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MUNSTER Council secretary Pat Fitzgerald has hit out at the player power that has raised its head in Clare, Cork and Limerick hurling over the past year, saying that “the terms strike or picket” have no place in the association.

In his annual report to be delivered to the Munster Council Convention in Listowel this Friday night, Fit- zgerald, has stated that co-operation between players and officials is the only way forward.

“Last year I mentioned difficul- ties which arose in Cork on player issues. Sadly this issue surfaced in other counties this year with Clare and Limerick embroiled in conflict between players and officials.

‘This trend is a disturbing one and we would now hope that with the Na-

tional Agreement between the GAA and the GPA these issues will be- come less frequent if not a memory altogether.

“We must all be aware of the re- sponsibilities we have, mutual re- spect is a two-way street, no person

or group hold a monopoly on respect because of their position. Genuine grievances must be sorted out in a spirit of harmony with all sides will- ing to listen.

“However, I must make a few clear points which might seem controver- sial but they are not intended to be. It is merely as aGAA person that I’m stating my beliefs. I respect any play- er who wishes to remove themselves for whatever reason, from their 1n- ter-county panel, however, I believe the terms ‘strike’ or ‘picket’ have no place in the GAA vocabulary and never should have.

“We must be more proactive with our players at inter-county level, making sure we are always aware of issues before they become confronta- tional. The day of expecting players to play and shut their mouths are over and rightly so,” added Fitzgerald.

A 19-YEAR-OLD man, described in court as a “drunken lout’, re- ceived a three-year suspended jail sentence for an unprovoked assault on a man in Lahinch.

At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Sean O Donnabhain said he was “torn” between two sides when sen-

tencing Christopher Collins.

The judge said it was a very vi- cious assault and he was impressed by the evidence given by the vic- tim, who “seems a very stoic young rere be ae

He said the victim, who had lost six teeth and required a bridge, would carry the scars of the attack for the rest of his life.

“This was an unprovoked assault by a drunken lout,” said the judge. He said the severity of the assault deserved “the imposition of a pris- ONS ie eee

Judge O Donnabhain added that he was also taking into account “no previous convictions’, the death of Mr Collins’ brother and his level of co-operation with the court.

“You are showing some element, although late in the day, of matu- rity,’ he told Mr Collins.

“In the circumstances I think it is appropriate to sentence you to three years, suspended for three years.”

The judge also directed the de- fendant to stay under the care of the probation service and undertake any counselling, including inpa-

tient care, directed by the service.

Mr Collins is also to pay €20 per week until he pays back €3,000; the cost of the victim’s dental treat- eetoale

“If he doesn’t obey the conditions, to jail he will go. He is to remain sober in public for the duration of the sentence,” said the circuit court judge.

DESPITE spending €1.2 million on its environmental programme, En- nis Town Council is losing the bat- tle against litter louts, it was claimed yesterday.

At yesterday’s meeting of Ennis Town Council, Clir Brian Meaney (GP) said that given the scale of 1I- legal dumping taking place around the outskirts of Ennis, it was time for the council to re-assess its litter policy.

‘The volume of rubbish dumped in Lees Road has snowballed in the last

couple of months,” said Cllr Meaney. He added, “It’s unbelievable what is being dumped there. This is a battle we are losing.”

Cllr Meaney said the council need- ed to secure some “high profile” prosecutions of people engaged in illegal dumping and should engage in “covert and non-covert” surveil- lance of litter blackspots.

Cllr Meaney said that the absence of documentation in the items being dumped showed that this was “pre- meditated” activity.

Cllr Peter Considine (FF) said that the council had lost the fight against

litter on country roads.

Town clerk Eddie Power said the council’s environmental staff were working hard to stamp out illegal olovesheyparee

He told the meeting that the coun- cil would focus on the Lees Road area during an upcoming spring oA Crea onl

Figures from the council’s 2009 report on prevention and control of litter show that a total of 130 litter fines were issued in 2009.

The report states that the council received income totaling €8,970 from litter fines while a total of 131

fines were issued in 2009.

The figures show that just 59 of these fines were paid in 2009 while two cases were referred to a solicitor. Explaining the figures, town clerk Eddie Power said that often difficul- ties arise when pursuing legal action against people for littering offences.

He said often there was difficulty in identifying litter louts while in some cases, alleged offenders may have moved away from Ennis.

Town Manager Ger Dollard said the some of the fines could be paid nO OF

Cllr Mary Howard (FG) urged

the council to consider re-locating Wheelie bins at Drumcliffe grave- yard in order to prevent dumping in the area.

She said that dumping was also prevalent along a stretch of the N85. Mayor of Ennis Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) said the bins had been removed from Drumcliffe as people had been using them to dump household rub- tOE

The litter report states that Ennis Town Council issued 114 abandoned vehicle notices under the waste management act while 24 cars were removed on behalf of the council.

NINE years ago 16.5 per cent of the county’s secondary students had dropped out of school before com- pleting their Leaving Certificate ex- aminations.

Although Clare may have had one of the highest student retention rates in the country, the fact that three out of every twenty students dropped out of the education system before their eighteenth birthday should be the cause for some concern.

The demand for increased skill levels from employers has resulted in a steady decline in job opportuni- ties for those who leave school be- fore completing upper second-level education. Leaving school early is an important indicator of educational disadvantage and in the current cri- sis, a full education is a vital neces- sity for a successful future.

Back in 2001, the latest date for which department statistics are available, there were 1,388 students attending Clare’s eighteen second- level schools. 4.4 per cent of them left school before their Junior Certifi- cate examinations and 16.5 per cent before their Leaving Certificate.

On a national level, the number of first year pupils enrolled in the 705 second-level schools was 56,278. The number who sat and were grad- ed in at least one subject in the Junior Certificate examination, amounted to 54,067. Therefore there was a 13.9 per cent drop in attendance. The fi-

nal rate of students who dropped out before their Leaving Certificate was 15.3 per cent.

Male students were less likely to complete their Leaving Certificate with a drop-out rate of 18 per cent in secondary schools; 31 per cent in vocational schools and 24 per cent in community and comprehensive schools in comparison to 13 per cent, 18 per cent and 13 per cent respec- tively for female students.

There is now a wide range of pro- grammes and initiatives focused on ensuring each participating sec-

ond-level pupil can experience and progress to their full ability by pro- viding a wider range of curricula. These include the Junior Certificate school programme, the school com- pletion programme, the home school community liaison scheme and many more.

Full details are available on the De- partment of Education website.

PUPILS from Scoil Chriost Ri, Cloughleigh, will be among thou- sands from around the world taking part in World Maths Day tomorrow (Wednesday, March 3).

Pupils from the Ennis school, who have been regular participants in World Maths Day, are busy sharpen- ing their maths skills ahead of the worldwide event.

World Maths Day is all about get- ting students to unite together. A global event, organisers say that World Maths Day 1s a fantastic op- portunity to be a part of something special. The World Maths Day team have been so impressed by the efforts of schools in 2009, they have decided to create a limited number of World Maths Day roving reporters.

Scoul Chriost Ri’s proud record in the event has seen first class pupil Maurice Abdulla being chosen to take on one of these roles.

Essentially the roving reporters will be tasked with writing a news report about World Maths Day at their school. These reports can be as creative as the student wishes and will be collated with the best ones being published online for all to see.

Each maths game is a series of one-minute quick fire mental maths questions, with four children from anywhere in the world competing against each other in each game.

All classes in Scoil Chriost Ri will be competing in the challenge and the target for this year is to answer over 100,000 maths questions in 48

hours.

Pupils can also log in at home and take on students from around the world. The challenge is to answer as many maths questions as possible during that time and to try and beat last year’s record of 64,568 correct answers.

A unique feature of World Maths Day is that it runs for 48 hours once it

is March 3 somewhere in the world.

Gearoid Roughan, learning sup- port teacher at Scoil Chriost Ri, ex- plained the school has been a regular participant in the event. He said the students were looking forward to once again taking part.

“It’s for schools from all over the world. The school (Scoil Chriost Ri) has taking part for a few years. This

year they have introduced a new fea- ture where one student is designated a World Maths Day reporter. One of the pupils here will be a reporter for the day,” explained Gearoid.

SCARIFF Community College’s as- sembly arena was overflowing for the annual open night.

Principal Sean Daly welcomed po- tential incoming students and their parents to the event which showcased the wide range of subjects and facili- ties available in the building and on the beautifully wooded 20-acre cam- pus as a whole.

Teachers were on hand to meet the visitors, demonstrating in particular the recently installed computerised information technology now avail- able in all classrooms. Part of this

development is a fixed data projec- tor for each room, providing access to information from the internet, world libraries, course textbooks and a host of other gadgetry of our in- formation age. Aided by broadband, these developments greatly enhance the learning experience for students WN uee

Current students took part in les- sons so that parents and would-be students alike got a flavour of the comprehensive curriculum of the college.

Sean Daly recalled that the col- lege, in arural setting close to Lough Derg, had a co-ed history going back

to the original vocational school in 1941. The new and imposing build- ing was completed in 1981.

He told those present that it was the college’s policy to view the devel- opment of the student in the widest possible sense, seeking to provide a learning experience both of a formal and informal nature which would lead to the development of one’s to- tal personality. “Through a broad curriculum, we seek to facilitate the development of our students so that each may leave the college equipped with good life skills,” he added.

Deputy principal John O’Donovan outlined details of the junior cycle up

to Junior Certificate and the senior cycle up to Leaving Certificate.

Cllr Pat Hayes, chairman of the college’s board of management, spoke of his unbounded admiration for the dedication of the staff and the high academic and technical results AYO eA ee mere ON ort

Before departing for conducted tours of the facilities, the visitors further heard an account from Mrs Geraldine Condren of the pastoral care action programme available in the college.

that she received a house from the council just over two years ago. As the in1- tial house was damp, she was then moved to her current home.

“When they gave me this I thought great because they promised to do work on it,’ she said.

“This was a dump when I got it but I thought it would be done up.”

Ms Guerin said that she put in new floors, painted and refurbished the house herself as best she could.

There is still no central heating in the house, and the Stanley range

does not work properly.

The only heating in the house are two electric heaters bought by Ms Guerin, which bring some heat to a room but at a huge cost.

She also raised concerns about the electrics in the house.

Ms Guerin explained that sparks come from some electric sockets when she switches them off, some sockets don’t work properly and if she puts the television on while the washing machine-dryer is on the switch at the mains is tripped.

She said there was also a problem with sewerage coming up through her garden when she moved in first, but while the sewerage no longer comes into her garden the underlying cause has not been solved and there is still a bad stench in the house dur- ing the summer from a pipe that run under the front of her house.

As an asthmatic, Ms Guerin said it is not possible for her to stay in a house that is cold and damp, and therefore despite paying rent, she must stay with her sister.

She said her GP has also written to the council on her behalf raising concerns about her health.

In the letter he said, “the level of dampness and fungal mould” in the house has caused an acute attack of Asthma to Ms Guerin, and described the house as unacceptable.

A spokesperson for Kilrush Town Council said it was the policy of the council not to comment on any indi- vidual tenant or individual tenancy pase eel

He said however that the council had spent more than €5 million to date on preliminary works and phase one of the remedial works in John Paul Estate.

The council is now in “advanced” talks with the Department of the En- vironment, Heritage and Local Gov- ernment (DoEHLG) for funding for phase two of the programme.

‘As part of the proposed works for which we have sought funding for phase two it is proposed to refurbish all occupied houses in the estate in- cluding the provision of central heat- ing. Detailed surveys have been car- ried out on our housing stock to carry out such works as part of our submis- sion to the DOEHLG,” he said.

While awaiting that approval the council has just upgraded five houses

in John Paul Estate under the Energy Efficiency Scheme rolled out by the department.

“This allowed us to significantly improve these houses and _ bring them up to a Cl Building Energy Rating (BER). Kilrush Town Coun- cil is planning further such works in 2010. Unfortunately as we have only received a provisional allocation of €100,000 for such works in 2010 it will not be possible to upgrade all houses and some will need to be car- ried out on a planned phased basis subject to the available funding,” he said.

The council also carries out essen- tial repairs to Local Authority Hous- ing stock by using its own mainte- nance budget and the response time for dealing with such repairs is pri- oritised, he said.

‘Any issues highlighted to us of an electrical or other nature, which may affect Health and Safety, are dealt with immediately once we become aware of the issue,” he added.

through the Freedom of Informa- tion Act, show that the number of people attending the mid-west’s Sex- ual Assault Unit last year increased by 11 per cent from 36 to 40.

The centre serves mainly Clare, Limerick and Tipperary and the number of Clare women attending the centre last year dropped from 12 to eight while the number of Limer-

ick women increased from 17 to 23 and the number of Tipperary women rose from four to seven.

The centre, which is based at the Mid-West Regional Hospital in Lim- erick, has been in operation since 2006 and prior to the introduction of the out of hours service, victims had to travel to Cork. This caused consid- erable problems for victims of sexual assaults as they only have 72 hours after the incident to undergo a foren- sic examination.

The unit is funded through a €30,000 annual budget to support on-call and call-out fees to GPs on the Forensic Medical Examination

Roster.

Rape Crisis Centre director Miriam Duffy said, “It is very sad that the numbers are increasing year on year. We are so thankful that the unit is there, but there is a need for a full- NbN emo ms lome

She said that research is to take place this year on cases that went before the courts and to the DPP for women who underwent a forensic examination in the aftermath of an PLLA

However, she pointed out recent research that showed 70 out of 100 complaints are dropped when the case files go to the office of the Di-

rector of Public Prosecutions (DPP) which decides whether to prosecute or not.

A spokesman for the HSE said that the success of the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) was attrib- uted to the fruitful collaboration of Shannondoc, the Mid-West Regional Hospital Limerick, the Gardai, Rape Crisis Centre and the forensic exam- nay

“The service would benefit from extra resources to enable its hours to become extended and to enable the increased presence of rape crisis counsellors to victims and gardai at the time of an examination.”

Man hid 37 stolen rings in sock

ARTISTIC funding in Clare has been dramatically cut over the last three years, with figures just released by the Arts Council indicating a 15 per cent drop in funding for major projects in just two years.

The largest single drop was in the funding that the Arts Council gave to Clare County Council for the sup-

port of local artists which fell from €115,000 in 2008 to just €87,000 this year.

The four main Clare organisations funded by the Arts Council – Clare County Council, Glor, the Willie Clancy Summer School, and Salmon Poetry – saw a combined funding of €352,000 in 2008 drop to €332,000 in 2009 and €302,000 for this year.

Despite these drops, worse news

is likely to come when the funding for smaller individual organisations or projects 1s confirmed later in the year.

In 2008, Arts Council funding for Clare projects through the Bursary Awards, Commissions and the Deis Award Scheme totalled more than €150,000. Funding under the same three schemes for 2009 totalled just €25,500 for Clare groups last year,

with a further cut likely to be en- forced this year.

Despite these cuts, the chairman of the Arts Council, Pat Moylan, was largely upbeat about the prospects of Clare artists in the year ahead.

‘The council sought to ensure that organisations continue to bring the best of the arts to audiences across Ireland,” he said.

“The council prioritised regional balance, where key venues and festi- vals have been supported to produce the best of the arts for people right across the country. In addition, the Arts Council has established a new fund for touring; this will extend the life of productions, exhibitions and performances, and ensure more peo- ple experience the arts in 2010.”

A total of €307,000 in funding for Clare projects was announced by the Arts Council last week.

This funding was awarded to Glor (€90,000), Clare County Council (€87,000), the Willie Clancy Sum- mer School (€85,000), Salmon Poet- ry (€40,000) and the Irish Pipe Band Association (€5,000).

Besides cuts to its Arts Council funding, Glor has also seen a sizable cut in the amount of money being given to the centre by Clare and En- nis County Councils. The venue will receive €47,000 less in funding from the local authorities in 2010 than it did in 2009.