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IT is still unclear what power, if any, Clare’s four TDs have to influence the decisions made by Clare County Soiele

Following a lively debate at last night’s meeting of the local author- ity, the exact power the TDs have to influence the allocation of housing remains a mystery.

This follows a motion put forward by Cllr Brian Meaney (Green Party), asking for a list of all TDs who have

representatives on behalf of mem- bers of the public to Clare County Sonia

“I’m not happy with the reply. I re- quested a list of the names of TDs and I have not been given that list. I wanted to see what influence, if any, a member of the Dail can have on the allocation of houses. I want it clearly stated whether a TD does not have a role to play in the allocation of houses.

“It must be stated clearly what role a TD has in this, what weight is given

to a representation made by them. I have been contacted by people who have said that they were successful in representatives because they con- tacted their TD.”

This motion was supported by Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) who said it wrong of TDs to tell the public that they have powers in such instances if WeTeaVare (oyna

“It is wrong for elected represented to misrepresent the situation and say that they can have influence. Or if they are having an influence then we

need to know about it,’ she said it.

The role of the TD’s in local issues was defended by Cllr Cathal Crowe coy)

“T think that it is a quirk in the Irish system that elected members from all levels have a very close level of contact with the local community,” he said.

“If a representative wants to make representatives on behalf of people then I can’t see any harm in it.”

A spokesperson from Clare County Council said that all representative

from TDs are acknowledged and a TD would be given advice on the current status of the application.

“It is prehistoric and inconceivable that we elect people to legislate and they end up as social workers,” said OW rite

‘They are more interested in watch- ing their backs and deceiving the electorate,” he said.

“I don’t believe that they have any more influence on this matter than a Shetland dog but they are putting it around that they have.”

THE curtain came down last night on the 15th annual Ennis Trad Fes- tival. A performance by the Alan Kelly Quartet rounded off the festi- val, which organisers are hailing as AME CLentoe

Committee member Kevin Finu- cane said the four-day festival drew big crowds.

“There seems to have been a good crowd around alright; particularly on the Saturday for the Lunasa gig but there seems to have been good crowds around all weekend. We haven’t got an official figure on the numbers yet but in terms of musicians, there was a big turnout. Talking to the pubs where there were sessions on, there seems to have been a lot of people around. It’s a sign that music brings people to the pubs,” he said.

This year’s festival had been in doubt but its future was secured through increased support from En- nis Town Council, local businesses, the Vintner’s Federation and the ar-

rival of Guinness as main festival Sponsor.

““T think the fact that there was doubt about it, more people came along to support it. Between concerts and ses- sions, CD launches and workshops, there was an awful lot going on. The hotels were full. You couldn’t get ac- commodation anywhere so I think that’s a fair indication of the amount of people that were around,’ added Kevin.

The festival kicked off on Thursday night with a performance by Clare band Moher at the Temple Gate Ho- tel. Saturday night saw some of the best traditional bands face off against each other in the West County Hotel for the Ard Ghaisce na mBuionta, or Great Band Challenge.

Trad band Lunasa drew big crowds to the Auburn Lodge for their per- formance, also on Saturday night.

Sunday saw two legends of tradi- tional Irish music, Frankie Gavin and ‘Tony McMahon, take to the stage for a rare joint concert at the Old Ground Hotel.

THE recession has done more for bringing down Clare’s waste moun- tain than all the education and aware- ness programmes together, members of Clare County Council were told last night.

Director of Services, David Timlin, said that the downfall in consumerism has resulted in a drop of 40 per cent in bring-back waste and a further drop of 20 per cent for other waste.

“The recession has done more for or volume of waste overall that any awareness programme or education,’ he told the meeting of the local au- thority.

He was speaking after Fianna Fail councillor, Pat Hayes had tabled a

motion asking what had been the result of the introduction last year of fees for people to use the county’s re- cycling centres.

But Cllr Hayes said that while it appeared that the revenue expected had been achieved from the charges, it was unclear as to what effects they have had on recycling.

‘Some centres seem to be up – oth- ers seem to be down but it’s hard to know from the information if people have used the centres less.

‘For instance, use of our own centre in Scariff is down while some other centres are up but I don’t believe that people from Scariff have switched to using centres in Ennis or elsewhere. I’d like to get a clearer picture.” he Ko) (em aatomanteronneree

THE multi-million euro package to assist Dell employees who lost their jobs earlier this year came a step closer in the last week as the Em- ployment Committee approved the proposal.

Last September the President of the EU Commission José Manuel Barroso announced that the Com- mission had approved an application from Ireland for assistance from the European Globalisation adjustment Fund (EGF).

The grant of €14.8 million would help 2,400 redundant workers in the computer industry in the mid west to find new jobs.

The application however also re- quired the approval of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.

Last Thursday at a meeting in the European Parliament, the Em- ployment Committee approved the proposal to grant assistance to the former Dell workers.

Member of the Employment Com- mittee and the only Irish member of the EU Globalisation Fund Working Group, Ireland North West MEP- Marian Harkin, said that the work- ing group took the decision to ap- prove the Dell application following a response from the EU Commis- sion to a number of questions posed by the group.

“It is absolutely crucial that former

Dell workers have access to this fund as soon as possible and that nothing further delays the procedure. It is an expression of solidarity and support from the EU to those who lose their jobs through globalisation and at least it gives a ray of hope to those considering their future plans.

“IT have worked hard within the working group to ensure support for the Dell workers and I am very pleased with the progress so far,” said the MEP for the West, includ- ing Clare.

The mid-west application relates in total to 2,840 redundancies in total, of which 2,000 were in Dell Com- puters and 840 in eight of its sup- pliers and downstream producers. Dell represented 1.7 per cent of the total employment in the mid-west region, a region where unemploy- ment before the Dell redundancies was already higher than the national average.

The total estimated cost of the package is almost €©23 million, of which the European Union has been asked to provide EGF assistance of €14.8 million.

There have been 27 applications to the EGF since its creation in late 2006 for a total amount of over €154 million, helping some 33,300 workers.

The Dell application is the first re- lating to computers. The only other Irish application was for Waterford eee

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DESPITE Whitegate’s agonising loss there was still one very happy Clareman in Cusack Park on Sun- day afternoon. It was Sean Hehir, the former Clare and O’Callaghan’s Mills legend who trains the South Liberties side.

“T think we had most of the run of play today. We could have had a bigger score too if we had converted all our chances. Of course I’m not taking away from Whitegate’s per- formance, but I feel we probably just edged it. They are a good team and a good club and I thank them for a great match,’ said Hehir after his team’s victory.

“We barely got through today and we barely got through our county fi- nal but in the end we do our best and so far that has been good enough. Next day we’ll be up against a very classy Douglas side and it will be a very different story. Who knows hopefully our luck will continue.”

His team will certainly have to 1m- prove significantly if they wish to capture this Munster Intermediate ti- tle based on today’s match, but when the improvement and the voyage they have conquered so far is taken into consideration, this again could be yet

another challenge that they can over- come in 2009.

Hehir spoke about all these great hurdles his team have faced and how they have leaped over them with great success. “When I got in- volved with this club first there was so much history I did not understand and know about. They had been in a number of county finals but had lost every time.

“There was a great frustration amongst everyone involved and that did not disappear until we finally became county champions this year. The sense of relief that can now be felt is unbelievable and I think it may act as a catalyst for future success. Hopefully starting with a Munster Kens eae

South Liberties left Ennis on Sun- day with smiles all around. They, like Whitegate, have had a fantas- tic year. Unlike Whitegate they still have a chance to mould it into an even greater year.

Who knows, maybe the extra Clare influence they have stolen this year might just push them into the path of victory once more.

GENERAL practitioners in Clare had a bonanza last year with total payments to the county’s doctors exceeding €11 million for the first mb eaten

According to figures exclusively re- vealed to The Clare People under the Freedom of Information Act, total payments to the 41 doctors partici- pating in the scheme increased by 8 per cent on the 2007figures.

Dr Michael Kelleher’s practice in Lahinch was the top Clare earner with €379,094 in fees and €85,137

in practice support.

Three practices received over €350,000 – Dr Martin Fitzgerald who received a total of €384,077; Dr Jocelyn Ellis who received a total of €366,215 and Dr William O’Connell who received €351,602.

The figures — supplied by the HSE’s Primary Care Reimbursement Board — show that a further seven doctors received between €300,000 and €350,000. They are Dr Eugene Casey who received €346,843; Dr Patrick Bugler received €344,024; Dr Colm Hackett received €341,740; Dr Fer- gus Glynn received €321,/67, Dr

Anthony Cox received €320,968; Dr Blathneid Regan received €318,145 and Dr John O’Donnell received Sel OlsMeb ee

Eight doctors received total fees between €300,000 and €250,000 – Dr Conor Hanrahan who received €296,396; Dr Mary E O’ Sullivan re- ceived €294,311; Dr Michael Harty who received €289,177, Dr Manus Maguire who received €280,800; Dr Conor Fanning who received €272,650; Dr Raymond O’Connor who received €270,202; Dr Eoin Curtin received €269,274 and Dr Eric Carr who received €252,830.

A further 13 doctors received payments between €200,000 and €250,000, while a further 10 doctors received payments of €100,000 and €200,000 with six doctors receiving less than €100,000.

The fees set out in the HSE report are global figures and practice ex- penses have to be deducted from the amounts concerned. They reflect the cost of the provision of comprehen- SUAIoM od ISHN Um ov u-KeL NI M(ONS) MENTO MIA Leo MO LELI do not represent income for individ- ual doctors.

The practice support grants made available to doctors contribute to

the cost of the provision of practice nurses and secretaries.

They do not cover the provision of premises or other bills such as heat, light or insurance.

However, the figures do not include any payments made to GPs in respect of treating private patients.

Just over one quarter of citizens are covered by the medical card, about half are covered by private medical insurance and one quarter have no Oo

The cost of each new medical card issued by the HSE in 2008 was €1,650.

THE county final against St Senan’s Kilkee was only a few seconds over and Micheal McDermott was al- ready casting an eye into his crystal ball – rather than dwell on the signifi- cance of back-to-back championship triumphs he preferred to talk more about Munster.

That meant Dromcollogher-Broad- ford – the team that brought the cur- tain crashing down on Kilmurry’s unbeaten year that December 7 day in The Gaelic Grounds.

“Tt will take very little motivation to get our lads ready for a game against Drom-Broadford,” he said.

How right he was, something that was hammered home in decisive fashion over this hour of football.

“Yes they’re worthy Munster cham- pions but we felt that we left it behind us in The Gaelic Grounds last year,” said McDermott seconds after this 0- 11 to O-5 victory.

“We wanted another crack at them and knew all week that there would be no better motivating factor for us than to have them a here in Pairc

Naomh Mhuire.”

Cue Kilmurry’s most impressive championship display since last year’s demolition job on St Senan’s Kilkee in the county semi-final.

“People say that we didn’t play well in the county semi-final, that we didn’t play well in the county final. People can say what they like, but the Monday week after the county final we went out and destroyed a top- quality University of Limerick side.

“That night I said to Gerard (Mc- Carthy) and to Martin (Cahill) that ‘we’re getting right for this game against Drom-Broadford on Sunday week. We knew that this perform- ance was in us — it was a tremendous performance by everyone out there. They all produced.

“It was the best 60 minutes of the year — what better day to do it than a Munster championship game in our home ground against the Munster champions.

“It was a very strong wind and the one thing I told them was not to be thinking that they had to hit score after score quickly. It was a case of concentrating and then whenever the

scoring opportunities came it was a matter of taking them.

‘They took enough of those chanc- es in the first-half to give us a good lead. When we played in the Munster final we didn’t take our chances and that was the difference between the two sides.

“The most important was not to concede a goal in the second-half — we achieved that and the most sat- isfying thing was once we sucked them into a battle we knew we’d be able to turnover ball and get our own chances.”

It means that Kilmurry now go on the road to Stradbally in two weeks time – in what will be a repeat of the 2004 Munster final that went to a re- play in Tipperary Town before Kil- murry won the day.

‘Tough assignment,’ was McDer- mott’s initial reaction. “Waterford club football is very strong. We’re under no illusions as to the task fac- ing us down in Waterford. We’re up there to be knocked after beating the Munster champions. We have two weeks to prepare and try to get to a Munster final.”

TEACHERS, students and _ local businesses have all contributed to the total revamp of the Ennistymon Vocational School playground which was officially reopened last week. Students from the nearby Mol an Oige National School were invited by the vocational school to join in the opening of the facility. The de- velopment was made possible, not only through Department of Educa- tion funding but also the efforts of local people.

Indeed, much of the work for the playground took place over the sum- mer months – with staff and students pitching in to lend a hand.

One of the centre points for the new facility is a large handball alley, com- pletely re-plastered by Barry Chap- man with the assistance of teachers and students. The alley was then dec- orated with a mural completed by art teachers Bairbre Geraghty and Edel Hogan with the help of a number of students.

A number of local businesses helped out in the fundraising effort with Daly’s Pub raising €700 on Arthur Guinness’ Day, a golf classic – sup- ported by numerous local businesses – at the Lahinch Castle Course, while the students also raised much needed finances with a sponsored walks, a run and a church gate collection.

Meanwhile, the students also used

the day to mark their participation in SEV ONE ESM oro.e

Maddie Paine from the Samaritans spoke about the Christmas shoe box appeal, while Glen Guilfoyle from Clare Youth Service spoke to the students on developing the mental health initiative and policy in the school.

Indeed the school has been making strides in this area in recent times with a welfare care team hosting weekly meetings and different coun- selling services being made available for students.

In recent weeks, a young men’s eroup has been established which allows students to talk and get help from their peers.

“We take Mental Health Week very seriously. It 1s an opportunity to fo- cus On us aS acommunity of not just teachers and students but as a group of people coming together as a unit of care and understanding,” said a school spokesperson.

“As one student remarked during last year’s Mental Health Week in the school: we are like one big fam- raed

The school also used the day to present a cheque for €200 to Patrick Bogue of Clare Crusaders. The mon- ey will go to the Clare Crusaders’ Barefield-based clinic where spe- Cialists treatment is provided to more than 120 children.

ENNIS Leisure Complex has been honoured by the leisure industry for a decade of high standards.

The centre retained its White Flag status at the annual Institute of Le1- sure and Amenity Management (ILAM) White Flag Awards in Dub- lin last month.

It marks the 10th year in a row that the centre has been awarded white flag status, a national hygiene and operational standard for leisure fa- TELA Cone

In order to receive the award, En- nis Leisure Complex was judged on facilities for disabled users, staff training and qualifications, facilities on site, services provided, swimming water quality and record keeping, re-

cycling initiatives and in-house pro- Tel Kene

Inspection visits and audits are car- ried out throughout the year to the leisure centre, by an auditor under the auspices of ILAM. Inspections on management codes of practice, policies, facilities interior and exte- rior are also carried out.

Centre manager, Jackie Coote ex- plained that management, staff and customers worked hard to achieve high marks in each category as the standards increase year after year.

She added, “Ennis Leisure Com- plex caters for all sectors of the com- munity from the younger child to the older adult. Our competitive prices reflect good value catering for stu- dents, aqua tots, teenagers, adults and golden years. We provide both

membership rates or pay as you go admission prices to the gym and the pools.”

Ennis Leisure Complex is run by Ennis Town Council and Clare County Council.

Daily usages now exceed 600 visits with clients availing of two swim- ming pools, two sauna and steam rooms, aerobics hall and large gym area.

This year’s White Flag Awards, which are supported by Ireland’s largest insurer Hibernian Aviva, were presented by Minister for State Aine Brady TD at a gala dinner hosted by RTE’s Michael Lyster in the Burling- ton Hotel, Dublin on October 23.

A record number of facilities ap- plied for the 2010 White Flag Award, with 87 leisure facilities achieving

the standard and being presented with a 2010 White Flag. Leisure fa- cilities in 23 counties were presented with the prestigious award.

Kilian Fisher, CEO of ILAM said, ‘There are over 650 leisure facilities in Ireland and the White Flag Award TEM DO Monicos 110C-D mb oer-De GRO JMmeLUr-UbIR ama er:TI any gym, swimming pool, spa or lei- sure facility must strive to achieve. It is a clear sign that the leisure facility has high standards and employs staff who operate to the industry code of practice.”