The Clare People Archive

ASURVEY of lump sum investments made by more than 25,000 custom- ers of Irish Life in 2007 shows that the average amount invested nation- ally amounted to €44,915, while the average sum invested in Clare was €32,636.58.

The figures show significant dif- ferences in the size of investment

between males and females, between the various Irish counties and in the types of investments chosen. The av- erage lump sum invested by male cli- ents in Clare was €40,000 (€52,000 nationally) while for female clients it was just over €21,000 (€33,000 na- tionally).

A breakdown of Clare investments showed that 52 per cent was in capital protected products (49 per cent na-

tionwide); 12 per cent in equity and managed products (20 per cent na- tionwide) and 36 per cent in property products (31 per cent nationwide).

Over €1.2 billion was invested by retail investors in non-pension relat- ed lump sums with Irish Life during 2007.

Irish Life spokesman Karl Symes said the size of the average lump sum invested reflected the growing

prosperity in Ireland in recent years. “The fact that the average investment amongst 20,000 different customers last year was as high as €45,000 highlights the transformation that’s occurred in personal wealth in Ire- land over the past decade,” he said. “Overall, the figures reflect a rea- sonably diverse selection of invest- ment choices. The key to choosing an investment is an individual cus-

tomer’s appetite for risk and what’s clear is that this appetite varies by customer,” he said.

According to the Irish Life survey, Clare – with its €32,636 average in- vestment – came 18th out of the 26 fo) tba alehe

Cavan topped the poll with an aver- age investment of over €71,000, with Monaghan propping up the table on SPA OWL OF

OVER 200 people paid tribute to the memory of a well-known Clare busi- nessman and supported a number of worthy causes at the second annual John Burke Commemorative Ball, hosted by the Armada Hotel in Span- ish Point on Sunday night.

The evening was a glamorous oc- casion with the newly extended hotel taking on a 1940’s style “Casablanca’ theme and transformed into a picture of that glamorous era by Fun Ireland, the well-known Limerick event man- Poses MUU EEE

The evening commenced with a champagne and cocktail reception, followed by a five-course banquet in the ocean-view Atlantic suite, with entertainment by the Irish Rat Pack.

Last year’s event raised €46,000 for local charities and this year’s funds will be divided between the palliative care team at Milford Hos- pice and the Miltown Resource Cen-

tre, which hosts many worthwhile local groups such as senior citizens, Youthreach and library facilities.

One of the highlights of the evening was the auction carried out by well- known local Clare auctioneer, Cor- mac O’Sullivan.

Among the many items donated by generous sponsors was a top-of-the- range gents’ Rolex watch from the sports submarine range donated by Keanes jewellers of Limerick, Kil- larney and Cork.

The auction created quite a stir and excited guests watched in anticipa- tion when Cormac finally struck the hammer at €5,500.

Thanking all the sponsors and guests for their support, commit- tee member John Burke said he was grateful to the event sponsors and to everyone who attended the ball.

“We are delighted to be able to make a sizable donation to local charities and to make a positive dif- ference to their lives,” he said.

A DIALYSIS unit for the mid-west has met yet another hurdle as an anonymous objector has opposed planning permission being granted to the new facility.

According to the Irish Kidney As- sociation (IKA), the unit would al- leviate the stress now suffered by patients forced to travel outside the mid-west for the life saving dialysis treatment.

Between 16 and 20 patients travel from the Limerick, Clare and Tip- perary area to Galway three times a

week for essential dialysis.

Eight patients from Clare make their way to the commercial unit in Ballybritt every week, while 16 at- tend the Mid Western Regional Hos- pital Limerick, which is now running at capacity.

There are currently 17 people in the mid-west on the waiting list for COU ASISE

Treasurer of the Clare branch of the IKA, Peggy Eustace said that the kidney support group offered the HSE the prefab it has used for dialy- sis in Tullamore to use in Limerick until it had upgraded the unit at the

regional hospital as promised.

The HSE refused this offer, she said and so Clare patients are now relying on the unit proposed for the River- side Retail Park on the Dock Road in Limerick.

In a letter dated April 24, an objec- tion to the proposal by the commer- cial company Fresenius Medical Care (Ireland) Limited was revived from a Mallow based solicitors’ company representing Hookford Limited.

Hookford Limited main activity is registered aS management activities of holding companies.

The objection is made up of three

main parts including concerns about site suitability.

The objection states that the site contains a number of retail units and “the medical usage of this site is not appropriate and would not be in ac- cordance with good planning”.

The objection also stated that the proposed facility would be best co- located on a health care campus or on an individual dedicated site.

The objectors pointed out that the sewer facilities for the existing devel- opment on the site are inadequate.

The IKA said it was “saddened” by the objection.

The support group has concerns that following a further six weeks delay due to the objection, that an appeal of a planning decision to An Board Pleanala would end the pros- pects of these patients returning to Limerick for dialysis for at least an- other year.

In a statement the Irish Kidney A ssociation said: “There are three other Dialysis Units in the country not on a hospital campus and they did not object to their planning ap- plications.”

It asked Hookford Limited to with- draw its objection.

TO celebrate the launch of their 2008 range of electrical goods, Ennis Electrical has joined forces with Sie- mens Domestic Appliances in bring- ing T’V3’s Andrew Rudd to Ennis to cook up a storm for their customers.

Andrew will share his expertise with Ennis Electrical customers at the store’s first cookery demonstra- tion, which will take place on Satur- day May 10 at lpm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm.

Preparing up to ten different recipes, Andrew will demonstrate healthy and energy efficient options using steam and induction hob appli- ances. The demonstration will also illustrate the user-friendly nature of Siemens kitchen appliances.

According to Paul Flynn of Ennis Electrical, the company is hosting the event to provide customers with an opportunity to see their Siemens kitchen appliances in action and experience the difference a well de- signed kitchen can make to home life. All are welcome to join in the fun and learn of the latest technolo- gies to make cooking more fun, en- joyable and even energy efficient.

“We are using the event as an op- portunity to thank our customers for their continued support. Custom- ers will have the chance to win spot prizes and we are offering 10% dis- count on all

Siemens appliances”, he said.

Siemens will also have experts on hand to talk about energy efficiency in domestic appliances and the most up to date technologies and innova- WOO A BEE e) lon

With two branches in Ennis, on Par- nell Street and in Quin Road Busi- ness Park, Ennis Electrical is in busi- ness over 30 years making it one of the oldest, electrical suppliers in the mid west. With it all under one roof, Ennis Electrical serves the people of Clare and beyond with experienced sales assistants, private parking and free delivery nationwide.

Anyone interested in Saturday’s event should contact Ennis Electri- cal, Quin Road Business Park, to reserve a place. Telephone (065) 6829684.

IRISH people are not getting enough dairy products according to new re- search released by the National Dairy Council (NDC) last week. At the launch of their organsations strategic plan last week, NDC experts started their commitment to tackle the issue. According to consumer research, four in five adults aged 15 and older claimed to consume milk everyday, yet almost 30 per cent stated they were not consuming the three serv- ings of dairy a day as recommended by the Department of Health.

In addition to this the survey found that 55 per cent of people believed that butter is fattening and detrimen-

tal to their health while 72 per cent said that butter is not good for cho- lesterol levels.

“While there is a high level of agreement on the importance of milk and dairy products in terms of their health and nutritional benefits, it is also clear from this research, that this is not being translated into behaviour and there is clearly a problem with consumer perception of milk and dairy products in these increasingly health conscious times,” said NDC Chief Executive Helen Brophy.

“It is also worrying to note that more than 30 per cent of people do not agree that milk is a natural un- processed food. This image and these attitudes must be tackled as a

matter of urgency and this is a key objective of our new Strategic Plan.”

The new five year Strategic Plan, entitled Dairy: Food for Life, was launched at a large industry event in Dublin and in advance of the open- ing session of the European Dairy Marketing Forum.

Speaking at the launch, Minister of State at the Department of Agricul- ture, Fisheries and Food, Mary Wal- lace, welcomed the new approach.

“The dairy sector is of vital im- portance to Ireland. It provides em- ployment for around 34,000 farmers, workers in the processing sector and those engaged in support and ancil- lary services,” she said.

“Some 85 per cent of Irish dairy

products are exported representing one quarter of all food and drink ex- ports. In 2007 that trend continued, despite the difficulties caused by the dollar exchange rate.

“Last year exports increased by 13 per cent to €2.36 billion, a record performance. Against this back- ground it is very encouraging to see that the National Dairy Council is focused on meeting the challenges which lie ahead.”

Coinciding with the NDC strategy launch, the inaugural meeting of the European Dairy Marketing Forum will take place, which is made up of leading dairy marketing executives from companies and dairy market- ing organisations across Europe.

MARY Coughlan met the man with his finger on the button controlling European Agriculture on Thursday when she held her last face-to-face meeting with Peter Mandelson before the start of the World Trade Talks. Speaking after the meeting, Minister Coughlan reaffirmed her “deep con- cern’ about aspects of the current world trade talks.

The negotiations in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) involve over 150 countries and have now been go- ing on without a resolution for seven years. The talks cover agriculture, manufacturing, services, trade rules and trade facilitation but have been

concentrating heavily on agriculture in recent months.

The Director General of WTO has indicated that he proposes to call a ministerial meeting in May to dis- cuss agriculture and manufacturing trade.

“Ireland is a trading nation and as such we have a strong national inter- est in seeing a successful trade round and a strong WTO,” said Coughlan. ‘However we are deeply concerned at the imbalance in the current nego- tiations.”

As things stand, we see EU and Irish agriculture are being asked to carry a disportionate burden in the overall effort to conclude a deal.”

Minister Coughlan said that she

drew the Commissioner’s attention to the dramatic changes in world food markets since these negotia- tions commenced.

“I pointed out that many EU Gov- ernments now share our conviction about the need to maintain a strong agricultural production base in Eu- rope.”

But this critical fact is being ignored in the WTO process to date.” contin- ued Minister Coughlan.

“The agrifood sector in Ireland, built up over years to become the huge contributor that it now is to our economy must not be damaged by a WTO agreement which fails to take account of the new realities emerg- ing in world food supply.”

The minister emphasised the very real difficulties for Irish agriculture and the food industry from some of the proposals emanating from the WTO in Geneva.

Minister Coughlan outlined in detail the dramatic impact of hugely in- creased imports of beef and the con- centration of these imports on high value cuts of meat.

She called on the Commissioner to ensure a meaningful level of protec- tion for our industry.

She also said that our concerns were not confined to the beef sector and underscored to the Commissioner the difficulties some of the propos- als would generate for our dairy, pig- meat and sheepmeat sectors also.

THE manager of Shannondoc con- firmed yesterday that there will be “significant” cost implications in re- lation to a successful Labour Court claim by SIPTU for improved rates of pay for the service’s workforce. Shannondoc provides an_ out-of- hours GP service to patients across

Clare and the mid-west, except for the Limerick city area, and employs 126 workers, with the vast majority on a part-time basis.

SIPTU sought the application of Health Service Executive (HSE) terms and conditions of employment for all its members and retrospection back to January 2005.

The success of the claim will mean

a nice pay-day for the SIPTU mem- bers as the money has been backdat- ed to August 2006.

SIPTU pointed out that such a claim was recommended by the La- bour Court in relation to arguments put forward by SIPTU on the South- doc service. Southdoc pointed out that the claim would cost €753,629.

Shannondoc put forward proposals

based on that recommendation but SIPTU argued that those proposals do not mirror in full the HSE cond1i- tions applicable in other areas.

SIPTU claimed that full pay, pre- mium rates and sick leave should be paid from January 1, 2005. The union believed it was a sustainable claim as it was formally lodged in May 2005 and Shannondoc acknowledged this in June 2005.

SIPTU also argued that its mem- bers should not suffer as a result of Shannondoc refusing to engage in discussions with the union until mid- 2007, especially as what was sought was applied by the HSE elsewhere.

Shannondoc maintained that retro- spection should be paid from August 2006 as this was agreed with media- tion of the Labour Relations Com- mission. The company viewed it as a reasonable compromise and the majority of staff accepted it.

Shannondoc pointed out that it was not a profit-making organisation but received funding from the HSE and the concession of any claim would be subject to HSE approval before fund- ing could be made available.

The Labour Court recommended that the HSE terms and conditions of employment should apply from Au- gust 1, 2006 with the implementation details agreed between the parties as early as possible.

Shannondoc General Manager Lar- ry Maher said that the cost implica- tions of the Labour Court judgment will be ‘significant’.

THE Shannondoc out-of-hours GP service suffered a slight financial loss for the second year in succession, ac- cording to its latest figures.

In accounts lodged to the Compa- nies Office, Shannondoc reported a loss of €40,000 to the end of 2006 and this follows an operating loss of €45,000 in 2005.

Asked if there were any concerns over the operating loss, manager of Shannondoc, Larry Maher replied, “No, not at all.”

The accounts show that in 2006,

Shannondoc handled 86,932 calls – an increase of 9,722 or 12.6 per cent over 2005. The Killaloe area showed the highest increase at over 30 per cent, while triage nurses dealt with over 20,000 calls as nurses advise without the need to refer the call on to a doctor.

“Given that Shannondoc provides out-of-hours cover for 274,000 peo- ple, the call rate per 1,000 population per week is up from 5.71 to 6.1 calls per 1,000 population per week.

“People don’t realise the scale of the operation. It provides a very com- prehensive service, but it must be re-

membered that it is a family doctor service, not an emergency service,” Mr Maher emphasised.

The accounts show that Shannon- doc had a turnover of €5.08 million in 2006 — an increase of €300,000 on the turnover for 2005.

However, administration expenses for 2006 amounted to €5.12 million and this resulted in an operating loss of €40,000.

However, Shannondoc’s overall fi- nancial state remains healthy with an accumulated surplus of €100,000 at the end of 2006, while the co-op’s net funds stood at €499,000.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) contributed €3.8 million — up €300,000 on the 2005 contribution.

Prior to this year, doctors paid €10,000 each to fund the service but, this year, the rate decreased to around €6,000 per doctor.

In 2006, Shannondoc received €1 million in doctors’ contributions.

The service is also a major con- tributor to the regional economy, with salary costs coming in at €3.2 million.

The accounts show that Shannon- doc employs 38 drivers, 53 medical staff and 35 administrative workers.

A NEW plans for the development of organic farming in Ireland was last week given a cautious welcome by the farming organisations. Speaking at the launch, the ICSA’s Rural De- velopment Chairman, Gabriel Gil- martin, welcomed the plan as a step in the right direction.

‘This is a positive step as it widens the choice of production possibilities for farmers and clearly shows that the Government is committed to de- veloping the sector,” he said.

“ICSA feels that, in the rapidly changing dynamics of food mar- kets and food production, providing farmers with another option is a posi-

tive step.

“However, it is all about the bottom line, and if the Department of Agri- culture is serious about achieving the five per cent target for organic pro- duction in Ireland, then the resources and commitment must be available in realistic terms.”

Farmers will not undertake the ex- pense and labour-intensive conver- sion process without solid, long term backing from the authorities.”

Speaking at the launch of the Organ- ic Farming Action Plan 2008-2012, Minister for Food and Horticulture at the Department of Agriculture, Fish- eries and Food, Trevor Sargent, said that he was committed to achieving the very necessary development of

the organic sector in Ireland.

‘The action plan was an important development in working towards achievement of the Government’s target’, and he thanked the members of the National Steering Group for their input into the document,” he SrHKGe

“The National Steering Group will have a crucial role in guiding and overseeing progress on the action plan. I intend to bring together key industry leaders, opinion makers, agricultural academics with some of Ireland’s top organic farmers and erowers to better appreciate what organic farming is and to dispel any misconceptions that may exist.

“The programme for Government

five per cent target is indeed chal- lenging. I am confident that, with the full support of all stakeholders, implementation of the actions out- lined in the plan will greatly assist in achieving the target.”

The action plan has four main ob- jectives; increase production in line with market trends, increase the knowledge base, develop the organic market at home and abroad, and en- courage the development of public procurement opportunities for or- ganic products. There are over 60 actions identified in the plan.

Since 2005 there has been an in- crease of more than 17 per cent in the area under organic production in Ireland.

AS Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, was in Washington last week celebrating the recent progress made in North- ern Ireland, the fruits of the progress were being born out in the farming community with a number of high profile cross-border meetings taking place.

The Minister for Agriculture, Fish- eries and Food, Mary Coughlan, ac- companied by her cabinet colleague Eamon O Cuiv attended the North/ South Ministerial Council Agricul- ture Sectoral meeting held in Fer- managh on Wednesday.

The Northern Ireland Executive was represented by Michelle Gild- ernew, MP, MLA, Minister of Agri- culture and Rural Development and Arlene Foster, MLA, Minister of the

Environment.

The meeting covered a range of 1s- sues including co-operation on ani- mal health, plant health, the Com- mon Agricultural Policy Issues and cross-border rural development.

The council noted progress on the activities in the draft All-Island Animal Health and Welfare Strategy including an agreement on a com- mon chapter in the respective epi- Zootic contingency plans for Foot and Mouth Disease with common chapters for Avian Influenza and Bluetongue in the pipeline, on-going development of a report on the po- tential for joint data sharing and con- tinuing examination of the feasibility of a joint approach to the electronic identification of sheep.

The ministers approved further specific measures to progress the all-

island approach relating to Aujesz- ky’s Disease in pigs, and, in conjunc- tion with respective food safety and standard agencies, consideration of the hygiene package with respect to the transmission of food chain infor- mation with animals going to slaugh- ter and of the feasibility and priority of an all island approach relating to Trichinella in pigs.

The council discussed an innova- tive and strategic approach to col- laboration and co-operation on rural development programmes aimed at fostering improved community rela- tions in remote rural areas and com- plementing the economic regenera- tion of disadvantaged cross-border regions.

In relation to the EU Programmes, the ministers noted the development of proposals for a Rural Enabler

Project for submission to the PEACE II] Programme. This project aims to bring together rural people from both traditions and migrants to in- crease understanding and to work to address issues of sectarianism and racism in a rural context. Meanwhile, northern and southern hill farmers meet last week to dis- cuss to discuss a united approach to property rights and protection.