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THE old ways of managing both the economy and the health system need to be totally scrapped and rebuilt from scratch if Ireland is to over- come the current economic crisis.

That was the message from Clare TD and newly re-elected member of the Fine Gael Executive Council, Martin Conway, at this weekend’s Fine Gael Ard Fheis in Dubllin.

“The economy has now entered centre-stage and Fine Gael, as a party, have a great asset in its deputy leader Richard Bruton – who is seen as being 100 per cent strong on the economy,” he said.

‘The Fine Gael party certainly be- lieve that Richard Bruton as finance minister would take a blank sheet and start from scratch and, at this stage, that is probably what is required. We need a new Government with a new strategy and a mandate to start from scratch and rebuild the economy.

‘There is a feeling that the people at the top seem to get away with eve- rything. We are now faced with a sit- uation in next week’s budget where the people at the bottom are going to have to fund it.”

Health also dominated much of the debates at the Ard Fheis, with Fine Gael announcing details of a univer- sal healthcare system.

“The other major thing that Fine Gael have announced is its health

policy, where we are going to have universal healthcare. Fine Gael will put in a system if they get into Gov- ernment where we will have a uni- versal health insurance which will eliminate the two-tier health system which currently exists,’ continued Conway.

“Again I think we need to take a blank sheet, start from scratch and build a universal health system that BUN Mores eles eUmrU 0B

“James Reilly, the FG spokesperson on health, has been to Ennis Hospi- tal. He has spoken with the people who are involved in the implementa- tion of the Teamwork Report and he had made it clear that it is Fine Gael’s policy to retain 24-hour consultant-

led accident and emergency services at Ennis General Hospital.

‘There are examples in other coun- tries and even in Northern Ireland where small emergency centres like Ennis are properly funded and do save lives.

“At the end of the day, if you are coming from Loop Head into Limer- ick in the middle of rush-hour traffic, then you have a problem.

“It may not have been mentioned directly but it certainly is uppermost on the minds of the delegates from Clare and the party health spokes- man.”

THE top brass in Clare County Council may have to go without their bonuses on a permanent basis as a new opposition proposal to scrap all non-pay or expenses related pay- ments gathers steam.

At present the position of county manager with Clare County Council carries with it a salary of just under €150,000. This income is also sup- plemented by a number of perform- ance-based bonuses which are paid on reaching a number of different performance targets.

However, a new proposal which would see the performance bonuses for the county manager as well as the council’s five directors of services being abolished is expected to come before a general meeting of Clare County Council before it breaks up for the local election this June.

Mayo-native Tom Coughlan is ex- pected to be formally ratified as the new county manager at next week’s April meeting of Clare County Coun- cul. As aresult of the current embargo on recruitment in the public service, Mr Coughlan will only be appointed in the €146,845 a year position on a care-taker basis.

“County managers and directors of services are more then well remuner- ated for the responsible job that they carry out. Their positions are guar- anteed and so are their pensions,” said Cllr Martin Conway (FG), who is proposing the scheme.

“I do not see the point in having a bonus scheme in place which would appear to be self-audited, payable ir- respective of results and costly in a way that could not be sustained in good times never mind bad times.”

According to Cllr Conway, this scheme could save millions if im- plemented in all local authorities na- tionwide.

“We have a very tight budget situa- tion at the moment and the payment of bonuses across the civil service 1s something that we should seriously be looking at. It you consider that the bonuses paid in an average-sized

council could be between €50,000 and €100,000 – this proposal could lead to millions in savings if it was introduced throughout the country,” he continued.

“The people who have to pay for the current economic situation should be those at the higher levels. It is the people at the top levels of employ- ment who should have to carry the

major burden in the current situation, not those on the lower levels of pay.”

According to Cllr Conway the scheme could also be spread to other Government agencies such as Bus Eireann and the ESB.

AY LMER’S Rest bar and restaurant, together with the award-winning Rose Cottage Guest House, is on the market with Leyden Auctioneers at €2.5 million (negotiable).

Located at the top of the Turnpike, close to the Limerick Road, the bar has been recently renovated and modernised to a high standard. Fea- tures include stained glass windows, flag floors and solid oak counter. It also encompasses an off-licence and has a good trade, serving bar food seven days a week.

Upstairs is ‘O’Donaills Restaurant’, which has been newly renovated. It is

a 50-seater restaurant with bar facili- ties and comes fully furnished. It is an ideal venue for private parties and functions.”

The characterful Rose Cottage, which has its own entrance, 1s situat- ed next door to the bar and restaurant and it comprises nine en-suite bed- rooms. It is well designed and main- tained and is in constant demand, by its loyal and regular clientele, as well as those holidaying or visiting the area. Together with the nine en- suite bedrooms, Rose Cottage also includes a spacious breakfast room, reception area and two luxury bed- rooms with feature baths.

There is a garden to the rear of

Aylmer’s Rest, with decking and a patio area, plus a separate smoking area.

In addition, there is a car parking area to the front and side of Aylmer’s Rest and Rose Cottage.

Occupying a 1.2 acre site, selling agents Leyden Auctioneers believe ‘‘Aylmer’s Rest and the adjacent Rose Cottage guest house offer excellent development potential”.

For further information, telephone 065 6820555

Bonuses for council top brass may be scrapped

DON’T be fooled by the four goals.

True, there was plenty of goalmouth action and those four goals but you could easily draw a line under things Neuse

All because, this was a dreadfully poor spectacle — the bite you’d asso- ciate with a cup tie at this advanced stage of the competition was sadly missing. Instead it was a tepid affair served up by two teams that certainly didn’t show their best.

Not that Lifford really cared at the end of this excruciatingly boring 90 minutes — they were full value for the win and if anything should have won by more as they closed to within one more win of a first Clare Cup final appearance in 33 years.

Both sides were understrength, but the loss of Stephen Hickey and Shane Daniels to the Rock Rovers cause was more keenly felt than Declan McMahon and Gary McNaboe’s ab- sence for Lifford.

Daniels’ commanding presence was badly missed in the centre of the defence while their attack was some- thing akin to a blunt instrument in the absence of Hickey, who has been scoring goals for fun all season.

It rendered Rock a pale shadow of the team that won an historic first Clare Cup title last season and meant that Lifford didn’t have to over-ex- tend themselves to cruise into the ETS me celtie

They were on their way as early as the fifth minute when the combative Roberto Pinto bustled his way from the edge of the area to the byline before centering for Ryan Boyle to sidefoot home the lead goal from eight yards.

It was as if Lifford were expecting an easy day of it after that opening

strike, because they subsequently sat

back on the lead and let Rock Rovers

come at them for a lot of the half. They didn’t pay the price for this

lax attitude, but should have. Rock could have had two penalties before Roberto Pinto made it 2-0 in the 42nd minute. In the 20th minute a

Lifford handball in their own area was waved away by referee — ten minutes later Brian Fitzpatrick was clearly obstructed in the area.

This rough justice on Rock was compounded when a clever flick-on by David McCarthy put Roberto in the clear and he made no mistake when beating Leonard Keane from six yards.

Any hopes of a Rock comeback ended 13 seconds into the second half when Leonard Keane spilled David McCarthy 25-yard yard effort into his own net. Game over, but the champions did at least make it inter- esting when Ashley Glynn finally forced the ball over the Lifford line after a five double-save from Mike elerliy

That said in the closing 15 min- utes David McCarthy’s penalty was save by Keane, while Ryan Boyle sidefooted wide with the goal at his mercy.

The final whistle couldn’t come quick enough.

Flynn in the firing line over ‘take over’

PENALTY shoot-outs rarely have fa- vourites but even in the tension, there were little signs that this was going to be Shannon Olympic’s day.

After Ray Quigley saw his spot kick saved by Rhine goalkeeper Ro- nan Gallagher, referee David McCa- rthy ordered the strike re-taken, for Gallagher’s movement off the line.

Quigley made no mistake at the second time of asking. With the score 4-4, Paul O’Connor stepped up for Olympic’s first sudden death penalty.

Again Gallagher saved. Or so it seemed. In pushing the ball clear, Gallagher was dealt a massive stroke of bad luck when it rebounded off his foot and trickled back into the net.

Seconds later David Collins thumped home before Olympic goal- ie Kieran McCarthy guessed cor- rectly to save from Enda Malone. We

had our winners, a mightily jubilant Olympic.

As cup-ties go, you couldn’t have asked for much more. In an action packed first half, Rhine scored early on before Olympic struck twice to lead 2-1.

In first half of injury time, Noel Donnellan felled David O’Brien in- side the box. Johnny O’Brien con- verted from the spot for his second ON alomee NYA

From there on Olympic had more clear chances than their opponents to win it. Rhine too had their moments and even had a goal rubbed out for handball in the closing stages of ex- tra time.

Second Division Rhine set the ball rolling when Johnny O’Brien thumped home from the edge of the area in the 10th minute. It didn’t take long for Olympic to respond with O’Connor’s terrific strike restoring parity.

Gallagher’s booming free kicks regularly located Rhine’s _ lively frontmen and caused plenty of prob- lems for Olympic’s back four.

But with Jason Regan and Don- nacha Kelly pulling the strings for Olympic, it was the Shannon side who edged ahead. Wayne Regan whipped in a terrific corner and Kelly rose to head home in the 32nd minute.

Rhine persevered and were reward- ed with an equaliser through Johnny O’Brien’s penalty. David O’Brien’s half volley shaved the post just after half time. At the other end, Gallagher did well to keep out Jason Regan. Ol- ympic had a better chance moments later when O’Connor’s shot bounced to Gallagher.

The last chance of normal time fell to Rhine’s Caimin O’Connor who pulled his shot just wide. O’Connor again went close for Olympic in the first half of extra time as did Ray

Quigley.

It was time for penalties. Johnny O’Brien and Jason Regan both netted before the tie was eventually settled in Olympic’s favour.

Rhine go back to chasing promo- tion. Olympic, well placed near the summit of division one with a cup Semi-final to come, can still dream of the double.

has learned that the EPA are currently preparing a number of files which they intend to send to the Director of Pub- lic Prosecutions (DPP) on the matter. This latest revelation comes just

a week after the local authority was found to have committed 14 breaches in relation to odour levels at the site during three days of EPA spot checks earlier this year.

“On October 1, 2008, in a case brought by the EPA against Clare County Council at Ennistymon Dis- trict Court, the judge refused jurisdic- tion. The EPA requested the court to have the proceedings struck out. The court therefore declared them with- drawn and struck out,” said an EPA spokesperson. “The EPA is continu- ing with its investigation and intends submitting a file to the DPP on the matter upon completion.”

Outgoing local County Council-

lor Flan Garvey (FG) has accused the EPA of showing a total lack of leadership on the issue of Bally- duffbeg. Garvey has challenged the Government’s environmental agency to show the council where they are going wrong in Ballyduffbeg.

“The EPA are full of negative talk but they have never given Clare County Council any direction on how to rectify the problems. They are the experts on this but they seem unable to provide us with any solu- tions,” he said.

“They have shown a total lack of leadership on this issue; of course they have. It’s easy to come in and point to the problems but they have

failed to come up with any solutions. I am challenging the EPA to come in and tell Clare County Council exact- ly where they are going wrong and what can be done.

“I know a former Director of Serv- ices at Clare County Council asked the EPA to show him an example of the best-run waste management facil- ity in the country and the EPA said it was our facility here. The EPA didn’t go on the record about this statement but it was said.”

The Central Waste Management Facility at Ballyduffbeg just outside of Inagh has been controversial issue since it was first mooted in February of 1998.

ENNIS RFC has – successfully claimed four points at a hearing of the Munster Junior Committee fol- lowing claims that Clanwilliam FC failed to honour a fixture.

The hearing was held on Thurs- day last at the Springfort Hall Hotel, Newtwopothouse, Cork where the Clanwilliam club was not represent- ed.

While the clash was listed to be played on Sunday last, that game did not go ahead following Ennis’

successful claim of the points. The Munster Junior League, Division 2 game was originally listed for Sun- day February |, however it was post- poned because Clanwilliam’s pitch was deemed unplayable on the pre- vious day. However, Ennis have also claimed that Clanwilliam hosted a visiting team on the following day, Monday.

At a Muster Junior Committee meeting on Thursday March 5, the fixture was listed for March 15tand published on the Munster Branch web site. On Wednesday March 11 how-

ever, Clanwilliam contacted Ennis’s Honorary Fixtures Secretary to tell him that there had been a mistake in the Munster Rugby website and that the game was fixed for March 22.

Ennis contacted the chairman of the Munster Junior Committee and told him in as far as Ennis was con- cerned, the fixture was made, listed, a referee appointed and that the Clare club would be travelling to Clanwil- liam F.C. on the arranged date, Sun- day the 15th. Ennis then phoned Clanwilliam and informed the club of the same.

Ennis claims that they were told they would be “on their own in Tip- perary as Clanwilliam F.C. would not be fielding.” Ennis then moved to claim the four points for this fixture.

“We all signed up to abide by the rules of this competition at the be- ginning of the season and accept the rulings of the Munster Junior Com- mittee. It is our opinion that Clanwil- liam F.C. have deliberately set out to defy the committee and honorary fixtures secretary’s rulings. Should we be able to prove they played a visiting team on Monday we will be

asking that rule 6 (a) of the junior league competition be implemented including the automatic demotion to the next lower division,” a letter from Ennis RFC to the Munster Junior Goes MKeomelKeee

At last Thursdays meeting, the En- nis club was awarded the four points in the absence of Clanwilliam, however there is now likely to be a further hearing after Clanwilliam lodged an objection to the Munster Junior Committee decision.

SIX Clare solicitors, between them, received more than €650,000 through the criminal free legal aid scheme last year – and now a mem- ber of Clare County Council says the possibility of abolishing the scheme should be considered.

The six solicitors received €656,/58 in payments under the scheme in 2008. This was more than double the figure for the previous 12-month period, which was €295,859 for the same six solicitors who carry out a lot of work in the area of free legal aid.

However, Fine Gael councillor Tony Mulcahy said he feels very “strong- ly” about the scheme, through which more than €33 million was paid out to solicitors nationally last year.

He said that those who commit criminal offences should not be au- tomatically entitled to free legal aid.

“Tt should be stopped for once and for all. I think that by abolishing it, it may deter people from engaging in crime,’ said Cllr Mulcahy.

He said one possibility that could be considered is abolishing the scheme for courts higher than the district.

“We have people going to the dis- trict court, challenging it in the cir- cuit court and going all the way to the high court, all because they are on free legal aid,” he said.

“T’d have the free legal aid system limited to the district court and no access to the higher courts,’ he add-

ed.

However, he did accept that in some cases, criminal free legal aid was necessary. “You have to allow it for some form of justice to take place, but we have to call a halt. We have to stop this,’ he added.

Yet, he says that where huge amounts of evidence are available and a defendant is caught “red-hand- ed’, they should be denied free legal aid.

He said that where people are caught committing crime on CCTV cameras or where DNA has been proved, their cases should be dealt with by a means other than in court.

‘Some people are indefensible and

evidence is stacked against them. Going to court is costing the State millions. If there is massive evidence against a perpetrator but the case still has to go to court, why are we wasting so much time in court?” he asked.

“There could be a panel of judges to review a file, rather than waste so much time and balls of money and instead put the money into the reform of the prison system,” he added.