Category: Uncategorized

A YOUNG man who attacked a Supermarket manager in Shannon has been handed a three-year jail sentence, one year of which 1s sus- joer aXe Cereb

Dominic Hayes (18), of Inis Ealga, Shannon, admitted assaulting John Cleary at Dunnes Stores, SkyCourt, Shannon, on February 1, 2008.

Sergeant Michael O’Connell told Ennis Circuit Court yesterday that since this incident, Hayes has been

convicted of possession of drugs and assault, in the district court.

Hayes has spent the past month in prison, having been remanded in custody on this matter.

Defence Counsel Lorcan Connolly, BL, said his client did not enjoy the experience, but it afforded him the chance to “reflect” on things.

The court heard previously that Hayes has a violent temper and Mr Connolly said his client is willing to participate in an anger management programme.

Judge Carroll Moran said the ap- propriate sentence was a three-year term.

However, he suspended the final year.

He said he would have suspended the entire sentence if Hayes had stayed out of trouble and if he had co-operated with the probation serv- ice, adding “but that doesn’t arise”.

CLARE dairy farmers received a vital lifeline last week with the an- nouncement that EU Council of Agriculture Ministers decision to extend SMP and butter intervention into 2010.

The move was welcomed by the IFA National Dairy Committee Chairman, Richard Kennedy, who said that it was absolutely critical to preserve a longer term floor under dairy markets and that a “different approach” would need to be taken by the EU Commission in the future.

“We need support measures which will help boost demand to speed up dairy price recovery, and ultimately

lift producer prices,” he said.

“The council have now agreed to the Commission’s proposal to extend butter and SMP intervention from 31st August to 28th February 2010, so that there is now a very secure floor to dairy markets right into 2010.

“This must be welcomed, because markets bottoming out is the pre- condition to any recovery. However, the EU Commission now must go further, and put forward, in its July 22 report, measures to boost dairy demand and help lift prices.

“In my recent meeting with the EU Director for Common Market Or- ganisations for agricultural products, Mr Hermanus Vesteylen, I empha- sised just how important a more ag-

gressive export refund policy would be in promoting greater demand. “Also critical would be the reacti- vation of the casein, feed, and pas- try and ice-cream schemes which in past years have aided hundreds of thousands of tonnes of skimmed milk, skimmed milk powder and butterfat.” Meanwhile, the Minister for Agriculture, Brendan Smith, last week welcomed the Commission rec- ognition of Irish concerns in relation to the implementation of electronic identification (EID) in sheep. According to the minister, he has “pressed” the EU Commission on these issues and is glad that he has been effective in winning “signifi- cant concessions” that he says will

ease the burden on the sector in 1m- plementing EID.

These were approved by Member States at this week’s Standing Com- mittee on the Food Chain and Ani- mal Health (SCOFCAH).

Under the new regulation, all lamb intended for slaughter and under 12 months old can now be exempted from EID. Furthermore, where these lambs are subsequently retained for breeding purposes they can then be tagged with an EID device at the sec- ond holding.

The minister said that he will con- tinue to impress on the Commission and his European colleagues at the council his view that EID should proceed in a voluntary capacity.

A COURT has heard allegations that a garda was set upon and struck to the face and head.

Arising out of the alleged incident, Alan Black, with an address at Ard na Mainistreach, Quin, is charged with assaulting a garda and public

order, at Shalee Drive, Cloughleigh, Ennis, on April 12 last.

Sergeant Joe Donoghue told En- nis District Court that a number of gardai were at the scene of an inci- dent in Cloughleigh.

He said it would be alleged that one of the gardai was “set upon by Mr Black and received blows from Mr

Black to the face and head.”

He said the garda had to be taken to hospital and is still undergoing treat- ment for his injuries.

Judge Joseph Mangan declined ju- risdiction of the case and it will now go forward to the circuit court. The case was adjourned for preparation of the book of evidence.

Sonny spins tales of Corofin life

TWO youths have pleaded guilty to a string of charges arising out of a spate of crime in east Clare and south Galway that culminated in a major search involving two dozen gardai.

A 17-year-old youth pleaded guilty to nine charges, while a 15-year-old boy pleaded guilty to eight charges, at Ennis Circuit Court last week, arising out of several incidents on April 30 last.

Both admitted burgling a business premises in Sixmilebridge and an- other premises in Quin. The two also admitted damaging a car by fire in Gort and stealing building items in

Sixmilebridge.

The 17-year-old also pleaded guilty to allowing himself to be carried in one stolen car in Limerick and an- other in Cratloe; unlawful possession of a car in Gort; and possession of a set of ignition keys with the intention that it be used in the course of an of- fence, at Meelick.

The 15-year-old admitted stealing a car in Limerick; allowing himself to be carried in a stolen car in Gort and unlawful possession of a car in Quin.

Sentencing in the case was ad- journed and Judge Sean O Donnab- hain directed that probation reports be carried out.

SMALL businesses allowed the Celtic Tiger to grow and prosper and now they have to be supported.

That was the message from a finan- cial services expert in the wake of the Government Independent Review of Credit Availability for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs).

Graham Byrne, Bibby Financial Services Ireland sales director, said that while it is welcome news that the Government has realised the 1m- portance of freeing-up credit for the SME sector, the report highlights that there is more to be done.

“Irish SMEs underpinned the growth of the ‘Celtic Tiger’ and it’s vital we continue to support them while Ireland, like the rest of the world, strives to navigate its way out of the recessionary maze.

“The good news is that the report shows there has been some improve- ment by the major lenders to assist the SME sector, however, anecdotal- ly we know this continues to fall well short of the mark and more measures are needed to ensure SMEs have adequate finance to enable them to weather the current economic SKeyu 00

Byrne said he believes that the Government needs to go further and “build its recommendations into ac- tions, following some of the steps taken by other European Govern- rns NLS

Such actions, he said should ensure a stricter enforcement of late pay- ment legislation, setting up a task- force to assist SMEs making funding applications, a viable and affordable credit insurance scheme and _ the introduction of a government loan guarantee scheme for SMEs.

“With the report highlighting that refusals for new credit are predomi- nately related to working capital re- quirements to address revenue cuts and a slow down in collecting out- standing payments from debtors, it’s clear there is a growing appetite for greater funding flexibility.

‘Indeed, with Bibby’s own research showing the recession has led 69 per cent of business owners to keep a closer eye on their finances, it’s 1m- portant SMEs are aware of all the options available as the economic forecast improves.”

Byrne said that alternative forms of funding outside of traditional overdraft facilities, such as invoice finance, “can provide a vital and ef- fective way of managing cash flow. Indeed, these alternative solutions continue to grow in popularity. Last year saw 52,000 businesses in Ire- land and the UK use invoice finance and this looks set to grow throughout 2009 as increasing numbers of Irish businesses realise it’s an acceptable and credible form of business finance and one worth embracing.”

THE prosecution case in the trial of a Shannon company accused of breaching its licence is to conclude today.

Chemifloc Ltd, of Smithstown In- dustrial Estate, Shannon, is accused of failing to comply with the terms of an integrated pollution control li- cence granted to them by the Envi- ronmental Protection Agency, in that it caused or permitted emissions to the atmosphere contrary to the pro- visions of the licence, on May 24, 2007.

At the outset of the trial at Ennis Circuit Court, company director Hil- lary Lawless pleaded not guilty to Neem Du Mon

Opening the case to the jury, coun- sel for the State, Stephen Coughlan

BL, said that an integrated pollution control licence was issued to Chem1- floc on October 10, 2006 and it would be alleged that this was breached the following May.

‘There is no question of pollution in this case at all, nothing to do with the case. It is all to do with breach of a licence. The breach has to do with emission levels,’ he said.

“People working or on the estate saw a large deep red plume of smoke coming from the Chemifloc premis- es,” he said.

He said it would be alleged that the emission levels exceeded what was allowed under the licence. “The emissions were far higher, far great- er,’ he said.

JOBS, the economy and climate change are some of the issues wor- rying 73 per cent of Clare teenagers, according to a recent survey commis- sioned as part of the BT Young Sci- entist and Technology Exhibition. While the survey results show the younger generation is concerned about some of society’s big problems, it’s not all doom and gloom, with both the silver and small screens influenc- ing teenagers ambitions for the future. Popular television shows such as CSI clearly have an influence, with 42 per cent of students surveyed choosing fo- rensics as their ideal scientific job. Irish teenagers from various coun- ties were asked about the importance of technology and science in every- day life, as well as the significance of continued technological innovation. A massive 73 per cent from Clare said they are concerned about the economy and their future job pros- pects and the same percentage said that staying connected is vital, say- ing they can’t live without mobile phones, broadband and computers.

Only two per cent of respondents chose computer games as a must- have technological invention.

Every year, practical inventions emerge from the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition that have the potential to benefit society. These include a computer game that could help combat school bullies, which was highlighted by 21 per cent as a product that should be made available to the public. On a lighter note, 45 per cent of the sample would love to try out a Star Trek-style transporter to beam users to their target destination.

When asked why they would en- ter the exhibition, the majority of respondents said it would be for the honour of representing their school or community.

Organised by BT, the exhibition is now entering its 46th year and re- corded the greatest number of entries ever last year when 1,616 projects were submitted. The BT Young Sci- entist & Technology Exhibition will be held in the RDS, Dublin from January 12-16 2010. For more infor- mation, log onto www.btyoungscien- tist.com or call 1800 924 362.

A PLUME of coloured smoke ema- nating from a plant in Shannon prompted fears that it would lead to poisoning or an explosion and led to panic.

That was according to a garda, who attended Chemifloc, after reports that a plume of smoke was coming from the premises.

Garda Pat Keating told the trial that he received a call at around 5.25pm on May 24, 2007, suggesting that a lot of smoke was emanating from the Chemifloc premises. He was travel- ling from Ennis to Shannon at the time.

He arrived at the plant a short time later. “I could see heavy red/orange smoke bellowing from the plant. The smoke was coming out of a stack. It was very low. It was spreading to the Ballycasey residential area,’ Gda Keating told Ennis Circuit Court.

“IT was seven or eight miles from Shannon when I saw the smoke,” he added.

He said he went to the plant, where the gates were closed.

‘The smoke was thick. My primary concern was for the people that were around. I was genuinely very wor- ried. The kind of smoke’ we never saw anything like it before,’ he said.

He set up road blocks at the two main entrances to the estate. He told the jury he could remember the inci- dent very clearly.

‘People were coming up to me pan- icking. I didn’t smell anything. The colour of it was so unusual, I was fearful of poisoning or an explosion,” he said.

He said he got the all-clear at around 6.30pm and then lifted the road blocks.

Michael Kiely, a fire officer, also attended the scene that evening. He told the court that there was a “yel- low cloud over the plant”, which was travelling towards the town centre, “the residential side of Shannon.”

He said he spoke to one of the op- erators, in an effort to ascertain what was going on. “He said one of the

scrubbers had shut down and they were putting this material in to help neutralise it,’ he said.

He said the colour of the “cloud” later changed to clear. A number of witnesses who saw a plume of smoke that evening also gave evidence.

Michael O’ Sullivan, who was work- ing in an engineering plant in Smith- stown, said he saw smoke “pretty low down, it wasn’t very high.”

Darren Gardiner, a machine opera- tor in Shannon, said he was on his way home from work when he saw a plume of smoke.

“T could see that the plume of mus- tardy coloured smoke was emanating from a facility in the industrial estate. I couldn’t identify exactly which stack within the Chemifloc plant that it was emanating from,” he said.

He said there was no smell from it.

Another witness, Brendan Potter, who also works in Shannon, told the court he could see smoke coming out of Chemifloc. “The smoke was so thick you couldn’t actually see through it,” he said.

THE NEW phases of a scheme that has seen the lobster yield in Clare in- crease by as much as 40 per cent was launched in Carrigaholt on Friday.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Mr. Tony Killeen, (FF) officially launched the 2009-2013 Lob- ster V-notching scheme.

Lobster ‘V-notching’ is one of the most important Tech- nical Conservation Measures (TCM) for the Irish lobster Kele .@

The main aim of the meas- ure is to protect female lob- sters, allowing them to spawn, which replenishes stocks.

The 2009 – 2013 V-Notch- ing Scheme follows on from the very successful 2002-2008 scheme which saw approximately 70,000 Lobsters being V-notched through a BIM-industry partnership, significantly increasing the spawning potential of the lobster population nationally.

Since 1995 over 140,000 lobsters

have been released. The initiative has proved to be of vital importance for the conservation and protection of the Irish lobster fishery.

In areas with strong V-notching pro- grammes such as the coast of Clare,

the 2002-2008 V-notching Scheme has had a hugely significant impact on the lobster stock, leading to an in- crease in catch rates of approximate- ly 40 per cent in the county. In the Banner County 14,000 lobsters were v-notched between 2002-2008.

The practice of “V-notching” was

introduced to Ireland by BIM in the early 1990’s from Maine in the USA, where it is used in the Ameri- can lobster fishery. It involves cutting a small notch in one of the flaps on the tail of a female lobster to create an easily recognised mark that remains for up to two moults. When a lobster is marked in this way, it is illegal to land, possess or sell it and it must be re- turned live to the sea. This ensures the lobster has an opportunity to breed at least once before the notch grows out, as female lob- sters generally breed and moult in alternate years. The v-notch is not perma- nent and after about four to six years it disappears completely and the lobster can be sold.