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PLANS by An Garda Siochana to re- align the make-up of garda divisions to county boundaries could have critical implications for policing in parts of east Clare if the changes are implemented as expected next Janu- ae

There are also concerns for the fu- ture of the recently established traf- fic corps in Killaloe which covers a large section of the N7 national pri- mary route.

At present, garda divisions are not restricted to county boundaries

and in many cases comprise areas of more than one county. Under the plan, areas of Clare covered by Lim- erick City will return to the Clare division while parts of Tipperary, currently part of the Clare garda di- vision, will be part of the Tipperary CU AsrSS ete

East Clare Labour Councillor Pas- cal Fitzgerald says any plan to re- draw divisional borders would not be satisfactory unless adequate garda resources are provided in his area.

“At present, there is a large part of east Clare covered from Henry Street station in Limerick. As it 1s,

with over 12,000 people living in the Westbury and Shannon Banks area, we often have to wait 20 minutes for a squad car to travel less than four kilometres from the city.

“If the boundaries are redrawn, we could have to wait half and hour or more for gardai to come from Kil- laloe, 20 kilometres away”.

“If this plan is enforced, I want to see our local station at Ardnacru- sha properly resourced and open 24 hours a day and I will also be de- manding that a sub station of that be opened in the Westbury estate. I have already met with a businessman who

is willing to provide premises for a station in Westbury”, he said.

If the Garda Commissioner’s plan is implemented, it will also mean that Ballina in County Tipperary will be served by Nenagh 20 kilome- tres away even though Killaloe sta- tion 1s located just across the bridge less than a kilometre away.

Killaloe councillor Tony O’Brien (FF) said he would have very serious concerns if any changes would result in a downgrading of the Killaloe sta- tion as any downgrading would seri- ously impact on the level of services being provided.

The back gardens in the housing es- tate have flooded every year prevent- ing children from playing in them and adults enjoying them.

After years of complaining to the local authority and making political representations, chairperson of the local residents association Christine Murphy brought the issue directly to the Kilrush Town Councillors at the June meeting.

During a presentation Ms Murphy said, “This is not the first time we brought this problem to the council.”

She said that when she and her fam- ily became residents of Island View in February 2005 they did not realise the garden was going to be a problem until the following winter. She said the garden flooded and was not fit for human use.

Ms Murphy explained that the resi- dents were told on three separate oc- casions to collect the names and ad- dresses of the householder that had this problem. When they did nothing was done she said.

She said that some people became so frustrated at the delay in an ad- equate response to their plight from the council, that they fixed the gar- den themselves at a cost of more than €2,000.

Speaking this week Cllr O’Gorman said, “Part of these people’s homes are isolated from them and I don’t think that is good enough. I trust it will be done eventually but it must be Pele A ae

during the week to

complain about the disruptions while

local businessman Dick Grant draft-

ed an open letter to County Manager, Alex Fleming on the matter.

In the letter Mr Grant critisised

the timing of the development, the

amount of car parking spaces elimi- nated by construction work and a lack of consultation with locals.

This has prompted north Clare County Councillor Martin Conway (FG), to propose a system which would see council subcontractors prohibited on working in tourist ar- eas during June, July and August.

“This is another development which has been timed badly with the busy summer months,’ said Cllr Conway.

“The Clare County Council have clearly have not taken into account the needs of the local community at this time of the year and there should be a contractual restriction on any further development in tourist areas in the summer months.”

CLARE TD, Joe Carey (FG), last week questioned the status of the F1- anna Fail Government’s pre-Lisbon Treaty Referendum commitment to using Ireland’s veto in the case of WTO proposals that would sell out Irish farming.

“The WTO talks are entering a critical phase and recent days have seen EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson express optimism about a deal. While the Commissioner said yesterday that Europe can’t and won’t accept a deal it cannot defend at home, this will not inspire confi- dence in farmers who are well aware of Mandelson’s long-time stance,’ he

HOR

“Meanwhile, the Minister for Agri- culture has been complaining about the proposals but is failing to put his money where his mouth 1s. If the Minister is as concerned and worried as he says he is about the latest WTO negotiating document on agriculture, then he must unequivocally state that the deal on the table is unacceptable and will be vetoed.

“That was the commitment given by the Taoiseach Brian Cowen in the dying days of the Lisbon Treaty cam- paign and Minister Brendan Smith must confirm it is what he is prepar- ing to do.”

Meanwhile, speaking from Geneva last Thursday, the Tanaiste and Min-

ister for Enterprise, Trade and Em- ployment, Mary Coughlan, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Brendan Smith and the Minister for Trade and Commerce, John McGuin- ness, called for a comprehensive, ambitious and balanced outcome to the current negotiations.

The Ministers confirmed that they have been engaged in robust nego- tiations with key players defending and promoting Irish interests in what are proving to be very difficult trade rec

All three Ministers have been at- tending daily meetings of the EU General Affairs Council (GAERC) as well as a series of bilateral meet- ings with other countries, including

the French EU Presidency, and the EU Commission.

On a joint statement the Ministers said that the had “very real concerns on Agriculture while working for positive outcomes on manutfactur- ing industry and services which will deliver opportunities for Irish manu- facturing and services companies through better access to world mar- kets and in so doing will secure Irish jobs for years to come.”

Speaking earlier in the week Min- ister Smith said that the WTO ne- gotiations in Geneva were very ac- tive, with a large number of intense meetings and informal contacts, but that there was no guarantee as to the outcome.

CAMERA enthusiasts in Clare can get clicking thanks to the formation of the Ennis Camera and Photo- graphic Society.

Patrick Ryan, Tina Walker and Ni- all Considine established the society as a forum for professional and ama- teur photographers from Ennis, west Clare and north Clare.

All three share a keen interest in photography and were eager to cater for the needs of similar enthusiasts.

Club president Patrick Ryan became aware of the need for a photographic society through discussions with fel- low photographers and artists.

Patrick explained, “Much of pho- tography takes its roots from tradi-

tional art – thus many artists evolve into excellent photographers. They felt that if they had a forum to talk about the more technical aspects of photography – that they too could bring the artistic flair to the group which would benefit everyone”’.

This has certainly proven to be true – with over 20 regular members at- tending the fortnightly meetings. There is an excellent mix of pho- tographers at all levels – from pro- fessionals to members who are just thinking of buying a camera and tal- ented artists.

This has provided for some lively debate during the sessions around the various artistic and technical as- pects of photography.

Club secretary Tina Watkins, her-

self an artist and budding photog- rapher, said, “Having the discussion across all elements of photography from composition to finishing has helped in learning new skills which I can apply to photography and paint- ing alike.’The club is not strictly confined to digital based photogra- phy either. Several members shoot photographs using film and many of the members who have never used film are very keen to understand this traditional approach and apply it to the new digital era.

Members also meet regularly for field trips throughout Clare. The aim is to implement shared ideas and techniques in a real life. Recent outings included visits to Dromore Woods and the Aran Islands. An ex-

hibition of work is also planned for later in the year. It 1s also hoped that the club will play an active role in lo- cal community groups and organiza- tions or centres of learning that are interested in photography.

Many of the members’ work can be viewed at www.enniscameraclub. Lovee mem UOercmaalNemAlbus sme LUO NGlolF-RULE The club meets every two weeks on a Tuesday night in Clarecastle GAA Club House at 8pm, all new mem- bers, regardless of skill or technical ability, are welcome.

The next meeting takes place tonight (Tuesday July 29). Further details are available from Niall Considine at the Ennis Fuji Centre on O’Connell Square, email:niall@photocart.ie or or IR Ole merer-cle eee

YOUNG Brazilians in Gort are be- ing denied access to third level edu- cation in what amounts to an educa- tional apartheid.

Fears have been raised locally that the integration of young Brazilian children could be severely hampered if provisions are not made to allow them to continue their education af- ter the Leaving Certificate.

At present, non-EU nationals must be in full-time residence in the state for a minimum of five years before they can even begin the application process for Irish citizenship.

In addition to this, all non-EU citi- zens must pay fees of up to €3,000 per year to attend university in Ire- land and are not eligible for any form of grant assistance.

This situation has led to a growing number of Gort’s Brazilian commu- nity being forced out of the education system – despite completing their Leaving Certficate and being full- time legal residents in the country.

“What’s going to happen to the kids who are leaving school now – are they going to have to wait for four or five years until their residence can be sorted out? These guys are ready to go, they have worked really hard,

got really good Leaving Certificates and then they are in a dead end situa- tion,” said Frank Murray of the Gort Brazilian Association.

“These kids are the first members in their families to get any education. They are grabbing it with both hands and doing so well in school. This situation just puts them back into a cycle of family poverty.”

Fears have also been raised deny- ing these young Brazilians access to education could have a very negative effect on the integration which is taking place in the community.

“The single best area for cultures to mix is in school. The Brazilian kids

and the locals have been hanging out, playing sports together and getting on the last six years. There are mixed relationships where a Gort youngster will be off to college and their girl- friend of boyfriend just won’t be able to,’ continued Mr Murray.

“We are already creating toler- ance and understanding through the schools and it is working well. Some of these kids have been together for nine years, all their best friends are getting ready to go on to third level and all of a sudden they are told that “we don’t want you”.

“They are being separated and seg- regated and it makes no sense.”

AS the World Trade Organisation talks continue to struggle on this week, the Irish farming organisa- tions have been united in their call for European farmers not to bear the brunt of forcing through a deal.

Speaking over the weekend Irish Farming Association President, Pad- raig Walshe said that the deal should never have even been attempted.

“I think that the conditions never really existed for an agreement in the first place and I think that it is ridicu- lous that this meeting was even held. The approach from the very begin-

ning was wrong,’ he said.

“It looks like it’s on the verge of col- lapse, I believe that it is on the verge of collapse because the condition just don’t exist for an agreement.

These comments were echoes by Macra na Feirme national president Catherine Buckley who said that said young Irish farmers will face extinc- tion under a bad WTO.

‘Mandelson is determined to pur- sue a cavalier strategy to maximise market access for European compa- nies involved in industry and servic- es, while at the same time selling out the EU agricultural sector,” she said.

ICSA president Malcolm Thomp-

son last week said that the EU’s disastrous negotiating tactics at the WTO talks were forcing farmers to give everything and get nothing.

“We need much tougher talk from the Irish government, as part of the Gl4 grouping, to set the record straight,” he said.

“While behind-the-scenes diplo- macy is important, it is vital that the key message is not lost, namely that we are looking at a totally unbal- anced and unacceptable deal.

“So far, Commissioners Mandelson and Fischer Boel have interpreted the lack of a unified, unequivocal and uncompromising statement from the

G14 as giving them a carte-blanche to carry on unhindered with the process of selling out the Irish and EU livestock sectors.”

The ICSA President said that he was absolutely flabbergasted at fail- ure of the General Affairs Council to put the breaks on Peter Mandelson.

“The tentative support offered to the Commission by the Council is in effect giving the go ahead to the WTO sell-out.,’ he said.

“In the current economic circum- stances, any WTO deal will be ca- lamitous not just for farmers but for the country as a whole. At all costs it must be stopped.”

SOME new and some familiar faces return to lead Ennis Musical Society through another season on the stage.

The society recently held its An- nual General Meeting and following that, the new committee reconvened and appointed the following officers.

Chairperson, Anna Monahan; Sec- retary, Jonathan Hopper; Tresurer and PRO, Feargus McEveney; Min- utes secretary, Geraldine Westwood; Patrons secretary, Valerie Torpay; Membership, Jean O’Gara; Librar-

ian, Mary Kelly; Committee mem- bers, Maretta O’Hehir and Paddy Smyth.

The committee chose the ever- popular Show Boat as it’s musical for March 2009 and appointed Con Hughes as producer. The other mem- bers of the production team are Cor- mac McGuinness as musical direc- tor, Mary Curley as chorus mistress and Leon Walsh will act as rehearsal pianist.

Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and lyr- ics by Oscar Hammerstein II and is

based on a best-selling 1926 novel of the same name by Edna Ferber. “Ol’ man river’ and ‘Can’t help lovin’ dat man’ are just two of the more well- known songs associated with Show atoy-lm

This is a big show with a beautiful musical score, a strong story line and plenty of scope for individual and chorus participation.

The society is already busy prepar- ing the groundwork for next year and a recruitment drive for new members will commence once the summer is over.

Anyone who is interested in being associated with the show be it on stage or backstage, with costumes or sets, can make contact with any member of the committee.

Meanwhile, Ennis Musical Soci- ety will host a fund raising flag day on Saturday, September 6, when the new season will be launched and work will begin in earnest.

In the meantime, all members and supporters are urged to enjoy what is left of the summer and come back ready and refreshed to go in the New Year.

MEMBERS of Clare County Coun- cil and Ennis Town Council have been warned by developers that the economic effects of no developments being allowed to proceed in and around Ennis will be ‘widespread’.

In the past number of months, devel- opers, including McInerney Homes, Finn Properties and Crystal Partners have had applications for develop- ments totalling over €0.5 billion re- fused in the Ennis environs.

Now, they have come together with other developers, Keco Construction Ltd, Luxury Homes, Paul O’Brien/ Joe McNamara who are facing major setbacks due to the inability of the town’s sewage capacity to cater for

new developments to call on council- lors to address the situation.

The councils have placed an embar- go on any new developments until the commissioning of anew €75 million sewage treatment plant in 2012.

In a joint letter to councillors, the developers expressed their concerns by stating, “In response to the un- certain future of development in the area, we wish to collectively convey our concern for lack of any develop- ment potential in the short to medi- um term.”

They state, “Despite in excess of ten years of unprecedented development and growth in and around Ennis, we are now left in a situation that the area 1S being choked by the chronic lack of capacity in the wastewater

treatment system.

“Although the Ennis main drain- age 1s being progressed, the obvious CLS ECO e NON Co UI NORCUIM KONDO Be -Kisubler ture, which include storm water in- filtration into sewer network, lack of treatment capacity and capacity in the pump station network have been ignored for far too long.

“We are now in a Situation where no development can take place in Ennis until temporary upgrade works are carried out in advance of the com- missioning of the Ennis main drain- age scheme in 2012.

“The effect of no development op- portunities caused by this infrastruc- ture shortfall will be widespread. The economic effects will be felt by the town and council alike.

The letter goes on to state that the employment generated in the con- struction sector, the commercial and retail development of Ennis, and numbers waiting on social housing lists will all be adversely affected by this freeze on development.

It continues, “We feel that it is in- cumbent upon the council to firstly put the necessary plan in place to al- low reasonable future development prior to the commissioning of the Ennis main drainage.”

“We would hope that we could work in conjunction with town and county council to explore all the feasible options and we believe that a successful interim solution would serve the greater needs of the people of Ennis.”

FIVE new community travel services are to open up in the north Clare this month, making it the largest single expansion to date of the Clare Ac- cessible Transport network.

This expansion, which will bring to eight the total amount of routes oper- ated in the north of the county, will be completed and fully online from ord MAW Leis) ©

The new routes will serve Bally- vaughan, Lisdoonvarna, Ennistymon and Kilfenora on Tuesday, Liscannor,

Ennistymon and Ennis on Thursday as well as Tubber to Gort and Carron to Gort on Friday.

“We are there to transport anyone and everyone. It is really designed SO anyone can use it. We conducted a number of surveys in the north Clare area and have developed our new services to match the people who need this transport the most – but once they are up and going they are available for anyone to use,’ said Laura Ward of Clare Accessible ‘Transport.

‘The service is for every part of the

community and we have developed a fair structure which makes it even more accessible for everyone to use. We like to think of it as an access- able service in every way.”

Clare Accessible Transport now operates six buses full-time through- out the county.

The not-for-profit organisation op- erated 10 services in east Clare, eight in north Clare, and three each in west and south Clare.

‘We are always open to consultation and if anyone wants to get in touch at any point about future routes, they

are more than welcome.

‘The certain consideration here is that we do not open routes that we feel we cannot sustain. We consider our routes very carefully before we Sree

‘Because we are a not-for-profit or- ganisation we cannot collect money on the buses so people need to ring in and register or register on their first journey which is free.”

For more information or to register for the new service telephone 061 924375 or 1890 687287 or check out www.catconnects.ie.