated that the nearby Kilkee reef is a special area of conservation and the Illaunonearann is a special area of conservation for birds.

FARMERS living along the route of the proposed Crusheen-Gort bypass are set for a multi-million euro bonanza.

Galway County Council is preparing to compulsory purchase almost 500 acres of land across 103 farms along the route. Construction of the €150m road could start as early as next year.

Clare IFA chairman, Seamus Murphy, said they would be ensuring that its members get as good a price as possible for the land and the disturbance that the road would cause.

He said the IFA would expect that Galway County Council would adhere to the national agreement between the IFA and the Government on the levels of compensation available to landowners. The deal was struck in advance of CPO agreements being made by farmers on the route of the €190 million Ennis by-pass.

As a result of the CPO of 500 acres of land for the Ennis scheme, €22 million was paid to 67 landowners, making instant millionaires out of seven farmers.

The Crusheen-Gort scheme, which involves the construction of 22 km of new dual carriageway, will also involve the severance of 845 acres of farmland along the route.

The construction will see the destruction of two habitable houses and is expected to commence towards the end of next year. 2009 is identified as a possible completion date.

According to the Environmental Impact Statement, the new road will lead to a reduction in road injuries on the N18, where ten people died and 126 were injured in traffic accidents between 1989 and 2002.

The EIS states that 14,000 vehicles a day use the route between Crusheen and Gort and the route “fails to cope with the demand of motorists and residents frequently experiencing delays during periods of peak movement.”

The EIS states that a 50 per cent increase on current usage of the road is expected by 2024.

“The continued use of existing N18 by strategic traffic and large number of Heavy Good Vehicles is unsustainable”.

The EIS states that the new road will help reduce traffic on the existing N18 by 84 per cent, while there will be a 68 per cent decrease in traffic congestion in Gort.

Those wishing to object to CPOs, or make observations on the EIS, can do so to An Bord Pleanala by April 10. It is expected that the Board will hold an oral hearing later this year.

SOURCES at mid-west communications company, Chorus have confirmed that key management positions are to be shifted to Dublin.

Following the buying of NTL Ireland by the Chorus parent company, UPC Broadband, in December 2005, integration plans have been underway.

These plans will see the new MD of the company based in Dublin, along with a number of key management positions answerable to the MD.

And there is widespread speculation that duplication of personnel could lead to redundancies within the company.

The process of integrating Chorus and NTL commenced in February 2006 with the appointment of new senior management and an integration team to lead the business of the combined NTL Ireland and Chorus group.

A spokeswoman for the company said they were now “devoting their energy and resources towards the integration of both Irish operations. They are working on a plan of integration intended to achieve the financial, operational and strategic benefits offered by a new structure.”

The spokeswoman said that under the new structure, the company would be a national one with its HQ in Dublin and facilities nationwide.

“As the integration process is underway it is too early to say if there will be any redundancies,” the spokeswoman said.

“The focus of the integration is not about reducing headcount, rather improving the way we run our business,” she added.

Both companies together now serve approximately 575,000 customers for their television, broadband internet and telephone services and have become one of the larger affiliates of UPC Broadband in Europe. Gene Musselman, who is Chief Operations Officer and President of UPC Broadband, is currently acting Managing Director NTL Ireland and Chorus.

“The company is reviewing a number of key applicants at the moment and it is hoped the new MD will be announced in due course,” the spokeswoman said.

Chorus, with headquarters in Limerick, employs more than 550 people in Ireland and an additional 100 indirectly as well as relying on numerous Irish vendors.

A LOCAL community has emerged victorious in its bid to secure the future of the church building.

At Sunday mass at St Mary’s Church on the grounds of the former Our Lady’s psychiatric hospital in Ennis, the congregation applauded as Joe Lillis said that a lease on the church was to be signed with developers for four years and nine months.

Fr Michael McNamara told mass goers, “I am sure that through the power of the people here and the strength of the community, that the lease will be extended when it expires. We are delighted with what has been achieved.”

The deal will also allow developers, Allen Flynn, Martin Fitzgibbon and Paul Talty to commence work on the €20 million hotel, proposed for Our Lady’s.

Over the past 15 months, uncertainty surrounded the future use of the church, following the €5.2 million sale by Clare County Council of the 19th century psychiatric hospital.

The church, built in 1939 to serve the hospital community and the wider Doora-Barefield parish, is located on the grounds of the former hospital. Last year, Duesbury Ltd secured plans for a €20 million, 90-bedroom hotel development on the 14-acre site, only for Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) to appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanala, due to his concerns over the future use of the Church.

Negotiations have been ongoing between the developers and the local community over the past number of months with a price tag of €1.3 million at one stage being put on the Church building.

Cllr Meaney has now withdrawn his appeal after the successful outcome of the negotiations.

He said yesterday, “I am happy for all concerned.

“It is a very positive move and I am satisfied that the best deal has been struck.”

Mr Lillis told massgoers on Sunday of the terms of the deal. He said that the lease would allow the use of the church on Sundays and holidays, together with other agreed times.

He said that the developers reserved the right in the interim period, to explore all other options for the church, while there would be parking facilities provided for Church-goers.

Mr Lillis said, “We believe that the committee formed to negotiate arrived at the best possible available deal.”

Mr Lillis paid tribute to the work of the committee, in particular, John Costelloe and Fr McNamara, and for solicitor, John Casey, who provided his services free of charge.

A COURT has heard how a 13-year-old girl ended up unconscious in hospital after she drank half a bottle of vodka and some wine in west Clare.

The girl said she was on holidays in Clare and purchased a bottle of vodka at Meade’s Mace supermarket, Miltown Malbay, in June 2005.

She said she and a friend drank the bottle of vodka and some wine between them, and she was then taken to hospital where she was detained overnight.

Donnan Meade, of Meade’s Mace, Miltown Malbay, was accused of permitting the sale of intoxicating liquor to an underage person, at the local district court.

The young girl claimed she had bought a one-litre bottle of vodka in the shop. However, the accused’s solicitor Gearoid Williams said that this was not the case, as no litre bottles were sold on the date in question. The young girl’s friend told the court she drank the vodka with her friend on a beach nearby. She said she was “nearly positive” it was a litre bottle.

“She started getting sick. I talked to her, but she did not talk back. I got worried,” said the friend.

The girl’s grandmother said her granddaughter told her she had bought the vodka at the Mace store in Miltown Malbay.

“I think she became more or less unconscious,” she added.

Mr Meade said it was his policy to ask for identification when selling alcohol. He said the premises has been operated by his family for a long number of years and there has never been a problem in relation to alcohol before. He said he went through the till roll for the date in question. A 700ml bottle of vodka had been sold, but there was no litre bottle sold. He said he could put his hand on his heart and say his staff did not sell vodka to the girl in question.

Mr Williams said there was a reasonable doubt and that any benefit of the doubt must be given to his client.

However, Superintendent Eamon Dolan, prosecuting, said the young girl did go into Mace and purchased the vodka.

Judge Joseph Mangan dismissed the case, saying, “In order to record a conviction, a court must be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt. There are a number of discrepancies in the defence and a number of small discrepancies in the State’s case.

“There are too many straws on the camel’s back. I am giving the benefit to the defendant.”

ALL of Clare’s indigenous traveller families are now being housed in accommodation provided by Clare County Council, after a traveller family decided to move into a council-provided site at Ballymacraven, Ennistymon.

The family decided to move into the contentious site after the council fulfilled its obligations, as set out under an agreement reached by both parties in the High Court last November.

The family had previously objected to moving into the site, which is also occupied by three other families, on the grounds that the sanitation facilities were inadequate and posed a health risk and that the site was too small.

One member of the family had suffered from serious health problems and doctors had advised Clare County Council. The council brought legal proceedings against the family, compelling them to move in to Ballymacraven after they had refused to.

Under the terms of the High Court agreement, the council agreed to expand the area of allocated living space and to provide new living quarters. The council also agreed to install more toilet facilities on the site, when objections were raised over the site’s original sanitation system, which only allowed for three metal container toilet/kitchen/shower units to be used by four family groupings.

Heather Rosen, a friend of the family, said that while they were grateful to the council for upgrading the site, they were sad that were being forced to abandon their traditional way of life. She added that there were still a number of issues that needed to resolved.

“There is a need for signage on the road, as there is still a lot of traffic passing down by the site. The spiked fencing around the site is very dangerous for children playing around there. There is still work to be done,” she said.

A spokesperson for Clare County Council stated that the council had carried out all the work as requested by the High Court agreement and that while the issue of road signage didn’t fall under the terms of the agreement, the council would “look into it”.

“An independent assessment of the site has also been carried out and it was found that all the improvements had been carried out in the right order”.

CLARE County Council’s wage bill has increased by 30 per cent over the past five years, with the local authority’s overtime bill just under €9.5 million in that period.

Figures released through the Freedom of Information Act show that the council last year paid out €1.88 million on overtime – slightly less than the €1.884 million spent on overtime in 2004.

The council’s wage bill increased from €25 million in 2001 to €32.8 million in 2005.

The council employed 775 people in 2001, increasing to 1040 in 2004 before going back down to 2005 in 998.

Figures separately supplied by the Department of the Environment show that the council last year collected €26 million in funding from the county’s rate-payers, up €6 million on the €20 million in rates paid in 2000. In response to the figures, independent councillor, Patricia McCarthy said, “I would be concerned that so much is being spent on wages that there is little left for services.

“It is quite obvious that benchmarking pay awards and the Better Local Government reforms are having an impact on the council’s annual wage bill and management need to be mindful of the costs.

“In spite of what the Government states, the funding it is allocating towards local authorities is not enough for the services that local authorities provide.”

Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) said the wages rise was as result of the benchmarking pay-increases from central Government.

“This represents a significant challenge to the council as no additional money from central Government has been provided. This undermines the efficiency of the council with a sucking by stealth of funds from the council. This has to stop and councillors are going to have to take a very strong line”.

CEO of the Ennis Chamber of Commerce, Rita McInerney said that members were concerned that the increased costs had not come with increased services to business.

“This is very true in the area of planning where members have huge problems. The pre-planning meetings should be minuted to ensure that any new planner coming in is aware of the council’s view on any application. The council’s activities should be subject to detailed Value for Money audits.

“With greater costs, there should be greater output and greater delivery of services”.

THE Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Michael Martin has rejected calls to establish a task force in response to recent job losses in Clare. Fine Gael deputy, Pat Breen had called for the measure, pointing out that 24 companies had been lost to the Midwest in the past three years with only five projects attracted to the region.

However, in the Dail, Minister Martin said, “I do not propose to establish a task force as I am confident that the strategies and policies being pursued by the development agencies, together with the ongoing commitment of Government to regional development will bear fruit in terms of additional sustainable investment and jobs for the people of Clare, including those living in Ennis.”

Minister Martin said that Clare had a strong base of foreign direct investment jobs. He said that State-supported FDI employment represented approximately 15 per cent of the total labour force in Clare, as compared to about 7 per cent nationally.

“IDA has nine supported companies in Clare, employing 1,024, a provisional figure, in December 2005, 67 per cent of which are in Ennis. Employment in IDA supported companies demonstrated strong growth during 2005, growing by about 11 per cent in County Clare,” he said.

“In moving Clare to a more knowledge based economy, IDA Ireland is partnering with the educational institutions in the region, in developing the skill sets necessary to attract high value added employment in activities, such as research and development corporate services, shared services, supply chain management and treasury management.

Deputy Breen said he was “disappointed with the Minister’s response.”

“Ennis has huge potential in terms of jobs, but is becoming a dormitory town. No major foreign direct investment has come into Ennis for a number of years and I am worried about the whole jobs policy for Clare. There is no direction.”

However, Fianna Fail senator, Brendan Daly accused Deputy Breen of “obviously running out of issues to raise.”

“If anything, there are a surplus amount of organisations in Clare concentrating on bringing industry to the county. I can’t understand the motivation for Deputy Breen calling for a task force as the personnel in the likes of Shannon Development come with great calibre. The issue that does need clarity is who should lead the promotion of industry in the region and I believe that it should rest with Shannon Development.”