FOR the 400 or so workers relying on a weekly pay packet from pharmaceutical giant Roche Ireland, the relief is beyond belief. On tenterhooks for the past week over employment insecurity, they can now rest easy knowing they still have a job to go to.

I resent being taken for a complete fool. They tell us the changes in constituency boundaries are about the biggest since the State was founded. They also want us to believe we are witnessing dramatic reforms in the whole electoral system.

“Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.” – Lord Polonious. Hamlet (1602)

The old French proverb Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose (the more things change, the more they stay the same) springs to mind following Councillor Peter Considine’s election as the new mayor of Ennis on Monday evening. A majority of Ennis Town councillors opted for Councillor Considine’s wealth of experience after 39 years of local government representation to steer the town authority through difficult economic times over the next 12 months.Fianna Fáil’s sole representative survived an election bid from town council poll topper Councillor Johnny Flynn (Fine Gael) by five votes to four.  Councillor Tommy Brennan (Independent), with 32 years of local government experience, was elected Deputy Mayor by the same margin after defeating Councillor Mary Howard (Fine Gael), despite a plea from Councillor Paul O’Shea for councillors to vote for “change”.Although Councillor Johnny Flynn was elected to the town council on a wave of support with an impressive 1,314 first-preference votes back in the 2009 Local Elections, …

“Hands off Ennis Town Council” was one of the key messages delivered to Environment Minister Phil Hogan by the new Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Peter Considine, following his election on Monday night.Commenting on Minister Hogan’s plans to reduce town councils, Councillor Considine argued it would be a retrograde step to abolish town authorities such as Ennis Town Council, which strikes commercial rates.Fianna Fáil’s sole representative on the town council argued that Ennis Town Council should not be abolished because it operates very efficiently and provides good value for money.Councillor Considine noted a number of local councillors had discussed this issue recently at a private meeting and had presented a strong case for the retention of Ennis Town Council.He also criticised the amount of time provided by the minister in the current consultation process and felt their response could have been more considered if they had more time. “I hope and expect Ennis Town Council will continue to play a leading …

A NEW mental health centre in Ennis is attracting huge interest from people, who need assistance with psychological problems and other issues.Volunteers at the Emotions Peer Support Centre at Clonroad, Ennis were hoping to attract about 30 people to their recent open day. However, it exceeded all expectations with 72 visitors dropping in to see what the centre has to offer.The Community Network Reconnect and Recovery group has opened the new centre to facilitate a wide range of peer support activities and workshops. It is expected the group will need to raise in the region of €25,000 to cover the annual running costs. Open Monday to Friday, from 10am to 4.30pm, there are plans to open on Saturdays.Peer support is a system of giving and receiving help founded on the key principles of respect, shared responsibility and mutual agreement of what is helpful. It offers a culture of help and ability, as opposed to a culture of illness and disability. …

ENNIS town’s sporting and leisure infrastructure received another boost with the sod-turning at Lees Road Sports and Amenity Park for the provision of new recreational equipment.Lees Road provides a range of facilities and recreational opportunities for the people of Ennis and the county. The addition of the active trail equipment will supplement and enhance the facilities already available in the park.  The outdoor equipment will incorporate exercise activities for all abilities. It can be used to aid rehabilitation from injury or ill health, as well as enhance personal fitness levels.Crawford Contracts Group Ltd will carry out the works, which are being funded by Ennis Town Council, the National Lottery and the Department of Transport and Sport. Works have commenced and will be completed by the end of June.  Mayor of Ennis Peter Considine said, “This active trail equipment will enhance the recreational opportunities for children, youths and adults in the community. I am sure many hours of fun, enjoyment and …

THIRTY new jobs will be created in Shannon when discount retailer Dealz opens its 13th store in Ireland this Thursday.Miss Clare Hazel McMahon will be on hand to kick-start the celebrations as they cut the ribbon to mark the opening of the new store in the town centre.Located at unit 40A, SkyCourt Shopping Centre, with a retail space of 6,900ft2, Dealz Shannon is the newest edition to the Dealz portfolio. The new store brings the total number of jobs created in Ireland to date to over 390.The new store is taking up the unit vacated by another discount store, BuyLo, which closed last January with the loss of 12 jobs, just seven months after the franchise model owned by the Barry Group, one of Ireland’s leading wholesale distribution companies, set up in SkyCourt.BuyLo store manager, Sean Leo confirmed at the time the decision was taken for commercial reasons and he paid tribute to his extremely dedicated staff.He said the decision …