The Clare People Archive

IN ECHOING the famous words of WT Cosgrave at the opening of the Shannon Scheme in 1929 when he said “our most famous river will harnessed to the service of the nation”, Clare County Manager Tom Coughlan has said that the Shannon Estuary has a key part to play in Ireland’s economic recovery.

He made his comments this week when announcing the commencement of public consultation on an innovative new Strategic Plan for the Shannon Estuary.

“This is a very exciting initiative for the Shannon Estuary and for the counties of Clare, Limerick and Ker ry as for the first time we are developing a single Strategic Plan for the whole Shannon Estuary including the lands immediately adjacent to the estuary,” Mr Coughlan said.

“It will identify the nature and location of future development on the estuary and allow us harness its potential to a greater degree. I would encourage interested parties to make a submission,” the county manager, who is chairman of the steering group overseeing the plan, added.

The Shannon Estuary is the largest estuary in Ireland with some 500km2 of navigable water running from Kerry Head and Loop Head as far as Limerick City.

The estuary with its sheltered character is Ireland’s premier deepwater port, routinely catering for ships up to 200,000 deadweight tonnage, with key ports at Limerick and Foynes. The estuary supports a variety of economic uses but is also rich in natural resources, wildlife and ecosystems.

“The aim of the Strategic Integrated Framework Plan (SIFP) is to identify the nature and location of future development, economic growth and employment that can be sustainably accommodated within the Shannon Estuary,” said senior Clare County Council planner Gordon Daly.

“Such developments may include, but are not limited to: port functions, shipment, aquaculture/mariculture, fisheries, tourism, leisure, industry, energy generation, fuel storage, aviation, transportation and agriculture,” he added.

However, as the estuary is home to a number of environmentally sensitive sites, Mr Daly has cautioned that new blueprint for the estuary “will also aspire to achieving a careful balance between promoting development, and protection and conservation of this natural resource”.

The strategy is being funded by the local authorities in addition to Shannon Foynes Port Company and Shannon Development. Shannon Foynes Port Company is responsible for all maritime activities and port management on the estuary and is currently in the process of preparing a master plan for the Port of Foynes and Limerick Docks which will input into the preparation of the SIFP.

In addition to the local authori- ties and Shannon Development and Shannon Foynes Port Company the steering group comprises of representatives from the Mid West Regional Authority, Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, Shannon Airport, Clare/Limerick Energy Agency, OPW, National Parks & Wildlife Service, National Monuments Service, OPW, Shannon River Basin District Project, Marine Institute and the Environmental Protection Agency.

A Public Notice has been published to encourage stakeholders, interested parties and the general public to get involved and to bring forward proposals and ideas which will help shape the production of the SIFP.

CLARE has emerged as the county to lose out in a government costcutting plan that has seen Minister for Education Ruáiri Quinn implement a radical restructuring of the Vocational Education Committees around the country.

On Tuesday, Minister Quinn announced that the county’s VEC headquarters at Station Road in Ennis is to close as part of merger of VECs in Clare, Limerick City and County.

As part of this new blueprint for the administration of vocational education around the country, which was first mooted by the Fianna Fáil/ Greens coalition, Limerick City has been chosen as the new headquarters for the mid-west.

The slashing cuts across the sector are being achieved through the amalgamation of existing VECs bringing the total number from 33 to 16.

Hopes were high a sub-office of the VEC would be maintained in the county capital, but Minister Quinn has confirmed that this would not be the case.

This decision has been made, despite local Fine Gael TD Pat Breen claiming that “the retention of a sub-office in Ennis would be costneutral because the Department of Education owns the building in Ennis”.

Concluding he said that “County Clare always seems to be the poor relation when decisions on regional services are being made. We have already lost our accident and emergency service and our Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food office to Limerick and now we are about to lose our VEC office.”

Minister of State Ciaran Cannon, said that “the main purpose of the VEC rationalisation is to bring about greater efficiencies” and in that regard he said that “the optimum headquarters location for the new merged VEC is within the greater city of Limerick area”.

However, Minister Cannon agreed that in the short-term a sub-office in Ennis will be maintained in order to facilitate an “orderly merger”.

TRADERS’ representatives have welcomed plans by Ennis Town Council to make safe the derelict McParlands building on Parnell Street.

Last week, Town Manager Ger Dollard revealed that the council intends to demolish and reconstruct a section of the building, which is deemed unsafe. Scaffolding was erected around the building two years ago. McParlands is home to a rare 16th century triple diamond Jacobean chimney and is believed to have been the oldest home in Ennis.

In a report on the matter, Mr Dollard said the council has been “extremely concerned regarding the McParlands property. He said works undertaken to date by the council had been done to render the building safe. He said, “It is clear however that the building has been deteriorating and the shortterm measures put in place do not render the structure safe on a long term basis.”

He added, “The council has taken detailed professional advice and inputs have also been made by the National Monuments Service regarding the conservation of the property.”

It has been estimated that the cost of conserving the privately-owned property will cost the council around € 170,000. Mr Dollard said last week that work on the building must be completed by the end of November in order for the council to fully avail of an € 85,000 grant from the Department of the Environment.

Speaking yesterday, Noreen Twomey Walsh of the Parnell Street Trader’s Association said businesses in the area are happy that the issue is finally being resolved. She explained, “We feel as traders that it gives a very un-sightly appearance to the street. We didn’t want to see it [scaffolding] there for that long. We’d be delighted to see it resolved. Any solution will be welcomed. We did know that there was a problem with funding.”

She added, “What concerned us as traders was that when people looked down the street and saw a building site, they wouldn’t come down. It was preventing some people from going down the street.”

Ms Twomey Walsh also acknowledged that the presence of scaffolding on one of the town centre’s main street also represented a serious health and safety issue.

THE lack of capacity at wastewater treatment plants in the Ennis area has been cited by An Bord Pleanála as one of its reasons for refusing planning permission for a proposed 12-unit development in Barefield.

Martin Fitzgibbon (Builders) Ltd had applied for planning permission to develop 12 houses with garages, foul sewer pumping station with associated rising main connection to existing pumping station at Barefield School and ancillary site works, at Carrowdotia, Barefield.

Clare County Council refused permission earlier this year and the matter was appealed to An Bord Pleanála.

In upholding the decision of the Board’s inspector, the Board stated, “Having regard to the lack of capacity of the local authority wastewater treatment plant to adequately treat the wastewater from the proposed development in addition to the existing load on the plant, it is considered that the proposed development would be prejudicial to public health”.

The report adds, “Furthermore, the proposed development would set an undesirable precedent for and lead to demands for the upgrading and uneconomic provision of public services in the area and would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area”.

Clare County Council is currently awaiting a decision from An Board Pleanála regarding approval for a proposed upgrade of the Clonroadmore Wastewater Treatment Plant in Ennis.

The Board also ruled that the proposed Barefield development “would constitute an excessive density of suburban-type development in a rural area, which would militate against the preservation of the rural environment, would detract from the rural character of the area, would seriously injure the visual amenities of the area and would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area”.

The Inspector’s site also cited the provisions of the Ennis and Environs Development Plan 2008-2014, which sets “out and overall strategic settlement strategy for the area”.

The report continues, “Notwithstanding the planning history of the site, and having regard to the nature and scale of the proposed development in a rural area, the provisions of the current development plan for the area, and the said Guidelines, it is considered that the proposed development would constitute a material contravention of the objective of the planning authority, would conflict with national guidelines, would militate against the future ordered development of the village of Barefield and would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area”.

A SERIES of events for the small business community which is taking place all over the mid-west for the whole month of October, comes to Clare over the following five days.

The small business initiative, which is co-organised by the Clare County Enterprise Board, then travels to Limerick city and county the following week, finishing with events in Kerry for the final week of ‘Enterprise Mid-West.’ Tipperary North is currently hosting five events this week until Friday, October 7.

Pat Falvey, the well-known mountaineer and entrepreneur, is expected to give an uplifting talk to Clare small business owners, helping them to ‘reach for the sky’ at a seminar on Wednesday evening, October 12 at the Woodstock Hotel in Ennis.

On Tuesday, October 11, Stephen Kinsella, the highly respected economist, will be putting the local economy on the agenda, as well as discussing developmental opportunities for local businesses. The Temple Gate Hotel in Ennis is the venue for the free talk, which takes place from 12 noon to 1pm and includes light lunch.

Meanwhile, anyone in business or thinking of setting one up is being invited to attend a free resilience-building workshop at the Bunratty Castle in County Clare on Monday morning (October 10). Therese Ryan is the guest speaker at this event, which runs from 9.30am to 12.30pm and is entitled: ‘Performing to Succeed.’

Free mentoring clinics are taking place at the Vandeleur Walled Gardens in Kilrush, with 50-minute appointments available with experienced business people. The clinic is running from 10am to 5pm on Thursday, October 13.

The programme of events for Clare comes to an end with the launch of a highly significant tourism map of north Clare. ‘Rugged North Clare Ireland As It Once Was’ is the title for this project, which is scheduled to be officially launched at 3pm on Friday, October 14 at The Pavillion in Lisdoonvarna.

Eamonn Kelly, CEO with Clare County Enterprise Board, said, “Research shows that we have more ‘necessity’ entrepreneurs in Ireland now than ever before, due to the increasing numbers of those being made redundant. In fact, three out of every 10 entrepreneurs are now motivated by ‘necessity’ rather than ‘opportunity’, compared with a figure of nearly one in every 17 entrepreneurs back in 2007.”

A NEW venue for the monthly Killaloe court sittings has not yet been secured, after the hotel which had hosted it for the past year went into receivership.

The Kincora Hotel closed during the summer and as a result the monthly court sittings for September and October moved back to Ennis Courthouse.

At the time the move was described as a “temporary measure” for September and October courts. However, The Clare People has learned that the November and December sittings will also take place in Ennis, as a new premises in Killaloe has not yet been identified. It is hoped that the sittings from January onwards will move back to East Clare. “Killaloe will sit in Ennis on a temporary basis while we look for an alternative venue. We are looking at options,” said a spokesperson for the Courts Service. “In the short-term we are hopeful of securing a venue. We are hopeful that a temporary venue will be available in Killaloe in January,” added the spokesperson.

“We are committed to staying there in the short to medium term, provided we can get accommodation,” he said.

The district court sittings moved to the Kincora Hotel last September, after months of searching for a venue by the Courts Service.

It came after it emerged that The Lakeside Hotel – where the court had sat for a number of years – would not be an option in the long-term.

The old courthouse in Killaloe is in a state of disrepair and funding is not available to renovate it.

Members of the legal profession in Clare have expressed hope that the court will sit in Killaloe in the future and say that a permanent move to Ennis is not desirable. Gardaí in East Clare are of a similar view as it is more manageable from a resources point of view.

In recent years, several courthouses across the county closed and the court sittings moved to more centralised venues. Among those to close

RESIDENTS of Cappahard have expressed disappointment over the amount of money allocated to the area under Ennis Town Council’s Priming Grants scheme.

Eleven housing estates comprising 264 houses are located in Cappahard on the Tulla Road. The area was initially given € 300 to help cover grass cutting and maintenance costs under the latest round of priming grants announced in September.

Angela Coll, a spokesperson for residents, explained that € 600 will now be allocated to the area. However, Ms Coll explained that residents feel this allocation is unfair as peo- ple living in Cappahard have spent € 3,000 on maintenance,

She explained, “In June of 2011, Whitepark Developments Ltd., the developers of several estates within the townland of Cappahard, went into liquidation leaving the residents of the estates to fend for themselves with regard to the grass cutting and general maintenance of the estate until Ennis Town Council take over the development on some future date.”

She continued, “In June, the residents met to discuss the situation and decided to collect a sum of € 25 per household to assist us in covering the cost of the grass cutting and weed control for the summer of 2011. We also applied for eight separate amen- ity/priming grants for the various areas in the estate.”

Ms Coll stated, “To date, the residents in Cappahard have spent in excess of € 3,000 on maintenance of the estate and we feel strongly that we should not be discriminated against.”

In a submission to the council, the residents offer a comparison between the award of priming grants to estates in Tobertascáin and Cappahard. It states, “These three estates have received separate priming grants from Ennis Town Council over the past number of years and it is our belief that they do not differ substantially in any way from the estates on the Tulla Road which we represent.”

Residents have appealed to local councillors to support their calls for greater funding. In a letter, Ms Coll states, “It would seem unjust that so many estates with such a large number of houses would be granted only one payment for maintenance of a large amount of green and landscaped areas when other estates with as few as 10 houses are successfully applying for and being granted equal amounts for a considerably smaller acreage.”

In a report issued in September, the council stated that the payment of grants is subject to submission by the residents associations of receipts. According to the report, the maximum grant payable is € 300, based on expenditure of € 600.

CONCERNS have been expressed over the condition of the Tullyvarraga Hill Wood in Shannon.

Independent councillor Patricia McCarthy raised the issue at a meeting of Shannon Town Council last week, asking what planned maintenance programme is in place for the wood.

In response to her motion, Councillor McCarthy was told that the majority of trees are in good condi- tion, having been replanted in recent years.

“Some maintenance works are required in order to keep the pathways clear of vegetation and it is intended to carry out these works shortly. It is proposed to incorporate this area into the Shannon Green Area Maintenance Contract for 2012,” stated a written response from Senior Executive Engineer, Eugene O’Shea.

Cllr McCarthy told the meeting, “We had problems with it from the word go.”

She said that 13,500 broadleaf trees were planted. “There hasn’t been any pruning. There doesn’t seem to be any thinning,” she said.

Sinn Féin councillor Cathy McCafferty told the meeting there were “too many shortcuts taken in this particular instance”. She said that a gentleman in a wheelchair could not get past the vegetation and had to go out onto the road.

Fine Gael councillor Mike Fleming said that the town is aiming to progress in the national Tidy Towns competitions. Yet, Tullyvarraga Wood was causing headaches. “The town is trying to win with our Tidy Towns competitions, but there is a job only half done,” he said.

Labour councillor Tony McMahon said, “I’d like to know what is the situation around the planned maintenance and the future plans for upgrading and maintenance.

“There has been a whole cloudy history around it. I’d like to see that area maintained in a specific and measured way,” he said.

A REVELATION that the county dog warden has had to call on gardaí for support while working in Shannon has created shock waves in the town.

The issue was discussed by Shannon town councillors last week after the county’s dog warden Frankie Coote told The Clare People that the issue of dog control in Shannon was the worst in the county and that he has been forced to contend with severe abuse from dog owners.

A motion was tabled by Fine Gael Councillor Vincent Coleman who said that the issue of stray dogs was causing problems in the town.

In response, the council stated that the dog warden has issued a number of fines where he came across complaints relating to repeat offenders.

“Clare County Council has a contract with the ISPCA under Section 15 of the Control of Dogs Act, 1996, to carry out the council’s functions under that Act. The council has been in contact with the ISPCA dog warden who has reported that over the last six months there has been dog control issues in Shannon and he has spent much of his time in the Shannon area.

“On many of his visits he has had to bring the gardaí with him to intervene in some of the complaints. He has also issued a number of fines, where he came across complaints which were repeat offenders. The dog warden will continue to visit Shannon on a regular basis,” stated the council’s response.

In reply, Cllr Coleman said he was satisfied with this and said he appreciated that the staff in the dog control section were understrength. “They are trying their best,” he said.

Independent councillor Gerry Flynn suggested that Mr Coote be invited to meet with councillors. “He has to get the assistance of gardaí. This is not on. The abuse he is getting, he cannot tolerate it. I suggest we bring him in and do what we can to help that man,” he said.

Labour councillor Tony McMahon said the abuse suffered by the dog warden is “not acceptable”. He said that several people walk their dogs without leads and they are not controlled. “It’s dangerous. There is a severe penalty that people should be aware of,” he said.

Fine Gael councillor Seán McLoughlin said he was “disturbed to see that report in the paper”.

“Some type of awareness has to be made to the owners that they have a responsibility,” he said.

THERE are 551 people on the waiting list for housing in Shannon, 200 of who are in receipt of rent supplement. The figures have led to the problem being described as “epidemic”.

More than half of those waiting are single adults (261 of those on the list are categorised as ‘one adult’). 73 of the applicants are one adult and one child; 31 are one adult and two children; 12 are one adult and three children, while one applicant has four children and another has five dependents.

The figures show that 44 of those on the waiting list are couples without children, while 107 have children – ranging from one child to six children. The remaining applicants consist of three or four adults.

Those were the figures delivered to Shannon Town councillors at their monthly meeting last week, in response to a query from Sinn Féin Councillor Cathy McCafferty.

The meeting was told that of the 551 applicants on the list, 468 have been approved for housing for more than one year, while 378 have been approved and are waiting for more than two years.

Councillors heard that Clare County Council has provided 12 properties in the town under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), while it has acquired one property through the Social Leasing Scheme.

“The estimate for 2012 is likely to reflect the result of the review currently underway. It is not possible to provide an estimate for 2013 and 2014,” stated Shannon Town Man- ager Bernadette Kinsella, in a reply to the motion.

“The council is not in any discussions with any voluntary housing association with a view to building in Shannon. A meeting with all voluntary housing groups operating in the county is planned for early in the new year,” she added.

In response, Cllr McCafferty said she realised “with horror” that “practically 25 per cent of the waiting list [in the county] is in this town alone”.

“There must be 40 or 50 people chasing the three or four that are available at the moment,” she said.

Referring to the length of time people are waiting to be housed, she asked, “When do you envisage that they will be housed? I’d like to see a more positive answer.”

Independent councillor Gerry Flynn said, “It is worrying. Housing problems in Shannon are at epidemic proportions… There is going to be no housing going into Shannon in the future.”

Independent councillor Patricia McCarthy said, “There is no doubt we have a serious housing problem in Shannon. We have a shortage of houses. We don’t want a situation where we are going back to three or more generations living together. That was the 50s, the 40s, the 30s.”

Ms Kinsella then told the meeting, “The figures reflect a high number on the list in Shannon. Shannon is the largest town in the county outside of Ennis.”

She said that a review is ongoing and a truer picture will be available by the end of the year.

“There will be a reduction because people have left,” she said.