Category: News

HOUSE-buyers are to be hit with a price hike after Clare County Council yesterday imposed additional levies on new homes. From January 1, builders have to pay an additional 3.3 per cent in planning contributions on new homes.

The move by the council to increase levies will have resulted in a rush by developers to beat the end-of-year deadline for lower levies. The impact on the market in Clare is not expected to be immediate.

In the face of much opposition from councillors and the building industry, the local authority adopted a new scale of planning contributions in 2003 which almost doubled the cost of water and sewerage connections to new homes in the space of 18 months.

Those hardest hit in the new scheme are householders living in areas serviced by the Government-sponsored Serviced Land Initiatives (SLI) where, during the first phase of the charges, householders were asked to pay €5,000 for water and sewerage connections. The SLIs are located on the eastern and western outskirts of Ennis, Clarecastle and Clonlara.

The council’s 2004 annual report shows that it spent less than half the €10 million generated through a controversial scheme targeting developers to fund public infrastructure. €10.4 million was raised through the contentious Development Contribution Scheme but only €4.69 million of this was spent during the first full year of operation.

A detailed breakdown shows that last year the council collected €1.45 million for amenity and recreation projects, but spent only €0.235 million on such projects. €1.48 million was collected for roads projects, but only €0.10 million was spent.

“The projects identified in the Development Contribution Scheme will be funded in whole or in part from development contributions collected during the lifetime of the scheme, e.g. major water supply and sewerage schemes,” the report stated. “A number of public infrastructure projects are at planning or design stage and monies collected from development contributions shall be applied to fund these projects.”

Explaining the high amount received through the scheme, the council report states, “This figure is due in part to a very high level of collection in the months leading up to the adoption of the scheme in March 2004, as developers took the opportunity to ensure that all payments in respect of previously decided applications were made.

“The level again increased in December 2004 as applicants ensured that their payment was made prior to the increase to be applied in January 2005, under the index linking of the amounts chargeable under the scheme.”

PATIENTS presenting with alcohol disorders were the largest group admitted to the psychiatric unit in Ennis during 2004, a new report has revealed.

The figures in Activities of Irish Psychiatric Units and Hospitals 2004 by the Health Research Board show that those presenting with alcohol-related problems accounted for 22.5 per cent or 134 of the 597 admissions to the psychiatric acute unit in Ennis.

During the year, 33 people, or 5.5 per cent of all admissions, were admitted due to other drug disorders.

The next highest group admitted to psychiatric care was people suffering from depressive disorders at 117 or 19.6 per cent of the overall total.

Other categories include 103 patients or 17.3 per cent of the overall total admitted for schizophrenia; 68 or 11.4 per cent admitted for neuroses; 13 or 2.2 per cent admitted for eating disorders and 67 or 11.2 per cent admitted for mania and 9 or 1.5 per cent admitted for organic disorders.

The report also shows that the Mid-West area, along with the Southern area, had the largest number of non-voluntary admissions at 14 per cent each of the national total.

The percentage of psychiatric patients presenting for alcohol-related illness are much higher in Clare, though lower than the Tipperary percentage.

The report’s finding on the high percentage of people being admitted for alcohol-related problems follow Bushy Park treatment centre last month confirming that there has been a 40 per cent increase in 18- to 25-year-olds presenting for treatment in the past year.

Confirming the rise, the centre’s Director, Margaret Nash, said, “There is a growing problem of alcoholism and it is presenting itself at all levels.”

“The challenge for us two years or 18 months ago was to actually fill capacity at Bushy Park but, in the last year, we are at full capacity and have had an extensive waiting list.”

Bushy Park is to lodge a planning application in the first part of this year that will increase the centre’s capacity by 40 per cent.

The €2 million plan is to also include sports and recreation facilities for the residents, along with additional meeting rooms, and the planned expansion will increase the centre’s current residential capacity from 13 to 18 in 2007.

JUST one year after the introduction of the smoke-free workplaces legislation, Ireland has experienced a dramatic reduction in smoking rates. Today 23.6 per cent of the population smoke, a fall of 3.4 per cent in just over one year.

But Munster had a higher smoking rate than some parts of the country to begin with. In 2002 the smoking rate was higher in Munster at 28 per cent than the national rate of 27 per cent.

The North Eastern health Board had one of the lowest smoking rates at 23 per cent but Leinster had the highest smoking rate of 30 per cent.

And studies show that 70 per cent of smokers who want to quit cannot, because of their dependency on nicotine.

Meanwhile, a Clare anti-smoking group has urged members of the public to report premises which flout the antismoking laws.

The HSE and the Clare Smoking Action Group has said that the public needs to be reminded of the right to a smokefree environment.

Ms. Pauline Duke, Senior Environmental Health Officer, has called on the public to play their part in supporting the smoke-free legislation. She has appealed to anyone who has a concern or complaint to contact the National Compliance Line on 1890 333100.

“It’s not that there are any problems in the observance of the new legislation in Clare. The compliance rate at 90 per cent is in fact remarkably high and public awareness has played a crucial part in sustaining this.

“However, there is always the temptation for smokers to overlook the rights of non-smokers”, said Ms Duke.

“Usually all it takes is a polite reminder of the law but if this does not work it is important that people know what to do in order to secure their right to a smoke free environment”, she added.

Ms Geri Quinn, Senior Health Promotion Officer said she is “asking all smokers to seriously think about quitting as their New Year Resolution – three out of every four smokers want to quit.

“Quitting is the single most important thing smokers can do to improve their health and the health of their families.”

VISITORS who land at Shannon Airport are not met with any signs to indicate that there is more to Clare than an arrivals terminal, local representatives have complained.

And anyone driving out of Limerick or Galway would think Ennis does not exist, such is the lack of signage for the Clare capital.

Cllr Christy Curtin, speaking on a motion he put before a recent meeting, said signs need to be erected at Shannon Airport for Ennis, Kilrush and Kilkee, “because we need to capture the essence of Clare being a county of contrasts. It is very important to show people where they are on the map of Clare.”

Cllr Joe Arkins said that while Ennis is capital of Clare, “It doesn’t exist if you’re driving from Limerick or Galway. There’s no sign for the town.”

In a reply from county engineer, Tom Carey, the councillors were told that Clare County Council will shortly be going to tender for new regional signposts in the Kilrush electoral area “which will address the West Clare inadequacies highlighted in this motion and these signs should be in place before the 2006 tourist season. The estimated cost is €200,000.”

He added that a survey has begun for a similar project for the Ennistymon area “and we will be following on with a further phase in East Clare immediately thereafter.”