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A ROMANTIC evening of candle- light, poetry and music on the shores of Lough Derg will raise cash for a life-saving cause.

A collaboration between the RNLI lifeboat service and the Killaloe- based Writer’s Hedge School has re- sulted in a poets and pipers evening on May Day.

Famed Scottish poet, Kenneth Steven will be the star reader at the event.

Kenneth is coming to Killaloe at

the invitation of best-selling author in residence, David Rice who runs the Killaloe Writers Hedge School along with poet and writer, Kathleen Thorne.

Providing the music for the evening will be talented piper, Brian Mooney and friends and between 8pm and 10pm, the lights will be lowered, the music mellow and the poetry mov- ing.

All the profits will be going to sup- port the voluntary RNLI service for Lough Derg and the Shannon.

The lifeboat was in Killaloe at the

weekend for the official launch of the poets and pipers night.

Every week, the lifeboat service saves twelve lives when people get into deadly danger on the inland and coastal waters of Ireland.

The Lough Derg boat, which is sta- tioned at Dromineer, has a voluntary crew of 20 and provides 24-7 cover for the lake and that portion of the river.

“They come out in every weather and have saved countless lives and helped people in great distress. It’s an important service and is volun-

tary with people giving their time and skills to rescue victims in trou- ble on the water,” a spokesman for the service said.

Tickets for the lovely evening are €20 a head and can be had from N1- amh McCutcheon on 087 6592955 or Eleanor Hooker, 067 24186.

moje sultants for Clare GAA have told the

council that the new RiverSide Quar- ter could be operational by 2013.

A new Ennis Development Plan is being drawn up which will include a range of new zonings.

However, consultants for Clare GAA have told the council that it may be early 2009 by the time the process of drawing up the new de- velopment plan 1s completed. Rather than seeking to have the site rezoned as part of the plan, Clare GAA are

seeking a standalone rezoning of the site. The process could be completed in five months.

The consultants have told the coun- cil that the development of schemes for both the Cusack Park site and the new GAA stadium “are well ad- vanced”.

Taking into account appeals to An Bord Pleanala, Clare GAA are an- ticipating that the planning process in relation to the scheme will take

two years.

The consultants state that it 1s in- tended that the RiverSide Quarter will act as a landmark site, point- ing out, “If we are dependent upon the adoption of the new Ennis Plan before we can lodge the application, there is a possibility that the site will not have the benefit of planning per- mission until 2010-2011.

The consultants state, ““The sooner the planning permission is received for the development of the site, the sooner Ennis Town Council will be able to utilise the significant income derived from commercial rates and development levies.”

The consultants argue that the shorter timeframe will significantly benefit Ennis in terms of an immedi- ate improvement in the town centre and the provision of a new GAA sta- dium.

The consultants state that the de- velopment is not designed to take consumers from the existing retail centre and, in particular, the town centre but to contribute to the re- tention and consolidation of retail spending in Ennis in the face of in- creasing competition from other re- tailers and leakage of retail spending from the area.

The consultants also argue that the development of retailing in the scheme would improve the diversity in the Ennis retail offer.

AMONG the recommendation made by the HSE in its attempt to ensure the outbreak of C diff last year is not repeated is the development of Ennis General Hospital.

The health authority made this statement just day after it admitted that the €39 million development project was shelved for at least 12 peepee else

In total 46 patients mainly elderly females were infected during the first

half of 2007 with the disease.

Many of those were diagnosed with a particularly virulent and highly transmissible strain PCR _ ribotypr O27 of the disease.

The damming report into the out- break recommended that the Execu- tive Management Team (EMT) of the hospital must regularly receive information about incidence and trends in healthcare associated infec- tions in the hospital as has already been agreed.

The EMT must ensure rapid identi-

fication and notification of outbreaks, and the re-established Infection Prevention and Control Committee should meet on a regular basis as had already been agreed previously.

The hospital should designate a senior executive with responsibility for infection control and a named in- dividual should be identified in each ward or clinical area with responsi- bility for implementing recommen- dations on hygiene and infection control and prevention.

Dedicated sessions of a consultant

microbiologist should be identified for the hospital and the planned pro- eramme of upgrading hand-washing facilities should proceed as a matter of urgency.

There should be an intensive pro- eramme of hand hygiene education and training of all staff followed by audits of compliance with good prac- tice and there should be a systematic programme of infection control edu- cation.

“Guidelines on appropriate an- tibiotic prescribing need to be re-

inforced and their implementation monitored,” it said.

‘The hospital needs to ensure effec- tive isolation for those patients who pose a potential or actual high risk of infection to others. The practice of ‘cohort nursing’ of infected patients on open wards must be reviewed and should be stopped for patients with undiagnosed diarrhoea. Accuracy of death certification – where ever ap- propriate the death certificate should include HCAIs (Health Care associ- ated infection).

THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has raised questions over the water supply systems servic- ing almost half of Clare.

The agency, in a report, has placed nine schemes serving in excess of 50,000 people on a remedial list.

The EPA found in the Ennis public water supply levels of Trihalometh- anes (THM) above the current stand- ard as set down in the drinking water regulations. The Ennis public water supply provides water to 23,000 peo- eter

A number of scientific studies have linked high concentrations of THM to increased risk of cancer. It is a by-product of treating the water with chlorine.

“It is worrying and if there is a case study on how not to put in place a water supply system, the Ennis pub- lic water system 1s it,” said Cllr Brian Meaney (GP).

The EPA expressed similar con- cerns in relation to the Ennistymon water supply scheme that supplies water to 8,220 people.

In relation to the Shannon-Sixmile- bridge scheme, which supplies water

to 16,000 people, the EPA states the supply may not be able to meet forth- coming THM standards.

The EPA found that the Turlough public water scheme, serving 500 people, “failed to meet e.coli stand- ards as reported in drinking water regulations and needs investigation and improvement if necessary to en- sure that the root problems have been rectified”.

The report also found excessive lev- els of aluminum in the treated water supply in Miltown Malbay which supplies 1,443 people.

In relation to schemes at Bally-

vaughan (1,000) and Broadford (350), the EPA states that the Health Serv- ice Executive (HSE) have identified supplies where further investigation or improvement maybe required.

“Of greater concern was the rela- tively low level of compliance with the trihalomethanes standard (88 per cent compliance).

“Four public water supplies (En- nistymon, Ennis, West Clare New and West Clare Old) reported con- centrations of trihalomethanes that were unacceptably high.

“While the latter two were unchar- acteristic (subsequent monitoring

has indicated low levels of THMs) the latter two are in need of urgent corrective action particularly as the standard for trihalomethanes is tight- ening in 2008.”

The report states: “Clare County Council carried out analysis on 529 check and 54 audit samples during 2006.

“No monitoring was carried out in one public group water scheme.”

The EPA report stated: “The overall rate of compliance in County Clare, 98.2 per cent, was above the national average in 2006 and improved com- pared from 97.7 per cent in 2005.

THE late Dr Hillery has been de- scribed by the Mayor of Clare as a consummate statesman and wonder- ful ambassador for Clare and Ire- land.

Councillor Patricia McCarthy said she was saddened to hear of the 84-year-old’s passing and that Dr Hillery would be best remembered for delivering the stability the coun- try required from the office of the President during both his terms.

“The mid-1970s was a turbulent time for the Irish Presidency. Presi- dent Erskine Childers died in of- fice in 1974 and two years later his successor, Cearbhall O’Dalaigh, re- signed the position. A stable Presi- dency was required for the country, and with Hillery’s period as E.E.C. Commissioner coming to an end, he was invited to put his name forward as the Fianna Fail candidate in the upcoming Presidential election.

Though reluctant, Dr Hillery put his country first and accepted the nomi- nation and was an immensely popu- lar President at home and abroad.

‘ Wherever he went, he brought a wonderful sense of responsibility and pride in the country he was rep- resenting. The remarkable list of hon- ours and decorations he was awarded during his two terms as President is testament to his popularity and the high regard in which he was held”, she added.

“Besides spending every summer at his family home in Spanish Point, I know that Dr Hillery was very in- terested in the exploits of Clare’s football and hurling teams. As a west Clare man he was especially delighted to see the Clare footballers win the Munster Championship in

1992. He was also very proud of the fact that Clare won the All-Ireland Hurling Championship in 1995 and 1997”, the Mayor said.

County Manager Alec Fleming said Dr. Hillery was one of Ireland’s most loved Statesmen who will always be remembered for his humility, ability to communicate with all people and, most of all, his love for his country and his native County Clare. Indeed, Clare County Council was honoured to hold a Civic reception for Dr. Hillery and for the past three years, his two terms as President have been profiled and celebrated in one of Clare Museum’s most successful ever exhibitions”.

Clare Museum Curator John Rat- tigan said that since the summer of 2000, the museum received in instal- ments, a large collection of presen- tations and gifts made to Dr Patrick Hillery while carrying out his public duties during a political career, which spanned from 1951-1990. These now form part of one of the most success- ful exhibitions ever hosted by the museum.

“Clare people have shown a great affection for and interest in Dr. Hillery’s career achievements. [| know from speaking with many of the thousands of people who vis- ited the exhibition that they are hon- oured to describe the late Dr. Patrick Hillery as one of their own”

“Personally, during my many en- counters with Dr Hillery I found him to be down to earth and approach- able. Having organised an exhibition on his life, I learned that he was also an extremely astute politician. These wonderful qualities combined made Dr Hillery an outstanding individual and President,’ concluded Mr. Rat- whee n ee

NURSES at Ennis General Hospi- tal, where an unprecedented spike in cases of Clostridium Difficile was detected in early 2007, have criti- cised hospital management for fail- ing to act on concerns expressed over a number of years regarding over- crowding and understaffing at the hospital.

An investigation was launched last October after a surge in the inci- dence of C diff was picked up during

routine laboratory surveillance. The matter was investigated by two sen- ior HSE doctors who published their findings on Thursday.

The report confirmed that 46 pa- tients were diagnosed with the po- tentially fatal bug during the first six months of 2007. Of those, 15 died within 30 days of being diagnosed while another six are now known to have died up to the end of 2007.

The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) has welcomed publication of the report but expressed disappoint-

ment that issues raised by frontline staff had not been communicated to the senior doctors who carried out the investigation.

INO industrial relations officer Mary Fogarty said, “Members of the Irish Nurses Organisation at Ennis General Hospital had, in the last number of years, consistently highlighted to hospital management many of the critical contributing factors which caused a high level of Clostridium Difficile at the hospital from January to May 2007.

On a regular basis, when meetings were held with management, nurses advised that putting extra beds in front of sinks was causing the spread of infection as hand washing by staff was prohibited; overcrowding on the two medical wards was leading to very high risk of cross infection between patients and that a chronic shortage of nursing staff on two medical wards was detrimental to patient care.”

Ms Fogarty added, “A report, un- dertaken by nurses at the hospital

and Leeds University in April 2007, identified the need for 26 additional nurses and health care assistants. The additional staff have not been appointed and the INO has referred this matter to the Labour Court for implementation.”

“We are disappointed that the con- cerns of nursing staff, which were raised consistently with local man- agement over the last 3 or 4 years, were not made available by hospital management to Dr Hynes and Dr Kelleher’, Mary Fogarty added.

FACTORY workers are being asked to play a role in ensuring Shannon is kept clean and neat this summer.

In advance of the tidy towns com- mittee’s Annual General Meeting tonight (Tuesday), the chairperson has appealed for more people to get involved in the group.

A core group of five people run the committee and chairperson Tess Bar- ry is hopeful that this can increase.

‘There are a lot of projects on hand this year. We are hoping to encour-

age more people to get involved,” said Ms Barry.

Ms Barry, who was one of the founders of the tidy towns committee in 1973, said that parts of the town have been plagued by litter over the years but things have improved in re- Ton Bb Nel eAy

“The litter issue has improved im- mensely, but we still have blackspots and we are going to address those,” she said.

“Litter has been our big problem. We are very grateful to the council for the work it is doing in improving

the footpaths. The last phase of the street signs will soon be put in place and we are very happy with that,” she said.

She also paid tribute to the town’s residents groups, who play a vital role in ensuring the town is looking good.

“We would never manage without the residents associations. We are also grateful to the offer made to us by McDonald’s to help in the clean- ups this year, having helped out last year,’ she said.

The local youth clubs — the Chris-

tian leadership movement and the Shannon Youth Office — and the stu- dents of St Patrick’s Comprehensive School have also pledged to help out with the clean-ups this year.

“We are hoping that a few of the industrialists will come on board and lend a hand with a few projects,” added Ms Barry.

The AGM will take place in the Alley Diner at the Shannon Knights Inn at 7.30pm tonight. For informa- tion phone Ms Barry on 061 362241 or the PRO Olive Bowen on O61 See

THE significance of Dr Hillery’s period as Minister for Education is often overlooked with credit for the modernisation of learning in Ire- land more commonly attributed to his flamboyant successor, Donagh O’ Malley.

However, Hillery, a man of im- mense intellect with a radical vision of Ireland’s future social and eco-

nomic possibilities, set out a blue- print which the energetic and forceful O’Malley prosecuted to full effect.

The extent of Hillery’s social radi- calism can be seen in a fascinating address he made to the Dail on March 23, 1960, in which he signalled his resolve to shift Irish education policy in an egalitarian direction.

His belief that the second-level system was regressive was captured in a simple but profound objective:

“Every child of sufficient talent, be they poor or rich, in any type of school should have the opportunity of climbing right to the top of the educational ladder.

“The nation needs the services of all the talent it can find.”

Hillery identified what he called “a missing rung in our educational lad- der” which denied advanced learning to those of a vocational orientation.

His idea would soon turn concrete

with the construction of the first of the country’s regional technical col- efexere

He went on to dismiss arguments against pouring money into Ireland’s under-funded universities lest it lead to too many graduates; casting aside pessimism he countered that invest- ment was “a calculated risk we must take if we believe that the country has a future”.

Later, as the first Minister for La-

bour, Hillery underpinned the link between education and Irish eco- nomic growth by instigating a policy founded on the idea that the State should help people to obtain the skills to avoid or climb out of unem- jo) Keyyaneteael

For this and other major aspects of Ireland’s educational infrastructure that have helped build the country to what it is today, Dr Hillery deserves Keeble

in Clare when he dropped his bombshell in Dail Eireann by mak- ing a complete u-turn on Ms Ge-

oghegan Quinn’s decision and sacri- ficing the special status Shannon had enjoyed since it became a world hub for transatlantic air traffic in the late ees

A radical restructuring blueprint put forward for the national carrier, Aer Lingus, by its then executive chairman, Bernie Cahill, proposing the abolition of the stopover was put forward by Cowen in the Dail and endorsed by 80 votes to 52.

However, the decision had short- term consequences for the Fianna Fail organisation in Clare, with Dep- uties Sile de Valera and Tony Killeen resigning the party whip in protest.

This lead from Clare’s two Fianna Fail TDs was followed by similar resignations by the 17-strong Fianna Fail complement on Clare County Council. It meant that for a period of six months before the councillors’ return to the fold, Fianna Fail was no longer the majority party on the local authority for the first time in over 60 erase

THE players of the Corofin Drama Society will next week make the long trek to Strabane in Tyrone where they will fly the flag for Clare in the All- Ireland One-Act Play Finals.

The society has cleaned the boards in all competitions so far this year, taking four first-place and two sec- ond-place finishes out of six com- petitions, and are full of confidence going up north.

Local people are being offered one last chance to catch their spectacular production of “The Beauty Queen of Leenane’, which will be staged in Corofin this Friday, April 11 from §.30pm.

“It’s a great play in the first place. It’s a lot easier to get an audience to really enjoy a play if it’s a great play to begin with,’ said producer John Clancy.

“Our cast in this play deserve a lot of credit. They have won a lot of awards among them for their per- formances. But the unsung heroes are the guys who work behind the scenes, who set off at eight in the morning and get the show ready and then bring the whole lot home at God knows what time when everything is finished. You can’t do it without these people.”

This will be the society’s last time to play in front of a home audience before they take on the best in the

country at the national finals, which will take place in Strabane from Friday, April 18 to Saturday, 26 of ele

“This is our second time reaching the All-Ireland. The last time was in 1985 with a production of *Phila- delphia Here I Come’. We still have a few of the people involved from those days. We have Eileen Lahiffe, Peter Daffy, Rhona Lyons and Willie Lahiffe, of course,’ continued John.

“We did the play in Corofin before we Started on the circuit. We got a great response. There would always be a good regular crowd here in Corofin who would come along and tell you what they thought about it.

“But now that we have had that bit

of extra success, we are hoping to get some local people who might not usually come to plays to come along. The parish is buzzing with talk about the play so we are hoping that we will get a lot of new people in for a look.”

The Corofin Drama Society are the only Clare group to make it as far as the All-Ireland Final this year.