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AFTER decades of talk, graft and no little work the three secondary schools of Ennistymon are finally to unite and form the Ennistymon Community School.

In a historic development for edu- cation in North Clare, plans for the school along with 22 other schools nationwide, were announced by the Minister for Education and Science Mary Hanafin last Thursday.

The school will be located on a site obtained from the Sisters of Mercy and will have the most up-to-date facilities for science, languages, art, woodwork and construction studies, home economics, IT and engineer- ing. It is envisioned that the school

will cater for some 650 students and will boast a full-sized sports hall.

The final stumbling block in the way of the proposal was overcome last week as a final price for the site was decided upon by the Depart- ment of Education and the Sisters of Mercy. An independent valuator was brought in following a disagreement over the price of the site which is be- ing handed over to the department as part of the Redress Board settle- ments. The announcement has been widely welcomed by the principals of each school who have expressed their hope that the high level of co- operation between the schools will continue until the new Community School is in place.

Hopes are high that the school will

be among the first bundle of schools approved for funding, which could see tenders for contractors being made as early as mid-2006. Alter- natively, it could be as late as 2009 before progress can be made.

While the announcement heralds the beginning of a new and exciting time for education in North Clare it also marks the end of three rich and proud traditions.

“The Christian Brothers have made an enormous contribution to the youth of North Clare through the values expressed by Edmund Rice and these values will live on in the new school,” said Michael Concan- non, Principal of the CBS.

“The young people of the area de- serve first class facilities.”

The site of the Vocational School has been earmarked for the creation of an Adult and Community Centre for North Clare.

It is expected that much of the staff currently employed in the school could be absorbed into this facility.

“Often with things like this peo- ple walk out the door and the place is locked up. Then three years later, when all the windows are broken, someone gets the idea to do it up,” said Enda Byrt, Principal of the Vo- cational School. “When we walk out of here we want someone to be walking back in that same day.”

Of curse with any amalgamation like this the co-operation of all con- oer e mE

“A steering committee of repre- sentatives of management, staff, par- ents and students of all three schools will oversee the change to the new community school and insure that a smooth transaction will take place,” said Seosaimhin Ui Dhomhnallain, Principal of Scoil Mhuire.

In total €555 million was allocat- ed for projects by the Minister for Education and Science last week.

Aside from the 23 post-primary schools, four new primary schools have been announced as-well-as a number of third level projects.

Ennistymon County Councillor and former CBS student Martin Conway (FG) has welcome what he described as a ‘long overdue development’. “The people of En- nistymon and the surrounding area deserve the very best of facilities,” said Cllr Conway. “The three school have done great work over the year with an archaic infrastructure and I appeal to the Department and the Minister to deliver in 2006 rather than in the later bundles.”

AN POST in Clare has been asked to explain reports that hospital leaflets it was con- tracted to distribute in the county never arrived.

The leaflets from the En- nis General Hospital Devel- opment Committee outlined concerns about the future of the Mid-Western Regional Hospital Ennis.

The committee contracted

An Post to deliver 44,000 leaflets, at what group mem- bers described as “consider- able cost.”

But reports have come in to the group of deliveries not happening in a large number of areas.

Their spokesman said, ““we were aware that there are parts of the county that are not covered in the contract, because of different adminis- trative areas in An Post. But

these areas did not include Ennis and West Clare and we are concerned with people re- porting no knowledge of the leaflet.”

The committee have set up a phone number in response to the reports.

They’re asking people to call, or text, to let them know if they have not received a eb ilem

The phone number to text or call is 086 8813232.

THE people of Bally- vaughan are in for a mu- sical treat this October as the renowned German BASF choir will perform in the St. John the Baptist Church on Tuesday the 25th. The Ballyvaughan concert 1s one of only two dates that the choir will perform at during their short Irish Tour.

The BASF choir was founded in Ludwigshafen in 1892 and recruits its members not only from the BASF factory but from all over the area as a whole. The lay choir boasts some of the regions most gifted voices and is also one of the countries most professional as it employs a full-time pro- fessional conductor.

On the programme will

be songs from musicals and films as well as a number of classical piec- es. During their short stay in Ireland, the 84 strong choir, will also perform in Dublin.

This is the choir’s first visit to Ireland, but in the recent past they have toured in Italy, Hungary, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. They have ap- peared in many television and radio programmes in their native Germany and around Europe.

All proceeds raised from the concert will go to for Ballyvaughan Nation- al School and the Bally- vaughan Christmas Task SLO) KeKomay idee r-Tnemr-LAKesee] OND OTS to stage Ireland’s first out- door Christmas market later this year. Tickets are on sale locally. Admission €12, call: 065 7077377.

THE Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has denied recent claims that the UN Commission on Human Rights is set to in- vestigate whether the Irish Government has allowed US intelligence agencies to transport suspected al Qaeda prisoners through Shan- non Airport.

Speaking in the Dail last week the Min- ister said: “I am aware of a media reports that Martin Scheinin, the UN Commission on Human Rights’ special rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Counter- ing Terrorism, has been contacted by Irish

citizens regarding allegations about the use of Irish airports by the US to transit prisoners who are suspected of terrorist activity.

“Last week my department was contacted by Professor Scheinin’s office to confirm that neither he, nor any other special rapporteur, is currently investigating, or inquiring into this matter. I understand that the British and US Governments have received similar com- munications from Professor Scheinin’s of- fice,’ the Minister added.

Media reports earlier this month suggested that the UN had launched a major investiga- tion into the use of Shannon and other air- ports in the UK, as stop off points for prison- ers being transported to Guantanamo Bay in

Cuba for interrogation.

Last October, a group of mid-west based ac- tivists made a formal complaint to gardai fol- lowing claims that a CIA plane, a corporate- style Gulfstream aircraft with the registration N379P and nicknamed the “Guantanamo Bay Express,” had been used by the US to “effec- tively kidnap so-called high-value targets and transport them around the world.” The plane has been sighted at Shannon on several occa- sions in recent years.

Minister Ahern said that the US Govern- ment had assured him that they had not trans- ported prisoners through Shannon Airport.

“The US authorities have confirmed that they have not done so and that they would not

do so without seeking the permission of the Irish authorities. No request for such authori- sation has been received from the US authori- ties,’ the Minister said.

“This Government has on several occasions made clear to the US authorities that it would be illegal to transit prisoners for rendition purposes through Irish territory without the express permission of the Irish authorities, acting in accordance with Irish and interna- tional law.”

Last August,

THE BOIL notice in place on the Ennis wa- ter supply should be lifted this week.

According to Tom Tiernan, Town Engi- neer, the notice will probably be lifted by Wednesday, because the Council is expect- ing that results of further analysis carried out on the water supply over the weekend will be clear. The news comes following a meeting between Mr. Tiernan and the Health Services Executive (HSE).

He said that the quality of the water at the source of the supply had improved and that no new traces of e-coli had been found. The announcement was made at yesterday’s meeting of Ennis Town Council. The boil notice, which has been in place since Sep-

tember 14 has imposed an extra financial burden on 30,000 homes in Ennis and the Surrounding areas. Mr. Tiernan said that he had been assured by the HSE that there had been no evidence linking recent illnesses in the area to the quality of the water supply. Cllr Taiwo Matthew (Ind) challenged Mr. Tiernan’s assertion by claiming that he knew of at least two children from the Ennis area that had been admitted to a Limerick hospi- tal with water borne infections.

Cllr Matthew also claimed that neither child had been asked to fill out forms stating where they lived. This prompted Mr. Tiernan to say that there had been a small number of incidents recorded, but that there were rea- sons to suggest that the illnesses might have been associated with other factors. Ennis

Town Mayor, Frankie Neylon, also claimed he knew of incidents where people had been ill as aresult of drinking the water. Concerns were also raised about the level of effort that had gone into notifying the public that the water was unsafe for consumption, with Cllr Neylon stating that it wasn’t sufficient to just advertise on the local radio station.

Councillors welcomed the news that Min- ister for the Environment, Dick Roche, had approved tender documents for the new En- nis Water Scheme. With the scheme not due for completion until 2007, questions were raised about what measures would be taken to safeguard the quality of water in the inter- im. Mr. Tiernan stated that he had instructed consultants advising the Council to explore all options.

THE Minister for Community, Ru- ral and Gaeltacht Affairs Eamon O Cuiv has called on farmers to face up to the fact that farming as a profes- sion 1S going to continue to decline in the future. Speaking at the Nation Ploughing Championships last week Minister O Cuiv called for radical and broad rural development policies. According to the Agrivision 2015 Report, it 1s estimated that by 2015, there will only be 105,000 farmers in Ireland, of whom only 40,000 will earn their full-time living from farm- ing. This compares to 225,000 farm-

ers in the 197/0’s.

“The recent European Negotiations were a watershed in European Rural Policy with a clear shift from a pre- dominant focus on agricultural in- come support to a new integrated ru- ral development approach with special emphasis on the rural environment and rural economic development out- side the farm gate,” said Minister O Gina

‘For the first time significant funds have been clearly ring-fenced for gen- eral rural development. Because of our unique situation we are very well placed to play a significant lead role in developing the new rural Europe.”

The Department of Community, Ru- ral and Gaeltacht Affairs will shortly be engaging with the wider rural community in relation to this plan and seeking submissions to it. The Min- ister urged people to think outside of the box and to take a full part in the most radical realignment of rural pol- icies that has ever taken place at both European and national level.

Minister O Cuiv added that a ma- jor part of this radical programme for rural renewal is the Government’s Decentralisation Policy, where it was consciously decided to focus decen- tralisation in a special way on smaller towns and rural communities.

THE IFA National Treasurer, Pad- raig Walshe has thrown his hat in the ring to become the next president of the organisation and has written to every IFA branch in Clare, canvass- ing for their support.

In a personal letter to the chairmen of all IFA branches in the county, Mr Walshe said that the new challenges facing Clare farmers demand a radi- cal new approach from the IFA in its dealings with the government, the EU and with all sectors of the food processing and retailing industry.

Mr Walshe, who is a beef and dairy farmer from Laois, also said

that his top priority as President of IFA will be to ensure a level playing field for farmers in the market place and in the operation of EU and na- tional schemes.

‘Farmers are being subjected to an increasing level of regulation which is unnecessary and unjustified and 1s putting them at a major competitive disadvantage relative to their coun- terparts in other EU states,” said Mr AWAD ates

‘Tam determined to eliminate the police-state mentality within our government departments and at EU level, which implies that farmers cannot be trusted to produce safe, quality food.”

Mr Walshe claims that more than 20 years of experience at the highest level in farming organisations puts him in a strong position to lead the IFA with commitment, energy and enthusiasm. He is a former President of Macra na Feirme and has served in a large number of senior positions in the IFA at national and county level, including National Chairman of the Dairy Committee.

“IT will also build new relation- ships with the processors, marketers and retailers of food with the aim of clawing back the margin that has been transferred from farmers into the supermarket bottom line,” he Loyal paLetsrem

Mr Walshe’s competition for the job will come from Raymond O’Malley from Louth and Rory Deasy form Roscrea. Both Walshe and O’ Malley ran for the presidency in 2001 when they lost out to the out- going president John Dillon.

Each of the 950 IFA branches in the country will be asked to elect the new IFA president when the election is held in early December. The suc- cessful candidate will be elected for two years with the option to run for a second two year term afterwards.

Traditionally, IFA presidents seek- ing a second term run unopposed for the position.

THE possibility of Shannon library being developed as a theatre and arts centre — at a cost of up to €5 million — has again been raised and hopes are high that the project will get the go-ahead within the next few years.

Town officials and elected rep- resentatives will, over the com- ing months, view a new facility in Selva lcm senCemm im seceUlt-D am KOM ser-l motte visaged for Shannon.

Fine Gael Cllr Tony Mulcahy says there is a strong belief that Shannon needs a facility like this.

“The possibility of a theatre being developed as part of the town cen- tre was proposed a few years ago but this fell by the wayside. There is a belief that the library could be developed into a 250-seater theatre,

while retaining the library at the same time,’ said Cllr Mulcahy.

“T believe it will happen but it will be long-term and we need to put down the parameters now, regard- ing how we can move forward on this,’ he added.

He says groups including the mu- sical society and drama group could avail of the theatre, while various meetings could take place there, along with bingo, dancing and various other events. Some funding would be provided by the Depart- ment of Arts, Clare County Council and local community groups.

Chairman of the Shannon Musical Society, Derek Barrett believes the idea to visit the facility in Thurles is a positive development.

“We are delighted this is back in the public domain again and it is

one thing that would bring the town together. Various groups, societies and community groups would ben- efit from this. It wouldn’t be just a theatre, but it would be a multi-use venue,” said Mr Barrett.

He said a theatre as 1s proposed is a place where children would aspire to perform in, while various music and comedy events could also be staged, spanning a 52-week pro- eramme every year.

“This could be a cinema, theatre and cultural centre. None of these would survive individually, rather they would, together, be a multi- purpose unit. None would be viable on their own,” he said.

He added that Shannon Musical Society will celebrate its 30th anni- versary in February 2008 and “we would hope to be in the theatre by

eto

Shannon Chamber of Commerce is welcoming any development on the creation of a theatre in the town.

“While we are very conscious of both the initial costs and ongoing expenses of running such a facility, I believe the current developers in the town should contribute funding towards such a venture. They have gained considerable tax incentives and savings to-date,” said Chamber CEO Triona McInerney.

“In recent times, there has been an explosion of commercial and residential developments. It is cru- cial that social and cultural outlets are components of this growth, to ensure that a balanced approach to community development is achieved,” added Ms McInerney.

THE security company operated by convicted Ennis man, Kevin Cooper has received almost €100,000 from Ennis Town Council for carrying out security- related activities over the past five years.

Mr Cooper recently received a three-month jail term after being convicted of assault and Ennis Town May- or, Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) confirmed that the coun- cillors and officials would discuss the arrangement entered into with Mr Cooper’s company, if his appeal against his conviction fails.

Two other Council members, Donal O’Bearra (GP) and Johnny Flynn (FG) also stated this week that the Council engaging the services of Mr Cooper’s com- pany must be discussed if Mr Cooper’s appeal is un- SECC AUN

At a recent special sitting of Ennis District Court, Mr Cooper (43) of Loughville, Ennis received a three month jail for assault. Mr Cooper is currently on bail pending an appeal of the conviction to Ennis Circuit Court, which is due to sit next month.

Along with carrying out security work for Ennis Town Council, Mr Cooper’s company, Avalon Securi- ty Services provides security for a number of licensed premises across Ennis.

Clare County Council this week confirmed that Mr Cooper’s company has not been engaged by the Coun- cil for a number of years, however a company oper- ated by Mr Cooper, Ennis Security Services, was paid €175,000 by the County Council in 2000.

Ennis Town Clerk, Eddie Power confirmed this week that the company of which Mr Cooper is a director,

Avalon Security Ltd has been paid a total of €85,970 in respect of years 2001-2005.

Asked would the council now be reviewing its con- tract with Mr Cooper’s company in the light of the convictions, Mr Power said that the council had no further comment to make.

The recent district court sitting was also told that Mr Cooper had two previous convictions for assault, though the most recent was 15 years ago. The court was told that he was fined €63 at Tulla District Court in 1990 and fined €63 at Kilkee District Court in 1986.

Prior to sentencing Mr Cooper, Judge Mangan asked was it correct that Mr Cooper had two previous convictions for assault and was still the director of a security company which supervises doormen. Inspec- tor Tom Kennedy replied that this was the case. “Ill make no further comment,’ responded the judge.

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RETIRED employees of Aer Rianta and Aer Lin- gus in Shannon plan to continue to fight for im- proved pensions, following their meeting with the joint Oireachtas committee on Transport in Dub- lin last week. The group plans to protest on Dail Eireann tomorrow (Wednesday), to voice their on- going concerns on the issue.

Jim O’Sullivan, a former employee at Shannon, joined with his colleagues from Dublin and Cork, who made a presentation to the committee on the issue last week.

They are incensed over their pension rates — they claim the average pension at the end of March 2005 was just €14,000, which represents just 39 per cent of their average salary. They argue that despite discretionary increases in the scheme,

since 1990, pensions have fallen behind by 50 per cent, when compared with public service pen- SIONS.

They are particularly concerned that there are no provisions for increases in their pensions, and say that to meet their claims, the scheme needs additional funding.

“We are looking to be given the same rights as civil servants. We are going to keep going. This has to be brought to a conclusion and we have to make sure we are not going around like paupers. We want annual increases in the pension and it 1s time that this is brought to some sort of finality,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

Retired member of staff at Shannon airport, Bri- an Cronin told The Clare People there are hopes to arrange a meeting with Transport Minister Martin Cullen, to discuss the issue.

‘We have to keep pressing right up to the next general election. We are being kicked from gov- ernment to Aer Lingus and Aer Rianta and from Aer Lingus and Aer Rianta back to the govern- ment,’ said Mr Cronin.

Clare-based Senator Timmy Dooley, who is a member of the Oireachtas committee on Trans- port, says the meeting was fruitful.

‘There was a uniformity of understanding across all political parties and there was a recognition that something needs to be done. The committee is now going to get a pensions expert, to review the actuarial evaluation of the scheme.

‘There is a serious issue here and there are con- sequences not just for retired staff but also for people working in the companies at the moment. Their future pensions are likely to face difficul- ties, going into the future,” said Senator Dooley.