The Clare People Archive

THE number of people signing on the live register in Clare fell again in October – and now stands at its lowest level in almost five years.

Despite this good news Clare business leaders have warned that a number of leading employers in the county are still in “survival mode” and any shock to the economy could have a drastic impact on local jobs.

The total number of people signing on the live register in Clare last month was 8,947, a drop of 36 on September and the lowest on record since February of 2009. The register showed a sizable drop in the Ennis area, with Kilrush and Tulla also showing a reduction.

There were, however, 53 more people signing on in the Ennistymon area or a 4 per cent increase when compared to September 2013. This increase in understood to be as a result of the end of the tourism season, which has seen in best year in North Clare since the start of the recession.

Rita McInerney, CEO of Ennis Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the reduction but said that the emphasis should be on the number of people in employment and not the live register.

She also warned that a number of Clare businesses were still struggling to survive and that the prospect of widespread job losses could not yet be ruled out. “Businesses are in survival mode at the moment. just to survive is the new ‘doing well’ for businesses. Everyone is surviving on the edge,” she said.

“There are some green shoots but this is a dangerous time for businesses. Until we manage to get back on our feet – now is not the time for anything that increases the cost of doing business.

“We welcome the live register reduction but there should be more of an emphasis on the employment figure itself, rather than the live register. The live register is effected by people going back to college and people emigrating.”

The Ennis Chamber has warned that the upcoming harmonisation of rates between Ennis and Clare County Council could push businesses in the county town over the edge.

“The cost of doing business is difficult right now, especially in Ennis. Rates is a major issue and I know a lot of businesses in Ennis would not be able to survive a rate increase when Clare County Council and Ennis Town Council merge next year.”

GUSTS of up to 130 kilometres per hour forced the closure of the Cliffs of Moher Visitors Experience this Saturday as management deemed that it was unsafe for staff and tourists to visit the 700-foot-tall cliffs.

Hurricane force winds lashed the Clare coast on Saturday afternoon, with staff beginning the process of evacuating the world famous tourist attraction from 3pm. The facility was completely evacuated at 4.30pm and remained closed until Sunday morning – when weather conditions had improved dramatically.

This is just the sixth time in the last seven years that bad weather forced the closure of the Cliffs of Moher. The attraction has seen a marked increase in tourism number in 2013 and could be posed to break the one million tourism mark for the first time since 2007.

While the average wind speed recorded at the Cliffs was a 70 kilometers per hour or gale force winds, gusts of between 110 and 130 kilometres per hour were recorded, which qualify as storm or hurricane force winds.

“At 9.15am on Saturday morning Met Eireann issued an Orange weather warning predicting winds with mean speeds of 70 kilometres per hour with gusts of between 110 and 130 kilometres per hour,” said Cliffs of Moher director Katherine Webster yesterday.

“Warning signs were erected at the Cliffs, warning visitors to proceed with caution as conditions were hazardous. Around lunchtime conditions deteriorated rapidly and new signs were put up warning visitors not to proceed as conditions were too dangerous to visit the Cliffs.

“Soon after 3pm in worsening conditions the manager on duty took the decision to close the centre and assist visitors who were still onsite to leave the site safely. AA Roadwatch was advised and booked groups were also notified. “The last staff left site at approximately 4.45pm on Saturday. On Sunday, conditions had improved and the visitor centre opened as normal at 9am.”

Management at the cliffs employ a flag system to warm visitors of danger. A white flag signaling dangerous weather is is flown when winds in excess of 30 km per hour are recorded.

When winds of more than 50 kilometres per hour are recorded visitors are advised not to venture onto the cliff walks. Winds of more than 100 kilometres per hours trigger the cliffs “Red Protocol” which entails the evacuation all staff and visitors.

THE Clare All-Ireland Hurling win continues to have a profound affects on the psyche of the county and may even lead to a new baby boom a leading psychiatrist has predicted.

With this in mind it is anticipated there will be a lot of Clare babies born in June and July of 2014!

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Moosajee Bhamjee said that following the 1995 win there was an increase in the number of babies born in the county, and now wonders if 2014 will see an increase in the number of infants in saffron and blue baby-grows.

The Ennis-based psychiatrist is confident that the win has had a huge impact on the mental health of the county and he even draws on the winning experience to help his patients. The psychiatrist has even suggested using the team as an example while talking to patients in therapy sessions.

Dr Bhamjee made particular reference to the equalising point by Domhnall O’Donovan in the first All Ireland to ensure a draw and a replay.

“You can use it in therapy to have a never give up approach.

“It can be used as an example for people. You know we can sometimes give in too easy, in life we get fed up and things like that, but now we can turn round and say;

‘Remember O’Donovan’s point and the team never gave up’,” he said.

IT IS likely to be a tale of two very different meetings when Fine Gael holds its Shannon and West Clare section conventions next week.

There are just two nominees for the Shannon Selection Convention to be held on Monday, with Clare county councillors John Crowe and Sean McLoughlin nominated to go before the members.

With just two candidates before the convention, it is likely they will be automatically added to the ticket to contest the 2014 Local Election in the six-seater constituency.

It is not clear as yet how many people if any will be added to the ticket after the convention, as the directive from the party headquarters has yet to be received.

West Clare is likely to be a livelier convention however with seven nominees to go before convention.

Clare county councillor Bill Slattery is the only candidate from the north of the constituency to be nominated, with the majority of candidates coming from the old Kilrush Electoral Area.

There are two nominees from the town of Kilrush in the form of Kilrush town councillors Marian McMahon Jones and Ian Lynch.

The other Fine Gael town councillor, Cllr Liam Williams, was not among the nominees.

West of Kilrush there are a further two nominees, as Clare county councillor Gabriel Keating and Kilkee town mayor Paddy Collins have been nominated.

No other Fine Gael member of the Kilkee Town Council is to contest the convention.

Cllr Oliver Garry from the Kildysert area has also been nominated to go before the delegates for selection on Friday night week, as has newcomer Johnny Pilkington.

From Cree, Johnny is a prominent member of young Fine Gael and is the son of former constituency chairman and director of elections for Fine Gael Dick Pilkington.

There are no indications how many candidates the party will run in the geographically expansive eightseater constituency that takes in the current Kilrush Electoral Area and a significant part of the Ennistymon Electoral Area.

DURING the Fine Gael selection convention for the Ennis Municipal Area at the Auburn Lodge Hotel, a councillor of almost three decades retired, leaving way on the ticket for the youngest local election candidate to date.

Five Fine Gael candidates in total were selected to contest the eightseater constituency in the 2014 Local Elections, with no decision yet if another candidate is to be added.

Former Deputy Mayor Cllr Sonny Scanlon announced his retirement from the council and withdrew his nomination at the convention, as three other sitting county council- lors were returned to contest the first ever election for the new look local authority.

Cllr Paul Murphy, Cllr Johnny Flynn, and Cllr Tony Mulqueen were nominated and selected, along with Ennis town councillor Mary Howard and newcomer to elected politics 23year-old Cillian Griffey.

The Michael Howard Ennis Branch of Fine Gael nominated Cllr Johnny Flynn, Cllr Tony Mulqueen and Cllr Mary Howard. Cllr Paul Murphy was nominated by the Clarecastle/Ballyea branch and election newcomer, Cillian Griffey was nominated by the Barefield and Quin Fine Gael Branches as well as the Clare Young Fine Gael branch.

There were no other nominations on the night. Fine Gael Party Headquarters had directed that five candidates would be selected for the Ennis area which meant no vote would have to take place and all five remaining nominees were selected to run in the new Ennis area.

The guest chairperson for the Ennis convention was Senator Hildegarde Naughton from Galway.

CILLIAN Griffey is the youngest candidate in the country so far nominated to contest the local elections.

The Fine Gael young gun will run for the first time ever in the Ennis Municipal Area alongside four more seasoned campaigners.

Putting his name forward to seek a place on the Fine Gael ticket did not come easy for the 23 year-old from Ballymaley.

“It wasn’t an easy decision to make but I am passionate about the party and about the community I want to represent,” he said.

“Recent events have shown us all that we need to fight for our nation’s future. I, like you all, am angered and sickened by the plight of unemployment and emigration. My single resolve is to contribute to the re-energising of the values and passion for public service that our party stands for.

“I joined the party in 2005 when I thought we needed a change. The Government was getting stale. I felt there were not enough young people in politics. By me doing this I hope to encourage more young people,” he told The Clare People .

From a farming family he was instrumental in setting up the Ennis Macra na Feirme branch, as well as extending the Young Fine Gael East Clare Branch to include the whole county.

The business support manager at HR Locker in Lahinch has no illusions about how difficult it will be to complete in an election as the new kid on the block.

“I am realistic. As I am not as well known I need a bit of a head start,” he said.

The Doora Barefield clubman is also secretary of the Ballyalla Lake Working Group and has volunteered with the Clarecare Homework Club.

OLDER Clare farmers are facing fresh banking difficulty this winter with the news that ACC Bank is to close all its branches and switch to online-only banking.

The bank, which lends primarily to farmers and small businesses, said in a statement that its agri-division will continue to be a regulated entity and will support its customers in the farming sector.

With the average age of a Clare farmer now 55, fears have been expressed that many of the county’s farmers may not be technologyminded enough to access their accounts and may be forced to transfer loans to other lenders and a higher interest rate.

While many Clare farmers look to have dodged a second successive winter fodder shortage following the longer than expected summer, many farmers could still find themselves in need to credit to purchase feed if we get a repeat of this year’s poor spring in 2014.

Clare ICMSA chairman Martin McMahon said the announcement will cause “huge difficulties” for older Clare farmers and will also increase rural isolation.

“This is another example of rural life being eroded away. A lot of Clare farmers, especially the older ones, just won’t be able to switch to online banking. When your age profile of farmers in Clare this is going to create a lot of difficulty,” said the O’Callaghan’s Mills farmer.

“It’s okay for the younger generation. But the older farmers will have no choice but to move their accounts if they can. If they have loans, their interests rates will certainly go up. Some farmers might not be able to transfer their loans to other banks and I’m not sure what they will do,” he said.

“Thankfully the worst of the fodder crisis may be behind us. But if we have another late summer next year then farmers will be looking for credit with banks to buy feed. Who knows how this change with ACC Bank will affect this,” the chairman added.

THE Irish asylum system treats emigrants like “prisoners” and is need of urgent reform. That is the opinion of North Clare Senator and Fine Gael spokesperson on Justice in the Seanad, Martin Conway, who visited two direct provision centres last week. Conway, who is also heading up Seanad group of reform of the Irish asylum system, believes that delays in the speed at which applications are processed is creating major difficulties for asylum seekers and increasing costs for the State. “I found that the management in the centres were doing their best to deal with problems as they arose and the residents said that they felt like they were in jail. There could be six residents in one room in these facilities and eventually, living like that, they become worn down,” he said. “Their big issue is that they don’t know the length of time they will spend in the facility. Some of them could be there waiting for 10 years before their cases to be heard and that is not acceptable.” The cost of providing direct provision centres for asylum seekers in Ireland is drastically higher than in it in many of our EU neighbours. The Portuguese system costs just over € 1 million to run each year compared to € 55 million in Ireland. “While the Portuguese system is not perfect, the big difference between here [Ireland] and Portugal is that the most a person will be kept is a centre over there is six to 12 months, while in Ireland people are kept for anything up to ten years before their case is heard. “We need to get our act together on this issue. Million of Irish people have emigrated over the years, some were treated appallingly and other were treated very well. As a country with this history we need to do the right thing for the people who come into this country, especially asylum seekers. “If the system worked better and quicker it would certainly be cheaper. No one seems to be happy with the system. There is a better way of managing this situation and I think we have a duty of care to people which is not being met in this system.”

A NORTH Clare student, whose third-level education was put in jeopardy because of changes to the student grants system, received the Dean’s Award when she graduated from NUI Galway last week.

Ballyvaughan student, Medb McCarthy, was one of three students used by the Union of Students of Ireland (USI) to launch a judicial review into changes made in the qualification criteria for the Non-Adjacent Maintenance Grant last year.

The review, which has still to be ruled on by the Supreme Court, is based around an increase in the distance from a third-level institution that a student has to live before they are classified as “non-adjacent”.

It meant that even though Medb lived outside Ballyvaughan, with no realistic opportunity to commute to or from college in Galway, she was still considered an “adjacent” or local student when it came to her grants payments.

“It was very difficult in final year. I managed to find accommodation in Galway that wasn’t expensive but it certainly wasn’t easy getting by in that last year. If it wasn’t for my parents I would have been able to afford it. There is doubt about that,” she said.

“I didn’t work [outside of college] in my final year. I knew a lot of people who worked in their final year and it really effected their results and I didn’t want that to happen to me.”

Medb was awarded the the Dean’s Award, which goes to this highest achieving student in each course, jointly with Eric Brockie. The pair received the award in the subject of Information Technology, after they designed an educational children’s computer game based on Homer’s Odyssey.

“We wanted to make a game for kids. I have a niece and nephew who are three and six years old and I know that age group well. I also studied Classics and for that reason I decided to loosely base the game on the Odyssey,” continued Medb.

“Eric, who made the game with me, studied Spanish so we also made a Spanish language version of the game. It was a lot of work but great fun too.”

HALLOWEEN bonfires should not be seen as a novel way of disposing of waste, and Clare’s local authorities have warned that unauthorized bonfires are illegal.

Clare County Fire and Rescue Service said that last year it attended 10 bonfires at a cost of € 11,826 to the taxpayer.

Substantial costs are incurred each Halloween in responding to bonfirerelated incidents, as well as cleaning up after bonfires have taken place.

In the run up to this Halloween, Clare Local Authorities incorporating Clare County Council, Ennis Town Council, Kilrush Town Council, Kilkee Town Council and Shan- non Town Council are urging members of the public not to supply any waste material to persons who do not hold a valid waste collection permit.

The Environment Section of Clare County Council has warned that uncontrolled burning of waste, particularly in bonfires, is illegal under the Air Pollution Act, 1987, and The Waste Management Act, 1996, as amended.

A spokesperson said the burning of waste also releases toxic pollutants into the air which are known to be damaging to public health and the environment.

Anne Haugh, Director of Services, Clare County Council, appealed to the public to work with council staff during the forthcoming festivities.

“I wish to remind the public that there are significant risks arising from bonfires, including the illegal nature of the activity, the adverse effects on the local community and the negative impact on the general environment.”

“Bonfires are an illegal, dangerous and costly tradition,” added Adrian Kelly, Clare Chief Fire Officer.

“Bonfires are often built close to houses and other property presenting risks to personal safety and property. Halloween is one the busiest times of the year for the fire services and responding to bonfire call outs creates a strain on existing resources. I would like people to be aware of the fire safety hazards that arise from illegal bonfires, where the burning of highly combustible materials may lead to serious injuries or death,” ex- plained the fire chief.

Meanwhile, the Fire Service is also advising members of public not to buy, use or supply fireworks.

Mr Kelly noted that illegal fireworks may be manufactured without safety standards and can cause serious damage to users, particularly children.

“Parents should monitor their children and ensure they do not play with fireworks. Throughout the country, every year children end up tragically injured and often scarred for life, after using illegal fireworks.

“In the period before and during Halloween, Clare County Fire and Rescue Service will be assisted by an Garda Síochána to closely monitor the situation around the county,” Mr Kelly said.