The Clare People Archive

CONCERN was expressed yesterday that all Turkish workers employed by GAMA, the Turkish company constructing the €190 million Ennis bypass, may not have received back-monies owed to them by the company.

Independent deputy, Joe Higgins expressed concern over the situation after the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Michael Martin said that he is unable to give guarantees that all GAMA workers have been paid their back-monies from the company.

The company is currently aiming to have the first phase of the Ennis bypass completed by October of this year. It will remove all heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) from Ennis.

Last year, as controversy surrounded GAMA over alleged under-payments, Clare County Council erected a wall of silence over their contract with GAMA following legal advice.

Along with the bypass project, GAMA has been involved in a number of other construction projects in Ireland and in a written Dáil reply to Deputy Higgins, Minister Martin said: “the Department wrote to GAMA Turkey’s legal advisers on 29 April, 2005 seeking certain details on each current and former employee, including the money transferred to Finansbank and the money transferred from Finansbank to their personal bank account in Isbank in Turkey.

“Some weeks ago a substantial volume of data was presented by GAMA to the Department and was examined by my officials. The information was not sufficient to enable me to assure the Deputy that all GAMA workers in Ireland, past and present, have received value for the amounts that were transferred into their personal accounts in Finansbank. GAMA has been asked again to supply the missing information.”

Minister Martin said that he was assured by GAMA’s senior managers, legal adviser and human resources consultant that all workers in Ireland, past and present, would have full access to the money transferred to their accounts in Finansbank.

In response to the Minister’s statement, Deputy Higgins told The Clare People : “it is very unsatisfactory and exposes the shortcomings in the level of transparency of how the workers were paid.

“The Turkish GAMA workers who were working in Ireland when this came to light received their money, but we don’t know about workers that had left Ireland prior to this becoming an issue. I want the Minister to continue to pursue GAMA to ensure that the payments have been made.”

County councillor Brian Meaney said: “GAMA has secured the largest ever public contract in Clare and it behoves the company to make all information requested by government available.”

THERE has been a “hands off” response to renewed calls for parts of Clare to be taking into Limerick in a boundary extension.

The latest call was made by the University of Limerick’s Professor Ed Walsh in a presentation made at a lunch organised by the Shannon and District Chamber of Commerce.

Professor Walsh said that Limerick “is currently at a disadvantage.

“The 40-year boundary dispute has sapped local political and administrative energy.

“The city boundary bears no relationship to the urban area.

“As a result Limerick lacks a coherent vision or future plan to entice a prospective investor,”

He was urging the ‘twinning’ of Limerick and Galway to produce a counter balance to Dublin as a centre for investment and growth.

To do this, it is necessary for Limerick to take control of the area surrounding it and not be at the dictates of three local authorities, he said.

“This region has failed to attract any major investment in the past decade.

“The debilitating 40-year boundary dispute needs to be resolved and the people of Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary should work together.”

But east Clare councillor Paschal Fitzgerald said that Clare should not be included.

“For Limerick City to take Limerick County is the natural conclusion but people in Clare have their own identity,” he said.

MEDICS believe that the man found with serious head injuries in Lisdoonvarna a fortnight ago was assaulted.

Jim Kearney (56) was found unconscious close to the town centre, in the early hours of Monday, April 24. He has undergone surgery in hospital in Cork, where he remains in a critical condition.

Initial garda enquiries led them to believe he sustained his injuries in a fall. However, The Clare People has learned that new medical evidence has now raised further issues.

Chief Superintendent Liam Quinn, who is leading the investigation into the incident, said, “Further medical evidence, which is available to us now, would seem to indicate that the injuries may not have been inflicted due to a fall”.

“He has serious head injuries, which would seem to be caused by a fall, but what caused the fall is the question,” he added.

Gardai have interviewed a number of people who were in Mr Kearney’s company in the hours leading up to the incident and are continuing to conduct enquiries.

They will meet with medical personnel at Cork University Hospital this week, in an effort to further their investigations.

Mr Kearney is a native of Wexford and has worked as a chef in various north Clare restaurants for many years.

TWO ENNIS nightclub bouncers have been acquitted of assault, on direction of a judge, at Ennis Circuit Court.

Keith Molloy (34), of Waterpark View, Drumbiggle, Ennis and John Maduro (26), of Bishop’s Court, Ennis, had pleaded not guilty to assaulting Stuart Daly, causing him harm, on the Watery Road, Ennis, on February 27, 2005. Two others, Gerard O’Brien (30), Frenchcourt, Clonroad, Ennis, and his brother John O’Brien (27), of Radharc na hInse, Drumbiggle, Ennis, pleaded guilty, at the start of the trial, to assaulting Daly, causing him harm. They will be sentenced later this month.

All four were also accused of engaging in violent disorder, at the same place on the same night, but were also found not guilty, on direction.

Counsel for the prosecution, Stephen Coughlan told the jury at the outset that the assaults committed on Daly were such that they gave rise to a situation of violent disorder.

Stuart Daly, from Clancy Park, Ennis, told the trial Keith Molloy refused him entry to the Queen’s nightclub on the night in question, on the grounds that he was too drunk.

He said later that night he was knocked to the ground and kicked and boxed, on the Watery Road.

When asked who hit him, he said, “I’m not sure. I could see a grey bar coming down, hitting me.”

He sustained a broken leg in the incident. He told the court he heard afterwards that “they thought I had scraped (Keith Molloy’s) jeep.”

Barrister Michael Collins, who represented Molloy, said that when confronted, Daly pulled a knife. Daly denied this. Mr Collins said the only people to assault Daly were the O’Briens.

Gerard O’Brien’s barrister Michael Fitzgibbon said his client did not have any metal bar, but admitted he hit Daly “a few punches.” He said Daly attempted to jump over a wall and fell backwards. Daly denied this.

John O’Brien’s barrister Mark Nicholas said his client had no bar and gave Daly a few digs and slaps.

Maduro’s barrister Elaine Houlihan said her client did not touch Daly.

The court heard that in a statement to gardaí, Molloy said his jeep had been scraped with either a knife or key on the night in question. The only person he had stopped from entering the Queen’s that night was Stuart Daly.

After hearing legal submissions on the second day of the trial, Judge Con Murphy directed the jury to bring in a verdict of not guilty, on all charges.

PLANS by a Cork-based company to quarry 1.8 million tonnes of material from a quarry at Ruan is facing opposition. Last month Healy Bros lodged plans for a quarry at Ard Kearney and Attycrilla, Ruan over the next nine years.

The plan involves the extraction of 200,000 tonnes of material each year from the 23-acre quarry.

However, Limerick-based solicitor, Melvyn Hanly Solicitors, in an objection, claim that part of the lands have been quarried already without the benefit of planning permission. The quarry therefore falls under retention.

The firm also claim that there is an enforcement notice on the land and that a court order is in place for the unauthorised development.

They further claim that additional traffic will have a detrimental impact on road users and that no road safety audit has been undertaken, and the fauna impact assessment lodged with the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not adequate.

According to the EIS, the company intend to carry out blasting 25 times each year at the site, and to operate from 6am to 10pm Monday to Friday, and 6am to 6pm on Saturdays.

The quarry will also operate on Sundays and Bank Holidays in exceptional circumstances.

The operation will involve the transportation of 30 loads per day from the site.

The EIS lodged with the planning application shows that there are 13 houses within 250 metres of the site and 28 homes within 500 metres.

It states that the proposed development, “is essential to the ongoing competitiveness of the company’s established operation”.

“Projections show that additional resources are required to serve construction projects in the region and therefore it is necessary to seek alternative sources of aggregate.”

The statement adds that the quarry would be a significant source of raw material for these new proposed developments.

The company states, “The proposed development will not adversely affect the environment or the adjacent existing land-use.”

The applicants state that there has already been in place a quarry at the site and operated between 2003 and 2005, but ceased production last July.

According to the EIS, Healy Bros have 60 years experience in the quarrying industry and are the largest independent operation in southern Munster, employing up to 400 people.

A decision is due on the application later this month.

SHANNON DEVELOPMENT staff will form the first wave of the decentralised Enterprise Ireland, the body’s CEO has said.

Frank Ryan was speaking at a lec ture evening organised by the Mid West Marketing Institute last week.

Speaking to The Clare People , Ryan said that plans are firmly in place for the move.

But he added that, as far as Enterprise Ireland having a particular plan for the Shannon region to replace the industry brief-stripped Shannon Development, “those plans are still in development at this stage.”

He added that he, “can say, having worked in the development agency for 27 years, that I have a very high regard for the Shannon development staff. We look forward to the staff in Shannon development joining us. They made a super contribution to this region and to this state.”

During his talk to the Marketing Institute, Ryan said that the main source of economic growth for Ireland in the post-Celtic Tiger era is indigenous industry which is exporting value-added products to a world-wide market.

He said Shannon Airport would have a vital role to play as a gateway for such products and for accessing markets.

“In a developed economy there are two main engines for growth – overseas investment and the development of the indigenous industries. Going forward, we plan to help develop indigenous industry – that means helping them to design products that are in demand overseas and help them break into those markets,” Ryan said.

The Enterprise CEO added that as a developed economy, they can no longer look to inward foreign investment to sustain growth as this is part of a phase common to developing countries.

And help getting co-operation between centres of education and companies which need research and development is another vital part of the support which Enterprise Ireland is offering companies who will form the business backbone of the future Ireland, he said.

Commenting on claims that there have been serious set-backs to Enterprise Ireland’s decentralisation schedule, Ryan said that plans are on-going for the move and that the Shannon Development staff who will be coming over to enterprise Ireland will form the first wave of the process.

“The first part of that decentralisation will be our colleagues in Shannon Development joining us. They will be the first core group in.”

Asked if he might personally make the move to Clare, Ryan said “that is the plan.”

MEMBERS of Clare’s tourism business have come together and are willing to put their hands in their own pockets in order to boost the county’s tourism industry.

Speaking at Clare County Council’s Special Policy Committee (SPC) on Economic Development, committee chair, Cllr Richard Nagle (FF) said, “Arising from the tourism forum, all the indications are that members of the trade are willing to put their hands in their pockets to ensure that the financial burden doesn’t fall with the council.”

Council Director for Economic Development, Bernadette Kinsella told the meeting that the forum has established four working groups.

One is to make a submission to the National Development Plan on needed infrastructure; the second to lodge an application to Failte Ireland for general revenues; the third to finalise funding arrangements on how the trade will contribute; and the fourth to identify a brand for County Clare.

Ms Kinsella said that 50 applications have been received through the competition established to identify a new brand and the result will published in the near future.

“It is found when applications are made for central funding from Clare, it is coming from three or four separate sources,” he said, “and it is much easier that it comes from an umbrella group rather than from individual groups.

“We will be successful in what we are seeking to do. The programme is very encouraging.”

Cllr Peter Considine (FF) said that it was critical that the tourism trade contribute, “It is very welcome that they have agreed to contribute.”

Ms Kinsella said, “If the forum is going to be council-driven, it is not going to make too much progress.”

Cllr Martin Lafferty (Ind) agreed, saying, “The council should only act as a facilitator in this initiative.”

On plans to appoint a tourism development officer, Ms Kinsella said that Shannon Development has stated that it is to appoint a tourism development officer for Clare.

She said, “The forum has expresses the wish that it should form a very close working relationship with the tourism information officer.”

Cllr Peter Considine said, “I would be very much in favour of keeping the Tourism Development Officer under the watchful eye so that the Tourism Development Officer is not siphoned off to north Kerry or Offaly.”

Cllr Pat McMahon (FF) said, “What we have heard today is very positive. It has taken an awful long time to reach this point as efforts to promote tourism have been very fragmented.”

SEVEN members of the Travelling community have been charged in connection with a serious public order disturbance in Ennis last week.

Substantial damage was caused to Brandon’s Pub on O’Connell Street, while windows were broken on several other premises nearby, in the early hours of last Wednesday morning.

There were also attempts made to remove two tills from Brandon’s.

Garda reinforcements were called to Ennis from Shannon, Ennistymon and Corofin to deal with the disturbance, which arose at a Traveller engagement party at Brandon’s, at around 1am.

Seven people were arrested and brought before Ennistymon District Court later that day, all charged with engaging in threatening, abusive, or insulting behaviour.

Six of the accused are from west Limerick and the other from Ennis.

Before the court were Alan O’Brien (20) and Luke O’Brien (22), both of Castleview Estate, Newcastlewest; John O’Brien (18) of Ash Crescent, Newcastlewest; Michael Qulligan (21) of Knockane Rd, Newcastlewest; William Kavanagh (18) of 12 Castleview, Newcastlewest; Bernie Mongan (18) of Clancy Park, Ennis; and a teenager from Newcastlewest who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Superintendent Eamon Dolan told Ennistymon District Court that investigations into the incident were continuing.

“I am not saying that any of the people before the court were connected to what I have outlined, but the Garda investigation into the disturbance is continuing and we hope to examine CCTV footage of what took place,” he said.

He added that gardaí were making efforts to interview individuals from another group, in relation to the disturbance.

Judge Joseph Mangan remanded all seven in custody with consent to bail.

As part of the bail conditions, he ordered that the six Limerick defendants stay out of Clare and that Bernie Mongan stay out of Ennis town centre and observe a night-time curfew.

All seven appeared before Ennis District Court again on Friday, where the case was adjourned until September.

Inspector Kevin Moynihan said a number of other matters needed to be investigated. “It will be a lengthy investigation,” he said.

Solicitors for the accused consented to this and legal aid was granted for all seven.

Mr Mongan’s solicitor, Daragh Hassett, asked that one of the bail conditions be amended, to allow him to go into Ennis Town Centre during the day.

This was granted.

THERE is now in place a Clare County Council embargo on large new housing developments securing planning permission in the east Clare town of Killaloe.

That was the claim made yesterday by Councillor Tony O’Brien (FF) after the second refusal by the Council in recent weeks to developers to construct new private housing estates.

The Council yesterday refused planning to Otterbury Construction Ltd to build 72 homes and this followed the Council recently refusing permission to Stonegate Ltd to construct 85 homes at Shantraud, Killaloe.

In the refusal for each application, the Council stated that the developments would be premature pending the provision of upgraded sewerage and water facilities for the area.

Cllr O’Brien said, “the Council needs to immediately address the issue and upgrade the services. Over the past 10 years no new private housing estate has been built in Killaloe and these homes are needed to sustain our schools and businesses. At the moment, we don’t have the infrastructure and that must be addressed.”

Cllr O’Brien added that he fully understood the reasons for refusal. He said, “I don’t want people to be knocking on my door in a couple of years time, stating that they don’t have running water.”

Otterbury Construction Ltd planned to construct the 72 homes on a 15-acre site adjoining the Smith O’Brien’s GAA grounds in Killaloe.

“The Council has in place an embargo on new private estates going ahead and this needs to be urgently addressed through the provision of upgraded services.”

The Council also refused planning for the proposal ruling that it would be premature in relation to the identification of the preferred route of the Killaloe relief road and period within which the constraint is expected to cease.

An Taisce lodged an objection against the proposal stating that “a development of this density would overtax the already overstretched water and sewerage service of Killaloe and would be premature until it has been upgraded”.

An Taisce also stated that the development would be visually obtrusive from a scenic route, while there were also road safety issues.

The Council’s Planning Report stated the department “would have concerns that the access road would give rise to an area for anti-social behaviour and would be visually unpleasant”.

The developers have the option of appealing the Council’s decision to An Bord Pleanála.

STUDENTS from one of Clare’s smallest schools will be in the Helix in Dublin today bidding to win the Irish Active School Award for 2006. Fanore National School has reached the final shortlist of just eight schools in the entire country for the award which will be judged by the Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin.

The awards, which were established by the Department of Education and Science and the Irish Sports Council, recognise physical education and activity programmes in schools.

Fanore School took an innovative approach to their project by trying to incorporate their physical activity with regular school subjects.

“We walked to Cathair Dún Irghus which is 10 kilometres away from the school and learned all about the history of the ring fort,” said principal, Bríd Queally.

“We also timed how fast each of the children were at sprints and built graphs representing how they did, as well as which sports were the most popular for the students.”

Interestingly, the children have designed a six-foot wide stand for today’s presentation which has been specially designed to represent the physical surroundings of Fanore.

The students also came up with a computer game entitled ‘Who wants to be a Sports Millionaire?’ which they will challenge Minister Hanafin to play at the Helix today.

“Each child came up with one question each for the game and they are challenging,” continued Ms Queally.

“It was a really great week with the children getting involved in every activity possible from hurling and football to basketball and gymnastics.”

The school will be represented at today’s event by students Phoebe Prince, Niamh Currucan and Katie O’Donoghue. The three young students will answer the minister’s questions while the rest of the school will be entertained in the Helix.

“The kids did great, they came up with all the ideas themselves and put in load of work.

“It was a really great experience for all of the children whether they were good at the sports or not,” concluded Ms Queally.

The schools competing against Fanore National School for today’s award are St. Joseph’s National School, in Ballinrobe, Ballyraine National School from Letterkenny, St. Joseph’s Boys National School and St. Peter the Apostle National School, both from Dublin, Meenkilly National School, Limerick, St. Martin’s Special School, Waterford and Triest National School in Cork.