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Tag Archives: online

‘Buy Safe and Pay Safe’ when shopping this Christmas

CLARE gardaí are urging people planning for the festive season to ‘Buy Safe and Pay Safe’ when it comes to online shopping. In the lead up to Christmas and in particular the Black Friday sales promotion period An Garda Síochána are supporting Europol’s online fraud prevention campaign which encourages safe online shopping by customers. “More and more businesses are using the internet as the primary channel to sell goods and services. Whilst convenient for both the consumer and retailer it also presents opportunities for fraudsters who can use the anonymous nature of the internet to rip off consumers or target retailers who do not have the necessary defences in place to protect themselves,” outlines Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks. There was a total of €22 million in credit and debit cards fraud losses on Irish consumers in 2020, according to the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI). “Consumers and eCommerce merchants will be particularly active online over the …

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Online planning applications on the way say Clare County Council

PEOPLE in Clare will soon be able to apply to build a house from the comfort of their couch, with plans in place for the introduction of online planning applications. It is expected that the new system will be implemented by Clare County Council next year. Councillor Cillian Murphy outlined the need for an online system to submit planning applications at the monthly meeting of the council. He described it as “crazy” that people prepare planning applications digitally on a computer before printing them out and travelling to the planning office, where they are then digitised again by scanning. He said this is a waste of resources, pointing out there would be environmental benefits if planning agents did not have to travel to the planning office. Councillor Donna McGettigan agreed that it “makes sense” to allow planning applications to be made online. Councillor Gerry Flynn stated that it “seems practical”, however he cautioned that not everybody has computer skills. “This …

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Parents warning after Clare teenager targeted by online blackmailer

A CLARE teenage boy was blackmailed for money after he sent explicit images of himself to another person through social media. Gardaí in Clare are now urging parents to become better aware of their children’s online activity in light of the recent incident. Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks has described the matter as “very upsetting and traumatic for the parent and teenager”. A report was made to gardaí by the teenager’s mother over the Christmas period. According to Sergeant Brooks the teenage boy believed he was in contact with a woman through Facebook and he sent the explicit pictures of himself to that person. Shortly after this a demand was made for a substantial amount of money, or else the pictures would be shared. “No money was given over and the link was shared with some of his friends but fortunately the link could not be opened,” she outlined. Sergeant Brooks has encouraged parents to speak to their …

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Clare library services reopen to the public

Several libraries across the county reopened this morning in accordance with Phase 3 of the revised Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business. They include De Valera Library in, Ennis and those in Kilrush, Kilkee, Miltown Malbay, Ennistymon and Shannon. Other libraries will be opening shortly once the necessary preparatory work has been completed with update on the Clare County Library website and social media pages. Libraries will provide limited services initially, including limits on the numbers accessing the facility at any one time. Libraries will operate in compliance with current physical distancing guidelines and the public are encouraged to use hand sanitisers upon entry to library buildings. Library visits will be of a maximum 15 minutes’ duration and services will include borrow and return of books, printing facilities, delivery service for those cocooning, online services and children’s services including the 2020 Summer Stars programme. The contact and collect service will continue in the other branches and will commence in a …

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Fleadh Nua hits the right note by going online

THIS year’s Fleadh Nua has struck a right note with plans to move online while also raising vital funds for charity. Like many other events around the county, this year’s Fleadh Nua in Ennis has been cancelled as a result of Covid-19. However in a bid not to disappoint the thousands of regular Fleadh goers from around the country and overseas, organisers of are putting together an online programme of traditional music, song and dance and seeking to raise much needed funds for Trocaire in the process. “When people heard that this year’s Fleadh wouldn’t be going ahead we received many messages from those who attend the event every year saying how sad they were not to be able to come to Ennis for Fleadh Nua 2020, especially since this year’s event had been scheduled for the June Bank Holiday weekend,” said Frank Whelan, Cathaoirleach of Fleadh Nua. To ensure fans of the festival will not miss out on the …

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Gardai warn against online ‘romance scams’

THOSE looking for love in Clare are being warned to be wary of online ‘romance scams’ which are reported to be on the rise. According to Clare’s Crime Prevention Officer, Sergeant Triona Brooks, “Use of the internet for dating purposes has increased and so unfortunately the number of scams associated with it and amounts of money lost.” She particularly warns against responding to requests for inappropriate photographs, saying they could be used for future blackmail attempts. And she has appealed to anybody who feels they have been a victim of an online scammer to contact gardai. Sergeant Brooks explains, “A romance scam is basically a scam employed by criminals which involves pretending to be romantically interested in a person with the objective of gaining their affection and trust with the perceived promise of a continued romantic involvement – the ultimate purpose of the scam is to encourage the victim to transfer funds to accounts in the control of the criminal …

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Ennis fashion retailers rising to the challenges of Covid-19

THE personalised, customer-focused shopping experience that has become synonymous with the town of Ennis is still continuing despite the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. The pandemic has resulted in retail closures throughout the county, with businesses increasingly focusing their efforts online in a bid to meet these new unprecedented challenges. The last few weeks have highlighted the importance of having an online shopping presence, according to Gwen Culligan of the County Boutique in Ennis. While Patrick Burke’s is set to launch a personal shopping service utilising popular apps so people can purchase while still maintaining social distancing. The County Boutique launched its website last year allowing people to buy the latest looks from the comfort of their own home. Gwen tells us they were “incredibly lucky” to already be online when the Covid-19 restrictions were introduced. “We’re selling every day at the moment. I had been spending some time over the last few months putting things on the site, but I’ve been …

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Online passports to save time

THE new online passport service launched this week should help in further reducing turn-around times and potential delays, according to Minister of State Sean Canney. Irish Citizens who are over 18, and have held an Irish passport can now apply for their passport book and/or passportcard online through https://www.dfa.ie/passportonline/, the Gaway TD expained. “Renewing your Irish passport will now become a lot easier,” said Minister Canney. “Demand for Irish passports is increasing all the time and last year, some 733,000 passports were issued with a further 7% increase expected in 2017.” “A growing population and increased travelling by Irish citizens means that demand remains high. Additional staff have been recruited to deal with the increased demand, with the Passport Office employing over 230 temporary clerical offices during peak season,” said Minister Canney. Minister Canney has also contacted Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan in relation to the location of a dedicated passport office in Tuam to serve the Western region. He …

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