The Clare People Archive

A COMPANY that received €80,000 in grant aid from Clare County Council this year has failed to pay the council €23,012 in commercial rates, it emerged yesterday.

Yesterday, Cllr Brian Meaney (Green) called on the council to pur- sue Kilkee Waterworld for the un- Or Nem AlKone

However, board member of the company, Cllr Patrick Keane (FF) said that the rates have not been paid as the company is awaiting details as to whether it is required to pay the Teoh

Cllr Keane said, “Kilkee Water- world is a community facility and we are waiting to learn if the facility does have to pay the rates.”

Established in the mid 1990s, Kil- kee Waterworld is integral to the tourism industry in Kilkee in attract- ing visitors to the area.

Cllr Keane said that 2008 “was a very good year where the bad weath- er was good for the centre.”

Shannon Swimming Pool and Leisure Centre Ltd also receives ۤ0,000 from the council and one of its directors, Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind), confirmed that it has paid its rates to the county council.

She said, “We have always paid our rates. It is a substantial amount. We might not like it, but it has to be paid.”

Cllr Meaney said that the council should now pursue Kilkee Water- world and no exceptions should be

made due to fact that the company’s board has council representation on 1

Cllr Meaney said, “That legisla- tion is quite clear and community facilities are not exempt from rates. I am extemely unhappy over Kilkee Waterworld’s non-payment of the rates.”

Asked would he vote for Kilkee Waterworld not to receive the grant aid of €80,000 if he was aware that the company was not paying its rates, Cllr Meaney said, “It’s quite possible

that Kilkee Waterword needed the grant aid in order to pay the rates.”

Three years ago, Kilkee Water- world faced the threat of being struck off by the Companies Office by fail- ing to file its returns.

The cash-strapped company did eventually file the accounts, stating that it was late in filing the accounts as it did not have the required €2,500 to do so.

ENNIS Town Council have a big push on to get people on board to buy homes in an affordable housing scheme just weeks after it opened.

The three-bedroom affordable homes are for sale in the Westbourne Estate, Watery Road, Ennis, at €175,000.

The council is hoping to get would- be property owners to take up the offer for the knock-down price as quickly as possible.

“What makes these houses afforda- ble is that they are available at prices that are much lower than the market

value — that is what makes it an ‘af- fordable home’,” a release from the town council said.

It is possible to borrow up to 97 per cent of the purchase price of an af- fordable home, leaving the buyer to make up just the remaining three per cent.

The council is even advising which financial institutions are lending for the properties.

To qualify for an affordable home, buyers need to earn roughly from €30,000 for a single applicant and up to €60,000 on a joint application.

“These are the approximate limits only – lower and higher income lim-

its may apply,” the release said.

The properties ae being sold through Frank Cullinan at Paddy Browne and Co Real Estate Alliance at Woodquay, Ennis.

The latest official figures show that Clare County Council acquired 35 units of affordable housing in the period from January | to September 30.

In the same period, the local au- thority were in the process of acquir- ing 24 more units and were looking at proposals for four more.

During that time also, the council rented 133 homes under the social rental housing scheme and bought

12 more for rental. They were in the process of acquiring 250 more.

There were four homes completed under the voluntary and co-operative housing scheme, while 54 more were in progress at that time.

There was no housing processed under the voluntary and co-opera- tive housing capital loan and subsidy scheme in that period but the capital assistance scheme saw four homes aquired in Clare, 54 in progress and a start being made on 44 more.

The local authority completed 133 housing units in that time, aquired 12 more, started on 181 further units and were making progress on 252.

CAR-PARKING charges at Shannon Airport are now more than double those at Dublin Airport.

Local county councillor, Cllr Patri- cia McCarthy (Ind) has called on the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) to review its charges. She made her call after it emerged that the Dublin Aiur- OLeummaUe Nee e AAO D.0n0 eel mB Lie OU (eer in response to a private competitor at Dublin Airport.

Last month, the SAA – which op- erates a monopoly at Shannon on car-parking – increased its long-term parking charges from €9 to €9.50.

However, in the past week, the DAA, which operates about 21,000 parking spaces at Dublin Airport, cut the price of long-term parking in half after private operator Quick-Park re- duced its charges.

Passengers who pre-book their spaces online can now park in the DAA’s long-term facilities for just €4.50 a day — the offer is open to a limited number of spaces. This com- pares with the normal rate of €9 a day at Dublin.

Short-term spaces can be booked for as little as €10 a day in Dublin, compared with a normal rate of €40 a day. In Shannon, the cost of car-

parking is €20 per day.

A spokeswoman for the SAA said yesterday that the authority has re- cently spent €800,000 on a new car-parking management system at Shannon to allow passengers to pre- book online. However, she said there is no timescale in which passengers will be able to book online.

Car park revenues have been a cash cow for the SAA over the past num- bers of years as passenger numbers soared in line with economic growth and charges to airlines dropped to at- tract new carriers.

The spokeswoman said there are no plans to reduce the car-parking charg-

es at Shannon. She pointed out that the long-term car-park at Shannon Airport is the most adjacent car-park at any of the three main airports.

Cllr McCarthy said yesterday, ‘People are finding the cost of park- ing at Shannon Airport prohibitive and some are parking in Shannon town rather than at the airport. The authority should review the charges because we don’t want them to be- come prohibitive.”

Last year, it emerged that the DAA earned €52 million in 2007 from its car parks in Dublin, Cork and Shan- non. This was roughly eight per cent of DAA’s overall turnover.

BISHOP of Killaloe Willie Walsh has hit out at “unacceptable” school conditions in Ennis.

Bishop Walsh was speaking in En- nis on Thursday where he also stat- ed that the provision of new school buildings in Ennis had been a “prior- ity” for him since he became patron of the schools 20 years ago.

‘These are very difficult issues and very sensitive issues. None of us do everything perfect. I have no hesita- tion in saying that I didn’t do every- thing perfect over the past 20 years,” said Bishop Walsh, when asked if he thought mistakes had been made during his tenure as schools patron.

He continued, “But the whole ques- tion of buildings in Ennis schools as far as I am concerned is unaccepta- ble. I have at all times, over the years, done all in my power to try and right that situation. I don’t mind saying that it’s a source of real sadness to me to see pupils and teachers work in conditions which I regard as unac- ceptable in this day and age.”

Bishop Walsh’s remarks came at the launch of a common enrolment policy for all six schools in Ennis

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Feasibility studies for Ennis Na- tional School, Ennis CBS and Scoil Chriost Ri, Cloughleigh, were first carried out by the Department of Education in 1999. Despite these studies all recommending extensive building accommodation works, none have been carried out.

“The trap which the Ennis schools fell into is that the devolved grants scheme only applies to extensions. It did not apply to totally new schools. Unfortunately, three of the schools in Ennis had the assessment done 10 years ago, and the Department decided that all three needed new buildings,” he commented.

Bishop Walsh continued, “At the time, we were very happy that we were going to get three totally new schools in Ennis and that the other schools were in new buildings. So we were looking forward to having an excellent standard of new schools in Ennis. But unfortunately, despite our best efforts…And it certainly has been a priority with me. I have had more contact with the department in relation to the buildings in Ennis than in any other place in the dio- cese, but without success.”

, Dr Walsh writes that any Board of Management (BOM) un- able to commit to a common enrol- ment policy could be instructed, “not to engage in an enrolment procedure under the provision of their current admissions policy”.

A second option that could be pur- sued, the letter states, would be to “instruct the BOM to conduct enrol- ment under the joint auspices of the Chairperson of the BOM and the St Senan’s Education Office”.

All six primary schools in Ennis agreed to the implementation of a common enrolment policy follow- ing lengthy discussions through the Ennis Parish Forum and St Senan’s Education Office in Limerick.

Speaking in Ennis on Thursday night at the launch of the common enrolment policy, Bishop Walsh said he wrote to schools to ask them to

follow the policy for one year.

‘That was the reason why I wrote to them. I wanted to indicate very strongly that I wanted this admis- sions policy accepted,” he said.

Bishop Walsh added, “All the boards have signed up to it. I’m aware of the fact that some schools have some difficulties. They have made their unhappiness known to me.”

The letter is dated January 21, 2009, and is addressed to members of the Board of Management and En- nis Parish Forum Members.

In it, Dr Walsh states, “As of writ- ing, no Board of Management has

indicated to me that it wishes to re- scind this commitment. However, it has come to my attention that an issue regarding the implementation of the agreed admissions policy and application procedures has arisen in one school.”

The letter continued, “At this junc- ture, I request that each Board of Management recommits to the im- plementation of the admissions pol- icy and application procedure for the school year.”

The letter continued, “The prin- ciples of the Ennis Parish Forum underpin collaboration between the

Boards of Management of the Ennis Parish schools. As patron, I reiterate my total support for these principles and the functioning of the forum. With this in mind, I wish to inform each board that should it find itself unable to re-commit that I will pur- sue one or a combination of the fol- lowing. (1) Instruct the BOM not to engage in any enrolment procedure under the provision of their current admissions policy or (2) instruct the BOM to conduct enrolment under the joint auspices of the Chairperson of the BOM and St Senan’s Educa- tion office.”

INDEPENDENT councillor Taiwo Matthew has confirmed that he will be running as a candidate in June’s local elections.

Speaking yesterday Cllr Matthew said he is seeking to retain his seat in Ennis Town Council.

The Nigerian born doctor made history when he became the first im- migrant to be elected to local office in Ireland in 2004.

At the time of his election in 2004, Cllr Matthew addressed his support- ers in Ennis. “You have written the name of Ennis in gold in the book of history,’ the former Nigerian asy- lum-seeker said proudly to the sup- porters who helped elect him to En- nis Town Council.

“By electing me, the Ennis people have looked beyond the colour of my skin and accepted me on my indt-

vidual merits.”

Cllr Matthew said he is looking forward to again contesting the elec- tion.

[have had a great experience in the council. I have learned a lot in these last five years. I will be running for Ennis Town Council again.”

While he says that he is looking for- ward to getting out and meeting vot- ers, Cllr Matthew admits that regain- ing his seat in Ennis Town Council is going to be a tough challenge.

“Tam looking forward to it. It was a great experience when I first ran for office in 2004 and it is a process that I am looking forward to taking part in again. But I know that it will hard and that it will be very challenging to get elected again. But as I said, I am looking forward to the election,’ said the councillor.

Cllr Matthew explained that he had just moved house and was now con-

centrating his energies on the elec- tion campaign.

‘‘T have just moved house so things are very busy at the moment.”

Cllr Matthew’s election to Ennis Town Council occurred in the same year as the election of fellow Nigeri- an, Rotimi Adebari in Portlaoise. Mr Adebari made history when he was elected Ireland’s first black mayor in 2007.

In the same year Cllr Matthew missed out on election as Ennis’s first black mayor when he was defeated in a vote by fellow Independent coun- cilor Tommy Brennan.

A BIRTHDAY celebration turned sour when a row broke out at a disco in Scariff and the man celebrating his birthday was assaulted.

As a result, cousins Gary Quigley (19), of Riverview, Scariff, and Keith Quigley (20), of Callaghy, Tuam- graney, were convicted of assaulting Raymond Durek, at McNamara’s dis- co in Scariff on March 20 last year.

Inspector John Galvin told Killaloe District Court that something was said to Mr Durek’s girlfriend and Mr Durek was then knocked to the ground.

‘A number of people jumped on top of him. He got struck. Keith Quigley was identified as one of those,” he said. “Gary Quigley struck Mr Durek later that evening,” he said.

He said the injured party did not sustain serious injuries.

Mr Durek told the court that he had been out celebrating his birthday that night and said he was punched a number of times.

Defending solicitor Sauls Loughnane said that while he was not trying to diminish what had hap- pened, it was at the “lower end of the scale” in terms of assaults.

He said that Gary Quigley got in- volved because he thought his cousin Keith had been under attack.

Keith Quigley had no previous convictions, while Gary had been in court previously, on a minor matter.

A one-month jail term was imposed on Gary Quigley, suspended for two years. He was also fined €1,500, while a fine of €1,000 was imposed on Keith Quigley.

THE swift actions of an eagle-eyed Ennis resident assisted in the pros- ecution in an investigation into a stolen sports car.

However, when it came to court last week, the case was struck out.

Paul Daly (19), of Considine’s Road, Cloughleigh, Ennis, was ac- cused of unlawfully taking posses- sion of a car without the consent of the owner, at Mill Road, Ennis, on May 20, 2008.

The owner of the car told Ennis District Court that he parked his sports car on the Mill Road in Ennis at 7pm on the evening of May 20.

When he returned 90 minutes lat- er, the car was gone.

It was later found by gardai, hav- ing been crashed.

A resident on the Lahinch Road in the town told the court that he was at home on the evening of May 24 Ee

He heard a car being driven past his house on its rims and it got ‘louder and louder”.

There were two individuals in the car. He took photographs of the two men who had come from the direc- tion of the car, as they passed by his house.

“Things didn’t seem right. The front number plate was missing,” he said. The court heard that this was the car that had been stolen.

The photographs were presented to the court – on a computer – and defending solicitor Tara Godfrey said, “The man in the stripy thing 1s my client.”

Garda Chris Power told the court that he was involved in the investi- gation and said he arrested the ac- cused in Ennis town on the evening of May 24, on suspicion of allowing himself to be carried in a stolen ve- hicle.

Ms Godfrey applied for the case to be struck out, on a number of

grounds.

She said that her client had been accused of an offence on May 20 and “there 1s no evidence adduced by the state to support the allegation that my client took possession of a car on May 20.”

She said the owner of the car did not see who had taken it and the res- ident’s evidence related to May 24.

She said one of the men in the photograph “probably was my cli- ent, but that’s irrelevant to the pros- Torn CO) 0 ae

Inspector Michael Gallagher said he accepted the solicitor’s point and Judge Timothy Lucey struck out the charge.

“What happened on the 24th can- not necessarily be connected with what happened on the 20th,” said the judge.

A TWO-MONTH jail term imposed on former doctor Paschal Carmody for an assault was lifted yesterday.

Mr Carmody (61), of Ballycug- geran, Killaloe, was convicted of assaulting summons server John Sommers at Mr Carmody’s home on March 8, 2007.

A two-month jail term had been handed down at Killaloe District Court in November.

Mr Carmody appealed the sever- ity of this sentence, at Ennis Circuit STAM Ko Kee hs

His solicitor Michael Staines told the court that his client, a father- of-five, had practised as a doctor in Killaloe for many years. However, he said he had been struck off, “due to other matters, nothing to do with this case”.

Garda John Kennedy agreed with Mr Staines that it was very unlikely that Mr Carmody would ever be in

this type of trouble again.

Mr Staines said his client had been under “unprecedented pressure from the media” around the time of the as- sault. “It was a spur-of-the-moment thing,” he said.

He presented two references to the court, one from County Councillor Flan Garvey and the other from a doctor in Tipperary, on behalf of his client.

“Mr Carmody unreservedly apolo- gises for what occurred. Mr Sum- mers accepts this. The injuries, thankfully, were minor. He has other problems, which he is still facing. I’d ask you to take this problem away from him,” said the solicitor.

Judge Gerald Keyes asked was the case contested in the district court and was told that it was.

“It was a very severe penalty whether it was contested or not, for a man who had never been in trouble before. He’s still under a lot of pres- sure,’ said the solicitor.

“If you could see fit to deal with it perhaps by contributing to the poor box, he’d be delighted to do that,” he added.

He said that this matter would have a huge effect on his client in the event of him practising in the future, once other issues are dealt with.

Judge Keyes noted that the garda had spoken positively about Mr Car- mody. “I have no hesitation in re- moving the jail sentence,” he said.

“Obviously this man has been un- der terrible pressure, but no more than any member of the public as such. There is strong evidence this man will not commit an offence again,” he added.

“We are all entitled to make mis- takes and the consequences are more Severe for this man than others,” said the judge.

He applied the probation act and said if Mr Carmody wished to do- nate money to the poor box, he could do so.

REPEATED questioning of a garda over a confidential informant in a drugs case caused concern to gardai, during a court case where a man was accused of drug dealing.

The questioning by a barrister prompted the garda giving evidence to stress it was his duty to protect elu Keshe

Father-of-three James O’Toole (39), a stonemason, of Main Street, O’Briensbridge, admitted a charge of possession of cannabis but contested a charge of possession of the drug for sale or supply, on January 26, 2007.

Garda Ronan O’Hara told Killaloe District Court that he received confi- dential information from a “reliable source’ and on foot of this, he ob- tained a search warrant in court un- der the Misuse of Drugs Act.

He and a number of other gardai then went with the Garda drugs dog to the accused’s home on the evening of January 26, 2007.

He said that on arrival at the house, the accused shouted out a word to the back of the house, which sounded like “screws”. “He tried to impede my entry to the house,’ said Gda O’ Hara.

He said he immediately went to the back of the house, where another man was present. He said the ac- cused was “handcuffed and placed sitting down under supervision in the sitting room area” while the other man was placed under supervision in the kitchen area, but was not hand- cuffed. Gardai then proceeded to carry out a search of the house.

He said he found a bowl with loose cannabis on the kitchen table, where there also was a large vacuum sealed

bag of cannabis herb. He found three snap-top bags containing cannabis herb in the same area. A weighing scales was also found.

He said that the value of the items found amounted to less than €500, but said he believed that was a con- servative estimate.

Gda O’Hara told the court that when questioned, O’Toole said he smoked cannabis “as much as you would smoke cigarettes’, for pain relief, while he also used it for cook- ing. He told gardai he did not deal drugs.

Asked by defence counsel Laurence Goucher, BL, about the confidential source the garda had referred to, Gda O’ Hara said the source had been used in the past. Asked was this person on a list of confidential informants, the garda replied, “It’s my own duty to protect these sources.”

When the garda was asked was this individual on a register, Inspec- tor John Galvin, prosecuting, said, “IT fail to see the benefits in it. The garda went before a court (to obtain a warrant) and satisfied a district court judge.”

As the barrister continued to cross- examine the garda about the source, Inspector Galvin said he was “a bit concerned. We are here in the mid- dle of a drugs trial. I’m not sure where this is going.”

Judge Joseph Mangan then said he was not going to “compel the garda to answer” the question put to him by the barrister.

Garda O’Hara said there was a lot of herbal cannabis present and a lot of paraphernalia that would suggest drug dealing.

“It was the scenario of walking in on someone and catching them red-

handed. There was bags everywhere. There was cannabis,” said the garda. He accepted that there were no drugs found on either the accused or the other person who was in the house PLM NO Com BODO Lee

Detective Sergeant Oliver Nevin told the court he was part of the group of gardai who went to the house that night. He said the accused was “very aggressive and very abusive towards us while we were trying to secure the kitchen area”. He said there was drugs paraphernalia all over the kitchen. “Large amounts of canna- bis were being ground down and put into smaller bags. That would be my opinion,” he said.

Judge Joseph Mangan convicted O’Toole and imposed a six-month jail term. He refused an application to suspend this and fixed a bond in the event of an appeal.