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THE manager of Shannondoc con- firmed yesterday that there will be “significant” cost implications in re- lation to a successful Labour Court claim by SIPTU for improved rates of pay for the service’s workforce. Shannondoc provides an_ out-of- hours GP service to patients across

Clare and the mid-west, except for the Limerick city area, and employs 126 workers, with the vast majority on a part-time basis.

SIPTU sought the application of Health Service Executive (HSE) terms and conditions of employment for all its members and retrospection back to January 2005.

The success of the claim will mean

a nice pay-day for the SIPTU mem- bers as the money has been backdat- ed to August 2006.

SIPTU pointed out that such a claim was recommended by the La- bour Court in relation to arguments put forward by SIPTU on the South- doc service. Southdoc pointed out that the claim would cost €753,629.

Shannondoc put forward proposals

based on that recommendation but SIPTU argued that those proposals do not mirror in full the HSE cond1i- tions applicable in other areas.

SIPTU claimed that full pay, pre- mium rates and sick leave should be paid from January 1, 2005. The union believed it was a sustainable claim as it was formally lodged in May 2005 and Shannondoc acknowledged this in June 2005.

SIPTU also argued that its mem- bers should not suffer as a result of Shannondoc refusing to engage in discussions with the union until mid- 2007, especially as what was sought was applied by the HSE elsewhere.

Shannondoc maintained that retro- spection should be paid from August 2006 as this was agreed with media- tion of the Labour Relations Com- mission. The company viewed it as a reasonable compromise and the majority of staff accepted it.

Shannondoc pointed out that it was not a profit-making organisation but received funding from the HSE and the concession of any claim would be subject to HSE approval before fund- ing could be made available.

The Labour Court recommended that the HSE terms and conditions of employment should apply from Au- gust 1, 2006 with the implementation details agreed between the parties as early as possible.

Shannondoc General Manager Lar- ry Maher said that the cost implica- tions of the Labour Court judgment will be ‘significant’.

THERE was double All-Ireland suc- cess for Clare at the weekend as the Banner County claimed the Under 14/15 and Under 16/17 team cham- pionship titles at Clarecastle on Sun- day. In theUunder 14/15 event (team of six), Clare won their semi-final against Galway by 86 to 55 and came up against Kilkenny in the final. The home team was much too strong on the day and recorded an 82-59 win.

Christopher Philpot (Kilkishen) and Keith Hogan (Newmarket) won their games on a 14/15, 15/8 score, with Darren Cooney and Kevin O’Callaghan (both Kilkishen) re- cording a score of 8/15, 15/4 while Evan Corbett (Tulla) and Patrick Fitzgerald (Tuamgraney) won 15/10, RAE

This was a double for the Tulla Tua- mgraney pair as they were members of the under 12/13 team that won last years title, as was Barry Nash who did not play this weekend due to a bout of flu. Clooney’s Peter Duggan (captain) also played in the semi-fi- nal against Galway.

Not to be outdone, the Clare Under 16/17 team also went all the way and captured their own All-Ireland title. Also played at Clarecastle on Sun- day, the Clare team of Sam Edbrooke (Tulla), Chris Ryan (Clarecastle), Ryan O’Neill (Clooney), Liam

Clancy (Newmarket), Shane Crehan and Eoin McGrath (both O’C. Mills) overcame Wexford in an epic final, eventually emerging as winners by a single ace, 48 to 47. Great credit must go to the mentors of both teams who put in a lot of hours in the run up to the semi-finals and finals and Clare handball owes a debt of gratitude to people like Christy Philpot, Joe Cor- bett, John Clune and Owen Conlon.

The weekend just passed also saw the East Clare Construction-sposn- sored Boys Under 11 tournament, hosted by the Kilkishen club. There was a large turnout and the day con- cluded with Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3 finals. One of Clare’s great handball servants through the years, in the shape of Donal Flem- ing, was on hand to help organise, run and referee the various games.

Meanwhile, the Clare County Ju- venile Handball Committee held the annual Medal Presentation Evening at East Clare Golf Club on Sunday last. All players who won county, Munster or All-Ireland honours, in- cluding Sunday’s victorious team- event winners, were presented with iW eLoyDMmBaLeLO rN ECE

County Chairman Matthew Mc- Mahon addressed those present and highlighted the importance of a strong juvenile structure in keeping handball booming within the coun-

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THE Health Service Executive (HSE) has stated that the discharge of raw sewage into the River Fergus by Ennis Town Council “represents a serious public risk and should be treated with the greatest urgency”’. Correspondence released under the Freedom of Information Act by the Environmental Protection Agency outlines the number of complaints that have been made in recent times

over the pumping of raw sewage into the River Fergus from the pumping station at Francis Street.

The situation is not expected to be fully addressed until the provision of a new €75 million sewage treat- ment plant at Clareabbey to serve the greater Ennis area which will not be in place until 2012.

In one of the letters HSE Environ- mental Health Officer Fiona Healy said she witnessed the discharge of sewerage twice and on both occa-

sions, murky water spread throughout the river, leaving a layer of scum.

“IT have seen sanitary towels in the discharge and there has been a foul smell on both occasions,” she said.

Us Tee MC sc MA SULA OMEN MDAUercA bes 2006 and in a separate letter Envi- ronmental Health Officer, Brendan Mortell says the sewage overflow has been causing a nuisance for residents at this location for a number of years and should be given as high a prior- ity as possible, considering its close

proximity to dwellings.

In a letter to the HSE, Town Engi- neer, [om Tiernan said the discharge to the river following heavy rainfall was “not acceptable in this day and age. It is, however, outside the coun- cil’s control until such time as the upgrading of the station can be pro- ceeded with”.

In response the EPA serving notice, the Town Council compiled a report last October outlining the actions it had taken to minimise the problem.

HIDDEN messages reveal a positive attitude in a new exhibition currently on display in Ennis.

Final year arts student Grace O’Hara is the woman behind the work that can be seen in the front window of Mrs Quin’s charity shop in Ennis.

Embroidered in clothes donated by Grace to the shop, are motivational messages and positive mantras. Some of the messages are visible while others are hidden. The items are part of Grace’s final year project for the Limerick School of Art and Design. The items will then go on display in June at the final exhibition to be held

at the St George’s Quay campus.

Describing the technique as similar to that employed by graffiti artists, Grace said, “I embroider onto my own clothes and given them to char- ity shops. The work is anonymous in the sense that it doesn’t bear my name. The only recognizable feature is the style of the stitching used.

Grace continued, “The reward for me is the notion of the buyer sudden- ly finding the message, reading it and holding onto the positive thought. What I am hoping to do is to spread good will or karma and this proc- ess continues when the clothes get passed on again or end up in another charity shop.”

The project developed as a result

of the pressures Grace experienced during her final year of college.

After reading through self-help and motivational books, she felt com- pelled to weave a positive message into her own work.

She said “The origin of my work stems from the personal stresses that we all endure in everyday life. When I was doing research for this project, these positive messages be- came my motivational tools to cope with stress, as did the calming craft of embroidery. It helped to soothe away my worries.”

Grace received important support from her lecturers in Limerick and the staff at Mrs Quin’s Charity shop.

“Lucy and all of the staff at Mrs

Quin’s were very helpful in letting me use the window. My tutors in Limerick, Sean Taylor, Mike Fox and Amanda Dunsmore gave me great help throughout my years in college.”

None of the clothes currently on display are on sale, as they will be used in the June exhibition in Lim- erick. After completing her degree Grace hopes to pursue a career in Koreans

“The nice part about the work is people do not realize they have bought a piece of art until they in- spect the clothes closely or they may just think it was designed that way”.

The work is on display in Mrs Quin’s charity shop until May 12.

MARY Coughlan met the man with his finger on the button controlling European Agriculture on Thursday when she held her last face-to-face meeting with Peter Mandelson before the start of the World Trade Talks. Speaking after the meeting, Minister Coughlan reaffirmed her “deep con- cern’ about aspects of the current world trade talks.

The negotiations in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) involve over 150 countries and have now been go- ing on without a resolution for seven years. The talks cover agriculture, manufacturing, services, trade rules and trade facilitation but have been

concentrating heavily on agriculture in recent months.

The Director General of WTO has indicated that he proposes to call a ministerial meeting in May to dis- cuss agriculture and manufacturing trade.

“Ireland is a trading nation and as such we have a strong national inter- est in seeing a successful trade round and a strong WTO,” said Coughlan. ‘However we are deeply concerned at the imbalance in the current nego- tiations.”

As things stand, we see EU and Irish agriculture are being asked to carry a disportionate burden in the overall effort to conclude a deal.”

Minister Coughlan said that she

drew the Commissioner’s attention to the dramatic changes in world food markets since these negotia- tions commenced.

“I pointed out that many EU Gov- ernments now share our conviction about the need to maintain a strong agricultural production base in Eu- rope.”

But this critical fact is being ignored in the WTO process to date.” contin- ued Minister Coughlan.

“The agrifood sector in Ireland, built up over years to become the huge contributor that it now is to our economy must not be damaged by a WTO agreement which fails to take account of the new realities emerg- ing in world food supply.”

The minister emphasised the very real difficulties for Irish agriculture and the food industry from some of the proposals emanating from the WTO in Geneva.

Minister Coughlan outlined in detail the dramatic impact of hugely in- creased imports of beef and the con- centration of these imports on high value cuts of meat.

She called on the Commissioner to ensure a meaningful level of protec- tion for our industry.

She also said that our concerns were not confined to the beef sector and underscored to the Commissioner the difficulties some of the propos- als would generate for our dairy, pig- meat and sheepmeat sectors also.

UP TO a quarter of all family doc- tors in Ennis are not taking on any new patients.

Chairman of the Clare branch of the Irish College of General Prac- titioners (ICGP) Dr Michael Harty said that 25 per cent of general prac- titioners in the county town have closed their list.

“In areas of population growth the number of patients is out stripping the number of GPs. In the rest of the county I wouldn’t be aware of any that have closed their list,” he said.

The Clare GP representative con- firmed however that the work of all GPs has increased significantly in the last number of years, an issue that 1s to become even more serious as a huge shortage in the profession is predicted.

“In general terms the work of the GP has increased by 50 per cent. Part of this is due to the population increase but one of the major factors for the increase in workload is the transferral of patients from hospitals to GPs,’ he said.

These transferrals include Warfarin and diabetes clinics.

“We are doing a lot more interven- tion than we used to,” he said.

The Kilmihil doctor said that the public also has greater expecta- tions and are more health conscious, which leads them to visit the doctor

more often.

There are currently 2,500 GPs in Ireland a number that is decreasing due to the older age profile of the profession.

The issue is about to reach crisis point however as not enough doctors are coming on stream to replace cur- rent GPs planning to retire.

“There are a large cohort of GPs that are within 10 to I5 years of re- tiring,” he said.

It takes 11 years for a student to go from first year medicine to a fully qualified GP.

‘We need to plan in advance and at the moment that is not there,’ added Dr Harty.

He said that 121 GPs qualify each year.

This number was to reach 150 but the HSE withdrew funding last year.

Initially it was hoped to bring the number of GPs trained every year to 180.

A survey carried out by the Irish College of General Practitioners showed over 50 per cent of GPs had problems recruiting partners to their practice, while 66 per cent had dif- ficulty-recruiting assistants.

Minister for Health Mary Harney admitted this week that there is a need to increase the number of GPs in the country.

ENNIS is to get a new bridge across the River Fergus as part of a major development by a Galway company which has just got the go-ahead from Ennis Town Council.

Briarlane Development secured planning permission for a major ex- tension to the Abbey Hostel near the existing Club Bridge. The company iS proposing the construction of a

footbridge across the River Fergus to link the development to the Abbey Street car-park.

As part of a four-floor structure, the developers plan a 120-bunk bed extension to the existing hostel building. The development is to also include a restaurant, an internet café and a wine bar with all ancillary oats one

The extended hostel is expected to fill a gap in the local tourist market

where, currently, there are no hostel spaces for independent tourists.

The Briarlane project faced no local opposition and the company was able to satisfy concerns that the Depart- ment of the Environment expressed over otters in the River Fergus.

The granting of planning permis- sion five years after the company first sought to develop the strategic site adjacent to the River Fergus follows a decision by An Bord Pleanala last

year to refuse planning for a project that promised to transform the Ennis skyline as part of a €25 million riv- erside development.

Early last year, Ennis Town Council gave the go-ahead for the ambitious project in spite of warnings from Clare’s Conservation Officer that the plan had the potential to do “ir- reparable damage to a very attractive and uniquely ancient county town”.

The council chose to ignore Con- servation Officer Risteard UaCron- in’s warning that “the design of the proposed development 1s neither con- temporary nor innovative and reflects large city suburban developments of the 1970s and 1980s, many of which are presently being demolished”.

But his stance was endorsed last September by the appeals board which ruled that the proposal would seriously injure the visual amenities of the area and the character of the architectural heritage area.

The development involved a six- storey building opposite the Abbey Street car-park arranged around a central podium and included a plan to develop a 30-bedroom hotel, 58 apartments and a pedestrian bridge across the River Fergus.

The board also ruled that one of the apartment blocks would provide poor quality accommodation and serious- ly injure the residential amenities of future occupants and of property in the vicinity.

THE Ennis Active Retirement As- sociation celebrates two decades of friendship and civic pride next week- end.

The association marks its 20th an- niversary with special event in the Eire Og clubhouse on Saturday May OF

The Ennis ARA offers people over 55 the chance to engage in educa- tional, social and cultural activities.

The primary aim is to make retire- ment an enjoyable and meaningful part of life. The association attracts members from all walks of life and holds regular talks and demonstra- tions along with classes in dance and kTEOle

Twice a year, in spring and autumn, the ARA organizes two trips abroad.

The association is supported by the Clare VEC, which provides free 10- week courses in arts and crafts dur- ing the winter months.

One of the highlights of the asso- ciation’s long history was a visit by group from the Ennis ARA to Aras an Uachtaran to meet with President Mary McAleese. Association PRO Phil Barrow explained that friend- ship has always been the cornerstone of the association.

“We seek to improve ourselves and our community and to enjoy ourselves while at the same time ap- preciating the fulfillment that comes from the companionship of our members”.

Phil said that the association has proved a helpful first point of contact for new people moving to Ennis.

“It is ideal for people who have just

moved to the town. People might come along to a meeting. Now, not all of them will stay, some will drift away. But the most important thing is that people make friends and they know we are there to help them”.

The Ennis ERA was founded in April 1988 by Fionnula Moran, who was working for Clarecare at the time.

The first meeting was held in the De Valera library Ennis and was at- tended by ten people.

Kevin O’Donoghue was elected as the association’s first chairman. Oth- ers who held the position of Chair- person over the years, were Frank Hanrahan, Michael Coleman and Kitty Begley.

The current committee is made up of Mary Meaney (Chairperson), Alice Coote (Secretary), Mary Rose

McMahon (Treasurer) and Phil Bar- row (PRO).

Over the years membership grew steadily until it topped 100. Current membership stands at 65.

Meetings take place every Tuesday in the offices of Clarecare and new members are always welcome.

Phil said “We have always got great Support over the years. We are very active organisation. All the events we organise are for people who are physically active”.

The programme of events for next Sunday’s celebrations begins with mass at 2pm followed by as night of song and dance at the Eire Og club- Le uites

Phil said “Its really a re-union of old friends that have been involved over the years. We have always tried to help each other”’.

IRISH people are not getting enough dairy products according to new re- search released by the National Dairy Council (NDC) last week. At the launch of their organsations strategic plan last week, NDC experts started their commitment to tackle the issue. According to consumer research, four in five adults aged 15 and older claimed to consume milk everyday, yet almost 30 per cent stated they were not consuming the three serv- ings of dairy a day as recommended by the Department of Health.

In addition to this the survey found that 55 per cent of people believed that butter is fattening and detrimen-

tal to their health while 72 per cent said that butter is not good for cho- lesterol levels.

“While there is a high level of agreement on the importance of milk and dairy products in terms of their health and nutritional benefits, it is also clear from this research, that this is not being translated into behaviour and there is clearly a problem with consumer perception of milk and dairy products in these increasingly health conscious times,” said NDC Chief Executive Helen Brophy.

“It is also worrying to note that more than 30 per cent of people do not agree that milk is a natural un- processed food. This image and these attitudes must be tackled as a

matter of urgency and this is a key objective of our new Strategic Plan.”

The new five year Strategic Plan, entitled Dairy: Food for Life, was launched at a large industry event in Dublin and in advance of the open- ing session of the European Dairy Marketing Forum.

Speaking at the launch, Minister of State at the Department of Agricul- ture, Fisheries and Food, Mary Wal- lace, welcomed the new approach.

“The dairy sector is of vital im- portance to Ireland. It provides em- ployment for around 34,000 farmers, workers in the processing sector and those engaged in support and ancil- lary services,” she said.

“Some 85 per cent of Irish dairy

products are exported representing one quarter of all food and drink ex- ports. In 2007 that trend continued, despite the difficulties caused by the dollar exchange rate.

“Last year exports increased by 13 per cent to €2.36 billion, a record performance. Against this back- ground it is very encouraging to see that the National Dairy Council is focused on meeting the challenges which lie ahead.”

Coinciding with the NDC strategy launch, the inaugural meeting of the European Dairy Marketing Forum will take place, which is made up of leading dairy marketing executives from companies and dairy market- ing organisations across Europe.

WHEN Geoff Hurst scored the World Cup Final’s first ever hat-trick on that warm July day in 1966, roughly 300 miles west the men of Newmarket were watching. Inspired by what they saw, within two years Newmarket Celtic was born and football began to take root at McDonagh Park.

But instead of Charlton, Moore and Hunt, the names that drove the fledgling club forward were Ryans, Sheedys and Collins’ as well as Pat Coughlan, Mike O’ Malley and Frank McNamara.

It’s all the more fitting then, that 40 years on the name of O’Malley and McNamara still appears proudly on the Newmarket team sheet.

“This is unreal for the club,” said captain Mark O’Malley .

“We have been waiting 13 years for this, it’s unbelievable. This year now we really put in the effort. We had a good man over us in Paudie Cullinan

in charge of us. Packie Ryan, Seamus Cullinan, Billy Woods – they drove us on all year and it’s to them we owe Wee

“It’s a big club, everyone got right behind us. And the supporters are fantastic, you can see all the people who came out today to cheers us on – all of that matters. We have worked so hard this year, everyone.

“We had a 24 man squad and were able to play 11 versus 11 in training which really helped.”

“We started the match well and it was a good goal. But I suppose we started to get a bit complacent after that. But that happens sometimes – Burren are a very good team, very physical. They sent in a lot of high ball and caused us problems,’ he continued.

‘But once we got in a half time lev- el. We pushed on well in the second half, maybe got as bit of luck with the third goal but we did well.”

They think it’s all over, it is now.