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FEARS that a dispute might ground Aer Lingus flights have been allevi- ated after SIPTU agreed to go along with procedures suggested by the Na- tional Implementation Body (NIB). SIPTU shop stewards agreed to

keep working with Aer Lingus to shave another €10 million off the airline’s budget. Agreement has al- ready been reached on how the air- line can save an initial €10 million, mainly through the introduction of flexible start times and new rosters. The union had threatened stoppages

which would have grounded planes at Shannon and other airports. In a statement SIPTU said it has “agreed to remain within the process estab- lished by the National Implementa- tion Body to find alternative ways of achieving the €20 million savings being sought by Aer Lingus manage-

ment”.

Shop stewards considered the pro- posals made by the NIB on Decem- ber 21 and are “happy it is achieving our objective of identifying alterna- tive savings to the proposed cuts in pay being sought by the company, ’ according to Aer Lingus Branch Or- ganiser, Teresa Brannick.

SIPTU has referred the pay freeze imposed by the company on employ- ees on October | to the Labour Re- lations Commission and the Labour Court. A spokeswoman for the union said this does not interfere with the NIB process.

An Aer Lingus spokeswoman not- ed the outcome of the shop stewards’ meeting and welcomed “their leader- ship in this important process.”

She added that the company is “ful- ly committed to continuing to engage positively with the union”.

The row behind the threatened rollover stoppages centres on union claims that proposed airline meas- ures will cost staff €4,000 a year.

The NIB has recommended that negotiations should be completed by the end of this month. The savings so far have been agreed with ground staff. Further savings will be sought from other workers, including cabin crew, pilots and craft workers.

Rolling stoppages had been threat- ened for dates in mid-November. The NIB, the state’s industrial relations trouble-shooting body, stepped in at the eleventh hour to bring the two sides together.

A PROPOSAL for the adoption of legislation, which will block appli- cations for casinos in Shannon, will be voted on, at a meeting of the local town council tonight.

Under the Gaming and Lotteries Act (1956), applications can be made for casinos. This legislation is cur- rently effective in Shannon, which means that subject to conditions, ca- sinos can, effectively, be set up in the eda 0

However councillors in Shannon

are attempting to rescind this, mean- ing that such applications can no longer be made.

Last year, businessman John O’Donovan lodged plans with Clare County Council for a casino, which he claims will create 12 jobs in Shannon. His application was turned down and is currently under appeal.

Last October, Shannon town coun- cillors voted to start the process to rescind the legislation.

The motion, up for discussion at this month’s meeting of the town council tonight (Tuesday), 1s widely expected

to be passed when voted upon by the nine town councillors.

If it is adopted, it means casinos or gambling clubs cannot be established in Shannon.

Objectors had until December 13 last to lodge objections to the pro- posed change.

Eleven objections have been lodged to Shannon Town Council and these will be considered by councillors as they vote on the issue tonight.

Mr O’Donovan, who hails from Quin, believes that there is a need for a casino in Shannon.

He said he carried out “brief sur- veys” on the hotels in Shannon and found that the occupancy ranges from 500 to 1200 per week.

“A number of guests would spent two to three days there. Unless you enjoy a drink, there is nothing really to do. That is how Shannon came to the forefront of this,’ he said.

He said he was initially “down- hearted” by some of the negative comments associated with his apph- cation, and said he was looking at his proposals as “something positive for Shannon.”

, the HSE was unable to say which specialist pa- tients in Ennis were waiting to see.

Meanwhile, the National Treatment Purchase Fund, which has helped to reduce the surgical waiting lists, only applies to people who have been seen by aconsultant and are scheduled for treatment or an operation.

The real wait for patients now 1s to see the consultant.

While those close to the hospital services in the region say that an audit of the waiting list is long over- due as many patients may have died or received treatment elsewhere, the wait is still highly criticised.

Fine Gael spokesperson on health Dr James Reilly, said he would be in- terested in knowing how many peo- ple have literally died waiting.

While Ennis hospital has recorded its longest waiting period as four

and a half years, the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle has a waiting list of three years with 13,074 people waiting.

Neighbouring hospital at Portiun- cula has a waiting list of more than four years, while patients have been waiting to be seen at Galway’s two main hospitals since 2000. A total of 18,206 people have been waiting.

These startling figures were re- leased in the same week that top acci- dent and emrgency doctors criticised HSE CEO Prof Brendan Drumm of having “limited experience” in emer- gency medicine and medical care.

The A and E specialists predicted that at least 360 people will lose their lives as a result of A and E over- crowding this year.

The president of the Irish Associa- tion of Emergency Medicine Dr Fer- gal Hickey called on the HSE to fol- low the UK example and introduce a mandatory waiting time for A and E beyond which patients would not have to wait.

A major report into the A and E cri- sis had previously recommended that a limit be imposed on patient wait- ing times in A and E departments nationally.

An analysis of the HSE national figures by emergency consultant Mr Patrick Plunkett found patient delays in A and E had become worse in re- cent months however.

THE Shannon Lions Club say its Christmas food appeal has been a huge success, with help given to doz- ens of families on the breadline.

The club decided, for the first time, to give financial assistance to four community groups who work closely with those in need.

The four groups then used that money to help people in need. The eroups – Meals on Wheels, Shannon Senior citizens, St Vincent De Paul and Shannon Mental Health Associ- ation – were presented with cheques by the Lions Club, in the run-up to Christmas.

Previously the Lions Club had

Operated a voucher system in that families in need were presented with vouchers, from which they could buy food and other necessities.

The club collects money and gets support from the community and its aim 1s to ensure that it includes every sector when the funds are distrib- WIKexe

The money was raised from church- gate collections, a flag day anda golf classic, which were held during the year. The Lions Club will also or- ganise a Valentine’s Ball, which will take place in Bunratty on February 9 next. The proceeds of this night will go to Milford Hospice in Limerick, which provides care to many people from Shannon and surrounding ar-

eas.

According to the PRO of the Lions Club, Tony McMahon, the generos- ity of locals in Shannon was essen- tial, in order that the poor and needy were looked after.

“It costs in the region of €7,000 to €8,000 to cover our running costs,” said Mr McMahon.

He said the organisers of the Christ- mas food appeal were pleased with how it worked out this year, with sev- eral people helping out.

While the Christmas campaign 1s out of the way for another year, the Lions Club will continue to provide much needed assistance to the peo- ple of Shannon.

“We go all year around. While the

Christmas food appeal would be the main occasion for us, the club is there all year around to help people. The food element is just at Christ- mas. We address other needs that arise, throughout the year,’ said Mr McMahon.

The club, through its president Ger- ry Flynn, has expressed gratitude to all its sponsors and supporters whose generosity enabled the club to carry out its programme of work during the past 12 months.

The club is encouraging people to support its Valentine’s Ball in Feb- ruary. Those who want to purchase tickets should contact Tony McMa- hon on 086-2359277, or any Lions Club member.

THE pre-Christmas partial ban on Brazilian beef imports into the EU has been welcomed cautiously by the farming organisations.

Speaking from Brussels, the IFA President Padraig Walshe stated that only an outright ban will fully safe- guard the European Union from the risk of Foot and Mouth Disease from Brazilian beef imports.

However, Mr Walshe had to con- cede that the restrictions decided upon for Brazil, particularly the re- quirement that all holdings for export to the EU must be approved and list- ed publicly, is a significant step for- ward. “The decision of the European Commission indicates that the new

restrictions on approved holdings should limit the number of Brazilian farms meeting the new criteria for export to Europe. These new restric- tions should limit exports to a small number of farms, if properly imple- mented,” he said.

“The IFA campaign over the last two years highlighting the failure of Brazil to meet EU standards has been fully vindicated. The commis- sion again have admitted that they have identified serious instances of non compliance with regard to hold- ing registration, animal identification and movement controls and a failure to respect their previous commit- ments to take the appropriate correc- tive measures.”

The Commission decision goes on

to state that, “it is only possible to al- low imports to continue on a secure basis by strengthening the control and surveillance for holdings from which animals eligible for export to the community are sourced and by establishing a provisional list of such approved holdings”.

“FMD is endemic in Brazil and only a total ban will safeguard the European Union. Previous attempts to regulate Brazilian beef imports to Europe have fallen down due to a lack of traceability and movement controls, ineffective vaccination against FMD and the inability of the Brazilian authorities to implement proper controls,” said IFA National Livestock Chairman, John Bryan.

The ban was also welcomed by

Irish MEP Marian Harkins. **The fact that it took the Irish Farmers Asso- ciation and the Irish Farmers Journal to expose the deficiencies inherent in the Brazilian cattle production and processing industry casts doubt on the efficacy of the EU’s veterinary and food safety system,” she said .

“The investigation of Brazilian controls in the beef sector by Irish in- terests was first rubbished by repre- sentatives of the EU Food & Veteri- nary Office and was not supported by our minister for agriculture. But the pressure maintained by the IFA, sup- ported by the Agriculture Commit- tee of the European Parliament and members such as myself has forced this reassessment of non-compliance by Brazil with EU requirements.”

DESPITE the fact that children in Clare as young as 12 are turning to alcohol and teenagers of 14 are using cannabis, the mid-west still has not employed a dedicated psychiatrist for adolescents. As a result, young people are falling between the child and adult psychiatric services. Neither is ideal for teenagers and young adults, according to Dr Moosa- jee Bhamjee, who said Clare people are now waiting up to one year for assessment by a psychiatrist. Research from a team of psycholo- gists and sociologists from Trin- ity College and University College

Dublin suggests that mental health problems among young people are increasing. According to Tony Bates of Headstrong, the National Centre for Mental Health, less than 10 per cent of young people with a mental illness engage in support services.

Dr Bhamjee agreed, saying, “A lot of them don’t see drink or drugs as a problem and that is a big issue.

“Drinking is now starting at the end of primary school, and cannabis smoking at the age of 14. These teen- agers are addicts by Leaving Cert and drop-outs at Junior Cert.”

The Clare psychiatrist maintains that peer pressure and body image are adding to the teen strain.

In what has become a vicious cir- cle, younger and younger children are turning to alcohol, drugs and other social problems in an attempt to justify their place in society.

Children at primary school level are presenting with anorexia and Obesity but most of these problems start at 14 and 15 years of age.

“We are beginning to see younger people with early onset of schizo- phrenia, manic depression and ma- nia, panic attracts and anxiety at- tacks due to social pressures.”

There is currently no psychiatrist for adolescents in the mid-west, for which the HSE and government must be chastised, said Dr Bhamjee.

The appointment of one, and a Support team, is estimated to cost €1 million. There are no admission places in Munster for adolescent pa- tients. Each year, an average of 16 adolescent admissions are made to Ward 5B in Limerick and at least one third are from Clare. Young “volun- tary” patients can also be accommo- dated at Ennis General Hospital.

Developing counselling services in colleges and a clinical psycholo- gist in primary schools when chil- dren are more receptive could help, said Dr Bhamjee. In an emergency, a child can be seen by the child psy- chiatrist department within days.

THE poor public transport system serving Newmarket-on-Fergus is a huge barrier for community groups in the area as it hinders people from accessing education and work.

Local community group Obair said the village has “lost some of an al- ready sparse bus service due to the bypass and this causes great difficul- ty for members of the target group in accessing education and work op- portunities in larger towns and cities such as Shannon and Limerick”.

The comment came last week as Obair received Government funding to maintain employment for three workers in the local community.

Obair was one of 11 groups across

the county to receive funding under the national Community Services Programme (CSP).

The three positions will support elderly services, people with dis- abilities, childcare services and local community facilities.

The funding has been a huge boost to Obair, which was set up in 1993, to address high levels of unemploy- ment at the time. Since 1996, Obair has been one of 34 groups around the county which administers the Local Development Social Inclusion Pro- eramme (LDSIP). The project for which the funding was announced will be located in the Newmarket- on-Fergus Family Centre.

According to Jackie Bonfield of Obair, “As always there are certain

barriers that continue to effect the implementation of programmes such as these, namely public transport and local childcare services. There is a continued need for more affordable childcare, both for the benefit of the parent and also the child.”

She added, “The diversity of facili- ties and services that will be avail- able from the family centre to the community will require management and support services. The CSP will facilitate this need through the pro- vision of management, administra- tion, group support work, caretaker/ maintenance and security/cleaning services. All services are crucial to the efficient management of the fam- ily centre and the services provided for the disadvantaged members of

the community.”

The project will provide supports to assist elderly groups in their work for “Meals on Wheels’. It will also help in the fight for equality for peo- ple with disabilities.

‘The group is conscious of the need to be inclusive of people with disa- bilities and is supporting the work of a disabled access review committee that was set up in 2006.

“This committee is reviewing a re- search project which was conducted a few years ago on disability acces- sibility and addressing issues still outstanding and any new issues that have arisen during this time,” said Ms Bonfield. The work of the after- school programme will also be sup- ported, under the initiative.

THE Western Development Com- mission’s, (WDC) investment arm, the WDC Investment Fund, invested €6.2 million in 17 projects during 2007.

Since it was set up, the investment fund has made investments totalling €27/m.

Gillian Buckley, WDC CEO, said, “The size of the WDC Investment Fund’s continuing investments 1s ev1- dence of the excellent stock of com- mercially viable projects in the west- ern region. The 2006 census shows the region has been able to attract an adaptable and educated workforce as evidenced by a population increase in line with the national average,” she said.

“There is a high demand for a fund of our kind that is the only source of venture funds specifically available

for enterprises in the western region. Through the fund we are success- fully filling the ‘funding gap’, allow- ing projects to get off the ground, erow more quickly and bring them to a stage where it is in a position to attract funding from the private sec- tor.”

WDC investment fund recipients during the past year include FMC Tech Ltd, based in Shannon, which has developed the Crystal System, which provides electrical utilities with the ability to locate, measure and predict faults on overhead me- dium-voltage power lines.

THE driving force in_ Bridget Sweeney’s life is her “Burren View” bed and breakfast business in Bally- vaughan and she proved it when pick- ing up her latest award last week.

On her way to an end of year awards function for the Tourism Learning Network, her car broke down. Yet just a few weeks ago, she had won a new car in a national newspaper Leyeny oles isleyee

But Bridget opted to convert the car prize into cash which she invested in the comfort of her guests rather than her own driving convenience.

Not even the breakdown halted Bridget. Still stained with oil and erime when she finally arrived in Limerick’s Castletroy Park Hotel, she was stunned to learn that she was one of three award winners chosen from the 25-strong membership of the Clare Tourism Learning Network.

Winning ways are nothing new to Bridget from Castleblaney who was the leader of an award-winning cus- tomer care team in the telecoms in- dustry before she used the proceeds of an early retirement package to fi- nance her dream of running her own B&B in the Burren.

She took on the job of project man- ager for the conversion and refur- bishment of “Burren View” which opened in 2006 and was an award winner within its first year.

The 5-bedroom B&B with disabil- ity access in all en-suite rooms won a “Welcome” award from Failte Ire-

land as well as getting a highly rec- ommended endorsement from Fam- ily Homes of Ireland.

Before she opened her doors to pay- ing guests, Bridget conducted a series of test runs to weed out any problems

or shortcomings for her entry to the tourist trade.

She invited well-travelled friends and family to visit and provide can- did feedback.

“They told me what they thought of how I greeted them on arrival, how I informed them about what was on of- fer in the area, the comfort of the bed- rooms and the quality of the break- fast”.

Bridget’s winning ways have also helped to fit out “Burren View”. She has a flair for dreaming up winning slogans.

Her prize from one competition provided the furniture for the patio looking out over the Burren. Light fittings and an aquarium for the guesthouse were also won in slogan competitions.

Bridget received her ‘Tourism Learning Network award for her achievement in developing a “bou- tique” bed and breakfast venture at Newtown, Ballyvaughan.

Other winners presented with their awards by Clare Mayor, Council- lor Patricia McCarthy were Davnet Cronin O’Brien of Clonlara Eques- trian Centre and John Davoren of Caherconnell Fort in the Burren.

SUPPORTERS of the restoration of the Shannon/Heathrow route have hit back at claims by an economist that the route is not important.

Separately, Cityjet were this week understood to be considering a fur- ther connectivity lifeline between Shannon and Schipol Airport in Am- sterdam.

A special report was produced by economist Sean Barrett to accom- pany the ESRI quarterly economic commentary.

Barrett said in the report that argu- ments favouring Government inter- vention to retain the Shannon-Hea- throw service were “weak”.

The report highlights how just 38 per cent of the 856,000 passengers who flew from Shannon to London in 2006 went to Heathrow. The bal- ance used services to Stanstead, Gat- wick and Luton.

In the 10 year period to 2006 the numbers flying from Shannon to Heathrow declined by four per cent while the volume of passengers trav- elling between the airport and Lon- don actually rose by 156 per cent.

But John King of Shannon Devel- opment said that “even if only one third of passengers connect on or use Heathrow, that’s still an awful lot of people.

“It’s easy to dismiss it if youre just

talking statistics but the business case set out by the Atlantic Connec- tivity Alliance is the reality.”

King added that this case was up- held by the fact that Cityjet have an- nounced their route to Paris from Shannon and they saw a market in providing connectivity to a major European hub.

Passenger figures for Shannon have jumped this year by 2.95 million.

According to a report on Irish air- ports in the year to date, published by the Economic and Social Research Institute, Shannon 1s connected to 39 airports serviced by nine airlines.

While lobby groups here including the Atlantic Connectivity Alliance have called for the Government to force Aer Lingus to reverse its deci- sion to axe the Shannon-Heathrow route from January 14, Barrett says he does not agree.

Meanwhile Cityjet, an Air France subsidiary which has recently an- nounced flights betwen Shannon and Paris, is looking at flying into the Amsterdam airport from Shannon.

The Amsterdam route would prob- ably depend on the support for the Paris route, airline sources say.

Separately, Aer Rianta has won one of its largest ever contracts which will see it develop operations at a new terminal in Moscow, in a deal which will generate more than €1 billion over seven years.