The Clare People Archive

STUDENTS at St Anne’s school in Ennis did their bit for People in Need on Friday when they took part in a sponsored walk.

63 pupils participated in the walk which took place at Lees Road, help- ing to collect €3,225 in the process.

St Anne’s is a recognised school, which enrolls pupils from age four to 18.

The school caters for pupils with mild general disabilities and also students with more complex learn- ing needs. St Anne’s is financed by the Department of Education and Noto een

The broad range of learning the school provides is tailored to meet the individual needs and each pupil in the school has an individual edu- cation plan.

In this way, the many services the school provides such as music therapy, wood technology, aquatics, horse-riding and cookery, can be harnessed to provide as broad a cur- riculum and learning experience as possible for all pupils.

As they progress through junior and senior cycle at post primary lev- el, St Anne’s students have received FETAC awards with some going on to take exams in Junior and Leaving Certificate applied.

Recently appointed principal Sarah Barnes said the school was eager to give back after benefiting from gen- erous contributions from People in Need in the past.

‘We have a fantastic staff and won- derful pupils in here at St Anne’s. I know that the school has benefited generously from People in Need in the past. But this year it’s our turn to change things around and give something back. A sponsored walk was organised and all the pupils participated in this. On the day of the walk 63 pupils collected €3,225 with more to come.”

The sponsored walk was one of nu- merous events organized in Ennis for

People in Need.

The Clare Branch of Network Ire- land organized a cocktail event for People In Need on Friday in Rogue’s Bar & Restaurant, Ennis. The Lif- ford bar hosted a slave auction.

Coffee mornings were held in Clarecare and the Chapel Lane com- munity centre while students at St Claire’s school are organizing a Hal- loween sing-a-long.

A PLANNING row continues be- tween two Lahinch-based business- man over plans to extend premises in the town.

Earlier this year, plans by Olan O’Connor to extend Flanagan’s pub in Lahinch were opposed local re- tailer Pat Kenny. The plan is now before An Bord Pleanala.

Now, Mr Kenny has an application before Clare County Council to ex- tend a retail premises on the Main Street but Mr O’Connor has object- ed.

In his objection Mr O’Connor

states, “I am generally supportive of development that would add, and be beneficial, to the commercial vitality of the town centre.

“However, I have serious concerns that the development, as proposed, will have a negative impact on my property and will also constitute an inappropriate precedent for similar forms of development in the future for the centre of Lahinch.

‘“T have recently applied for permis- sion for an extension to Flanagan’s Bar. This application was granted by the council. However, it has been ap- pealed by the current applicant for a variety of reasons and the matter is

currently under the consideration of An Bord Pleanala…

“His current application is effec- tively providing 100 per cent site coverage and the envelope of the building is being provided up to the boundary with all neighbours.

“It is clear that the applicant is seek- ing to provide the maximum amount of retail floor space at this location without any recourse as to how this proposal will affect the amenities of neighbouring properties or proper re- gard given to how the retail units will function…

“Mr Kenny is now proposing to build right up to his site boundaries

and provide a two-storey building with pitched roof at a location where previously only single storey devel- opment was in place. This will un- doubtedly have an adverse impact on the amenities of adjoining proper- Hone

“The developed as proposed by Mr Kenny would clearly have an adverse impact on my property and the amenities. Again, I would like to stress that I am not anti-develop- ment but I do have grave reservations regarding the nature of the current proposal.”

A decision is due on the application later this year.

A JURY failed to reach a decision in a trial of a Kilrush man accused of push- ing a woman down the stairs at her place of work, after the defence raised an issue over the identity parade.

Patrick Hall (21), of Beech Park, Kil- rush, had denied assaulting Bernadette Adams, causing her harm, at Leahy’s accountancy office, Francis Street, Kilrush, on April 6, 2006.

Mr Hall was found not guilty by the jury of stealing her mobile phone on Wd eLomcy eH OOLemOk-I Kor

Ms Adams told Ennis Circuit Court that she was shocked to see two young men “with hoods” walking out of her office.

‘I asked them what were they doing there. I knew they weren’t there for the good of their health. I said “If you have taken something, can you please give it back’,” she said.

She said one of the assailants was small with red hair and freckles. She knew him to see from being in the shop previously.

She said she tried to push one of the men back into the office and he started to push her back.

“The two of them pushed me down the stairs. I hit my head at the bottom of the stairs. They ran off and left me. I could have been dead,” she said.

She sustained a bump to the side of the headand was treated in hospital

and later made a recovery. When she returned to her office, Ms Adams no- ticed that her mobile phone was miss- ing. The following day she _ identified Patrick Hall in an identity parade at Kilrush Garda Station.

Mr Hall’s barrister, Mark Nicholas, put it to the witness that she was mis- taken in her identification.

She replied, “I’m very happy with my identification. For months afterwards I could see his face”.

Mr Nicholas pointed out that another red-haired man, Michael Sweeney (19), of Wood Road, Kilrush, was ar- rested in connection with this incident. He pleaded guilty to a charge of as- sault and his case would be finalised at a later stage.

Mr Nicholas stressed that only two of the 10 men in the identity parade were red-haired while one had sandy hair, after Ms Adams had said the as- sailant had red hair.

‘This case against my client revolves only on the identification parade. You put six brown heads in to identify a red haired man,” he said.

Garda Donal Corkery said he inter- viewed the accused, who had denied going into the office and denied push- ing Ms Adams down the stairs.

After deliberating for over three hours, the jury indicated that it was unable to reach a verdict. Mr Hall was remanded on continuing bail. The DPP will decide if a retrial will take place.

A YOUNG man had his two front teeth knocked out when he was punched after a night

out in Ennis.

Luan Heta (36) of Ivy Hill, Ennis, was convicted of assaulting Rory Clohessy (20) in the early hours of No- vember 11, 2006.

Mr Clohessy told En- nis District Court that he saw Heta pulling a girl’s hair outside the Queen’s nightclub.

“T walked up and told him to cop himself on. He told me to r** off and he hit me to the face. My two front teeth were knocked out,” said Mr Clohessy.

Defending solicitor John Casey said his client admitted punching Mr Clohessy, but that it was in self- defence after Mr Clohessy and his

friends were “stuck in his face’’.

Heta, who is a bouncer but was not

working on the night of the assault, told the court he was “very scared”

and hit Mr Clohessy. However Inspector Tom Kennedy said, “Mr Heta, you are considerably larger than Mr _ Clohessy. Mr Clohessy is a very slight young man. It 1s incredible to suggest you were threatened by Mr Clohessy. You assaulted Mr Clohessy unprovoked.” Judge Eamonn O’Brien convicted Heta of assault. After hearing that he had two previ- ous convictions for assault, he im- posed a 12-month jail term, suspend- ed for two years. He fixed a bond in the event of an appeal.

A MAN has been convicted of ex- posing himself as he sat in his car on the outskirts of Ennis.

Patrick Nono Unshevla (39) of O’Connell Street, Ennis, was con- victed of exposing his penis in such a way as to offend modesty at Gort Road, Ennis, on September 6 last.

A 30-year-old woman told Ennis District Court last Wednesday that she was walking along with her young son at 4pm when she saw a white car parked outsider River House.

As they walked by the car she saw man who was sitting in the car with his trousers open. He had his hand down his trousers. She immediately rang Ennis Garda Station.

Defending solicitor William Cahir said his client would say he was re- siding in his car and was washing himself at the time.

‘He is homeless and he was at-

tending to his hygiene… At no stage did he expose his penis,’ said Mr Cahir.

Garda Shane O’Connell said he went to the scene. “I saw a black man sitting in the car masturbating. I asked him to step out of the car. He stepped out of the car. I noticed he had an erection,’ said the garda.

Mr Cahir said the car was parked in a “discreet” area and wasn’t on the side of a main road. He said his client “wasn’t in an aroused state”’.

Garda O’Connell replied, “I wouldn’t call it discreet. The whole road can see.”

The accused, who has lived in Ire- land for the past eight years told the court his penis was not on display when the gardai arrived.

Judge Eamonn O’Brien said he had considered the evidence. He convicted the accused and also con- victed him of engaging in threaten- ing, insulting or abusive behaviour. He fined him €200.

AN BORD Pleanala has overturned Clare County Council’s “locals only” rule to allow a German couple build anew home and organic herb farm in east Clare.

Earlier this year, the council re- fused planning permission to Tobias and Agnes Oertel to develop a herb farm and a home near Tuamgraney.

Permission was refused on the basis that the site is located in an area that is under pressure from urban devel- opment where it is council policy to limit single rural houses for perma- nent occupation of rural people with a genuine requirement for housing.

The planner’s report concluded that as the Oertels had not lived in the area for the requisite 10 years, their appli- cation could not be permitted. They had also been operating the farm at this location for a number of years without needing to live on the farm.

In their submission to the council, the Oertels stated that for the past three and a half years they found the separation of their farming work from their rented living accommo- dation increasingly difficult as the more the business developed, the more challenging their home situa- tion became.

But the council refused permis- sion on the grounds that the proposal would be contrary to proper planning as the Oertels had failed to satisfy

criteria for local rural housing need with regard to the length of time that they have resided in Tuamgraney and the small scale of the farm on which

their justification for housing need was based.

However, the appeals board over- turned the council’s decision because the applicants had demonstrated lo- cal housing need and the proposal would not constitute urban generated development. Neither would it ma- terially contravene the development plan nor would it seriously injure the amenities of the area or of property in the vicinity.

The board noted that the plan- ning authority refused permission because the proposed development would constitute a material contra- vention of the Development Plan but having regard to the provisions of the Planning and Development Act, the board considered that planning permission should be granted for the proposed development.

“In deciding not to accept the in- spector’s recommendation to refuse permission, the board considered the rural based need for a dwelling at this location had been demonstrated by the applicants in the planning ap- plication and appeal documentation, ’ the board ruling concluded.

EAST Clare firm, Finsa Forest Prod- ucts more than quadrupled its profits last year, but is facing large costs to meet new environmental require- ments at its plant.

According to accounts returned to the Companies Office, the Span- ish-owned firm recorded a profit of €601,000 last year, increasing from a €141,000 profit in 2005. The size of the company’s business increased from €35.8 million in 2005 to €39.6 million last year.

The cost of sales also increased

from €31 million to €34 million, while the company’s retained profit now stands at €4.1 million.

The principal activity of the com- pany is the sale of timber. A geo- graphical breakdown shows _ that sales of €27 million in Ireland and €12 million in the EU.

Underlining the importance of the company to the east Clare economy, the accounts show that 156 people were employed at the firm with a wage bill last year of €5.9 million.

According to the documents, “turn- over has increased considerably in 2006 to €39 million as against €35

million in 2005 due primarily to in- creases in prices during the year.

‘Margins available continue to be very tight due to supply constraints and rising fuel and electricity costs. Other factors impacting on margins are the increased cost of staff, re- CSmUNLOeatoselmrcDeOMbe-DDODeSloomeEm

“The main challenge facing the company in the immediate future will be to improve current margins.”

In relation to the company’s envi- ronmental obligations, the company is currently using an old chimney that needs to be replaced with one fitted with suitable filters to limit

emissions to levels specified in the operating licence.

The company 1s currently consid- ering a number of options identified and has submitted a preliminary re- port to the EPA.

“The technology involved is com- plex, specialised and evolving, and as aresult the company will continue to consider its options in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“Planning permission needs to be obtained for the construction of the new generator and chimney,’ the documents confirm.

ZRE Katowicz, a subcontractor that worked on the €384 million environ- mental retro-fit in Moneypoint, has been reported to the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation, following successful moves to avert industrial action at the ESB power station. Following four days of negotiations at the Labour Relations Commis- sion, an agreement was reached be- tween the ESB, its contractor Lenjtes and sub contractor ZRE Katowicz. The proposal negotiated will now be

considered and voted upon by the ag- grieved workers, which are members of the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU).

A dispute arose over pay arrears and security of employment for the 200 Polish workers employed by ZRE Katowicz, after the subcontrac- tors contract was cancelled.

The workers lost their jobs and are owed up to six weeks wages, holiday pay and payment in lieu of notice.

The TEEU said the proposed solu- tion found at the LRC goes “a sig- nificant way towards addressing the

erievances”

The main contractor at Money- point, Lentjes, has agreed to make an ex-gratia payment of €600,000 to the workers.

Under the deal ZRE Katowicz (Ire- land) has gone into liquidation. This will ensure the remaining pay owed to the workers will come from the State insolvency fund.

The workers have been given for- mal job offers with ZRE Katowicz in Poland by way of a letter signed by the company’s chairman. The com- pany will also pay for flights home.

THE future of the Clare surfing in- dustry is in jeopardy today follow- ing a landmark decision by British Airways (BA) to ban all surfboards on its flights from next Tuesday, No- vember 6.

The airline, which previously had no charge for transporting surf- boards, has decided to ban all hang gliders, windsurfing boards and sails, surfboards, kayaks and canoes from flights and concerns are now build- ing that other airlines will follow this example.

Thousands of surfers travel between the UK and Ireland to go surfing each year and local business people believe the decision will have a ma- jor impact on surfing 1n the county.

‘This could have a big effect on the surf industry in Clare. A lot of peo- ple fly from Gatwick or Heathrow in to Ireland to go surfing in Lahinch or whereever. There is an awful lot of surfing traffic back and forth be- tween Clare and Britain,” said Deb- bie Green of the Green Room Surf School in Lahinch.

‘IT don’t know what these people are

going to have to do now. They might be able to make alternative arrange- ments and maybe come by ferry but there is no guarentee that they will continue to come here.

“This decision is definitely going to affect surfers; it’s already affect- ing us. We have flights booked with BA and we are still waiting for con- firmation from them as to whether we can bring our boards or not.”

Almost 5,000 surfers, including hundreds from Ireland, have already signed an international petition re- questing that BA reverse their deci- sion. The petition, which was started by the British Surfing Association, 1s available from www.gopetition.com/ online/14891.html.

“T really can’t understand why BA is making this decision. There are lots of other airlines who charge for transporting boards; why BA has de- cided to ban them altogether is a bit beyond me,’ continued Mrs Green.

“We are going to try and do some- thing ourselves to help the situa- tion. We are looking at having more boards available for rent for people who are forced to travel without their own boards.”

IMMIGRANT workers brought into this county through rogue recruit- ment agencies are being underpaid and ripped off for accommodation.

And the practice is commonplace, according to the findings of a new report on the needs and experiences of ethnic minorities in Clare.

The report indicates that some

recruitment companies are paying their immigrant workers well below the proper rate.

Other rip-off practices include pro- viding accommodation and charg- ing far more than the workers would pay if they made their own arrange- ments.

Sky-high accommodation charges, often for sub-standard barren rooms, is deducted from the workers’ wages

so they have no opportunity to com- eenbee

Poor language skills and a lack of understanding of rights and entitle- ments leaves some groups highly vulnerable.

Polish workers are among the eth- nic groups affected by the scam and the construction industry is one area Where pockets of exploitation were sKo)bn nen