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WITH just a week to go before the beginning of this year’s National Ploughing Championships, excite- ment is already beginning to reach fever-pitch in and around the Tul- lamore venue.

With final preparations now being made, organisers are expecting a good crowd this year following the massive success of staging the World Ploughing Championships last year.

Food 1s likely to be one of the main attractions at this year’s champion- ships with a number of exciting new gastronomic additions to the pro- eau beeueslen

Leader will host the most fantastic food village, featuring gourmets and gourmand’s, foodies and faddies,

even the most demanding of divas will find their every craving satisfied Ain UOCoMB UNE TeXon

From baked foods to ice cream, fruit to chocolate and from whiskey to cocktails, Leader’s food village will cater for all. With a similar fo- cus as the craft village, the aim 1s to heighten awareness of the fantastic range and variety available from lo- cal producers.

A food créche will also be provided to keep your goodies in the best con- dition, so you can enjoy the rest of iW elom-NOAB ASLO (one

Another attraction which will prove very popular is GM Canopies, an in- tegrated farmers market consisting exclusively of Irish farm and cottage industry products, including fudge and jelly bean confectionery, free

range eggs, organic vegetables and Irish manufactured woollen socks.

The Braganza Food and Wine hall will also have plenty to keep you with going throughout the day with Tea Time Express, Lakeshore Foods, Keelings Fruit and Fox’s Confection- ery being just some of the exhibitors in the Braganza.

Education, which always plays a big role at the ploughing, with many edu- cational bodies taking stands includ- ing the National Consumer Agency, Citizens Information Bureau, The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht and Harper Adams University in the UK. Harper Ad- ams is the UK’s largest specialist provider of higher education of land, food and rural-based industries and will be handing out information on

education, training and research.

The tourism industry in this coun- try is as strong as ever with the ploughing attracting many overseas visitors from countries such as Po- land, Spain, Switzerland, Germany and Syndey, Australia.

Failte Ireland will be distributing information on education and train- ing, Mid Ireland Tourism, Northern Ireland ‘Tourist Board, Kilkenny Tourism, Meath Tourism, Shannon Development will also be busy pro- moting their regions as popular holi- day destinations. From further afield, The Province of Manitoba will be present promoting agriculture and agri-business in Canada.

Or course, along with this there will also be a bit of ploughing. For more check out Www.npa.ie.

has revealed in a special investiga- tion into juvenile crime in Clare.

While gardai are satisfied that rates of crime committed by juveniles have not spiralled out of control, there are concerns that three teenage members of one family are creating havoc in Ennis.

Several members of the family have

been before the courts on a number of occasions over the past few years, for a variety of offences. One has ad- mitted to dozens of offences, includ- ing theft, damage to schools and cars and public order, while his two sib- lings are also facing several charges.

Their disregard for the law and their ability to continuously re-of- fend is a major cause for concern for gardai in the town.

The trio have come before the Chil- dren’s Court on dozens of charges, after they repeatedly came to garda

attention over a considerable period of time. Garda sources say that two other Ennis families also account for a significant amount of crime detect- ete aetomKOn 20

When it comes to young offenders, bullying, robbing schoolchildren of their money, shoplifting, damage to property and minor drug offences are the main problems identified by gardai in Clare.

Agencies that work with children at risk say poor family support is at the core of a large percentage of ju-

venile crime. Other prevalent factors include alcohol consumption, drug use, peer pressure and lack of edu- cation.

During the first eight months of this year, 41 young people were before the courts in the county. Many of those who appeared are facing a string of charges and all have come through the Juvenile Diversion Programme, which deals with young offenders by means other than prosecution.

ALMOST 63 per cent of the popula- tion of Shannon is in the labour mar- ket, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office.

65 per cent of the Sixmilebridge population is working, while 58 per cent of those in Newmarket-on-Fer- gus are earning.

The labour force participation fig- ures, which have just been published, outline details of the results of the Census of Population, compiled in April 2006.

The figures show that 62.74 per cent of those aged 15 and over in Shan- non were in the labour force. This compares with Swords and Finglas

in Dublin, which recorded the highest proportion of people in the workforce nationally, at 75.3 per cent.

Of the 7,319 people in that age cat- egory living in the town, 3,737 were males and 3,582 females. 4,592 work — 2,673 males and 1,919 females.

61 people were looking for their first regular job, while 369 were un- employed. 655 people were students, while 726 were looking after their homes or their families. 601 people were retired, while 292 were unable to work, due to permanent sickness or disability. 23 people marked ‘other’ as the category that suited them best.

The vast majority of people living in Shannon are employees (4,225). 362 people are employers, five people as-

sist relatives.

2,379 of the employees are male, while 1,846 are female. 290 of those in the ‘employer’ category are male, with the remaining 72 female.

Of the 369 in the ‘unemployed’ category in Shannon, 22 are aged be- tween 15 and 19; 51 are aged between 20 and 24; 104 are between the ages of 25 and 34; 72 are aged between 35 and 44, while 66 are aged 55 and over. 213 of those unemployed are male, while 156 are female.

The figures also show statistics for Sixmilebridge and Newmarket-on- Fergus. They show that 1,268 people aged 15 and over lived in Sixmilebri- dge at the time of the census. 828 of those (65 per cent) were ‘at work’.

Eight people were seeking their first jobs, while 54 people were un- employed. There were 112 students, while 133 people were looking after homes or families. 72 were retired, while 60 people were unable to work, due to sickness or disability.

In Newmarket-on-Fergus, 58 per cent of those aged 15 and over were ‘at work’. There were 1,267 people in this age category living in the vil- lage, 740 of who were working. Four people were looking for their first job, while 57 were unemployed. 129 people were students, while 126 were looking after homes or families. 151 people were retired, while 56 were unable to work, due to various rea- sons.

TEAGASC has decided to change the way it delivers its advisory serv- ice, in an effort, it says, to meet the changing needs of modern farmers. Successive recent agricultural policy reforms have provided the oppor- tunity to shift the future develop- ment of farm businesses away from scheme-driven income to a more market-based business.

The new advisory service, For Bet- ter Farming, was launched by Tea- gasc last week.

“This new service is built around four distinct programmes — business and technology, good farm practice, rural development and adult train- ing,’ said Pat Boyle, head of advisory in Teagasc.

“The Business and Technology Programme will deliver cutting-edge technology to commercial farmers, bringing the best knowledge from the applied research carried out at Teagasc research centres onto dairy, drystock and tillage farms.

“Increased specialisation among our advisors will provide our farm- er clients with the information and knowledge to increase their profits by adopting new production tech- niques onto their farms.

“Dedicated business and technol- ogy advisors, supported by a national eroup of enterprise specialists, will focus on improving farm businesses by challenging the status quo and increasing the uptake of technology onto farms.”

The new service will be delivered

through Teagasc’s nationwide office network, which is organised into 18 area units, to allow Teagasc to pro- vide a local service to all our custom- ers, regardless of location.

The Business and Technology Pro- gramme will be delivered by 78 spe- cialist dairy advisors, 32 cattle and sheep advisors, and 15 tillage advi- SOrs.

The four programme areas will provide a full range of services to farmers meeting the diverse needs of our customers.

“European and world agricultural policy is continuously changing and evolving, presenting new challenges and opportunities for farmers, and for organisations like Teagasc that provide services to them,” said Tom Kirley, acting director of Teagasc.

“We have had milk quotas for nearly 25 years, but a major change is expected as part of the 2008 health check of the CAP.

“Tt is 15 years since the McSharry reforms brought in a whole new raft of schemes.

“The Fischler reform has already confined many of these schemes to history with the introduction of the Single Farm Payment but others like REPS, farm retirement and forestry remain and will continue to have a major influence on Irish farms”, he continued.

“The new advisory service an- nounced today by Teagasc equips us to provide the best possible service to farmers in these changing times, and to assist the future development Ome Detour haw leuinelnomee

THE Department of the Environment has raised questions over plans by an east Clare company to place an ultra- sonic device on top of a wind turbine to “scare” away protected bats.

Last month, Olympus Diagnostica lodged plans for the turbine arising from a company initiative “seeking a solution which would meet a portion 40-50 per cent of our electrical base load using alternative energy”.

The height of the turbine will be

200ft high and the company pointed out that this is “half the size of the industry norm”.

The company stated that it would consume all the energy from the wind turbine and there was no need for a grid connection. It pointed out that the proposal didn’t he within any recognised flight path of the Whooper Swan and the Greenland White Fronted Goose.

As part of the project, Olympus Diagnostica is planning to place an ultrasonic “scarer” that will provide

a signal to all bat species likely to en- counter the motors, while the compa- ny is to also put in place 20 bat boxes in order to provide roosts away from the zone of potential impact.

Now, in a submission to Clare County Council, the Department of the Environment state that clarifica- tion is needed regarding the reliabil- ity of the ultrasonic “‘scarer”’.

The department is aware of expert AYO MACCComUBON(O SMOT-RMLUl aol Kerem NET I MBS lonts ultrasonic “scarers” do not have any impact on deterring bats away from

a Site.

The department state the Envi- ronmental Impact Statement (EIS) lodged with the plan indicated that no bat roosts were present and sub- sequently two roosts were recorded by department staff during a site in- spection.

The department is now requesting that an extensive bat survey should be carried out by a bat ecologist to confirm which bat species are utilis- ing the proposed site for the turbine and the habitats within a 500m radius

of the proposed turbine.

The turbine is facing opposition from a local family. In their objection, Mr and Mrs JP Murphy and family State, “We are local residents, in the area for the past 60 years, and we feel that the decision taken by Olympus to erect the turbine in the position in- dicated on the submitted site plan is inconsiderate to the local landscape and setting of Rosslara Lake and its woodland surroundings.”

A decision is due on the application later this year.

THE Tidy Towns committee in Shannon is happy with its showing in the national Tidy Towns compe- tition, the results of which were an- nounced last week.

Shannon increased by just two points but the committee was happy with the improvement, on the back of last year’s phenomenal increase of 19 points.

Spokeswoman for the Tidy Towns committee, Tess Barry said this year’s total of 254 points pleased everybody.

Although she is concerned about the state of the roundabout at the town centre and the condition of erass around the town, she is overall optimistic that Shannon will contin- ue to improve its points in the com- Oe B BLO) NE

The categories in the competition are based on population size and Shannon was placed in the same cat- egory as Killarney, in the 10,000 to 15,000 population section. Killarney won that category, with 298 points.

“We are not disappointed. We are very happy we didn’t go down in marks. The grasscutting and spray-

ing were haphazard. One example is Corrib Drive, where you can hardly see the kerbing as the grass and weeds are so bad. That’s only one example,’ said Ms Barry.

“Gaining 19 marks last year was a big improvement. I had a fear we would lose some of those. I was very happy we retained the marks,” she Sr ALG

She said people on the committee are disappointed that a feature has not been put in place at the town centre roundabout, despite promises from Clare County Council over a year ago.

Overall, a lot of work needs to be done on the roundabouts.

“Our roundabouts are very bad. The weeds and grass are coming up through the trees. Something has to be done,” she said.

She is looking forward to the future and further success for Shannon in this competition.

‘We need more help. While we are very grateful to the residents who keep their areas beautiful, there is a small core group doing the work. We have entered Clare in Bloom and we are hoping to do well in that,” she Sr HOR

NINETY per cent of the staff at En- nis General Hospital are preparing to strike if issues relating to staff- ing numbers at the hospital are not resolved.

Last evening (Monday), more than 90 per cent of the 130 INO nursing staff, 85 per cent of SIPTU’s nursing staff and 100 per cent of the support

staff at the hospital voted in favour of industrial action.

In total, 270 of the hospital’s dis- eruntled 300-member staff are pre- paring to down tools if a resolution to the crisis cannot be found.

Staff and management at the hospi- tal have been involved in a number of industrial relation issues, which were brought to a head with the HSE staff- ing embargo at the beginning of the

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Among the concerns expressed by employees is the night staffing of the male medical and female medical wards. The wards, which can have up to 26 patients each, have just two nurses on night duty in each ward made up of several different rooms.

Following an independent report, it was agreed that three nurses would be provided in each ward at night.

Prior to the staffing embargo, a floating nurse was provided between the two wards and it was agreed to provide another nurse in June.

As a result of the budget freeze, the “floating nurse” has been lost. Staff say they are now concerned by reports that if one of the two nurses on night duty is off sick, there will be no replacement, leaving one nurse responsible for 26 patients.

Following the result of the ballot, Mary Fogarty of the INO said her union 1S now going to seek assistance from the Labour Relations Commis- sion. She said she is particularly concerned about the cutbacks in the nurse-led units at the hospital, includ- ing palliative care, infection control, repertory care and heart failure.

“A blunt curtailment of services at the hospital concerns us most. These nurse-led units are critical to patients even on a humanity level. I will be writing to management again, asking them to pullback on the curtailment of these services,” she said.

Tony Kenny of SIPTU told

CONCERN has been raised over a €40 million plan to double the size of Kilmihil, a parish that experi- enced a population increase of only two people in the 2006 census. Kilmihil Construction Ltd is seek-

ing planning permission for 150 resi- dential units, 15 commercial units and a two-storey 50-bed nursing home.

The 2006 census shows that the vil- lage’s population increased by just two in four years, from 576 to 578. During the previous census period to

1996, the village suffered a drop in population of 62, or seven per cent. The developers envisage increasing the village’s population by 100 per cent.

The proposal has attracted little opposition locally. However, in his objection, John Dalton has told Clare

County Council, “The development is too dense and provides a new cen- tre to the village which takes away the rural, easy-going, welcoming nature of our village. It provides the new access roads which will increase traffic hazards. Such developments are normally cul de sacs to avoid

through traffic, boy-racers.

“Such a densely populated area will provide social and economic blacks- pots. The development should be al- lowed in conjunction with some sort of employment opportunity.”

A decision is due on the application later this year.

A RESIDENTS group in Shannon is suggesting that social houses be built close to the Wolfe Tones GAA Kane

The Concerned Residents of Cluain Airne group 1s objecting to the pro- posed construction of 60 houses in their housing estate.

Clare County Council says as many as 60 houses are necessary, in order for the development to be economi- cally viable.

However, locals do not want the houses built and they aired their con- cerns at a meeting on the issue last week. They are undertaking to con- tinue to oppose the development.

They believe that there is inad- equate infrastructure in the area, to cope with new homes in the area, where 178 houses currently exist.

The group says the development of additional homes will result in the ereen area being taken away from Weloue0e

Secretary of the group, Nicole Murphy says there is up to 100 acres available near the GAA club and this should be used to build houses.

“Some of this site 1s serviced. There is no reason why they would not move the development there,’ said Ms Murphy.

She was impressed by the turnout of up to 70 at the meeting and said that many concerns were outlined.

The residents group has now learned the houses will be built on a phased basis and this is causing eae Nom ee) CUTE

“This means that the Cluain Airne estate will be messed up for longer. That could be up to three or four years.

“The main concern is the road. SU sr Taa.(o)bi (eM elem MNT HAO ouI RR) ce are hoping they will review it again,” SI STomy-H (OR

Clare County Council has proposed using the road from the roundabout at the comprehensive school.

However, local residents are sug- gesting that the road by the back of Inis Sioda would be the preferred option for local traffic.

“We were initially told the road would cost €1.25 million, and now they say it will cost €600,000. We are asking them 1s that the price of a life of a child,” she said.

She is hopeful that local elected representatives will take the con- cerns into consideration when they meet next month.

“We are meeting councillors who will be voting on it and we will put our case to them. We will encourage them to vote against it and move the plans down to the 95 acres of land the council has,” added Ms Murphy.

A petition, containing the signa- tures of several house owners in the area, has been put together, as locals pledge to continue to fight the plans.

A 42-YEAR-OLD man facing a string of serious charges including three counts of rape, possession of a shotgun, false imprisonment and threatening to kill, assault and bur- glary, has been refused bail.

The accused, who cannot be named for le- gal reasons, is facing eight charges in total arising out of an alleged inci- dent at a house in west Clare on Sunday, Sep- tember 9 last.

Detective Garda TJ Mol- loy told Mil- town Malbay District Court that he arrested the accused at Ennistymon Garda __ Station last Wednesday morning.

He charged the accused with eight alleged offences. He made no reply to each charge.

Superintendent Gabriel O’Gara said the DPP had directed that the case be dealt with on indictment and the State was seeking to remand the accused in custody for one week.

He said he was seeking the remand in custody on a number of grounds. These were that the charges were “very serious’ and that there was a “likelihood of interference with wit-

nesses”.

Supt O’Gara said gardai were “car- rying out enquiries in relation to ad- dresses used previously by this man.

“Based on those circumstances, I would ask that he be remanded in custody,’ said Supt O’Gara.

IDS roatesnety solicitor, | Eugene O’Kelly said he was surprised

to hear “there 1s a question of 1n- MKS ICOM ALOE witnesses”.

He noted that his client was facing “very se- rious” charges, but stressed that he was entitled to benefit from the presumption of innocence.

He said the accused had ex- Same neeb eA support.

Supt O’Gara replied that the

charges before the court were “in the higher scale, with regards serious- ness.” He said that the “family sup- port is to be admired, but it is this man here that is facing the charges. The possibility of intimidation of witnesses is a very real possibility,” said Supt O’Gara.

Judge Joseph Mangan remanded the accused in custody, to appear again in court later this week.