The Clare People Archive

MAINTAINING the Roche _ phar- maceutical plant in Clarecastle as a world class site is critical to ensuring the company’s future status in the area, a meeting has heard

That was the view expressed by Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) at last week’s meeting of councillors representing the Ennis Electoral Area.

Cllr Meaney stated that Roche, Clarecastle, was in competition with other Roche facilities around the world, to develop new and high quality product lines. As such, said Cllr Meaney, effort must be made by Clare County Council to ensure that a “valuable employer” like Roche re- mains in Clarecastle.

“Clare County Council needs to work with significant emphasis to make sure that Roche is a world class site. The entrance to Roche will have to be significantly improved”, said Cllr Meaney.

He added “We are at a critical juncture with dealing with Roche…. If they are not successful, it could effect the future of the plant. Clare County Council must do everything it can”.

The matter arose following a mo- tion put forward by Cllr Bernard Hanrahan (FF). Cllr Hanrahan asked when work at a junction at the entrance of Roche was expected to be completed.

Work at the site, at the corner of Clarehill and Patrick Street, was

delayed after a derelict cottage there was deemed to be a protected structure. A report carried out two years ago by then Conservation Of- ficer Risteard Ua Cronin found that the house was an 18th or early 19th century dwelling that appeared to be of “high architectural and heritage interest”.

Speaking at last week’s meeting, Cllr Hanrahan said that permission had been given to demolish half of the cottage. He said that work on traffic calming measures at the en- trance should be completed as soon as possible.

‘The issue of the junction has been dragging on and on for too long now’, said Cllr Hanrahan.

He added, “The worst thing about

this now is that they will probably have to put in traffic lights and a roundabout there to keep residents rN Koh

Cllr Meaney urged the Council to contact Roche with an effort to 1m- prove site access to the facility. He said the company were willing to contribute to the cost of carrying out the works.

Cllr Hanrahan said Roche were eager for the work to be completed. “Its important we get this moving,’ added Cllr Hanrahan.

Responding to Cllr Hanrahan’s motion, Declan O’Regan, Senior Ex- ecutive Engineer stated ‘Roche have not approached this office in recent times to advise that they intend to go ahead with these works.

IF YOU don’t employ a dedicated ac- countant, a designated person within your company may wish to under- take some training in the area. The ICAI runs subsidised business skills courses relevant for start-ups in con- junction with Government-sponsored training body, Skillnet.

These operate under the name “SME Growth Skillnet” and ICAI members and non-members can at-

tend. Basic Bookkeeping — Part One takes seven hours and takes students through the bookkeeping cycle from source documentation to preparing a trial balance. Next comes Basic Bookkeeping — Part Two, also last- ing seven hours. This module builds on part one and explains how to prepare financial statements from the trial balance. There is a shorter course too (3.5 hours) called Finan- cial Awareness for Administrators aiming to “dispel the mystery of fi-

nancial jargon” and explain the prin- ciples of business finance.

The Institute is also holding con- ferences 1n Dublin, Cork and Gal- way throughout November entitled ‘Members in Business”. The goal of the one-day events is to provide participants with key updates in im- portant areas of Financial Reporting, Tax and Commercial Law, as well as other topical issues. The cost of at- tending is €500, less 10 per cent for ICAI members.

TODAY more than ever, you need Someone you can rely on for sound business advice and to minimise business risk.

The right advice from an impartial professional can be the difference between success and failure. That’s why a Chartered Accountant is the logical choice if you want to negoti- ate a clear path through the labyrinth of the modern business world.

Your Chartered Accountant is a multi-skilled business professional whose knowledge of best business practices can help you succeed.

The services and expertise they can offer your business include in- terpreting data; preparing manage- ment tools such as forecasts and productivity improvements; audits; advising on financial planning; de- veloping new management strategies and the structures that support them andrisk management.

Chartered Accountants in public practice have the skills, knowledge and experience to improve your business practices – and the profits of your business – in areas you might never have considered.

Imagine the benefits you could re- ceive from a thorough and efficient review of gross margins, or how your debtor turnover affects your cash flow, or how much it is really cost- ing you to support your stock levels. Your Chartered Accountant can be your business partner for the long haul, continuously adding value to

your business.

Employing a Chartered Account- ant is your assurance that you are dealing with a highly qualified pro- fessional who is up-to-date on the latest business issues and is commit- ted to ongoing professional educa- tion. Investing in the expertise of a Chartered Accountant will give your organisation added insight and di- rection for years to come.

Accounting has been defined as “The art of recording, classifying, and summarizing in a significant manner and in terms of money, trans- actions and events which are, in part at least, of financial character and 1n- terpreting the results thereof.”

Financial accounting is one branch of accounting and historically has involved processes by which finan- cial information about a business is recorded, classified, summarised, interpreted, and communicated; for public companies, this information is generally publicly-accessible. By contrast, management accounting information is used within an or- ganisation and is usually confidential and accessible only to a small group, mostly decision-makers. Open-book accounting aims to improve account- ing transparency. Tax Accounting is the accounting needed to comply with jurisdictional tax regulations.

Auditing is a related but separate discipline, with two sub-disciplines: internal auditing and external audit- ing. External auditing is the process whereby an independent auditor ex- amines an organisation’s financial

statements and accounting records in order to express an opinion as to the truth and fairness of the finan- cial statements and their adherence to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), or Internation- al Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), in all material respects. In- ternal auditing aims at providing information for management usage, and is typically carried out by em- ployees of the company.

Accounting scholarship is the aca- demic discipline which studies the theory of accountancy.

JUST as business owners sometimes fear accounts, any accountant will tell you of the nightmares they expe- rience when a client arrives close to tax return deadline day with a basket full of receipts and cheque stubs.

With the right support, you can make the tax system work for you – minimise your tax burden and sched- ule payments in a way that suits your cashflow requirements.

It is advisable to get solid tax advice at least once every year to make sure your enterprise is on the right track.

Among the reputable accountancy firms who will be happy to advise on the regulations and requirements are Niall C Garvey & Co, 12, Carmody Street, Ennis; O’Halloran & Co, Mill Road, Ennis; FDC & Associates, 8, Carmody Street Business Park, En- nis, Murphy Accountancy, Inis Si- oda, Shannon and Michael Neylon, Ennis Road, Miltown Malbay.

CLARE County Council is on a collision course with the National Roads Authority (NRA) after they ignored repeated NRA pleas to tight- en restrictions for one-off homes off national routes.

At a special council meeting last week, senior council planner John Bradley said the decision to allow exceptions for one-homes along na- tional routes in the draft Ennis De- velopment Plan was not consistent with national policy and was going

against NRA policy.

In the draft plan, the council says it will not allow developments on national routes where the maximum speed limit applies.

But there are a number of excep- tions to allow one-off homes for farmers and their own children wish- ing to build a house for their own oc- cupancy.

This has proved too much for the NRA and in a submission to the council, the roads authority says the council policy allows exceptions to the general restriction on access to

national roads.

“The authority requests the inclu- sion of a clearly phrased policy, consistent with official Government policy, outlining the county coun- cil’s position in relation to access to national roads, whereby access to national routes, outside areas where SOkph speed limit applies, will be restricted.

As a result, the NRA requested the council to make amendments to its policies “clearly indicating a restric- tion on direct acccess to national routes outside where a 5Okph speed

limit applies in accordance with of- ficial policy”.

“While the authority considers that none of the exceptions to the re- striction on direct access to national routes listed represent exceptional circumstances, the council are wel- come to review proposals with the authority with a view of establishing an agreed approach,’ the organisa- tion stated.

However, at a behind closed door meeting held last week in Ennis, councillors rejected the NRA sub- HOD EstSI CO) IF

The NRA submission was support- ed by a separate submission from the Department of the Environment.

The department stated: “The na- tional road infrastructure represents a very substantial investment which needs to be protected.

‘In this regard, two issues are of particular concern. Firstly, the ex- emptions are not in line with national policy as set out in the “Development Control Advice and Guidelines’ and ‘Policy and Planning Framework for Roads’ issued by the Department of Environment”.

A REMARKABLE irrigation project in Ethopia has been described by Bunratty woman Marinella Raftery as ‘a huge boost to the area’, as she embarked on a campaign to raise funding and build the profile of Self Help Africa over the autumn months

The positive impact that the Irish development agency is having was underlined when an Irish delega- tion visited a 20 year old irrigation scheme and found a community that had been transformed by the project.

Visitors to Ethiopia with Self Help Africa learned that an irrigation project developed with funding from Bob Geldof’s Band Aid in the late 1980s was still thriving, and 23,000 families in the region were earning a livelihood from the venture.

‘People talk about the importance of lasting development, but the peo- ple who travelled to Ethiopia were

able to see the impact that a scheme undertaken 20 years ago, was still having today’, said Ms Raftery

“I am going to encourage people to support Self Help Africa over the coming weeks, and it is great to be able to tell them that the projects work, and that empowering African people to help themselves, Self Help is able to transform the lives of the continent’s rural poor permanently.”

The Irish visitors who met with rep- resentatives of the Band Aid funded ‘Adami Tulu Farmers Co-Opera- tive’ heard that the group’s numbers had grown from 480 members to a present level of nearly 23,000, and farmers were producing surplus quantities of food every year.

Ms Raftery is currently involved in organising events and co-ordinat- ing a programme of fund-raising activities in Clare. To find out more visit www.sandwichday.ie, or e-mail Marinela on Clare@selfhelpafrica.

A FASHION show with a difference will make a major contribution to the fund-raising efforts of the Suaimh- neas autism unit attached to Inagh national school which caters for stu- dents from all over the county.

The Christmas Allure fashion show which will be held in Glor on Thurs- day, December 4 features a 20% dis- count off leading labels.

Suaimhneas was established in 2002 as a single class for four Clare children with ASD (Autism Specific Disorder) and has now developed to two classes catering for ten children.

According to Suimhneas Principal Anne Quinn, the benefits for the chil- dren have been enormous. “Specific methodologies are used to encourage the children improve their social and communication skills. The interac- tion between pupils is a wonderful opportunity for them to work togeth- er to be the best they can be”.

The unit receives funding for staff- ing and basic class equipment but have to annually fundraise to pay for the specialist therapies such as music therapy and the expertise of a sports and exercise therapist. This year alone consultants cost €20,000.

A major extension being planned for the unit will include a state of the art ASD unit but significant fund- ing will be needed to ensure that it is properly equipped. You can help by buying a ticket for the 20 per cent discount fashion show and exhibition on December 4. A limited number of tickets are available at the Glor box office.

LABASHEEDA Community Pride has won the mid-west regional Tidy Towns biodiversity award with the Notice Nature campaign highlight- ing the efforts of the Labasheeda community in fostering birdlife.

Projects undertaken by the Labash- eeda group included the planting of native trees; construction of bird hide for bird watching; erection of an information unit illustrating the birds that visit the area.

“It is easy to be aware of nature when you live in an area so rich in biodiversity and local heritage.

The community in Labasheeda are conscious not to let progress dis- turb the natural beauty around us,” said Liam Woulfe, Labasheeda Tidy Towns Committee.

Since 2006, the Tidy Towns compe- tition has included a special category on wildlife and natural amenities for Tidy Towns initiatives which foster biodiversity and the natural environ- ment.

PU stom Nel nero: inbecoma Ne TKO mB ROAWEDKOKS actions taken to conserve, enhance and create local wildlife areas such as ponds and hedgerows.

“Treland’s biodiversity enhances the health and wellbeing of eve- ryone on this island. We should all play our part in protecting the natural environment for our benefit and for that of generations to come. You may never have considered that you could play an important part in protecting biodiversity, but the vol- unteers on Tidy Towns committees around Ireland have shown that you can,’ said Emma El-Sahn, Notice Nature spokesperson.

The Tidy Towns Biodiversity ‘No- tice Nature’ Award is sponsored by the National Parks and Wildlife Service as part of the Notice Nature campaign.

Notice Nature is Ireland’s public awareness campaign on biodiversity and aims to raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity and to en- courage everyone to play their part in protecting it.

20 OF the 500 projects that have qualified for next January’s BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition have been submitted by secondary school students from Clare.

The 500 qualifiers were selected from a record entry of 1,616 projects submitted by 3,712 students from all 32 counties – including a 25 per cent increase in entries from Northern Ireland.

The exhibition has evolved through- out its 45 year history to become one of the largest events of its kind in the

world. Year on year there has been a steady surge in the number of en- tries; from 669 in 2001 to an over- whelming 1,616 this year marking an overall increase of 240 per cent.

The Clare entries are across all four categories and in all age groups. There are eleven from Mary Im- maculate Secondary School in Lis- doonvarna; two each from Kilrush Community School and St Anne’s Community College in Killaloe and one each from Ennis Community College, St Caimin’s Community School in Shannon, Scariff Commu- nity College; Meanscoil Na mBrai-

thre and Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon.

The overall winner(s) will receive a Waterford Crystal trophy together with a cheque for €5,000.

The winner will also have the op- portunity to represent Ireland in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists in September 2009.

The BT Young Scientist and Tech- nology Exhibition aims to build in- genuity, creativity and excitement amongst students and to help them to understand the importance and rel- evance of the sciences in their eve- ryday lives, while fostering the very skills that are essential for building

a knowledge economy and the future prosperity of the island.

Speaking at the announcement, Minister for Education and Science Batt O’Keeffe TD, said it was vitally important that second level students are encouraged to study science sub- jects for the future development of the Irish economy and society as a whole.

“The BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition provided the perfect opportunity for students to demonstrate their skills in a competi- tive environment and to become the innovators, researchers and entrepre-

neurs of tomorrow,” he said.

Commenting on the record number of entries, Chris Clark, CEO, BT said the event was providing a plat- form for students to express their in- genuity and build their skills through science, technology, engineering and mathematics as well as interacting with their peers and foster better re- lations through science

The BT Young Scientist & Tech- nology Exhibition will be held in the RDS, Dublin from January 6-10.

For more information on the exhi- bition, log onto www.btyoungscien- tist.com

AN east Clare councillor was among 47 landowners who received letters from the county council warning them that they have to cut back over- grown trees and hedges bordering their land or else run the risk of fac- ing prosecution.

But Fianna Fail councillor, Pat Hayes it transpired was sent the letter “in error’, it was confirmed by senior council staff.

The warning letters sent last month are getting a “positive response” with farmers rushing to get their hedge- rows cut, senior executive council engineer, Sean Lenihan said.

The council has now sent up to 50 more letters to landowners in the re- gion, he told a meeting last week of the Scarriff area committee of the

council.

The engineer started sending out the letters after councillors made nu- merous requests for hedgerows to be cut in the interests of traffic safety.

But the local authority does not have the resources to cut hedges everywhere in the county and it 1s proving to be a particularly expen- sive job in east Clare, as this part of the county has the largest number of roads and road frontage, Mr Lenihan explained.

“Landowners may not realise that they have an obligation in law to keep their own hedgerows trimmed. We want to get the message out there that wherever hedgerows are beside a public road, the landowners have an obligation to keep them cut back,” said Mr Lenihan.

Council workers in each area have

been asked to report any growth which is not cut back, Mr Lenihan said.

The senior engineer told councul- lors that there has been “ a very posi- tive response to our first letters, with people ringing us for names of com- panies who do the cutting and a big flurry of activity”.

He confirmed that one of the mem- bers of the area committee, Cllr Pat Hayes, had been sent a letter “in er- ror”.

Asked for clarification by the mem- bers about the same legislation ap- plying to dangerous trees overhang- ing the road, Mr Lenihan said that he would “back anyone who has to cut a limb of a tree which is a danger on the road but this is not a licence for people to go out and fell whole trees without a felling licence”.