The Clare People Archive

WHEN the Revenue Commissioners transfer to Kilrush in November, the town will welcome 70 new civil servants and not 50, as originally planned.

Unlike many towns listed as locations for Government offices under decentralisation, Kilrush has proven popular among workers.

So popular a location is Kilrush for civil servants, it is believed the original 50 positions could be filled twice over.

The number of employees is now expected to reach 70, including part-time employees and job share workers.

The lease for the decentralisation offices has been signed, but the Office of Public Works is remaining tight-lipped as to its exact location.

Local knowledge suggests however that the relocating civil servants will share a building already occupied by Bill Pay in Cappa.

A third of the 50 Revenue Commissioners’ staff destined for the West Clare town are believed to be coming from Ennis, another third from Limerick and one-third from Dublin.

Welcoming the move, Kilrush Senator Brendan Daly (FF) said the new jobs would help in Kilrush’s rejuvenation.

The Cooraclare politician pointed to the renovation of old buidings, planting flowers and ongoing work to attract new businesses to the town.

He said the influx of civil servants would encourage further service industries to the west Clare capital, creating a vibrancy in the town.

While other towns across the country, including Shannon, have been struggling to encourage civil servants to relocate, Kilrush has never had a problem enticing Government staff.

FULL-TIME lifeguard cover, which had been available at the county’s 12 beaches over the summer, drew to a close at the weekend. A team of 24 lifeguards was on duty at the beaches throughout July and August, but this wound down on Sunday.

Clare County Council’s Water Safety Officer, Liam Griffin, said if the weather was exceptionally good in September, the county’s four biggest beaches – Lahinch, Spanish Point, Fanore and Kilkee – might be manned at weekends.

“We would not normally man them in September, but if the weather is very good, we will. We will review it from weekend to weekend,” he said.

He said that while the good weather in July ensured the lifeguards were very busy, overall the summer passed off without any major incident.

“We are happy that there were no serious incidents,” he said.

Lifeguards did offer assistance in a number of cases, including one involving a collision between two surfers in Lahinch in July, which resulted in one young man being treated at Ennis General Hospital for a foot injury.

Lifeguards also afforded attention to a UK tourist who suffered a heart attack in Lahinch, last Thursday week. The emergency services were called in, but the man, in his 60s, died later in hospital.

Mr Griffin said that while lifeguards would not be on full-time duty during the winter months, surfers were been encouraged to take car on the waters.

“There are notices displayed on surf beaches outlining details of surfing guidelines. There are areas where we ask surfers to go, and other areas for swimmers. We haven’t had a collision between a surfer and a swimmer for years,” he said. “We were happy with the summer. Everything went very smoothly and members of the public were very cooperative.”.

People also complied with a notice not to swim on Lough Derg, due to the presence of algal blooms, in July. This issue was addressed within a short period.

THE way is now clear for one of Ireland’s best-known hotels, Dromoland Castle, to proceed with a €1 million plan, after no protected bats were found in the vicinity of a proposed wellness centre.

Earlier this year, Clare County Council put the plan on hold and requested that the hotel carry out a survey of bats in the area. The council stated that there were “a number of bat roosts in the buildings and structures of the hotel including hibernation sites for Lesserhorse Shoe bats”.

The Lesserhorse Shoe bat receives protection under the EU Habitats Directive.

Duchas, the Heritage Service, stated that it had no objection to the proposal, but requested that a bat survey be carried out.

Already, two major redevelopments in the same region of Clare – at Carnelly House and Ballykilty Manor – have encountered planning difficulties as a result of protected bats.

At Carnelly House, the developers are set to spend €120,000 on measures to protect the bats. The news that there are no bats residing where they intend building their wellness centre will come as a relief to Dromoland’s owners.

The survey states: “No bats or sign of any bats were found within the proposed development area. There are no recommendations in regard to bats as none were found to be present within the proposed development site.

“Annex II species under the EU Habitats Directive will not be affected by the proposed works.

In explaining the background to their development plan, Dromoland Castle states that, “Being one of the country’s premier hotels . . . (requires) the constant upgrading of the facilities provided.

The hotel claims that its continued success is based on it being a destination luxury hotel with facilities that out rival similar facilities elsewhere. The hotel states that the provision of the new facilities will enhance the sustainability of Dromoland.

TOUR operators have put a number of alternatives to charging €60 per coach when the Council’s new €31.5 million visitor centre at the Cliffs of Moher becomes operational to Clare County council.

The Irish Tour Operators Association (ITOA) is opposed to the new pricing structure and in a bid to have the Council reverse its plan met with the offfical leading the project, Ger Dollard in Dublin last Friday.

President of the ITOA, Brian Murray said that the ITOA executive “put forward some interesting suggestions in terms of what we would propose for alternatives to generating revenues at the site”.

Mr Murray described the meeting as ‘positive’, stating that a “frank and open discussion” had taken place.

He said, “We explained that we couldn’t work at the proposed €60 charge. Mr Dollard said that he would hold a meeting with his colleagues and revert back to us.”

The ITOA has also expressed concern over a new booking system at the Cliffs and Mr Murray said: “We agreed that ITOA members would talk to officials at the Cliffs site in order to try to agree upon a system.

Mr Murray said that the ITOA has a Council meeting on Wednesday and was anxious that the Council’s response to the ITOA’s alternatives would be in place by then.

Commenting on the meeting to The Clare People yesterday, Mr Dollard said, “The Council had a very useful meeting with the ITOA on Friday last.

He said, “At the end of the day we are both in the tourism business and it is in all our interests that the Cliffs of Moher New Visitor Experience operates to the highest standards to give an exceptional visitor experience for every visitor as well as putting forward a very positive image for Irish tourism.

“I am confident that the Council and the ITOA can work positively together in a collaborative fashion to develop the full potential of the Cliffs of Moher New Visitor Experience.

A NUMBER of well-known Clare musicians have expressed concern over Clare County Council’s plans to expel buskers from the Cliffs of Moher and hold subsequent auditions for musicians at the tourist attraction.

A letter signed by 43 performers from the Irish traditional music world states that they are concerned, “at the intentions of the Clare County council in relation to the performance of traditional music at the Cliffs and urge the council to establish dialogue with the musicians”.

Currently, 19 musicians and traders at the Cliffs are facing injunction proceedings in the Circuit Court which are due to be heard next month.

Those from Clare to have signed the letter include Martin Hayes, Tola Custy, Tony McMahon and author and broadcaster, PJ Curtis.

Other well-known musicians offering support to the buskers include Christy Moore, Liam O’Maonlai, Mary Black, Donal Lunny and Frankie Gavin.

Under the name of ‘Fili Amhranaithe Ceoltoiri na hEireann’ (FACE) or ‘Musicians, Singers and Poets of the Irish Tradition’, they state that the proposed injunction against buskers at the Cliffs “has serious implications for present and future members of our organisation”.

“The council will not communicate with the musicians involved. Communication with the musicians is vital to establish a coherent agreement.

“They are best placed to advise the council how to manage music at the Cliffs in the most appropriate way.”

PJ Curtis told The Clare People , “The council is engaging in bullyboy tactics by seeking to evict the buskers and its actions are anti-freedom of artistic expression.”

The council’s project leader, Ger Dollard, confirmed that the council may hold auditions as part of the expressions of interest process to license buskers at the Cliffs when the new centre becomes operational.

He said, “I recognise that there are genuine concerns amongst individuals regarding the overall situation.

On the one hand, the council is in a difficult position trying to rid the site of indiscriminate substandard busking which does nothing to add to the visitors experience or image of Irish tourism.

“On the other hand, meanwhile, the council respects those buskers who have engaged in a positive activity respecting the best traditions of the site.

“I would hope that people will bear with us as we work our way through this necessary process, which is in the best interests of all those genuinely interested in maintaining the required standard at our famous tourist attraction.”

A RADIO consortium headed by Clare FM boss Liam O’Shea and Killaloe rugby star, Keith Wood, has been awarded a licence for the new south west regional youth radio service by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. The new service will broadcast to 15-34 year olds in Clare, Limerick, Kerry, North Tipperary and South West Laois. SPIN South West will initially employ 43 people from the region.

“We are delighted to have been awarded this licence by the BCI. I would like to thank the team and the shareholders for their commitment and hard work. We believe the SPIN youth brand will be very successful in this region. SPIN South West will be regional, relevant and revolutionary in everything we do. We will encourage creativity and provide opportunities and training for new young local talent,” said Mr O’Shea.

Keith Wood said that he was “absolutely delighted to be a shareholder in SPIN South West and was looking forward to the project.”

SPIN South West plan to launch in June 2007.

THE Health Service Executive MidWestern Area has confirmed that there are no plans to proceed with a controversial renaming of three Limerick City hospitals.

It was feared that the move would serve to disenfranchise Ennis and Nenagh General Hospitals. However, a HSE spokesperson has stated that, “There are currently no plans to proceed with the name change at present.”

Early last year, it was announced that three Limerick facilities – the Mid Western Regional Hospital, the Mid Western Regional Maternity Hospital and the Mid Western Regional Orthopaedic Hospital in Croom – would be renamed University Hospital Limerick. Some months beforehand, the facilities had been tagged under the umbrella term, ‘Mid Western Regional’.

So opposed were staff, management, politicians and hospital groups to the proposed renaming to University Hospital, that the HSE’s Programme Manager for Acute Hospital Services offered to resign from two key HSE committees in protest.

North Clare Councillor and Ennis hospital Committee member, Joe Arkins (FG), has welcomed the decision of the HSE not to proceed with the name changes. Councillor Arkins had raised serious concerns regarding the matter when it first arose over 12 months ago.

“The hospitals at Ennis and Nenagh would have been out on limb completely and further relegated for training purposes if the singular link with the Limerick hospitals and UL had gone ahead.

“It is time to end the smoke and mirrors act, and do something tangible about moving forward the refurbishment of Ennis General, which is drastically overdue,” he said.

CONCERNS have been expressed that the revised Scariff Feakle Quilty Mullagh Sewerage Scheme may not be servicing an area as wide as originally hoped.

Junior Marine Minister John Browne was in Mullagh this week to announce the granting of the foreshore licence for the scheme.

But it has since emerged that the original proposal has been substantially reduced to meet with the Government’s strict water pricing policy.

Clare General Election Candidate, Cllr Madeleine Taylor- Quinn (FG), expressed her concern about what she described as the €3.2 million shortfall to make up the €12 million scheme.

She said the council was planning to gather €700,000 from the people of the area. This will cost each household €1,500 each.

The former TD said she was particularly concerned about current households outside the revised scheme who will not be able to avail of the scheme.

She is now calling on the Minister for the Environment to increase the €8.8 million he granted last week, and has asked the Minister responsible for Rural Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív, to provide some funding for the scheme.

The disappointed chairman of PlanClare, Ciarán O’Dea, said, “We got no indication that the scheme was to be rationalised.

“The contract documents are yet to be approved after a twoyear waiting period, and we remain unsure as to the design and extent of the network which has been specified by the Department of the Environment.

“It now appears that the design approved in the preliminary report is not the design which will be constructed under the cost/ benefit stipulations of the pricing policy,” he said.

“The Government’s pricing policy is being used as a tool to copperfasten the national spatial strategy by hindering necessary rural infrastructural development.

“The tone and application of this policy begrudgingly acknowledges rural communities while justifying a withdrawal of infrastructural investment from communities outside of the larger urban centres.

“If rural communities are to prosper, it is now necessary to adopt a principle of ‘investment’ in rural communities, as opposed to an application of current ‘value for money’,” he added.

Clare Minister of State Tony Killeen said he was glad that the visit of junior Minister John Browne had “effectively hastened the delivery of the foreshore licence”.

“I regret that the long delays and other elements in the saga did damage in the eyes of the public in their belief in the public sector’s capacity to deal with the project and also that credibility of the political system,” he said.

OVER 400 Shannon-based staff of Aer Lingus could reap the rewards from share packages when the company is put up for flotation at the end of the month.

418 of the company’s Shannon-based permanent staff are members of the Employee Share Ownership Trust (ESOT).

Employees currently own 14.9 per cent of the company under the terms of the ESOT deal struck between Aer Lingus and the unions, a profit-sharing scheme could be used to purchase shares on behalf of staff. Staff will, though, have to use some of their own funds to buy shares in order to prevent any erosion of their shareholding.

Some analysts have predicted that the 3,475 Aer Lingus employees in the Share Ownership Trust could pocket shares worth an estimated €43,000 each.

SIPTU, who strictly oppose the sale, have warned that the sale is not being done for the right reasons.

Tony Carroll, SIPTU representative for Shannon, said employees made major sacrifices in return for the shares. He also repeated concerns that employees could lose out in the long run and stated employees would have to pay out of their own pocket to safeguard their own shareholding.

“There is speculation about figures but that will only happen if the company goes on the stock market, and we remain very much opposed to that. If staff want to preserve their shareholding, they are going to have to pay for it themselves. They gave up a lot when they entered into the deal; they accepted redundancies and gave up on wage increases. They didn’t get it for nothing.”

Strong reservations have been expressed about the flotation due to the perilous state of the aviation industry, with the Government coming in for criticism from members of the opposition.

The government say the move will give Aer Lingus a stronger financial position in the marketplace.

GARDAÍ have warned young women not to walk home alone late at night, after a woman in her 20s was set upon and attacked over the weekend.

The woman was walking home via Ard na Gréine – close to the Ennis/Limerick road – shortly before 2.30am on Saturday, when she was attacked.

A young man, believed to be in his 20s, who was standing in a laneway, came up behind her and pulled her to the ground. They both fell and the young woman, who was wearing runners, managed to escape.

Gardai say the motive was likely to have been a “sexual” one.

“The young woman’s attacker was wearing a hoodie and was of medium build. We are particularly interested in speaking to any taxi drivers who may have seen anyone in Ard na Gréine or Station Road on Friday night,” said Ennis Superintendent John Kerin.

Gardaí investigating the assault have examined CCTV footage in the area and are appealing to members of the public who may have noticed any suspicious activity to come forward.

“This is the first incident of its type in a long time. We are warning girls not to walk home alone late at night. Get a taxi or get a lift,” said Supt Kerin.

“We cannot say that the motive was robbery or sexual, but it was more likely to have been sexual. Thankfully the young woman managed to make good her escape,” he added.