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THE increasing population in New- market-on-Fergus is reflected in the erowing number of clubs and organi- sations set up in the village.

Several new housing estates have been built in the area, three of which have just been completed over the past year. These homes are occupied by a mixture of locals, people from outside the area and visitor from overseas.

With this in mind, local community eroup, Obair gathered local groups together, for a community day last Sunday.

Among the groups in the area in- clude Meals-on-Wheels, the Going Strong club, Women’s group, Com-

munity Games, soccer, GAA, Agri- culture society, the Scouts, Tradaree Bridge Club and handball and bas- ketball clubs.

The aim of the event was to provide information on the clubs and to pro- mote the work they are undertaking, whilst encouraging residents to get involved in the local community. It coincided with National Volunteer Day and each group was invited to provide informative displays of their AYOLU AALS (oie

Organiser Aisling Halpin of Obair said the idea was centered around in- clusion for everybody.

“A lot of new people are coming into the area. Some are foreign na- tionals, while others have moved from locations like Shannon and

Ennis. We held a volunteer day last January. A lot of the clubs in the area found it very beneficial. The hadn’t known what other clubs were in the area. We decided then we would have a similar event in September,” said Ms Halpin.

“There is a lot going on, but new people wouldn’t know what is hap- pening. People can meet new friends and get to know local people in the community, through the clubs,” she added.

Obair now plans to compile a bro- chure, featuring information on all of the local clubs in the area, which will make them easily accessible.

Sunday also saw the defibrillator for the local community being launched. The success of this is dependent on

the community’s involvement.

Fifteen locals have got involved in this and others are being asked to put their names in.

“A committee got together and talked about getting a defibrillator for the area. There was a need for it and Obair sponsored it. There are 15 on the committee and they have been doing training so that they can give assistance,’ said Ms Halpin.

“We will need between 30 and 40 people, so that someone can be on call 24/7,” she added.

AS the dust began to settle on the an- nouncement of the third Milk Quota Trading Scheme last week, the Min- ister for Agriculture, Mary Cough- lan, went on the attack in Europe, calling for an increase of three per cent in milk quota’s in the EU Coun- TOY Pb toncwio dale ule

The demand was made at the meet- ing of EU agriculture ministers in Brussels on Thursday and was ech- oed by a large number of other mem- ber states. Coughlan commented that she was very pleased with the level

of support for this idea as she had been in contact with a number of her counterparts in recent weeks to build such support.

The Commission undertook to analyse carefully the demands for in- creased quotas and to bring forward a report before the end of the year.

Minister Coughlan said that she was very pleased that the debate had now commenced on an appropriate and early EU response to the current buoyancy in the dairy market.

“We have been looking very care- fully at developments in the dairy market, including future trends,” she

said.

“Our conclusion is that the buoy- ancy now evident has given a whole new impetus to the wider dairy sec- tor following the implementation of the Luxembourg agreement and the virtual removal of market support mechanisms that have resulted from the reform.

“We have entered a new period of trade in which worldwide supply is no longer responding sufficiently to increased market demand. Dairy farmers and the dairy industry must have the opportunity to benefit from the new demand situation by increas-

Th orcae loin Uae

The minister said that the Commis- sion should not wait for the health check to respond to the clear signals that the market is now giving. If the EU hesitates now in its response, our competitors will take the market op- portunities that we are best placed to Tos ais Leon

“The milk quota system has served Ireland well over the years. At the same time, it must be responsive to developments in the market and an increase of three per cent from April next would represent an appropriate response.”

YOUNG people in Shannon are be- ing presented with an opportunity to help other young people, through a volunteer programme at the local youth club.

The Shannon Youth Office is en- couraging young people, aged 18 and over, to sign up to a volunteer programme.

The youth office is running four main projects, for youngsters aged between 13 and 25, and the organ- isers need adult volunteers to get in- volved.

The SkyView youth club, which is based at Rineanna View, is one

of the projects which runs weekly. Volunteers would help plan and run the club’s activities, between 7pm and 9pm every Thursday night, dur- ing the school term. One additional hour-long planning meeting also takes place every month. The club is Open to secondary school students aged between 12 and 16.

Drumgeely Youth Club, which is based at St Senan’s School, is look- ing for volunteers, every Monday night, between 7pm and 9pm. The club is open to secondary school stu- dents from the area.

The Shannon Music Project is also on the hunt for local adult volunteers who have a keen interest in music. A

committee of young people meets every Tuesday from 5pm to 6pm, to plan and organise music events, workshops and performances for young people aged between 15 and 25.

The project is particularly interest- ed in recruiting volunteers who have specific talents in drums, song writ- ing, sound engineering or guitar.

The other project which is run by the Youth office is the Kick Back Café. The café, which is based in Rineanna View, 1s looking for volun- teers to fill two-hour shifts at week- Teh

The café is open to all young peo- ple aged between 16 and 21 in Shan-

non on Fridays from 5pm and 10pm and Saturdays from 4pm to 9pm.

The basic role is interacting with young people in a café style setting, serving refreshments and sandwich- es and supervising members over a two-hour period. Shannon Youth Worker Cathal Dillon is encouraging new volunteers to come forward.

“Volunteering in local clubs and projects can be very rewarding. Itis a brilliant way to meet new people and use your skills as part of a team for the benefit of young people in your community,” he said.

A full range of volunteer supports and leadership training is available. For information, phone 061 364318.

THERE was a mixed reaction to the third Milk Quota Trading Scheme announced by the Minister for Agri- culture, Mary Coughlan, last week.

Reacting to the new scheme, Macra na Feirme national president, Cath- erine Buckley, said she was disap- pointed with the imposition of a 3:2 ratio on the amount of quota a young farmer could receive from the prior- ity pool relative to category one sup- pliers.

Ms Buckley said this could reduce the levels of allocations to young farmers in some co-op pools.

“This could put a greater financial burden on progressive farmers who are trying to expand their business

by acquiring quota. On the exchange young farmers will find it difficult to compete for quota against larger and more established farmers who have ereater resources,’ she said.

“In certain co-op areas some young farmers did indeed receive high lev- els of quota compared to category one producers in the last two exchanges, however these allocations were the product of ring-fencing.”

The Chairman of ICMSA’s Dairy Committee, Dominic Cronin, wel- comed the changes to the exchanged describing them as ‘broadly positive’. Cronin said he was delighted to note that the minister appeared to have acted on some of the ICMSA’s rec- ommendations concerning the short- falls of the existing system.

“There were specific anomalies in the old system that we had identified and to which we suggested the rem- edies. Those suggestions appear to have been acted upon,” he said.

“We’re particularly happy that the category one suppliers will now have a better opportunity of receiving an allocation from the 30 per cent fixed pool with a specific allocation now allocated to them.

“We also believe that the changes announced will address the problems thrown up in the northern counties — problems which again we had high- lighted previously.”

The third scheme will again be run in respect of each co-op area, and will again be comprised of a priority pool and a market exchange. Howev-

er, the method of distribution of pri- ority pool quota will be refined and a mechanism aimed at increasing the amount of quota traded on market exchanges in particular co-op areas will be introduced.

“T have listened very carefully to the views of the farming organisa- tions and ICOS in the course of a Summer of consultation on the op- eration of the Milk Quota Trading Scheme,” said the minister.

‘The very clear message has been that the scheme has functioned ex- tremely effectively. However, some farmers have continued to experi- ence difficulties getting access to quota, and some co-op areas have experienced trading problems due to supply and demand factors.”

THE establishment of a school bus run would ensure all young people in Shannon can get easy access to school.

That’s according to local Fianna Fail councillor Geraldine Lambert, who is calling on the Department of Education to set up a school bus Service, in the town.

She said it would be a cost effective means of addressing over-capacity and under-capacity in the schools.

Currently, St Aidan’s and St Co- naire’s Primary Schools are full to

capacity, while spaces exist in St Senan’s and St Tola’s.

St Aidan’s and St Conaire’s are lo- cated in the Tullyvarraga and Bally- casey areas, where there have been significant developments in house constructions over the years.

As a result, some children in those areas cannot gain access to those schools, due to over-capacity, while other schools in other parts of the town have spaces available.

The problem lies in the fact that some families do not have access to transport to bring their children across the town, to other schools.

Cllr Lambert said a simple solution to the problem could be found, if a bus route was set up.

“There are calls to build new schools and extensions. Some par- ents at the Ballycasey end bring their children to St Tola’s and St Senan’s, but some don’t have access. A bus should be provided to bring the chil- dren to the schools which are not full,” said Clr Lambert.

She said that a similar situation exists at second-level, where St Caimin’s is full, while there are spaces available in St Patrick’s Com- prehensive School.

“There 1s capacity at St Patrick’s, which is a mile from St Caimin’s.

‘There is pressure at one end of the town and capacity at the other end. It is too far for the children to walk. There is probably a need to look for a new school at a later stage. For now, why not take a cost effective method and put on a school bus from one end of the town to the other,” she said.

“The Department of Education should look at innovative ways, in- stead of sticking to a rigid rule. You would put on a bus for ten years for what you would pay for an exten- sion,’ she said.

The former president of the IMO was referring to the HSE announce- ment about cancer care during the week.

“In one paragraph, they talk about the orderly planned transfer of pa- tient care which will take place over

the next nine to 12 months. And d1- rectly underneath it, they say that as a consequence the following hospi- tals are to cease these proceedures with immediate affect and a long list that includes Ennis.

“I fear for Ennis hospital and I am familiar with the ‘golden hour’ and the far reaches of west Clare,’ Dr Roan UAYARy-B (OR

““T don’t believe that when and if the centre of excellence is up and run- ning in Limerick that people will want to see the A and E close here in Ennis as I believe you are still going to have the geographical difficulties.

“And certainly there is a lot to be said at being able to stablise a pa- tient, intervene at a level if necessary and maybe oviate ther necessity to travel,’ he added. “Nobody would be reasured by what is happening in the health service.”

Dr Reilly said that the minister’s vi- sion of a GP-led accident and emer- gency could work but man power would prove problematic.

“And I haven’t noticed the towns of west Clare or Ennis overbrimming with GPs who are stretched to the limit to do what they are doing at the minute as it is.

“Now, if she was to double those numbers, I would have no problem. I would say yes, these are very skilled clinicians who are making a very valuable contribution,” he said.

PEOPLE will be hurt if immediate action isn’t taken to tackle a number of incidents of sea erosion along the north Clare coast.

That was the message which emerged from yesterday’s meeting of the local area authority in Ennisty- mon where a number of non-related incidents of dangerous erosion were mentioned.

Ennistymon Cllr Martin Conway (FG), said that it was only a matter of time before a serious injury took place on the Lahinch Promenade be- cause of years of erosion have caused a protective railing to become dan-

gerously brittle.

“The bars in Lahinch are ready to collapse at any time. Someone is going to be hurt out there sooner or later if something is not done. It is re- ally very dangerous at the moment,” Sr HK6 Os Dba oye a ch VA

“I know that there are major works set to take place in Lahinch later this year and early next year, but this situ- ation needs to be tackled now before something happens.”

Fears have been raised that a sec- tion of railing, which runs from the O’Looney’s Pub at the foot of the prom in a southerly direction, in un- stable and could break or collapse.

The area is used by many local

young people and tourists for skate- boarding and and as a walkway.

“IT went walking along the prome- nade on Saturday and three different sets of people met me and mentioned the problem of the railing to me,” continued Cllr Conway.

“IT think that the bars should be re- placed with a solid block wall which would be safer and easier to main- eb

Meanwhile, Cllr Richard Nagle (FF), called for action to be taken to prevent a stretch of the R-478 road near Liscannor from being washed away due to coastal erosion.

“I appreciate that the local author- ity needs to get money from the De-

partment of the Marine but there is a piece on this road where the coastal erosion 1s coming right on to the road and it need something as a matter of urgency,’ said Cllr Nagle.

Responding to the request, Senior Engineer, Donie Buckley said that Clare County Council had made nine submissions to the Department of the Marine for funding in cases where coastal erosion were becom- ing a major but none had been suc- cessful.

These submission for coastal pro- tection totalled €1.885 million, and included a requested allocation of €375,000 for works on the R478 road.

RYANAIR has confirmed that it is taking legal advice on what can be done in the face of a second refusal by Aer Lingus to hold and EGM to discuss the withdrawal of the Shan- non/Heathrow flights from next Jan- VEDA

The airline has pledged to increase it routes out of Shannon, based on the strong forward bookings it is experi- encing there.

“Ryanair regrets that Aer Lingus is refusing to allow shareholders

an opportunity to discuss the clo- sure of a profitable route at a time When Aer Lingus’s interim profits have collapsed by 58 per cent to just €6m and its share price has fallen to €2.40, well below Ryanair’s of- fer of €2.80 last year,’ said Ryanair CEO, Michael O’Leary “Since the directors of Aer Lingus are will- ing to repeatedly breach their statu- tory obligations towards their largest shareholder, there clearly isn’t any influence that Ryanair can bring to bear on this profitable route closure. Accordingly, we’re considering what

legal remedies are available to us.”

Speaking after the company AGM, at which O’Leary pledged to double its traffic and its profits to 84 mil- lion passengers and €900 million by 2012, O’Leary laid out plans to expand the Shannon operation. He said that Ryanair’s services will al- most double on Shannon — London from four to seven flights daily with Services from Shannon to Gatwick, Luton and Stanstead, where Shan- non passengers can connect to more destinations than they presently can from Heathrow.

The airline will double its Shan- non-Paris services to a twice daily flight next summer, and Ryanair is now in negotiations with Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to see if a viable cost base can be agreed to allow a low fare Shannon-Amsterdam route to be launched. This winter, Ryanair will operate more than 40 daily flights to and from Shannon, connecting Shan- non to 30 European destinations. If Aer Lingus is determined to abandon Shannon and the west of Ireland then Ryanair will add more flights and more low fares.

MINISTER for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheal Martin TD has announced a €/million R and D investment by UCB Schwarz Pharma, supported by Shannon De- velopment.

The announcement took place dur- ing a visit by the Minister to anumber of companies located in the Shannon Free Zone. The Free Zone has more than 7,200 people employed in 110

companies generating over €3.3 bil- lion in annual sales.

During the visit Minister Martin was briefed at the UCB Schwarz Pharma plant on the capital invest- ment the company is making in 2007.

Total investment volume by the company is expected to be in excess of €100 million.

The company is currently rede- veloping a manufacturing plant on its site to manufacture a new drug

which they have recently developed. The investment also includes a major upgrade in facilities and infrastruc- ture.

Minister Martin said “This is pre- cisely the sort of activity and invest- ment that will secure Ireland’s pros- perity into the future.

It is through bringing innovation and our creative intelligence to in- dustry that Ireland will mark out its ground and gain competitive advan- eee

Welcoming Minister Martin to the Shannon Free Zone, Mr Kevin Thompstone, Chief Executive, Shan- non Development, said, “The Free Zone continues to be a location of choice for global businesses across a variety of industries. Shannon De- velopment is currently preparing a comprehensive master plan for a ma- jor regeneration programme at the Free Zone to guarantee its continued competitive edge into the future”.

Minister Martin’s visit to the Shan-

non Free Zone also included visits to aircraft leasing company, Genesis Lease; financial securities company, Genworth Financial; and. underwear manufacturer, Maidenform Interna- nlOyerNe

Speaking at the official opening of their new offices by Minister Mar- tin, Chairman and CEO of Genesis Lease, Mr John McMahon, said ‘We are grateful to Minister Micheal Martin for officially opening our new offices.

THE west Clare members of Clare County Council have agreed to read and consider the terms of a “Grant of Easement” of a right of way in Cree on to Doughmore Beach.

Under the agreement a right of way on to the beach will be handed over to Doonbeg Golf Club Limited in exchange to alternative access to the leer eee

In addressing the Kilrush Area Committee Senior Engineer Donal Buckley said that he has been ad- vised that a high court judicial re- view will have “nothing to do with the right of way”’.

Under the proposal, which must get the approval of the elected members of the council, the right of way over part of the public road at Caherfeen- ick, Cree will be extinguished for 120 metres.

The extinguishment will only take place when criteria are met by the golf club according to Mr Buckley.

Among the commitments is the provision of a car park of 35 spaces constructed to Clare County Coun- cil’s specifications and supervised by the local authority’s staff.

An area of land including the car park and a further estimated .6 acres for 35 more car park spaces must also be transfered into the ownership

of Clare County Council.

A new “turn table at the new termi- nal point” on the Caherfeenick road to Clare County Council’s specifica- tion in size and standard must also be constructed and bollards installed.

“A clear legal grant of a pedestrian right of way to be given by Doonbeg Golf Club to Clare County Council from the turn table” at the end of the road to the beach is another part if the controversial proposal.

A document circulated to the coun- cillors also points to “a clear legal erant of a vehicular right of way for emergency vehicles” to be given by the golf club to Clare County Coun- cil and this right of way to be three

metres wide.

The final criteria to be met by the golf club states that Clare County Council is to be “indemnified against any claim on the Doonbeg Golf Club property by Doonbeg golf Club.”

The west Clare members of the council said that they would like time to study the documentation and to explore the feeling of the people of Caherfeenick on the issue.

‘Are the people of the Caherfeenick Road happy with the bollards there?” asked Cllr Oliver Garry (FG).

Cllr Madeleine Taylor Quinn said the council must ensure legal rights of the people. “The legal certainty is absolute,” she said.