The Clare People Archive

THE Dublin Airport Authority siphoned off the profits of the Shannon Airport inspired and headquartered Aer Rianta International (ARI) for a generation in a move that has been described as “an absolute scandal” and a major contributory factor to the current ills of Clare’s international airport.

This claim was sounded out by former ARI executive Michael Hanrahan on Friday, as he highlighted the local case for profits from the multinational arm of the Dublin Airport Authority to be channelled into Shannon.

“Everyone thinks that Shannon is losing money, but I have a different view. Shannon is making a considerable amount on money, particularly through Aer Rianta International,” said Mr Hanrahan.

“Aer Rianta International started in May 1988 – we had an initial capital of € 1.2m and that came from the surpluses of Shannon through the ‘80s. Minister Varadkar indicated that this money came from Dublin – it came from Shannon,” he added before he rounded on the DAA highjacking of the ARI brand.

“The concept that Shannon owes € 100m is to me an absolute scandal,” he blasted. “Aer Rianta International invested in Birmingham Airport and that investment was £30m sterling. That came from the surpluses of Aer Rianta International. The DAA disposed of the investment Birmingham and made a profit of € 270m.

“That went into the monstrosity they have built in Dublin Airport. All the surpluses of Aer Rianta International have gone to Dublin from the very outset. That’s about € 560m to date.

“The DAA have taken all the surpluses that they have made from profits they made on the hotels. I believe they made € 260 or € 270m from the sale of the Great Southern Hotel Group.

“Why should be Aer Rianta International be based in Dublin. The chief executive of Aer Rianta International was based in Shannon for 23 years and all of a sudden the chief executive is now based in Dublin, together with the head of finance. Shannon is just being denuded,” he added.

In response, Minister Varadkar warned Mr Hanrahan not to “forget the accumulated losses that Shannon have made in the last 15 years and what they add up to.

“You have to ask yourself what profits, when it was making profits, would Shannon have made if the Government passed a law forcing people who didn’t want to land here, to land here. If there wasn’t a law forcing people to land here the acculumated losses would be enormous, much more enormous than they are now,” he added.

WHEN it’s finally revealed, the Government blueprint to secure Shannon Airport’s future won’t be devised with the sectional interests of Clare County Council or Shannon Development in mind – the two bodies that are expected to be given a lead role in the new management structure.

“The plan for the airport is not to please local authorities or government agencies or interest groups of any sort,” warned transport minister, Leo Varadkar when announcing a new timeframe for delivery of a decision on the airport’s future.

“The plan for the airport is to develop it for the region, to arrest the decline in passenger numbers and to bring employment and investment into the region for the benefit of everyone. That’s the plan – it’s not about satisfying interest groups of any sort,” added Minister Varadkar.

The Booz Report, which was published in redacted form in March, put forward five separate options for Shannon, with the most favoured of these being a recommendation that Clare and Limerick county councils, together with Shannon Development be part of a new holding company that would manage the airport.

It was expected that a decision rubber-stamping this recommendation would be delivered by the end of next week, but now this has been deferred to later in the month.

“These things can be quite complicated,” said Minister Varadkar. “It won’t be before Easter but we can bring an outline proposal to government in April and then we can work on business plan in subsequent months.

“The response to the Booz report has been very good. People are being very positive about what can be done and there’s a good understanding that things can’t go on the way they did before.

“The reality is that there are a lot of players in the region. They all need to be included and involved and consulted, but the reality is that very few of them are willing to come on board in terms of capital and finance. That’s understandable because they’re in a difficult financial position too.

“What we’re doing at the moment is the due diligence. Shannon Airport is involved in this; the DAA is involved in this; Shannon Develop- ment is involved in this; four government departments and various government entities as well, so we have to put all sorts of detailed things like loan agreements, debt issues. When the decision is made by the Government on the roadmap, then there will be progess.

“We will spend a few months after that with an interim board and an interim task force perhaps developing the detailed business plan and working out the necessary legislative change that will have to made. I want to be able to do that very quickly,” he added.

SHANNON Airport can become the saviour of the mid-west region in the same way that the Irish Financial Services Centre (IFSC) saved the Docklands area of Dublin and became the great engine for Ireland’s growth during the last economic recession.

This will be done by giving Clare’s restructured international airport tax breaks similar to those that made the IFSC such a success story, thereby opening up a new “very exciting” and “very innovative” chapter in Shannon’s storied history.

That was the central message delivered by the Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, to business leaders in Clare on Friday when he said the new Shannon Airport would “very much in tune with the early pioneers in aviation in this region”.

While stopping short of announcing a new management blueprint for the airport, Minister Varadkar gave guests at Shannon Chamber of Commerce spring luncheon in the Oak- wood Arms the inside track on what his proposal to Cabinet for Shannon will be.

“When I think of what envisaged – the closest example I can think of is the IFSC,” the minister said. “The Dublin Docklands was in decline during the last severe recession and a decision was made to develop it as an international financial services centre and put in place the structures and the tax incentives necessary to attract investment.

“The IFSC is now a phenomenal success, generating loads of revenue for the State and employing tens of thousands of people. That’s the model that we’re likely to propose for Shannon.

“The development of an international aviation based services centre in the region, based around Shannon Airport and the land around Shannon with a view to attracting new industry, industries that currently don’t exist in Europe, industries like aircraft re-fitting and aircraft recycling in addition to other industries,” added Minister Varadkar.

This decision was originally due to be announced prior to Easter, but has now been delayed until late April, but ahead of that Cabinet decision on the future of the airport, Minister Varadkar has also confirmed the new blueprint will have a state and private sector involvement.

“It will need some private sector involvement and investment,” he said “and I do think that overall public ownership should remain in place and the Government will need to have step-in powers to intervene in the unlikely event that things go badly wrong”.

THE Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is due to issue directions next week in respect of three people charged with alleged offences arising out of an incident at a primary school in Ennis earlier this month.

Conor Mahon (21), Rose Mahon (22) and Laura Molloy (21) are charged with alleged offences arising out of an incident at the Holy Family Junior School, Station Road, Ennis on March 20.

Conor Mahon, of Ballaghboy, Quin Road, Ennis is charged with possession of a slash hook at the school contrar y to the firearms and offensive weapons act and with engaging in threatening and, or, abusive behaviour.

Conor Mahon’s wife, Rose Mahon, a mother of two, also of Ballaghboy Quin Road, Ennis, is charged with causing € 1, 500 worth of damage to the windows of a vehicle belonging to Thomas Sherlock on Station Road.

Her sister, Laura Molloy, of 21 An Pairc, Bruach na hAbhainn, Ennis is also charged with causing € 1, 500 worth of damage to the windows of a vehicle belonging to Thomas Sherlock on Station Road.

Both sisters are also charged with provoking a breach of the peace.

The charges all relate to alleged incidents at the Holy Family Primary School, Station Road, Ennis on March 20.

At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Inspector John Galvin requested that the matter be adjourned until later this month to allow for directions from the Di rector of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Solicitor for all three accused, Daragh Hassett said that the matters should not be adjourned for longer than a week in order to “incentivise the DPP to make up its mind.”

Mr Hassett told the court that the cases had gained “a certain degree of notoriety”.

He said that he did not want the cases to “slip to the bottom of the pile.”

In respect of Laura Molloy, Mr Hasset said she was a single mother who has not seen her two young children since she went into custody.

Judge Patrick Durcan remanded both Conor Mahon and Laura Molloy in custody to appear at Ennis District Court on April 11.

He ordered that the DPP’s directions be ready on that date.

The judge remanded Rose Mahon on bail to appear in court on April 11.

A 53-YEAR-OLD woman has appeared in court charged with damaging a house in Sixmilebridge with derogatory graffiti.

Elizabeth O’Connell, with an address at Cappa, Sixmilebridge, is charged with alleged criminal damage offences.

It is alleged that on dates unknown between September 18, 2011, and September 30, 2011, at Cappa, Sixmilebridge, Ms O’Connell did without lawful excuse damage the walls of a house with graffiti of an intimidating, insulting and derogatory nature causing damage to the value of € 1,929 belonging to Carmel O’Connell Kagahazchi contrary to the criminal damage act.

Ms O’Connell is also charged with damaging and breaking windows, doors and drainpipes at Cappah Sixmilebridge on dates unknown between September 1, 2010, and August 8, 2011.

The value of the alleged damage is € 7,452.

At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Inspector John Galvin gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution by schedule.

Solicitor Caitriona Carmody made an application for free legal aid.

She said, “These are two quite serious offences.”

Judge Patrick Durcan approved legal aid.

He remanded Ms O’Connell to appear again at Ennis District Court on April 25.

A JUDGE has refused jurisdiction in the case of two Cork men who were allegedly in possession of machetes and stab proof vests at a funeral at Drumncliff graveyard last week.

Bernie McDonagh (27) and Peter McDonagh (19), both with address at Nashes Boreen, Knocknaheeney, Cork are charged with having machetes which had a blade or which was sharply pointed contrary to the firearms and offensive weapons act.

Both men appeared at Ennis District Court on Tuesday. Detective Garda, Dominic Regan of Ennis Garda Station gave evidence of arrest charge and caution.

He told the court that he arrested Bernie McDonagh at Drumcliff Cemetery on Sunday March 25. Detective Regan said that after being cautioned, Bernie McDonagh said, “I didn’t have a machete.”

Both men were released on bail from Ennis Garda Station to appear in court last Tuesday.

After both men initially failed to appear in court, Judge Patrick Durcan issued bench warrants for their arrest. Solicitor Tara Godfrey ex- plained that her clients had agreed to show up later in court to avoid any “emotiveness” with the other side of an alleged dispute.

Judge Durcan said the court does not run “an a-la-carte menu.” “You’re here when you’re obliged to be here,” he added. Judge Durcan later vacated the warrants. The court heard that Gardai arrested both men after they were observed attending a funeral at Drumcliff graveyard last week.

Ms Godfrey said both her clients would “strongly” and “vigorously” dispute having the items in their possession. Detective Regan said both men were also wearing stab proof vests at the time. He said Gardaí believed that a “serious incident was about to occur.”

Saying he was not happy to deal with the matter in the district court, Judge Durcan refused jurisdiction.

Ms Godfrey requested that the vests be returned to her clients, who she said accepted they wore them at the graveyard. Judge Durcan stated that as he had refused jursdiction, he was making no more orders on the case.

He remanded both men on continuing bail to appear again in court on April 24.

PATIENTS at the region’s largest hospital are left without “privacy and dignity” while stretched nursing staff are finding it impossible to provide safe care to their patients.

The Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick is chronically overcrowded, according to its nursing staff, and last week their warnings were verified when the hospital cancelled all non-emergency surgical procedures on Thursday.

As many as 21 day-ward surgical procedures, two angiograms and two broncoscopies, as well as 45 outpatient appointments, were cancelled.

In the course of the day, the HSE appealed for patients not to attend the Emergency Department and to visit their general practitioner instead.

The health service said the cancellations were as a result of a sudden surge in emergency attendances at the hospital that saw some 36 patients on trolleys at the Emergency Department at 5.45pm the previous evening and an unprecedented demand for inpatient beds.

“Extra ward rounds took place during the day to release beds through discharging patients who could safely be sent home,” a spokesperson said.

“These are choices we do not make lightly. Every patient is important to us but, in the current situation, we have to make hard decisions. We very much regret the inevitable delay and inconvenience but dealing with the situation in the Emergency Department must take priority,” said Hospital CEO Ann Doherty.

Doctors were unable to ascribe any single explanation to the surge in the Emergency Department.

Meanwhile, the INMO trolley watch figures demonstrate the hospital endures chronic overcrowding in the Emergency Department, plus up to 50 additional patients on the corridors and in annexes of the hospital daily, awaiting a designated bed.

“Safe and proper care cannot be given to patients while they are placed in undesignated in-patient areas and while there is inadequate staffing to provide a safe level of care,” a spokesperson for the nurses union said.

Mary Fogarty, INMO Industrial Relations Officer said, “It is imperative that the HSE, together with the Special Delivery Unit, act immediately to address the current situation, and remove the very real risk of an adverse incident which currently exists in this region.”

Tessie HARTMAN nee Farrell
of Moore Street, Kilrush, at Regina House, Kilrush. Funeral mass onTuesday at 11 o’clock with burial after in All Saints Cemetery, Shanakyle. May she rest in peace.

Susan CABEY nee McGrath
of Cahermore, Kilmaley. Peacefully at Limerick. Wife of the late John. Funeral mass onTuesday at 11.30 with burial after in Kilmaley cemetery. Family flowers only please, donations, if desired, to Kilmaley Day Care Centre. May she rest in peace.

Sister Paul PILKINGTON
of Good Shepherd Convent, Pennywell Road, Limerick and late of Ahaga, Kilmihil. Peacefully in the loving care of the nurses and staff of Caherass Nursing Home. Sr, Paul, Good Shepherd Sisters. Deeply regretted by her sisters in Community, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand-nephews, relatives and friends. Laid to rest in Mount St Oliver Cemetery. May she rest in peace.

Nora CLANCY
of Kildysart. In her 92nd year. Laid to rest in Kilfidane Cemetery. May she rest in peace.

Ann (Nancy) MULREADY (née Flynn)
of 25 ChurchView, Sixmilebridge. Laid to rest in Kileen Cemetery. May she rest in peace.

Helen MOLONEY (née Duffy)
of Cullina. Laid to rest in Killofin Cemetery. May she rest in peace.

James (Jim) MANGAN
of AshView,Tulla Road, Roslevan, Ennis. Laid to rest in Doora. Donations, if desired, to your favourite charity. May he rest in peace.

Michael HOWLEY

A WHEELIE bin was allegedly thrown against the rear window of a Garda patrol car while it was parked in Ennis Garda Station, a court has heard.

The allegation was made at Ennis District Court on Tuesday at the case of Stephen McCann (28)

Mr McCann, with an address at Willbrook, Corofin, is charged with damaging the rear window of a motor vehicle belonging to the Chief Superintendent of An Garda Suíochana, Transport Section contrary to section two of the criminal damage act.

Garda Shane O’Connell gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution. Solicitor for Mr McCann, Tara Godfrey applied for bail on her client’s behalf.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the Court that the State were objecting to bail.

Garda O’Connell said that something had been thrown at a garda patrol car causing damage to the window and dents to roof.

He alleged that a Garda colleague had observed Mr McCann pick up a wheelie bin and throw it through the rear window of the car.

The court heard that the estimated cost of the damage was between € 500 and € 1500. Judge Patrick Du- rcan granted bail subject to a number of conditions.

He ordered that the accused reside at Willbrook, Corofin; to observe a curfew between the hours of 10pm and 8am and to sign on three times a week at Ennistymon Garda Station. Judge Durcan granted the State liberty to re-enter the matter at 24 hours notice. He remanded Mr McCann on bail to appear at Ennis District Court on April 25.

A NEW broadband service aimed at improving business-to-business connectivity has been launched in Ennis. As a leading mid-west wire- less broadband provider, BBnet, is launching its FibreAir dedicated internet service, which will enable businesses in Ennis to avail of a costeffective, uncontended, fully synchronous, internet connection from 10Mb up to 100Mb. The extension of this high-speed FibreAir service to Ennis comes in the wake of BBnet’s successful introduction of a similar service in Shannon late last year. Business customer demand in Ennis for a quality internet connection that offers greater upload speed at an affordable price led to the extension of the product roll-out. Backhauled onto its existing Tier1 Fibre network at Westpark Business Campus in Shannon, the FibreAir service offers businesses secure internet connections with scalable bandwidths from 10Mb up to 100Mb, a dedicated service to each customer with no sharing of bandwidths, and a fully synchronous service with the same upload and download. The official launch of BBnet’s FibreAir product took place in Ennis last week. The launch, which took place at the Temple Gate Hotel, heard presentations from John Page of DELL Computers and Mark Scanlon, CEO of Sourcedogg.com in Galway. Speaking ahead of the launch, BBnet Managing Director, Barry O’Halloran said, “The provision of competitively priced, high capacity, bandwidth which is totally independent of the incumbent provider’s network and infrastructure, will greatly assist companies that are migrating to cloud computing and that need greater upload speed.” With more and more video conferencing applications and remote connectivity being used within the business setting, to and from headquarters, there is a widespread interest in upgrading to higher-speed services. Using a combination of fibre and the latest wireless technologies, this new service will facilitate the migration to higher capacity services and accelerate the migration from copper-based networks.

THE majority of Clare secondary schools will lose at least one teacher next September, resulting in the subject choices available to students being cut and class sizes increasing.

The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) warned that approximately 16 full-time teaching posts will be lost in second-level Clare schools as a result of changes to guidance counselling provisions introduced in the last Budget.

From September, guidance counsellors will have to be provided from within the general teaching provisions of the school.

TUI President and Clare woman Bernie Ruane said, “These cuts will leave school principals with some harsh choices. They will have to choose between cutting back guidance provision, limiting subject choice, increasing class sizes or a combination of such measures. This latest cut to an education system already ravaged by a litany of cuts will result in significant further damage to the interests of students.”

Ironically, this cut to teaching posts is most likely to affect the stem subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) the Government say are paramount to the future of the economy.

The TUI maintains that as teacher numbers are being cut, principals will have to look at how best to serve all students with the reduced teaching provision available. Those options that currently attract less students for example, honours maths or physics – will inevitably be high on any shortlist of subjects under threat.

“The major threat is to subjects that we are being told to actively promote if education is to be a key driver in economic recovery,” Ms Ruane told