Tag Archives: Alan O’Callaghan

RATIONING of home heating oil and agri-diesel, as well as spiralling costs, are causing considerable anxiety according to Councillor Alan O’Callaghan. The Kilmurry man, who runs a busy fuel supply company, said that while home heating oil is limited to 500 litres, on Friday of last week, the price for that was more than €800. With price volatility prompted by the global economic fallout from the war Ukraine, there are no guarantees that prices will stabilise any time soon. For those using agri-diesel, rationing, costs and fuel quality are looming problems.  “These are times that we’ve never witnessed before,” the Fianna Fáil member said. “Prices might have been fluctuating a few cents over a couple of days, now they’re moving ten cents a day. It’s a very volatile market right now. For the supplier, the buyer and the distributor, it’s the luck of the draw. I delivered kerosene to a house on a Monday and, if that man had got …

THE occupants of an illegal encampment in Sixmilebridge train station car park are now using this location for their postal address, a local councillor has claimed. Councillor Alan O’Callaghan said it is “shocking” the occupants of this encampment can use the car park as a location to receive their post. “If I drove into Limerick Train Station and left my car overnight without paying parking charges, my car would be impounded and taken away, with a huge fine to pay to get it back. Maybe, the law needs to be changed. The Fianna Fáil Councillor told a Joint Policing Committee meeting on Tuesday there is a lot of frustration over the length of time it is taking to remove this illegal encampment of three caravans, considering it was quickly moved out of Shannon last January. He recalled the occupants of the encampment originally tried to move on to the car park in the Twelve O’Clock Hills, but decided to go …

THE new Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District is Fianna Fáil’s Pat Hayes. The Caher-based councillor took over the role from Pat Burke of Whitegate who has held the role for two consecutive terms. Councillor Hayes was nominated on Monday at the AGM of the district by Councillor Alan O’Callaghan and seconded by Councillor Tony O’Brien. Taking over the role, Councillor Hayes thanked Councillor Burke for his work for the last two years. He also outlined his priorities for the year ahead, including furthering projects like the Killaloe Bypass and Inis Cealtra. “We have many plans in the pipeline in this district,” he noted. “What I want to see now is delivery.” Director of Services Ann Haugh thanked Councillor Burke and welcomed Councillor Hayes to his new role. “I have no doubt but that you’ll keep us on our toes,” she said. The new Leas Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District is Councillor Joe Cooney of Fine Gael.

CONCERN has been expressed that the use of cocaine is back on the rise, with one county councillor describing it as “rampant”. Councillor Alan O’Callaghan highlighted the issue, advising the committee that he is aware of open cocaine use, particularly over the Christmas period. “It seems to be rampant and being publicly used, with people taking it off the back of a phone in the back of a smoking area. It is frightening to see it being used,” he said. Responding to the concern, Chief Superintendent John Kerin said, “Drugs are a fact of life; they are commonplace in every town and village”. He reminded the committee that this is an illegal activity and if people are aware that it is happening in pubs, they should bring it to the attention of the gardaí. “We do have undercover gardaí and if there is drug activity in pubs, we would be delighted to address the issue. It does not get immediate …

Care County Council could end up with “roads up in the clouds”, if it continues to raise roads affected by flooding, instead of looking at drainage alternatives, a local councillor has claimed. Flood remedial works on the outskirts of Newmarket-on-Fergus have created problems in other areas in the locality, according to Councillor Alan O’Callaghan. Councillor O’Callaghan told  a recent Killaloe Municipal District meeting that in the region of €300,000 was spent on raising a road in Ballycar to facilitate access for a number of houses, which the householders really appreciated. However, he pointed out that this road was still blocked with water 100 yards further on, which resulted in another portion being raised on two successive occasions. “While works needed to be done on these roads, the bigger picture here is drainage. Or are we going to end up with roads up in the clouds? “Eighty percent of the water could be alleviated, if drains and culverts were being opened. …

GOVERNMENT and development agencies have been urged to assist East Clare workers who will be laid off when a local company winds down its operation. The worst fears about the future of L3 Communications ESSCO Collins Limited, Enagh, Kilkishen, were realised last week when employees were informed the plant will close by June, with the loss of an estimated 30 full-time and part-time jobs. Speculation about the future of the plant, which manufactures radar systems and equipment, intensified in the run up to Christmas and workers were hit with the devastating news about its closure on Thursday last. It is understood that chief executives from the head office in the United States will visit the plant next Monday to continue negotiations with employees. Describing the closure as a “huge blow”, Councillor Alan O’Callaghan has called on State agencies involved in job creation, especially Enterprise Ireland, to assist the company to try and sell the business as a going concern, or …

THE new six seat Killaloe Electoral Area has seen two changes to the current makeup with the election of one newcomer, Kilmurry man Alan O’Callaghan (FF), and the return of Killaloe’s Tony O’Brien (FF). The four returning for a consecutive term are O’Callaghan’s Mills man Joe Cooney (FG), Pat Hayes (FF), Michael Begley (NP), and Pat Burke (FG). Alan O’Callaghan’s election came as a surprise to many as it was expected that former county councillor Colm Wiley’s son Liam Wiley would take the surplus Fianna Fáil vote in the region. However, the Kilmurry man netted 140 more first preference votes than Liam Wiley. Although both continued to climb the story was all but told when the majority of Niamh O’Brien’s (FN) votes were distributed in the fifth count to O’Callaghan. At this stage the Kilmurry man had 1,100 votes, and Liam Wiley had 958. Commenting on his performance, newly elected Councillor O’Callaghan said, “I didnt think it would go on …