The Clare People Archive

A NEW Dairy Consultative Com- mittee is to be set up to help Ireland avoid a farming meltdown, following next year’s CAP Health Check and WTO talks.

The forum, which will comprise in- terested parties from within the sec- tor, was announced my the Minister for Agriculture, Mary Coughlan, at last week’s National Dairy Forum and will assist her in the evaluation of policy proposals ahead of the OEE Nee

Minister Coughlan will shortly an- nounce membership of the Consulta- tive Committee. “I am affording the sector as a whole the opportunity to

contribute to an all inclusive indus- try-wide perspective on the future policy and growth strategy for the dairy industry,’ she said.

Speaking after the Forum, Minis- ter Coughlan added that discussions were wide-ranging including the current market situation and the op- portunities and challenges that sus- tained market buoyancy will bring.

Discussions included the WTO and CAP Health Check and, in particu- lar, their implications for competi- tiveness at farm and factory level.

Minister Coughlan observed that there was a great sense of optimism amongst the participants about the future of the dairy sector and a great deal of confidence that current mar-

ket buoyancy would continue for the foreseeable future.

In this context, there was general agreement that the Irish dairy sector should take full advantage of the op- portunities that will arise to expand market opportunities.

“In the light of forecast growth in world market demand, the sector needs to adopt appropriate market- ing strategies that would best secure a growing share of international markets,’ she said.

“The general mood of confidence was tempered by concerns that com- placency might prevent the sector reaching its full growth potential. In this regard issues relating to com- petitiveness at both farm and fac-

tory level were identified including the need to expand production and processing potential in order to meet the growing demand for dairy prod- ucts in the EU and worldwide.”

According to the Minister there was a Shared view that any WTO agree- ment must be balanced and there should be parallel progress across all three pillars of the agriculture sector. ‘The period ahead and the decisions we take will have a lasting impact on the Irish dairy sector and this Fo- rum has started a process that will result in the development of a policy framework to build on the success of the sector and enable the industry here in Ireland reach its maximum potential,” she said.

AS THE new Killanin stand opens for the first time this week to accom- modate over 7,000 racing enthusi- asts, it incurs memories of that fa- mous day when the Pope came to the Ballybrit racecourse on September 30, 1979. The new €22 million stand is a state of the art work of modern architecture which provides bar, res- taurant, lavish seating arrangements and countless hospitality suites but this is in stark contrast to the servic- es provided to the estimated 280,000 people who travelled far and wide to see Pope John Paul II.

For the three day duration of his stay, the country came to a veritable standstill. Traffic was chaotic, busi- nesses were shut down, families were gathered and surrounding buildings got a lick of paint as hundreds of thousands flocked to Dublin, Droge- da, Clonmacnoise, Galway, Knock, Maynooth, Limerick and Shannon airport to welcome the Catholic church’s highest figure in what was a whistle stop tour of Ireland.

He arrived in Ballybrit racecourse on the morning of September 30 to a crowd estimated at under 300,000. Flags, banners and umbrellas were all being sold by the clued in en- trepreneurs en route to the famous arena which was stewarded by 4,000 volunteers. It was a dreary, damp day but the entusiastic crowd were enter- tained by the pope’s support act, Fr.

Michael Cleary and Bishop Eamon Casey the singing duo who belted out such classics as “by the rivers of Babylon” among others in a scene which possibly would not have been out of place in Father Ted.

Such was the atmosphere as his holi- ness appeared on stage that the crowd began to chant “he’s got the whole world in his hands” before the pope began to address the eager masses. A spiritual silence fell on the crowd as the pontiff began to say mass. Dur- ing the ceremony, he relayed his messages of reassurance and hope to the youth of Ireland. “This morning the Pope belongs to the youth of Ire- land. I believe in youth with all my heart and strength of my conviction, and today I say: I believe in the youth of Ireland. Young people of Ireland, I love you.”

He also insisted that the ‘lure of pleasure’ would be strong and the ‘desire to be free from external re- straints may manifest itself very strongly in the sexual domain. How many young people have already warped their consciences and have substituted the true joy of life with drugs, sex, alcohol, vandalism and the empty pursuit of mere mate- rial possessions?” Prophetic stuff indeed.

The county had or will never see anything like this ceremony again. It was a momentous occasion which probably will never be equaled but will be forever remembered.

that landowners would be compen- sated for any delays in resolving cas-

es and that efforts were being made to speed up the process.

“In the event that agreement can- not be reached on the compensation to be paid, the landowners or the local authority may refer the claim for non-binding assessment under the 2001 agreement and look to the Statutory Arbitrator whose decision is final and binding,” he said.

“The local authority is entitled to enter onto the land following service of the Notice To Treat and subse- quent Notice of Entry on the expira- tion of 14 days notice. Once the local authority has entered onto land, in- terest on the eventual compensation

becomes payable.

This provision is designed to pro- tect the landowner’s interest. The longer cases take to settle, the more money will be paid as interest, there- by giving the local authority a pow- erful incentive to deal with cases as quickly as possible.”

The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) had stated their wish for a defi- nite time structure to be put in place for disputes to be resolved. The NRA have agreed to work towards this.

“The NRA has proposed the intro- duction of a clear timetable for all stages of the process in an effort to resolve outstanding compensation

claims more quickly and make pay- ments to landowners. The authority has allocated funding to Clare Coun- ty Council to meet such payments.

“Land values are assessed having regard to comparable land sales in the area – the local authority adopts an open and transparent approach to the comparable used and makes the information concerned available to valuers acting for landowners,” said Mr Fagan.

In addition to the cost of the land, compensation can also be paid to landowners for any disturbance or injurious that emerge as a result of O OKs

CLARE is quickly becoming one of the most cosmopolitan counties in Ireland with the latest figures show- ing that 44 per cent of people living in Clare have been born outside the county.

The latest census figures show that out of the 2006 population of 108,760, 47,339 people were born

outside Clare with 16,102 of that fig- ure born outside Ireland.

The trend of people born outside Clare living in the county is also an upward one.

The 1991 census recorded 36 per cent of the population coming from outside Clare. In 2002 that increased to 39 per cent. In four years this in- creased by five per cent.

The Clare figure is well ahead of

statistics for the same group in Mun- ster counties. The figures show that only 29 per cent of Limerick resi- dents have been born outside Limer- ick, 32 per cent of Kerry residents, 24 per cent of Cork residents and 36 per cent of Tipperary North residents. Underlining the changing face of Clare, there are now more Poles in the county than Africans, with 1,381 Polish-born people compared to

1,155 African born.

The figures also show that there are more than double the number of residents from the EU accession countries in Clare than citizens from the original EU 15. Accession state citizens in the county number 2,421 while those of the EU 15 total 1,204.

The highest proportion of non-Irish nationals in Clare remains people from England and Wales who ac- count for 6,889 of the population. There are 582 people from the United States, 667 from Asia and 603 who are included in the “other category”. Within the Asian category there are 211 Chinese.

The census shows that there was net migration of 4,169 into Clare during the 2002-06 period.

Underlining the growing cosmo- politan nature of Ennis and Shannon, the figures show that of the 23,101 population in Ennis, 10,456 of the residents have been born outside of ET

The figures show that there are 1,128 residents in Ennis born in the EU accession countries. In Shannon, the figures show that the town has a population of 8,942 with 5,765 not born in Clare.

The figures for Ennis and Shannon are in contrast to Kilrush. The figures show that of the 2,569 population of the west Clare town, 1,804 have been born in Clare.

THE findings of a major new study looking at the experiences of ethnic minorities living in Ennis will be published in September.

The study is a joint project car- ried out between the Department of Politics and Public Administration at University of Limerick and Ennis Community Development Project (CDP). It is the first time that such extensive research has been conduct- ed outside of Dublin.

The study will focus on the expe- riences of members of the Traveller community and asylum seekers. It looks at the issue of discrimination and the experiences both groups have had when dealing with the pub- lic services.

The study is now in the final stages and the findings are due to be pub- lished in September.

Professor Tom Lodge and Dr Mau- ra Adshed of the University of Lim- erick are spearheading the project.

Professor Lodge is a_ professor

of peace and conflict studies in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Limerick. Dr Maura Adshed 1s a lec- turer at the same department.

As well as contributing to broader international and comparative re- search mapping rights and discrimi- nation across Europe, it is intended the project will pilot partnership ap- proaches to public policy research that actively seeks out the participa- tion and involvement of community groups and individuals.

Members of both communities eulded by UL and Ennis CDP com- piled the data.

From the communities perspective the project will seek to enable full participation in policy analysis of services that affect them and provide a record of the communities’ present experiences of public services. It will also identify barriers to people’s ac- cess to public services.

The type of formal and informal supports the communities receive will also be identified.

MACRA na Feirme National Presi- dent, Catherine Buckley, is pushing for an annual increase of 5 per cent in Ireland’s national quota, to be al- located to new and recent entrants to dairying.

Buckley, who has become the first ever female president of the Young Farmers Organisation, feels that a radical shake up in the system is needed to attract more young farm- ers into the sector. “If we are to at-

tract young people into the industry we need radical changes.

“The targeting of an increased quota to new and recent entrants is required to allow the farmers who are the future of the dairy industry to rapidly expand their businesses in the years ahead and to prepare for an environment where we will no longer have milk quotas,” she said.

“This additional quota would be purely a license to produce rather than an asset and the quota should be allocated nationally and completely

separately from the milk quota ex- change.”

Ireland currently has a competitive advantage in dairying and Buck- ley has called on the Department of Agriculture to effect change and restructure the dairy industry before the abolition of milk quotas.

“Dairy farming is a very labour intensive and tying occupation and young people must see the prospect of proper rewards for their time if they are to commit themselves to the Sector,” she said.

“Under Social Partnership, the Government is committed to fa- cilitating and promoting farm part- nerships. In this context, the Gov- ernment must ensure that, where practicable, schemes and rules shall act to encourage and promote farm- ing in partnership in the interests of efficiency and competitiveness.”

Macra believe more steps to en- courage partnerships, including the introduction of an individual limit for young farmers in New Entrant Parent Partnerships are required.

EUROPEAN Ombudsman, Niki- foros Diamandouros, looks set to spend a lot of time in Ireland over the next few months, as it was revealed last week that at least three Irish Farming Organisation have lodged official complaints with his office. The ICMSA and Farmers for Fair- ness in Europe (FFE), lodged a join complaint with the Ombudsman, tar- geting both the European Commis- sion and the Council of the European Union on grounds of maladministra- tion by failing to ban Brazilian beef imports. The complaint, which was drawn up in ICMSA Head Office, centres on what ICMSA President, Jackie Cahill, has described as ‘the

incontrovertible evidence’ that the failure to ban beef imports from Bra- Zil is in breach of EC law.

“We think we have identified the Commission’s vulnerable spot on this issue, which infuriates us all. The European Ombudsman _ func- tions in a similar way to the ombuds- men in member states – he must now undertake a full investigation of all the trails and reports drawn up by the Commission — including any that are as yet unpublished. He must then present his report with recommenda- tions to the European Parliament”, said Mr. Cahill.

The complaint is to be issued in the name of FFE and the presidents of the 12 associated farm organiza- tions, and according to Mr. Cahill the

‘wriggle-room’ that the Commission have been using on the issue of Bra- Zilian beef will be severely circum- scribed by the formal complaint.”

The formal complaint is a double- Whammy in that the ICMSA/FFE complaint will also argue that the maladministration on the question of Brazilian imports coupled with the onerous regulations imposed on na- tive European beef farmers amounts to an infringement of the rights of those farmers as European citizens as established and guaranteed by the European Court of Justice under the Treaty that established the European Community.

As a part of the FFE, the ICSA has also echoed the dissatisfaction of the ICMSA with the situation surround-

ing Brazilian beef. “The Commis- sion 1s failing in its legal duty to EU citizens by continuing to allow beef imports from Brazil,’ said ICSA President Malcolm Thompson.

“The combined efforts of the or- ganisations within the FFE are tar- geted at forcing the Commission to act on the clear veterinary evidence and other information collected by the Food and Veterinary Office of the European Union arising from nu- merous official missions undertaken by that office.

In addition, FFE is confident that the Ombudsman will have to factor- in to his deliberations the complete ban on Brazilian beef imports oper- ated by both the US and Australia,” stated Mr. Thompson.

THE recently elected president of Shannon and District Lions Club has said he would like to see more peo- ple join the organisation stating that the work the club does is as vital as ever to local communities.

Councillor Gerry Flynn’s transi- tion to the position of president has not been an easy one following a re- cent family tragedy which forced the cancellation of his formal appoint- ment on President’s Night as a mark of respect. Gerry’s work as president and the work of the club have how- ever continued.

‘There is a popular misconception that Lions Clubs are elitist and some sort of boys clubs. This is a long way from the truth. We have people from various walks of life in the club and I would love to see many more. There are about 12 of us but I would prefer to see 30. The work is very reward- ing and there is also the social side to the club,” Gerry Flynn said.

‘We have a busy calendar of events already planned for the coming year starting with a golf classic in Octo- ber. We will have our annual Christ- mas food appeal and many other events during the year. The food ap- peal is certainly one of our biggest

and most important events especially at Christmas time,’ he added.

“One thing people may not be aware of is that every single penny collected goes to charity. Not a pen- ny is spent on club administration, that is all paid for by the members. Everything we collect goes to the respective charities and we are very proud of that.”

“It has to be said that there are a lot more areas of society not just the poor who are struggling. We do our best for everyone we can but for dif- ferent reasons, and people might not realise this, even middle-class people are struggling in a way. An obvious

example would be a person requir- ing a wheelchair and because of all the bureaucracy in the HSE, they are waiting for months and months. In the Lions Club, we have purchased and provided wheelchairs for people who need them,” he explained.

“There is a huge deficit in this area. It is a strange thing but poorer people appear to be better catered for than some others. What we try to do is pick up the slack where we can,” he added.

Gerry Flynn has asked anyone in- terested in joining the Shannon and District Lions Club to contact him on 087 2188654.

THE developers of a proposed €1m crematorium in Shannon have resub- mitted their planning application for the project to Clare County Council after withdrawing it at the last minute late last year.

Clare County Council was expect- ed to decide last November whether it would grant permission for the construction of what would have been Ireland’s only crematorium outside of Dublin. A similar facility has since opened in Cork however. The original decision on the future of the development was due on Au- gust 2 last, however just a day earlier the developers were granted a four month extension to their planning application.

At the time, a spokesman for II- launamanagh Ltd said they sought

the extension because they “wished to address some issues raised by the Local Authority”. Clare County Council granted the extension at the time and was due to deliver its deci- sion in November.

At the last minute however, II- launamanagh Ltd withdrew the ap- plication altogether because they required further time to gather other information, including a consultant’s report concerning environment is- sues which was also sought by the council.

IIlaunamanagh Ltd comprises of two local businessmen, former Clare County Councillor Tony McMahon and existing Shannon Town Coun- cillor Sean Hillery.

Company Director Sean Hillery has now confirmed, “The council had been looking for a consultants report on environmental issues re-

lating to the development. We have now resubmitted our application along with the consultants report and we are confident that all the I’s have been dotted and the t’s crossed and that the local authority now has all the information it requires.”

“All we can do now is wait for the decision but I believe that we have allayed all of the fears and concerns of the local community,’ Mr Hillery Sr HLGe

The proposed development, which has been designed by the company that drafted the plans for Newlands Cross Crematorium in Dublin, will be located beside I[llaunamanagh cemetery in Shannon and will com- prise a 12-tonne crematorium unit and furnace. The plans also include a multi-denominational chapel and a garden of remembrance surrounded by an ornate wall where family mem-

bers can enter the cremated remains of their loved ones.

The project has received the full backing of the Parish Priest of Shan- non. Fr Tom Ryan has already stated, “This is something I have welcomed from the very beginning and advo- cated for Shannon since I arrived here as a curate in 1992. From a Catholic perspective, cremation is very acceptable as our understand- ing of death and grief has evolved over the years.”

Mr McMahon, who is also a well- known local undertaker with funeral homes in Shannon, Sixmilebridge and Blackwater, has described the public reaction to the proposed cre- matorium as ‘very positive’.

Councillor Hillery has said the crematorium project is a long-term investment for the people of Munster and surrounding areas.

THE streets of Ennistymon and DFNev tele oMmsU0 Mm olommbecDencycoywee lore mBnelKOmre| movie set next month as shooting be- gins on a new project by acclaimed local filmmaker, Fergus Tigue.

The film, which is entitled Sea- side Stories, combines the skills of a number of professionals based in Clare and Dublin with a group of young and talented local actors.

Seaside Stories is set in a coastal Irish town and tells the entwined sto- ries of a number of the local inhabit- ants.

Many of the younger actors became involved in the film after taking part in a series of open workshop hosted by Fergus earlier this year.

Written by Fergus, the story has evolved through these workshops as well as through improvised rehears- als held with the actors and could now develop into a three film series.

“The improvisation and the work- shops is beginning to feed the writ- ing that I am doing. The ideas are really coming from the people I am working with. As soon as you start delving into things, people start tell- ing you stories,” he said.

“T would like to evolve some sort of an operation out of this where-by we continue to run the workshops right the way through the winter. It’s not just about making film, it’s about hu- man development. You give the kids skills that will help them in life and you give them a sort of self aware-

ea

Talented youngsters Aileen Mur- phy, Maura Garrihy, Evan Philips, Caolainn O’Dwyer and Fionn Burke will join local professionals Gerry Howard, Michael Canavan and Ber- nard Dowd alongside a number of Dublin based actors in the produc- nee

Fergus is based at the Courthouse Gallery in Ennistymon where he shares studio space with a number of other artists. One of these artists, Sara Faust, is producing Seaside Sto- ries.

“[’m going a lot of work on the practical side of the production, keeping an eye of things for the crea- tive team,” she said.

‘Fergus has a system in place where

everyone in the team gets to contrib- ute to the creative process. So I have my input on how things seem to me script-wise or in those sorts of areas. And I’m sure I’ll be having my two cents worth here and there.”

Shooting for Seaside Stories will take place in a number of locations around Lahinch, Liscannor and En- nistymon from August 12 to August WF