THE lack of a projected date for the publication of the long-awaited Junior Certificate results is causing frustration and anxiety for Clare students, according to a local Dáil Deputy. An Taoiseach Micheál Martin wasn’t in a position to give Deputy Cathal Crowe any definitive date or expected time frame for the issuing of Junior Certificate examination results when he was questioned in the Dáil recently. The Clare Fianna Fáil Deputy has expressed his disappointment with a company that runs seminars that suggested these results would be published on October 12 without any foundation, which is causing even more anxiety for students. “Having spent many years in the classroom, I really feel for these students. A lot of past pupils of mine have contacted me. “These are a cohort of students who experienced a lot of disruption in First and Second Year due to Covid-19. A lot of them worked their socks of for the Junior Certificate and they are anxious …

A CLARE man who lives in Westbury Residential Centre has organised coffee mornings for Milford Hospice in recognition of the great care they provided to his late parents. Up to 100 family members and friends of Fergal Enright (39) from O’Briensbridge, attended a coffee morning in the residential centre where he lives and another one in his workplace at the Tait Business Centre in Limerick. The coffee mornings raised €1,339 for Milford Hospice. In an interview with the Clare Champion, Fergal said Milford Hospice is very close to his heart because of the treatment staff provided when they cared for his late father, Noel Senior and his amazing mother, Eithne. “My parents got great care in Milford Hospice. I was more than delighted with the support I got for the coffee mornings. If people have any spare money, I would ask them to make a donation to Milford. “I attend the Tait Business Centre three days a week and do …

AN East Clare man has lost almost six stone in weight after signing up to run the New York Marathon on November 6 in memory of his late father. Last January, Declan Moroney, Tulla, started running for the first time, running two kilometres then five kilometres and increased it gradually before completing the Dingle Half-Marathon last September. The 48-year-old is raising funds for the Oesophageal Cancer Society and also for Inclusive Athletics in Tulla and has already collected more than €16,000 for these two charitable causes. “I have lost almost six stone (82 pounds) in the last year and wanted to do something in my dad’s memory. I have never run before so this is a massive undertaking and challenge for me. “I started walking first to lose a bit of weight and when I lost some weight, I started running. I decided if I was ever going to a run a marathon it would be this year. I signed …

THE electricity bill for Ballina Riverside Swimming Pool jumped by 52% in August 2022, according to new figures released by the local pool committee. Pool manager, Paddy Collins admitted this massive hike was a “huge shock to the system” and will have implications on how the outdoor heated swimming pool will be run next year. “If ESB bills keep on increasing, some businesses will close. The rising electricity bills will have a massive impact on the pool. We have to heat a huge volume of water. “We will have to be careful about when we are going to open and close. I can’t see us opening in September next year. “We will have to be tighter on our hours and will have to look at how we are running the place. Everything will have to be re-evaluated next year. “I am involved in other sports clubs, which are struggling as well. Purchasing LED lighting involves a huge outlay for clubs.” …

A LATE Ennis HPV vaccine advocate has been honoured with a new catch-up vaccination programme that is named after her in collaboration with the Department of Health. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly lauded the tirelessly campaigning work of Laura Brennan when he spoke to reporters outside University Hospital Limerick on Thursday. Minister Donnelly and the family of the late Laura Brennan, have announced the Laura Brennan HPV Vaccine Catch-Up Programme.   Laura died with cervical cancer at the age of 26 in March 2019 but her legacy of advocacy of the HPV vaccine has lived on. Last October, she was honoured with a portrait in the Royal College of Physicians and the RCPI shared an image of Laura’s portrait recently to mark what would have been her 30thth birthday. “We remember her courage and grace as she bravely shared her story while advocating for the HPV vaccine. “Laura’s portrait sits proudly in our historic No.6 Kildare Street, a reminder of her …

WORK has commenced on delivering the new €90 million 96-Bed Block at University Hospital Limerick, which will result in a net increase of 48 new in-patient beds. However, the UL Hospitals’ Group has confirmed this new extension will take at least two years to complete and the new facility will then have to be equipped and commissioned before opening to patients. Described by the group as the next step in increasing acute bed capacity in the Mid-West, the new 9,800 square-metre block will be built over the existing Emergency Department and Dialysis Unit and will consist of 96 en-suite single rooms over four floors. Approximately half of the beds will be new beds for inpatients while the remainder will be replacement beds allowing the hospital to close or refurbish some of the more outdated inpatient accommodation on the site. This will allow for greater compliance with national guidelines and international best practice on infection prevention and control. Speaking in Limerick …

INSPECTORS from an independent health watchdog have claimed that breaches of national standards identified in Ennistymon Community Hospital last year were not adequately addressed by the time of a follow-up visit in May of this year. The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) inspector found that record keeping, individualised assessment and care planning, infection prevention and control, and the maintenance of the premises were not in line with regulatory requirements. The previous inspection on the July 7 2021 in the HSE-run facility had identified non-compliances with the Birch Suite. The inspector had identified that a glass panel wall and a glass door did not provide adequate privacy. The window openings were defective and could not be closed securely. There was no interesting view from the room as it overlooked a narrow passageway and grey concrete wall. The compliance plan submitted following the inspection had detailed these issues would be rectified by October 29 2021. However, this had not been completed. …

MONITORING of water quality in popular bathing areas needs to be extended outside the official bathing season to protect the increasing number of people who are swimming throughout the year. That’s according to Councillor Cillian Murphy, who was informed at a recent HSE West Forum meeting that five swimming ban notices were issued in local bathing areas from June to September this year. The Kilkee Councillor expressed concern that swimmers have no idea about the standard of water quality outside the bathing season. If monitoring was extended throughout the year, the HSE West Forum member said people would have the benefit of getting a good picture of what water quality is like at different times of the year. He said that once a public notice is issued about a problem with the quality of bathing water, this should be followed up with an investigation and identification of the possible source and solutions. This is important, he stressed, in view of …