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THE primary school in Newmarket- on-Fergus has reduced the amount of waste it sends to the landfill, by more than 95 per cent.

This has been achieved by the staff at Scoil na Maighdine Mhuire en- couraging the pupils to be mindful of the importance of the environment.

A wide range of initiatives have been undertaken by the school, in its ongoing efforts on the environment.

Last week the school’s staff and stu- dents all took part in a green dress- up day, where everybody dressed up in green. This was aimed at honour- ing St Patrick and to highlight green awareness. In the process they raised money to buy a new lawnmower to

keep the school’s newly-seeded grass field in tip top shape.

Each class planted a tree during na- tional tree week earlier this month. The school also hosted Beni Oberu from Trocaire, who highlighted the need for water conservation.

School principal Ann McMahon said a survey carried out late last year showed the reduction in the amount of waste going to the landfill was more than 95 per cent, compared to previous levels.

She said that a number of initia- tives have been carried out by vari- ous classes at the school.

“We had a recycling project earlier in the year where each child used re- cycled materials to create something useful or artistic,” she explained.

‘Each class has planted a variety of seeds in recycled yogurt pots which we hope to transplant to the school garden as soon as they have sprout- ed. Juniors and seniors are sprouting water cress seeds. Third and fourth classes are doing a science experi- ment to determine whether seeds need water to germinate,” she said.

“Sixth class undertook to survey the number of light switches and sockets in the school and have designed an art competition to make reminder signs for switches and sockets.

“Third and fourth classes under- took a survey of toilet cisterns in the school. They have collected 500ml bottles which they will fill and place in every cistern in the school, thereby saving 500ml of water for each flush

of each toilet, which 1s a lot of water saved annually,” she said.

“We are collecting plastic bottle tops for a hospital in Dublin who hope to collect a skip full and raise funds for a wheelchair,” she added..

The school held an exhibition in the school hall last month, which was judged by members of the En- vironment section of Clare County Council.

The winning entries are currently on exhibition in Newmarket-on-Fer- PAU lyeTae

FIANNA Fail county councillors know that their future in politics will go the way of Ennis General Hospital and fear a wipeout.

With just 15 months until the next local election, the nervy politicians are only too aware of the fate that faces them if work on the hospital does not progress soon.

As the future for the hospital looks progressively bleak, the 15 council- lors fear for their seats.

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of the Government party, the group secretary of the Fianna Fail council- lors in Clare, Pat Daly (FF), said that unless the development of the hospi- tal takes place “the local Fianna Fail councillors will be wiped out”.

The man who also works for Clare’s most senior politician, Junior Min- ister Tony Killeen, said that all the councillors agreed with his letter to Sean Dorgan.

“I can assure you that if the Team- work Hospital Acute Review is not positive, it will create a huge embar- rassment for the Fianna Fail party in

County Clare,” he told the general secretary.

“At this stage, it is only rumour but the HSE are not denying that this de- velopment could be delayed by up to two years. Prior to the General Elec- tion, the Taoiseach visited Clare and confirmed that the €39 million in- vestment would be going ahead.

“For the past two years, the HSE have been playing around with plan- ning briefs and designs for the up- grade of the hospital. It went to the planning stage with Ennis Town Council and in 2007 full planning

permission was acquired.

‘So here we are now. The Govern- ment allocated €39 million for the upgrade of the hospital, the local authority gave the go-ahead for full planning permission and it is held up by the HSE through the Teamwork Report,” wrote Cllr Daly.

“I urge you to get the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste to intervene by imme- diately contacting Professor Drumm and insisting that this €39 million be allocated for the original purpose, the development of Ennis General Hospital.”

A RESIDENTS association’s fight against the construction of 60 alf- fordable houses in their estate is to move to a new level next week.

The Concern Residents of Cluain Airne 1s opposing the proposed de- velopment in their estate, where there already are 178 houses.

They believe that there is inad- equate infrastructure in the area to cope with new homes.

The group also says the develop- ment of additional homes will result in their green area being taken away from them.

When the details first emerged last summer, a group of the Cluain Airne residents grouped together and or- ganised a petition, highlighting their opposition to the construction of the new houses.

That petition has since been signed by more than two-thirds of the resi- dents and they attached this to their

formal objection to the scheme, which was lodged with the council.

Next week, Shannon area council- lors will be given the opportunity to vote on the proposed development. The residents association is appeal- ing for the councillors to vote in their le AVeluie

Secretary of the group, Nicole Murphy, said locals are encouraging the local politicians to take their con- cerns into account when they vote.

“If all of the councillors vote

against it, it would be great. It is in the councillors’ hands. They need to think of their local people who have been and will be voting for them.

“There are hundreds of acres of suitable land down the road and they could leave the green area (in Cluain Airne) where it 1s,” she said.

Mr Murphy said the residents ac- knowledge that affordable housing in required in Shannon, but feel it should be catered for on alternative sites.

SERIOUS questions have emerged as to the HSE’s commitment to the future of Ennis General Hospital as the long promised hospital upgrade has been put on the long finger.

Five months after planning was granted for the first phase of the €39 million upgrade, the HSE has still

not sent the plans to tender.

This week, the health service ad- mitted that the upgrade was depend- ent on the much feared Teamwork Report which was set up to review acute services in the mid-west. It also admitted that the plans for the hospital have been put on hold unless additional funding can be found.

A total of €39 million had been

included in last year’s capital budget for the project.

The HSE announcement flies in the face of reassurances made by the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health before the last General Election.

Speaking in the Dail, Deputy Tim- my Dooley (FF) said, “Towards the end of last week, I was approached by a friend who works within the health

sector who advised me that the HSE has or is about to remove the planned upgrade at the Mid West Regional Hospital at Ennis from the national development plan of the HSE’s capi- tal works programme for 2007-11.”

He said that the HSE has tried to stop the development at every oppor- tunity by putting forward “the notion of value-for-money audits, cost-ben- efit analyses etc and has tried at every opportunity to block the project”’.

“What I want is a commitment that this project will go to tender this year. It is not acceptable to take mon- ey that is planned for the mid-west to use it to solve problems in Dublin,” he said.

Speaking during the same debate, Clare Deputy Pat Breen (FG) re- minded the Tulla TD that he was in government.

Meanwhile, the HSE released a statement that said it had submitted the 2008 capital plan to the depart- ment for approval.

“When the other acute priorities, which have no contractual commit- ments, are taken into account…there are some projects which will have to be delayed for a year or so or may have to be put on hold unless addi- tional funding can be identified or they can be substituted for another project in the plan.

“In the context of the capital fund- ing available this year, existing con- tractual commitments, competing national priorities and cash flow projections, the Ennis project is one such project.”

THE pupils attending a Shannon primary school have engaged in a project aimed at promoting active living in the local community.

The fifth and sixth class students at St Conaire’s school challenged them- selves to a project, in an effort to put something back into the community.

Helped by their teachers, the stu- dents participated in a project which highlights active living. Through the project, they raised €1,500 to provide a defibrillator for their local GAA club, Wolfe Tones na Sionna.

Teacher Audrey Cleary explained that the children were very keen to engage in the project.

“This project was initiated by the children, to show appreciation to their local club, in recognition of the commitment and dedication by the club members in engaging, mentor- ing and training the children,’ she PALO

The main fundraising initiative was a ‘sportathon’ which was or- ganised last week, during which the children participated in a variety of sporting activities over a number of hours. The children all got sponsor-

ship from their families, for the spor- ee eLOy OF

In addition to the sportathon the children of fifth and sixth classes recorded a selection of their own Christmas carols onto a CD and sold this locally.

“This entire challenge was a very worthwhile project. It generated a sense of achievement and fulfillment among the children while at the same time the sportathon promoted an awareness of a healthy lifestyle,” said Ms Cleary.

“The children’s efforts were whole- heartedly embraced and encouraged

by the families in the school commu- nity. The challenge was substantially supported and ensured the children achieved their target of raising €1,500. The Celtic Tiger may be a thing of the past, but the Celtic Wolf adorned in green and white is alive, active and spirited in Shannon,” she laughed.

“FOR first-time buyers, the property market has appeared more than a lit- tle overwhelming recently. However the misconception that the market has out-priced itself is now waning as a robust buyer’s market emerges,” said Liam Daly of Joseph Daly Prop- erty Partners.

He added, “The first-time buyer market has appeared to be particu- larly sensitive to changes in property prices, lending rates and the general feeling in the market.

‘However, with prices of some new and second-hand houses being cut by as much as 20 per cent and with rents in Ireland peaking at an all-time high in 2007, it makes sense for potential first-time buyers to now take that first step on the property ladder.”

He believes there has been “much scaremongering in the media of late which doesn’t actually translate when you look at the appropriate fig- ures. Cuts in interest rates and falling

house prices should be encouraging new buyers to feel optimistic again.

“Recent trends in the rental prop- erty market have seen more prop- erties become available yet rental property prices are not decreasing. Static house prices are delivering first-time buyers an opportunity to escape from the rent trap and get a firm foothold on the property lad- der,’ claimed Liam.

To assist first-time buyers in mak- ing the transition from tenant to homeowner, Property Partners has devised First Step, a guide aimed at buyers looking to purchase their first home.

The in-depth guide investigates such issues as house-hunting, or- ganising finance, mortgage options, expected costs, and includes a glos- sary of terms. Copies are available free by visiting the Property Partners Joseph Daly office or via the newly- launched Property Partners website at WwWww.propertypartners.ie or by phoning 065 6893257.

SHANNON International Airport has come under fire from Amnesty International, which has outlined how the Clare airport played its role in the extraordinary rendition of a Yemeni man.

The human rights organisation de- tailed how a plane, which transport- ed Khaled al-Maqtari from Baghdad where he was “arrested” to Kabul to a CIA “black site” prison, was refu- elled in Shannon just hours before.

Mr al-Magtari was held without charge in secret CIA prisons for over two and a half years.

Amnesty International Irish Section Executive Director Colm O’Gorman said, “There can no longer be any doubt that Shannon is being used by those involved in kidnapping and torture, dressed up as part of a war OE uKOe

“After nine days of interrogation in Abu Ghraib (Baghdad), Khaled al-Maqtari was taken by plane to a secret CIA detention facility in Af-

ghanistan, where he was held for a further three months. Flight records obtained by Amnesty International corroborated that a jet operated by a CIA front company left Baghdad International Airport nine days af- ter his arrest, heading for Khwaja Rawash airport in Kabul.

“This same jet, registered at the time as N379P, had left Shannon Airport on 20 January 2004 en route to Baghdad where it collected Mr al- Maatari,’ Mr O’Gorman said.

“In essence, Shannon was used as

a refuelling stop by the individuals who ‘disappeared’ Mr al-Maatari to Kabul. It is clear that Ireland serves as a Staging area for these kinds of operations, which constitute some of the worst kinds of human rights abuses,” he said.

Amnesty International called in the Irish Government to put in place a system to monitor flights through Shannon and a regime of inspections to ensure that Ireland was not being used to facilitate kidnapping and tor- ture.

A spokesperson for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern said the Government was totally opposed to the practice of extraordinary ren- eb TaCeyen

The Government said it was satis- fied with specific assurances from the US authorities, including from US President George W Bush and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, that no prisoners had been trans- ferred through Irish airports, nor would they be without Irish Govern- ment permission.

through the Freedom of Informa- tion Act show that a commitment to provide €20 million over five years was deleted from two earlier drafts and did not appear in the final plan that was published in January.

Drafts circulated within Govern- ment in September and December stated, “It is intended to provide ad- ditional funds, over and above ex- isting commitments in the National Development Plan, of €20 million over five years, for a targeted Tour- ism Ireland-led overseas marketing campaign for the wider catchment of Shannon airport from Kerry to Don- egal.”

However, the line was deleted from the plan that was published in Janu- ary. It is not clear why. However, a senior Department of Tourism offi- cial pointed out in an internal memo in November, “In estimates discus- sion with the Minister for Finance, I understand that there has been a pos- itive indication of funds for a special marketing push for the area in 2008, which, as you recall, featured in the plan considered by Government.

“However, there 1s no commitment from Finance for a multi-annual programme. In the circumstances, we are operating on the basis that approval for such marketing pro- gramme has to be obtained in the context of a Government decision on the wider plan.”

The strongest statement that the Minister for Tourism, Seamus Bren-

nan could make on the funding of the plan was in an accompanying press release last January when he said, “This initiative amounts to an anticipated €15 to €20 million over the next few years and will be imple- mented by Tourism Ireland.”

The plan was ready for publication last July with the department making plans to translate the plan into Irish.

It is not clear why it was delayed since not all records were released. The delay in publishing the plan also led to concerns within the De- partment of Tourism. In an internal memo last January, a senior official stated, “In the absence of any an- nouncement about the ‘plan’, there is a clear vacuum on the ground. This will be and is being filled by ad-hoc

eroupings driven by various organi- sational agendas.

“Despite all of the talk in the latter part of last year about the need to be nimble and innovative, there is little evidence of any new thinking from those who shout loudest about the need for it.

“Surveying the scene as it currently exists, I have little doubt that we will, within the very near future, see some other ‘group’ make a pitch for control of the marketing moneys.

They will, almost certainly, pro- duce their own marketing plan and demand funding for it.

In the absence of a decision to re- lease the funds and let TI get on with their job of putting together a cam- paign, in consultation with the in- dustry, the forces of incoherence will just gather momentum.

“The budget was about six weeks ago. That gave us the funds. What we don’t have is the green light to go spend them. this delay is most unfor- tunate. We have lost the winter. We stand to lose the spring also.

“With the best will in the world, it will be mid to late February before we can Start to roll out campaigns in the US. Given the loss of time, what we may end up doing there is seek- ing to build, incrementally, demand for travel next winter.

A FATHER-OF-THREE who sold heroin to feed his own habit has been ANU Cere ms Key mcsFcdnlmmneloyeldetcn

Gerard Curtin (27), of Castlerock, Tulla Road, Ennis, pleaded guilty to possession of heroin for sale or sup- Oa

Inspector Tom Kennedy told En- nis District Court the accused’s bed- Sit was searched under warrant, on March 13, 2007.

He said that four bags of heroin – valued at €100 – were recovered from a shoe in his room.

“It was a small amount. He did con- fess he would have sold the drugs in

those packets for €25,” he said.

Defending solicitor William Cahir told the court that Curtin has used heroin since 2005.

‘He showed gardai where he had his heroin, inside his shoe. He told gardai he would smoke it and sell it,” said Mr Cahir.

He said his client sold “a small bit” to feed his own habit.

“He is not using heroin now. He feels he has cured it. He has dealt with his addiction by his own steam. He has managed to clean himself up and come off drugs,” he said.

Judge Joseph Mangan imposed an eight-month jail sentence and fixed a bond in the event of an appeal.

THE Ennistymon Community Cen- tre will be the venue on Easter Sun- day for a musical extravaganza fea- turing an 80 piece big band from America.

The Burnsville High School Big Band will take to the community centre stage for one evening only with all proceeds going towards the town’s Mol An Ojige Steiner school.

The event is being organised by the Mol An Oige parents committee and Hibernia Music, an organisa- tion which helps orchestras and large school bands from abroad find ven- ues to play in Ireland.

“I organise concerts with incom-

ing choirs, youth orchestras and high school bands who come to Ireland through a tour operator,’ said Ann Farrelly of Hibernia Music whose grandchildren attend Mol An Oige.

‘The concerts take place north and south of the order and are all for tbe laYs

“None of the groups charge for their performance, so all the money can go towards the charity, which is perfect.

“We tailor the concert venues to suit where the group themselves want to play, so if they want to see Clare, I try to organise a charity concert for eles nm bOm Oi E-BRon

‘This group is an 80 piece big band from Burnsville Highschool in Min-

nesota.”

After they plan in Ennistymon they will travel to Kerry and play another charity concert down there before going home.”

SW cViMe ream some ODe MED OOCoMBDIEBRceronle years that a top quality large Ameri- can band has visited Ennistymon.

“We had a 50 piece orchestra here in Ennistymon last year and that was great. So we are all hoping that this will be even better,” said local organ- iser Roisin Garvey.

‘Tickets are available from Custys in Ennis, from Unglerts in Ennisty- mon or by ringing Susanne on 086 6044113.” ;

Last month, the Mol an Oige Stein- er School in Ennistymon and the

Raheen Wood Steiner School in east Clare became the first two Steiner School’s in the country to be granted official recognition by the Depart- ment of Education.

This follows a long struggle for the recognition which means that the schools can obtain grants and teach- ers’ salaries from this September.

Up until this point the Ennistymon school had to raise all the capital needed to operate the school from fundraising exercises, parent dona- tion and the support of local busi- nesses.

The concert takes place on Easter Sunday, March 23, in the Ennisty- mon Community Centre at 8.30pm – tickets cost €10.