The Clare People Archive

THE National Roads Authority will not use the controversial cable wire crash barrier system on the Ennis bypass, but has instead opted for a concrete wall which will run the entire 14-kilometre length of the new N18 dual carriageway.

The NRA has come in for severe criticism in recent years for its use of the cable system which motorcyclists have described as “lethal” and nothing short of “human cheese wire.”

Earlier this year, a 10km stretch of the N18 Shannon to Limerick dualcarriageway was fitted with the cable crash barrier. MAG Ireland, the Motorcyclists Action Group which represents 40,000 motorcyclists, slated the system as a “potentially life-threatening hazard to motorcyclists.”

The NRA has confirmed, however, that it has opted for a concrete barrier system, also known as the Jersey Barrier, for the new section of the N18 eastern bypass of Ennis, which will run from Dromoland to just north of Crusheen.

MAG Ireland spokesman Jimmy Kenny has said, “The crash barrier installed on the new Ennis Bypass is certainly an improvement on the cable system and is more motorcyclefriendly. It is definitely a move in the right direction that the Government didn’t opt for the cheap option this time and go with the cable system.

“We are still calling on the Government to remove all cable crash barriers and replace them with motorcycle-friendly barriers. The Government here went for the cheap option when it decided to use the cable system on other routes including in another part of the N18 in Clare. They didn’t consider the consequences for motorcyclists who collide with the barrier.”

The NRA has confirmed that the entire N18 Ennis Bypass mainline will have a continuous one-metre high concrete median barrier.

LABOUR Affairs Minister, Tony Killeen, officially opened an information and education event for Survivors of Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), their families and carers, healthcare workers and professionals in Limerick last week.

The day was a collaboration spearheaded by The Peter Bradley Foundation, the ABI specific service provider, in partnership with BRÍ, the national ABI advocacy association.

The aim of the event was to give those affected by brain injury an opportunity to listen to a range of ABI specialists and to share their personal experiences of living with an ABI.

Minister Killeen said that, “every year about 10,000 people in Ireland are admitted to hospital with a head injury. Sadly, many of these suffer long-term ill-effects. Advances in medical science have dramatically improved survival rates. However, brain injured people and their families face huge challenges when they are discharged from hospital. Today, we seek to ensure that the gaps in the service are pinpointed and addressed”.

Mick Clavin, Chairman of BRÍ, highlighted that “brain injured people and their families can reach their fullest potential by pooling their experience in living with brain injury, and by seeking and advocating for and influencing the development of specialist rehabilitation services.

“If you want to know what a brain injured person wants, you ask a brain injured person”.

ENNIS-BASED Mangans’ Wholesale has acquired McCambridge’s, the Galway-based food and wine specialists, in a deal that will broaden the Clare firm’s operational base in Connacht.

McCambridge’s is a long-established and well-known supplier of food and beverages to a wide variety of catering outlets including restaurants, pubs, hotels and coffee shops in the west. McCambridge’s staff will remain with the business, which will operate from Mangans’ premises at Monivea Road in Galway.

Head of Mangans’ Foodservice, Niall Mangan, said the two businesses will be combined before the busy Christmas period.

“We have admired the McCambridge business for some time. It is a perfect fit with ours and will broaden our geographic spread within Connacht. The resources of the two businesses will be combined within Galway City to serve the needs of foodservice professionals in the region.”

McCambridge’s Managing Director, Eoin McCambridge, said that the acquisition would mean increased buying strength and capability for the combined business and a substantially enhanced product range. He added that he planned to leave the wholesale business and concentrate on development plans for the McCambridge retail store in Shop Street, Galway. The retail shop will be unaffected by this transaction.

Mangans’ is a family-owned company with 74 years’ experience of food wholesaling and is the largest member of Stonehouse, a €1 billion Irish-owned buying group. Mangans’ operate in eight locations throughout Ireland.

SENIOR members of Clare County Council yesterday defended overseas trips by councillors, claiming that they represented value for money to the taxpayer.

In recent weeks, local authority delegations from Clare have visited Barcelona, Norwich, Sweden and Scotland with the cost to the taxpayer approaching an estimated €35,000.

However, the council’s use of Ryanair on all the trips has cutback costs. Chairman of the council’s Transport Special Policy Committee (SPC), PJ Kelly stated that the trip to Prestwick in Scotland cost €13 each way along with taxes for each member.

Cllr Kelly was leading a delegation into coastal protection and coastal erosion in Scotland, while the 11strong group also investigated piers and harbours and sewerage plants in Scotland.

Cllr Kelly said, “The trip was unbelievable value for money. The trip was for five days, but I know that by day two, some of the lads would have loved to have come home, as we came across some atrocious weather.

“It was worthwhile and very strenuous. It was hard work. We could learn a lot from the way the Scots do things and they could learn a lot from us.”

Cllr Kelly said each member of the delegation was given £160 “pocket money”. He said, “You wouldn’t have been going home with money in your pocket.”

A separate council delegation headed for Sweden to investigate a town’s plans to become fossil-free by 2030.

Leader of that delegation, chairperson of the council’s Special Policy Committee for the Environment, Cllr Patricia McCarthy, said that the trip offered good value for money.

“You get out what you put into it and we were well prepared and the trip was beneficial.

“It is important that these trips do take place and I am very grateful for the people that did go along as it means time away from their families,” she said.

The trip to Sweden was Cllr Brian Meaney’s first trip overseas with the council in his two years in office. He is a regular critic of council’s overseas trips.

“I have always maintained that if a trip had educational value, I would consider it and the trip to Sweden was beneficial in the extreme . . .

“We saw what can be done and this area has shown the area the way forward in becoming fossil fuel free and a we also saw model whereby we could recover heat lost in the chimney stacks at Moneypoint and provide hot water for the town of Kilrush.”

IT’S crunch time for the Mid Western Regional Hospital Ennis this Thursday as the HSE’s Capital Steering Group meet to discuss the cost benefit analysis of the hospital’s development project.

The analysis has been sent to the HSE group for its meeting and a decision is expected almost immediately. PRIMARY school students across Clare are set to increase their knowledge of the county’s natural environment thanks to a new educational tool developed by the Clare Biodiversity Group.

An interactive CD-ROM titled ‘Exploring the Biodiversity of County Clare’ was officially launched in Ennis last Friday by Clare senior hurler Tony Carmody. The CD provides information on the county’s biodiversity and will act as a tool for primary school teachers to introduce the natural environment and a practical element to lessons.

Biodiversity is the variety of all plants and animals and their natural habitats and the CD-ROM features detailed information and photographs of some of the native mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, insects and plants found in Clare.

Explaining the need to develop the CD-ROM, Elaine Keegan, Biodiversity Officer with Clare County Council said the county has a rich variety of different animals and plants as well as some of the best examples of habitats in Europe but it was rapidly disappearing with animals and plants becoming extinct and habitats being damaged. It was imperative then that the younger schoolchildren should learn how to protect their surrounding natural environment.

‘Exploring the Biodiversity of

The HSE called for the analysis last August after it emerged that the first phase of the project, which was allocated €20.8 million, would cost in excess of €30 million.

The increase in cost was a result of changes to hygiene and other requirements in hospitals.

It is believed that the new costings sent to the HSE in Dublin include all necessary changes and are within the € 20.8 million budget. County Clare’ has been produced by Ms Keegan and Clare Heritage Officer Congella McGuire, with the imput of a number of other organisations and individuals who provided material for the project. The CD-ROM is linked to the Science and Geography curricula as both include a strong element of environmental awareness.

According to Elaine Keegan, “The study of plants and animals and their habitats through this CD incorporates basic literacy, numeric and computer skills and also provides a practical element to lessons. The CD is most suitable for 3rd-6th classes in primary schools. However, the local natural environment is also a strand

It is now hoped that the development, which was initially expected to go to planning last Summer, will get the seal of approval and be with Clare County Council in weeks.

Meanwhile, the Ennis General Hospital is awaiting formal written approval from the HSE before it orders a Computer Axial Tomography (CAT) scanner.

The expected confirmation must also include approval of funding for unit in younger classes, and the photographs and information could be a teacher’s resource for those classes. A copy of ‘Exploring the biodiversity of County Clare’ will now be sent to all primary schools in County Clare.”

Further information can be had from Elaine Keegan on ekeegan@clareccoco.ie or 0656846456. staffing and other costs estimated at €750,000 per annum.

Chairman of the Hospital Development Committee Peadar McNamara said that while the Mid-Western Hospitals Development Trust had already provided the capital funding for the CAT scan, commitment had to be given to the staffing of the service.

A new CAT scan has been ordered for the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick, which is currently responsible for patients in Ennis that require the diagnostic service.

The current scanner, which has broken down 16 times in 10 months, was condemned at this month’s meeting of the HSE West Forum Hospital’s Committee. Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) said that the councillors present at the meeting were told the scanner was breaking down due to pressure of use and need of repair.

THE increased costs of policing Shannon Airport this year are linked to the outrageous threats by anti-war activists to shut down the civilian airport, according to Clare’s Deputy Mayor, Cllr Brian Meaney (GP).

He was responding yesterday to figures released by the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, showing that the cost of policing Shannon this year had almost doubled.

The cost this year of the ongoing Garda operation at Shannon to the end of September was €1.31 million, excluding salaries.

This is almost double the €738,018 that was spent on the operation in the entire of 2005.

Minister McDowell revealed that, since 2002, the State had spent €4.2 million on Garda-related security at Shannon Airport.

In a Dail response to Green Party leader, Trevor Sargent, Minister McDowell said that he was satisfied that the Garda policing arrangements at Shannon “remain both necessary and appropriate”.

The annual breakdown in costs is: 2002 – €486,603; 2003 – €762,999; 2004 – €975,091; 2005 – €738,018; and €1.3 million to the end of September in 2006.

Minister McDowell said, “The Garda authorities are required to allocate resources in an appropriate fashion to protect critical State infrastructures in accordance with assessed threat, so it is the latter which ultimately determines the associated costs.”

Cllr Meaney said yesterday, “The security costs for Shannon are very significant, especially when one takes into account that the numbers going through the airport are dropping considerably.

“However, the increase in costs of security must be linked to the outrageous threats by anti-war activists that they wished to shut down a civilian airport, which plays a massive economic role in the west of Ireland.”

During the five-year long operation, security at Shannon has been breached on a number of occasions and twice in the space of five days in 2003 when anti-war activists attacked a US navy plane.

To date, this year, 250,220 have passed through the airport. Last year, the troop traffic contributed €9 million in profits to the Shannon Airport Authority, with 340,600 troops going through Shannon.

THE Garda overtime bill for County Clare for 2006 has amounted to €1.4 million – a rise of €200,000 on the bill for 2005.

According to statistics provided by the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, the annual cost of policing the county has now risen to €14 million.

In response to a Dáil question from Green Party leader, Trevor Sargent, Minister McDowell confirmed that numbers in the Clare Garda Division had risen from 219 at the end of 1997 to 318 to October 12 this year.

He said, “This represents an increase of 99 (or 45 per cent) in the number of personnel allocated to the Clare Division since 31 December, 1997 and an increase of 59 (or 23 per cent) in the number of personnel allocated since 31 December, 2004.”

The figures also show that since the start of the year, numbers in the Clare Garda Division have risen from 261 to 318 – a rise of 57.

In the breakdown of the overtime figures, Minister McDowell said that the overtime bill for 2004 was €1 million and this increased to €1.2 million in 2005.

However, due mainly to the enhanced security operation at Shannon Airport, the overtime bill to October 12 this year was at €1.4 million.

The figures show that €12 million has been paid out in salaries this year, compared to the €14 million for the entire of 2005.

Minister McDowell said, “It is the responsibility of Garda management to allocate personnel to and within divisions on a priority basis in accordance with the requirements of different areas.

“These personnel allocations are determined by a number of factors including demographics, crime trends, administrative functions and other operational policing needs. Garda management state that such allocations are continually monitored and reviewed along with overall policing arrangements and operational strategy. This ensures that optimum use is made of Garda resources, and that the best possible service is provided to the public.”

Pointing out that the Government was engaged on a recruitment drive to bolster Garda numbers to 14,000, Minister McDowell said, “The Garda Commissioner will now be drawing up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources and, in this context, the needs of the Clare Division will be given the fullest consideration.”

STAFF and patients of Clare’s mental health services are to hold a party this evening (Tuesday) to mark the end of admission of patients under the 1945 Mental Treatment Act.

The long-awaited Part II of the Mental Health Act of 2001, which comes into force on November 1, significantly reforms existing legislation concerning the involuntary admission and treatment of patients, bringing Irish legislation into conformity with the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

This legislation safeguards the rights of individuals who are detained for mental health care and introduces greater protection, providing additional safeguards for detained patients and also protects the clinician in their decision to detain.

When Part II of the Mental Health Act of 2001 is implemented tomorrow (Wednesday), the Mental Health Tribunals Division of the Mental Health Commission will be responsible for organising mental health tribunals for all patients admitted on an involuntary basis. Under the new legislation, patients involuntarily detained will have the right to attend and be represented at the mental health tribunal by a free legal representative who is appointed by the Mental Health Commission.

The commission will also arrange for an independent medical examination of the patient to be carried out by an independent consultant psychiatrist. The tribunal, which can either detain the patient or revoke or affirm the admission, will issue its recommendation within 21 days of the admission in most cases.

OBJECTORS to the site of a proposed homeless hostel in Ennis have vowed to intensify their campaign against it.

Residents on the Clare Road, where the €2.1 million transitional hostel is being mooted, have said they are will appeal the case to An Bord Pleanála if planning permission is granted.

Last week, Ennis Town Council delayed the planning decision when it requested the St Vincent de Paul to supply further information in relation to the project. If permission is granted, the hostel would have the capacity to accommodate 13 men.

In its request, the council states that any proposed development must adhere to policies set out in the Ennis and Environs Development Plan 2003.

These policies state that development proposals for new or extensions to residential institutions will be permitted provided that they do not significantly detract from the amenity and character of the area.

Under section 11.5.2 of the plan, residential institutions are generally suited to existing residential areas and properties should have adequate amenity space and room for parking.

Objectors to the proposal have outlined in a submission reasons against building the hostel on the former site of the Laurel Lodge B&B.

The council has asked the St Vincent de Paul to submit proposals on how it plans to address residents’ concerns.

ENNIS Town Council has requested Clare County Council to address the concerns of residents opposed to the establishment of a homeless hostel in the town.

Earlier this year, Clare County Council lodged plans to convert the existing Laurel Lodge on Ennis’s Clare Road to a hostel for 13 homeless men.

The cost of the project is estimated at €2.1 million and the St Vincent de Paul will operate the building.

Local residents Patrick Donnelly, Ann-Marie Donnelly, Helen Broderick and Christopher Walsh have lodged an objection against the proposal, claiming that the plan will attract a significant anti-social element to the locality.

Now, the Town Council has requested further information on the proposal from the County Council, throwing into doubt the timescale set by Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) to have the hostel open early in the New Year.

In its request, the town council has stated it has received a letter of objection signed by a number of objectors who argue that the proposed development will have a negative impact on the residential amenity of nearby properties by virtue of noise and nuisance and loitering, which may be associated with the proposed development. The town council has stated that development proposals for new or extensions to residential institutions will be permitted, provided that they would not significantly detract from the amenity and character of the surrounding area.

The town council has also stated that it considers it appropriate that where possible residential institutions relocate within defined settlement boundaries.

The objectors said that they had “deep and well founded concerns” over the proposed development. They state, “We may be accused of acting in a NIMBY (Not In My BackYard) manner, but this proposal is virtually in our backyards. . . There has been no consultation with local residents by the St Vincent de Paul and they refused to have a public meeting regarding the matter. We are left with no option but to object in the strongest possible manner to the location of this homeless centre.”

In their objection, they say, “We do not cause any of the ills of society and we do not want them foisted upon us by others in a residential area.”