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OANA See beebeblocmm on lece tled to cash to help with back-to-school expenses may be missing out be- cause they don’t know Weare LEL-UOER YA

The Department of Community and Social PaWOE-U NUMER CK IBDOOT-I Comma O:II 50,000 families nation- wide are missing out on the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance.

The allowance helps towards the cost of uni- forms and footwear for schoolchildren. The Scheme operates from Ist June to 30th Septem- ber each year. The al- lowance is €80 for each eligible child aged 2-11, on or before 30th Sep- tember 2005 and €150 for each eligible child aged 12-22 years.

People who may quali- fy include those who are getting a Social Welfare payment, a Health Serv- ice Executive (HSE) payment, a Back to Work Allowance (Em- ployees), a Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, or a Back to Education Allowance; and _ those who are

ON August 28, the Northabout en- tered the Kara Sea when it received a call to join up with a convoy of ice- breakers. The convoy is being led by the nuclear powered ‘Soviet Soyusk’. Using her high-powered air-jets, it breaks a channel through the ice pack that surrounds Cape Chelyskin.

After successfully navigating a path through the treacherous ice, it is time for a deserved break. The crew stop

off at White Island, a low-lying piece of land that lies off the Yamal Penin- sula. A wildlife haven, the island is home to reindeer, muskox and geese.

From there, it was onto Dickson. A desolate, fogbound village on the Yenesi River. The crew use the stop to fill up on diesel and water. Despite Dicksons’ inhospitable appearance, the cafe bar welcomes the lads with a bit of a session.

The following day, the crew set of fagain. Progress down the Yenesi

river was made difficult by thick fog. There was also the danger of meet- ing one of the many freight vessels that use to route to travel to and from the mines in Norlisk. Thankfully, the journey passed without incident.

The weather is calm as the Northa- bout prepares to pass Novaya Zemlya on September |. The next stop is Mu- ramask which is 800 miles away. But its time to batten down the hatches, with the boat expected to encounter fierce gales in the coming week.

for garden- ing maintenance. Man available for house upkeep. No work too small. Reasonably priced. Farm operative available. 087-6108873

AN exhibition of paintings entitled “From the Outside, From the Inside’ by artist Musa Christo Engelbrecht opened at the Russell Gallery over the weekend.

The exhibition, which will run until September 23, is a collection of recent work by the versatile artist.

Born in South Africa, and a long-time resident in County Clare, Musa is_ well-known

amongst the artistic community of Clare and Galway.

The two-fold exhibition con- tains work from both Greece and the Burren. The Greek oil paintings are passionately col- ourful that have broken away from natural description and taken a life of its own. Amongst these works are oil paintings and pastel drawings investigat- ing the local landscape and the profound effect of the unique light of the Burren on his sub- ject matter.

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THE possibility of suffering identity theft 1s something that is increasingly worrying some people in Clare, and throughout the country. For busi- nesses, there is also the other side of the coin — how do they know that a customer is actually who he or she claims to be?

Some commentators says that the answer is new technology, such as systems that control access by fin- gerprints or pattern on the retina, or the now familiar chip and pin credit

cards.

Criminologist Emily Finch does not agree. She has carried out re- search at the University of East An- glia in the UK, and she says that it challenges the assumption that tech- nology-based security systems pro- vide the solution.

Moreover, Dr Finch claims that our increasing reliance on technology 1s in fact leading to a breakdown in the vigilance that people used to exer- cise.

“There is a worrying assumption that advances in technology will

provide the solution to identity theft, whereas it is possible that they may actually aggravate the problem,” said Dr Finch.

“Our research has shown that fraud- sters are tenacious, merely adapting their strategies to circumvent new security measures rather than desist- ing from fraudulent behaviour,’ she added.

“Studying the way that individuals disclose sensitive information would be far more valuable in preventing identity fraud than the evolution of technologically advanced but ulti-

mately fallible measures to prevent the misuse of personal information after it has been obtained.”

She points out that social interac- tion in a virtual environment such as an Internet chat room facilitates identity theft because normal visual cues that enables us to establish truth or deception are missing.

Her advice is that individuals should think carefully about the situ- ations in which personal information is divulged, and find effective ways of protecting themselves.

As well as being a Reader in Law

at the University of East Anglia, Dr Finch is a Director of 1871 Ltd, a specialist consultancy providing in- formation privacy and security ad- vice to individuals and industry.

Tomorrow, September 7, she will outline her new research on identity theft, and on the increasingly sensi- tive issue of introduction of identity cards in the UK.

This is something being watched carefully in Ireland, as we might have to follow suit given that we have a Common Travel Area with the UK.

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AN ENNIS drug dealer who was found in possession of cannabis resin with intent to sell or supply, has been handed a four-month jail sentence and fined €1,250.

But the jail term imposed on Don- agh Malone (38), of Clare Road, Ennis, was substituted for 240 hours community service.

Sergeant John Brennan told Ennis District Court yesterday that can- nabis resin with a street value of

€324 – enough to make 454 hand rolled cigarettes – was found at the accused man’s home on September 30 last year. An electronic weighing scales and €140 in cash were also recovered.

The following month, on October 28, cannabis resin with a street value of €47 – enough to make 66 hand- rolled cigarettes – was recovered at the home of the accused man’s partner. Cash totalling €3,980 was recovered in a jam jar hidden in a ditch and €7,000 was recovered in

a hot-press.

Malone had been supplied the drug by a friend and when he moved away, he started to supply it himself, initially to a small circle of friends, before that circle grew.

He “put his hands up” and admit- ted to gardai that he had been sell- ing cannabis resin, the court heard.

“He is older than your average person consuming cannabis resin around here,” said Sgt Brennan.

Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey

said her client, a father-of-two, was collecting money from work he was doing as a landscape gardener and chef, and was putting it towards renovating the house. She said the €7,000 was “nothing to do with the proceeds of cannabis resin,” and was earmarked for renovating his jteyesten

Sgt Brennan admitted that some of the money might not have been part of the proceeds of selling can- nabis resin. “What we recovered wasn’t substantial, but we are sat-

isfied he was dealing in cannabis,’ said Sgt Brennan.

Malone pleaded guilty to posses- sion of cannabis resin and posses- sion for sale or supply.

Judge Joseph Mangan imposed a four month jail sentence for the of- fence at Clare Road in September, substituting it with community serv- ice. He imposed a fine of €1,250 for the offence in October. He ad- journed the case for four months, to allow for a community service report to be carried out.

three bedroom house, off Lahinch Road. Ensuite. Quiet area. Rent EUR650 for suitable client. Tel 087 6111951.

CLARE County Council has refused planning permission to only ten holiday homes, from applications for over 300 tax-driven holiday homes since the start of the year.

The council confirmed in figures released this week, that it had granted planning per- mission for over 220 holiday homes in towns and villages across Clare this year, while de- velopers withdrew applications for 70 holiday homes.

Prior to the end of last year, Government tax-reliefs for tourist-related developments resulted in the council receiving planning applications in the space of a few weeks that would normally take a quarter of a century to be lodged.

The Council’s then Head of Planning, Ger Dollard said that the applications seeking to take advantage of Government tax-reliefs be- fore the Council “represent 25 years of devel-

opment”

In a number of the cases where planning applications were withdrawn, the developers would have withdrawn the plans knowing that NAB EGO ERENT IB

In many cases, holiday homes were granted planning permission on lands zoned for hous- ing, reducing the Council’s options of turning down permission.

The Council also granted planning permis- sion for 77 apartments. The permissions are now expected to provide a windfall for the lo- cal construction industry, as all units have to be complete by July of next year to qualify for iW STom EDC Duets ee

Green Party Councillor, Brian Meaney said this week: “These developments are tax- driven and unnecessary and have the potential to irrevocably change the Clare landscape as many of the applications are in sensitive coast- line areas.

Hospitality consultant of Horwath Bastow Charleton, Tim Whyte said that the deadline for completion of the units should be extend- ed and avoid there being an oversupply of rooms.

“We believe that the capital allowance scheme should be phased out over a number of years to allow time for the supply of ho- tels in the market to match demand for rooms UN RSa nae

“If all hotel builds and extensions are com- pleted by the July 2006 deadline then it is likely there will be an oversupply of avail- able rooms in the market and more hotels will come under growing financial pressure.

‘Holiday homes could be sold off after their tax life as summer/weekend houses and hotels in urban areas would be converted into apart- ments assuming that this was the most profit- able route to take. Options are available but as with most businesses, it’s largely down to management in the first instance.”