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THE HSE has confirmed that it is considering establishing a satellite kidney dialysis unit in Clare, accord- ing to junior minister Tony Killeen.

The Clare branch of the Irish Kid- ney Association has long since ar- gued for a life saving dialysis unit for the county.

The treasurer of the Clare branch, Peggy Eustace, said, “Ideally we would like to see a satellite unit in Ennis. At the moment our patients have to endure a long and difficult journey to Galway and Limerick

three times a week.”

According to Ms Eustace 85 people are currently receiving the life sav- ing haemodialysis treatment in an over stretched unit in the Mid West- ern Regional Hospital, Limerick.

This unit is catering for 20 people from Clare, 18 from Tipperary and 44 from Limerick city and county.

A further 16 patients must travel to the Wellstone clinic in Galway while work begins on a new satellite unit on the Dock Road in Limerick. Seven of these patients are from Clare.

Most recent research shows that in two years the need for dialysis in

the Midwest has increased by 41 per cent. This is significantly higher than other regions in the country making the case for a unit in Ennis all the

stronger. Four patients in the Midwest will require haemodialysis treatment

within the coming weeks, with many more in a pre-dialysis stage. Minister Killeen received confir- mation of the proposed development following a meeting this week with the Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney. “A satellite dialysis centre is cur- rently being established in Limerick

to alleviate some of the pressure on the Dooradoyle facility. This will provide some relief for Clare patients in the short term. In the longer term, the HSE has said it would like to ex- plore the possibility of establishing a satellite unit at Ennis General Hos- pital.”

“The HSE stated that this option would be evaluated in light of the demand and throughput of patients. However, this is not likely to be de- veloped in the short-term. The HSE confirmed that there are currently 22 patients for Clare receiving haemo- dialysis treatment,” he said.

WHEN the West Clare Currach Club went in search of Maggie May, there wasn’t a Rod Stewart CD in sight.

The men and women of the Kilkee based umbrella club were instead in search of the old turf boat preserved in the mud near Blackweir Bridge, Lisdeen, Kilkee.

The club members set about ex- cavating the boat, believed to more than 100 years old, last week with an aim to learn more about the old ship.

The group has taken measurements and photographs of the boat in the

hope that they may some day have enough information to construct one of these long forgotten boats.

Turf boats were unique to the Shan- non estuary and as club member Dixie Collins explained, “they would have been no use around Loophead or the other side of the peninsula in north Clare.”

Carrying anything up to a 15-ton cargo, turf boats would have moved items up and down the estuary be- tween Limerick and Clare.

“These boats would bring lime- stone down from Askeaton and turf back up from west Clare. These

boats were unique for their purpose,’ he said.

While the boats move up and down the estuary on the tidal currents, the large sail also helped with naviga- ntOne

These boats developed to meet lo- cal needs and their ability to land on the Shannon mudflats enabled them to unload and load their cargo eas- ily. Floating off on the high tide us- ing tide and wind to carry them up or down river.

These boats were in constant use around the Shannon estuary over a hundred years ago. At one stage 20

of these boats worked out of Poul- nasherry alone.

The Maggie May has been in the sand for as long as anyone can re- member, but the West Clare Currach Club are hopping that some local people may have pictures or extra 1n- formation on the 35-foot boat.

Mr Collins has asked people to con- tact him or a member of the club or email info@westclarecurrach.com.

“We are doing this project so that the history of the boat doesn’t die. We are interested in the social his- tory and any folklore surrounding the boats too,” he said.

said that the homes were being targeted during the day when they were unoccupied.

‘A lot of the houses are on the main road. They just drive up and break in,’ he said.

People in neighbouring Kildysart have also reported theft from boats.

Gardai say that a group of travel- ling criminals are responsible for break-ins to several houses in north and west Clare over the past two TneCOy ele stse

The thieves targeted the unoccupied homes during the day and among the

items they stole include jewellery, cash and computer games.

Five boat engines, valued at up to €6,000 each, have also been stolen from Crovraghan Quay, Kildysart, area over the past few weeks.

These boats were used by local farmers to access the island.

Two boat engines, stolen in Car- rigaholt and Kilkee earlier this year have been recovered by gardai in Sligo.

“There has been a marked rise in burglaries while people are out of their homes during the daytime. These are opportunist crimes involv- ing a gang of travelling criminals,” said a garda spokesman.

A non-national was arrested in con- nection with a burglary in Inagh and detained for questioning.

He was later released without charge and a file 1s being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecu- tions.

No one has been arrested in connec- tion with several other burglaries in Cranny, Ballynacally and Kildysart.

Local County Councillor Oliver Garry (FG) said there 1s a lot of con- cern in the local area about the large increase in the number of house usr onny

Warnings for people to be vigilant have even appeared in parish news- ato ne

‘People who live alone or people who would leave their house for the day are now putting in house alarms and electric gates,” he said.

“There is a lot to be said for the Garda on the beat and they are miss- ing from the country areas. That is what will control crime in the rural areas,” said Cllr Garry.

A community alert meeting is now being planned for the area. The lo- cal superintendent has been invited to attend to offer people advice on home security.

LAST week’s release of the Gal- lagher report into the sustainability of the biofuel industry was given an unexpectedly warm reception by the industry representatives last week. This is despite the fact that the report would suggest the strong possibility of a premature demise in the indus- nae

“Far from being bad news for the industry, the report confirms that bi- ofuels have their role to play but we must proceed with caution and make sure that biofuels are made from sus- tainable sources,’ said Richard Price, director of Biofuels Media.

“There needs to be more thought and planning put into what is sus-

tainable and what is not. For in- stance, British prime minister Gor- don Brown suggested this week that the UK is wasting too much food. About 4.5 million tonnes of it goes into landfill each year and repre- sents a potentially valuable source of bioenergy for the future.

“There are also approximately 33 million tonnes of Biomass going to landfill of which 13 million tonnes is wood, representing a valuable source of energy. There are many sustain- able alternatives out there waiting to be developed.”

Biofuel experts discussed the pos- sibility that in the future valuable en- ergy for schools, hospitals and public buildings could be sourced directly from landfills.

“The idea is not far fetched. The technology is here, it’s a question of a framework to make it happen,’ continued Price.

“My company would like to hear from any companies, universities or individuals who would like to launch or show their new technologies at our upcoming Biofuel Expo.

“In addition to the Expo and show- casing of new technologies, there will also be two days of conferences covering subjects such as energy from wood pellets and wood chip as well as biogas from food, farm and animal wastes.”

Biofuels Media are the organisers of the Biofuels Expo and Conference to be held in Nottinghamshire on Oc- tober 15 and 16. The expo, which is

being billed as Europe’s biggest bio- fuel event this year, will be focusing on sustainable development of bioen- ergy and a Special area this year will be showcasing future bioenergy technology.

The conferences are aimed at in- forming delegates about all aspects of either starting a process or adopt- ing bioenergy solutions for their or- ganisations.

Applications should be made on www.biofuels-expo.co.uk. Potential investors, partners, distributors and adoptors of this technology will be visitors to the show.

Priority will be given to new non food feedstock sources and new technology surrounding bioenergy from waste.

EVEN the weather was kind to Tua- mgraney on Friday when the Pride Of Place judges arrived in the vil- lage.

It was all hands on deck to make the two judges in the cross-border competition feel welcome and Tuam- graney residents showed they know how to lay out the red carpet.

“It couldn’t have gone better. Eve- ryone came together to make it a special day,” said Mary Cassidy, sec- retary of the Tuamgraney Develop- ment Association.

The day started with chairman of the association, Damien Heaney, Mary and a large group of local peo-

ple turning out to greet the judges, Tom Dowling and Alison Boyle.

They were brought to the East Clare Heritage Centre where Fr Brendan Quinliven and Alan Sparling greeted them dressed as Brian Bort and his brother and staged a small historical pageant.

Then Gordon Daly gave a power point presentation outling the local attractions and some of the history of the village.

The group then set off on a boat trip from Tuamghraney to Scariff harbour. On their return, the devel- Opment association representatives took the party on a walking tour of the memorial park and the proposed wildlife park before heading to Ra-

heen hospital.

‘At the hospital they met the staff and saw the facilities and then we introduced them to Paddy Gleeson, who turned 104 recently. He was able to talk to them about local his- tory and the the Black and Tans. It was fascinating,’ said Mary

After the hospital visit the judges went to the handball alley where youngsters put on a demonstration of handball skills.

Afterwards the winners of the anti- litter competition were anounced, be- fore the judges said their goodbyes.

Now the association and local peo- ple will have to wait until November to see if their hardy efforts will bear fruit.

“It was just fabulous that even the weather was good for that short while and they got to see Tuamgraney in the sunshine. The day was lovely and there was a lovely atmosphere, with the bouncy castle for the kids and face-painting — they were delighted,” said Mary.

She also stressed that simply win- ning is not the point in the competi- tion.

“Just to be nominated to take part for the first time was a great honour. And it was marvellous the way eve- ryone came together to lend support. The village looked lovely with all of the flags and bunting up for Clare as well. Maybe we’ll leave them up un- til November, just in case.”

CONCERNS have been expressed over the level of service for cystic fi- brosis (CF) sufferers in Clare.

Fine Gael TD Pat Breen told the Dail that around 30 cystic fibrosis patients in the county are attending for treatment at the Mid-Western Re- gional Hospital in Limerick.

He said that a full time consultant was needed to enhance the level of available care.

“The present consultant is due to retire and when the position is adver- tised, a consultant with a speciality in CF should be appointed. The pro- vision of a dedicated adult outpatient

unit 1s also essential. Such a unit is available for children but adults can- not avail of same,’ he said.

“Progress has been made in some areas and funding was allocated in 2006 and 2007 to put in place a full medical multidisciplinary team, fol- lowing an audit by the HSE in 2005 of the staffing levels at the hospital. However, while a number of posi- tions have been filled, there is seri- ous concern regarding the position of two CF nurse specialist positions, which have not been advertised, even though funding has been allocated. When will these positions be adver- tised and filled?” he asked.

“I recently met representatives of

the Clare branch of the Cystic Fi- brosis Association of Ireland and they outlined the stories of the bat- tles they fight every day for services. I met a woman whose son died six weeks ago, aged 23, and I admire her courage in playing a part with the association to highlight the plight of other sufferers. I was amazed by her strength in speaking about her son’s plight. She wants to do something for other CF sufferers in County Clare.”

In response, Minister for State, Mary Wallace, said that the HSE had advised that “An audit of CF staffing at the Mid-Western Regional Hosp1- tal was carried out in 2005. The HSE has since earmarked funding for the

creation of 8.5 additional posts to en- hance both the adult and paediatric CF service.

“The additional staff include a con- sultant respiratory physician with a special interest in cystic fibrosis and a consultant paediatrician with a special interest in respiratory medi- cine, supported by specialist nurses, a physiotherapist, a dietician, a social worker, a pharmacist and a medical scientist post. The HSE has advised that the dietician, the social worker and 0.5 of the physiotherapist post have been filled, the consultant posts are under consideration and it is in the process of recruiting the remain- ing posts.”

A NEW dawn for milk production in Ireland was heralded last Wednesday as Minister for Agriculture, Brendan Smith, signed the new regulations governing milk quotas into law.

The introduction of the new Eu- ropean Communities Milk Quota Regulations effectively revokes the current national regulations govern- ing the super levy/milk quota regime and replaces them with new consoll- dated regulations.

Despite reservations 1n some quar- ters about the new regulations, Min- ister Smith emphasised that the new laws were the product of an extensive review of legislation on milk quotas, and that the principle of simplifica-

tion was at the heart of the laws.

“The clear focus of the review of the milk quota regulations has been on the need to bring legislation in this area up to date at a time of great change in the dairy sector,’ he an- nounced.

‘As market conditions change and the abolition of quotas draws nearer, it is now time to make the function- ing of the quota regime more flex- ible and, in particular, to remove any unnecessary obstacles to consolida- n(oyn a

The new regulations give effect to the changes previously announced in the areas of quota transfers and milk production partnerships.

These include, in the case of trans- fers, greater flexibility in the consoli-

dation of holdings and the transfer of quota within families, a broadening of the definition of qualified relatives to include relations of spouses, re- moval of the restriction on the sale of land and quota out of disadvantaged areas and the facilitation of quota leases to companies.

Regarding milk production part- nerships, the new regulations remove restrictive criteria such as distance between holdings, age limits and off-farm income thresholds, and fa- cilitate the participation of non-dairy farmers and farm managers in part- nership arrangements.

The new regulations aim to sim- plify, and in some cases remove, no- tification and application procedures for producers.

They also remove restrictions placed on producers as a result of their participation in restructuring schemes up to 2006.

Those wishing to sell quota with land may now include quota pur- 1 E:T exe MON N(6(o) ar: RoI DMOLOL RED U DETSanYel OCs) pOLom while those who had disposed of quota under previous restructuring schemes will not now be excluded from quota trading and temporary leasing schemes.

“IT want to take this opportunity to thank the farming organisations and ICOS for their constructive input to the review of milk quota legislation, and I look forward to their feedback on the implementation of the new regulations in the coming months,” concluded Minister Smith.

THERE’S lots to keep kids busy at Scariff Public Library this July. As well as having all their favourite au- thors and stories including Horrible Henry, Harry Potter and Jacque- line Wilson, the library is holding a number of free events to suit children of all ages.

There’s stories, nursery rhymes and a small craft class with Josie Scholman for children aged 3-6

on Wednesday, July 16 at 3.30pm. Youngsters can be Fireman San for a day on Thursday, July 17 when they meet up at the library at 3.30pm fora visit to Scariff Fire Station. Children must be accompanied by an adult. A make and do session for children aged 7-12 will take place on Friday 18 at 3.30pm.

Come along and get the fascinat- ing facts on bats from conservation ranger Sinead Biggane on Tuesday, July 22 at 3.30pm Children aged

about 7-12 will get to hear and feel ‘real’ bats. Sinead will also lead a bat walk in Raheen Wood that evening at 9.45pm, weather permitting. Chil- dren must be accompanied by an adult.

There’s stories, games and crafts for younger children aged 4-6 on Wednesday, July 23 at 3.30pm.

On Friday, July 25 at 3.30pm Mela- nie Lorien will make corn dollies with children aged 7-12 years. Ad- vance booking is required for this

event.

Kids can sign up for the annual Clare County Library Summer Read- ing Challenge at the library where they will receive their free reading challenge pack. Entry forms for the design a t-shirt competition are also available at that venue.

And the best news of all is for par- ents – all activities are free of charge. Places may be limited on some ac- tivities, so please contact the library on 061 922893 for further detauls.

ENNIS woman Sharon Collins has spent the weekend in jail after being convicted of soliciting a poker dealer to murder her partner PJ Howard and his sons, Robert and Niall.

The mother-of-two, of Ballybeg House, Kildysart Road, Ennis, was

also found guilty of conspiracy to murder the three Howards, at the end of an eight-week trial at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

She was remanded in custody to the Laurel House unit of Mountjoy women’s prison where she is one of ten inmates, including Tanya Lamb (30), who is serving a 10-year term

for killing her partner with a hockey stick.

Her co-accused, Essam Eid (52), a native of Egypt, was found guilty of extortion and handling stolen prop- erty and acquitted of burglary at the Howards’ family business in Ennis.

However, the jury could not decide on conspiracy to murder charges

against him and recorded a verdict of disagreement.

Collins denied setting up the email address lyingeyes98@yahoo.ie and hiring a hitman over the internet in 2006. She claimed that she had been the victim of a set up.

ENNIS Town Council’s ban on new housing development because of the poor sewerage infrastructure has claimed its latest victim.

More worryingly for developers, the latest refusal 1s for a relatively small development of only 26 houses. Pre- vious refusals related to projects in excess of 100, 200 and 400 residen- tial units.

The situation is expected to contin- ue for another four years at least until anew €75 million sewage treatment plant is commissioned at Clareabbey. The timescale for the plant was an- nounced prior to recent speculation on Government cutbacks.

The plan by Mairead Murphy for 26 homes at Claureen on the La- hinch Road was refused after the Council ruled that “the development would be premature by reason of an

existing deficiency in the provision of sewerage facilities and the period within which the constraint may be expected to cease”.

In an internal memo, Town En- gineer, Tom Tiernan said his main concern over the application relates to the capacity of the main sewerage treatment plant at Clonroadmore.

‘The capacity of this plant has been evolving as an issue for some time and this stage, it has been determined

that it is stretched to the extent that it would be inappropriate to approve any further significant developments which would be dependent on it.

“Given that the new plant at Clare- abbey will not now materialise until 2012 at least, the concept of an in- terim upgrade of the existing plant to accommodate envisaged require- ments over the next five years or so is feasible at a cost of between €1.2 million and €1.5 million.

“Tf this conclusion 1s confirmed, the only means of funding the upgrade works will be in association with prospective development which will be approved via the planning process with any funding to be levied under the council’s approved contribution scheme”’.

The Claureen development was op- posed by residents associations from the Brookville and Dun na hiInse housing estates.