THE early decommissioning of an ESB wind farm in South Galway could result in an overall taxpayer bill of up to €70 million, a local lobby group has claimed. Following a lump sum fine of €5 million and a daily fine of €15,000 plus legal costs imposed by the European Court of Justice ruling in November 2019, the Derrybrien Wind Farm has now incurred a bill of €17,845,7779 for the state. The penalties were levied after it found Ireland had failed to comply with a previous court ruling in relation to the wind farm where a landslide occurred during construction in 2003. David Murray from the South Galway Flood Relief Committee estimates when fines, early decommissioning accounting for a €10 million loss annually over the life time of the wind farm, consultants fees and resolution of turbary right are factored in, the final bill and loss of earnings could be in the region of €70 million. The ESB, through its …

THE provision of out-of-hours GP services in the Mid-West will be examined as part of a wider strategic review of general practice, Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler has announced. Responding to questions in the Seanad from Senator Martin Conway, Minister Butler stated preparatory work for this review has already started this year. Since the emergence of Covid-19, the HSE provided out-of-hours co-operatives with a support grant to ensure continuity of care. Minister Butler confirmed funding for Shannondoc was increased to over €6.8 million in 2020. “Where there is increased demand in certain areas, Shannondoc can provide support from other treatment centres, to ensure services are provided where needed most,” said Minister Butler. “The service is demand-led, and the HSE has advised that Shannondoc has continued to meet the targets for urgent and routine calls set out under its service level agreement. “The Government is committed to increasing the number of GPs working nationwide and …

A group of soldiers have joined forces with a Killaloe-based sergeant and his Limerick colleague to raise funds for two hospitals that provided excellent care for their two premature babies. LIEUTENANT Jonathan Hughes, 12 Infantry Battalion and Sergeant Eddie O’Brien, 1 Central Medical Unit will hold a fundraiser titled “Marching for the Maternities” in conjunction with the Regeneron Great Limerick Run half marathon on May 1 next. This event will raise funds for the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) in University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL) and Coombe Women and Infants’ Hospital, Dublin. A platoon of between 30 and 40 officers and soldiers representing every corps and every barracks in the Defence Forces will complete the run in uniform, wearing chest rig and day sack, carrying 14 kg (30 lbs). Simultaneously, members of the 119 Infantry Battalion serving in UNIFIL United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon will also be “Marching for the Maternities” by completing various distances carrying the same weight. …

NO new acute, sub-acute or ICU beds will be opened in the Mid-West this year, according to HSE figures released to Independent Clare Deputy Michael McNamara. In response to Deputy McNamara’s Parliamentary Question, the HSE’s Acute Operations department confirmed none of the six hospitals in the UL Hospitals’ Group will receive any of the 411 acute and 36 ICU beds scheduled to be opened this year subject to staffing and completion of some capital works. “The provision of additional bed capacity on its own will not resolve the overcrowding problems at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), but the delivery of new acute, sub-acute and ICU beds should certainly be part of the solution,” stated Deputy McNamara, who described the exclusion of all six hospitals in Clare, Limerick, and north Tipperary as “disgraceful”. “UHL is the most consistently overcrowded hospital in the country having recorded 76,000 attendances in 2021, up 16% compared to 2020 and up 7% on 2019, and with 91 …

MORE than 1,000 residents in Cratloe, Bunratty, Ardnacrusha and Meelick will be forced to live in the shadow of “overpowering wind turbines” up to 1,600 feet above sea level if wind developments proceed on picturesque Clare Hills. That’s according to Gerry Ryan, who is very concerned over the planning designation of an area stretching from Cratloe on the western slopes of Gallows Hill across to Ardnacrusha in the East, as suitable for “strategic large scale wind turbines.” For countless generations, Mr Ryan said Clare people have enjoyed the beautiful views of Gallows Hill, Woodcock Hill and Ballycar Hill from Bunratty, Sixmilebridge, Ardnacrusha, Shannon to name but a few areas. “This beautiful backdrop is now under threat and the views from iconic attractions such as Bunratty Castle, Cratloe Woods, 12 O Clock Hills and countless other areas of Clare will be destroyed forever by the construction of 178 metre high wind turbines. “A conservative count of the homes either within the …

A PLANNED debate about overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick was deferred at a meeting on Tuesday when there were 84 patients on trolleys in the hospital, a number that rose to 100 this Wednesday. Councillor Liam Grant and Councillor Seamus Morris had tabled a motion calling for the consistent overcrowding to be addressed by reversing the closure of Emergency Departments at Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s Hospital at a HSE West Forum meeting on Tuesday. However, the councillors decided to defer any discussion on this motion due to the lack of any representative from the UL Hospitals’ Group at the meeting. Overcrowding continues to be a problem at the regional flagship acute hospital where the number of patients on trolleys soared to 100 on Wednesday. According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives’ Organisation Trolley Watch, this was almost twice the number of patients on trolleys in Letterkenny where were were 54 patients on trolleys and was also much higher than …

SUBCONTRACTORS and construction suppliers throughout Clare are owed substantial sums of money following the announcement construction giant Roadbridge is going into receivership, leaving the future of its 630 workforce and a further 1,000 indirect positions in jeopardy. The Limerick-headquartered civil engineering and construction firm, which traded for over half a century, sent shock waves throughout the Mid-West when it requested Bank of Ireland on Friday to appoint Grant Thornton as receivers as result of insurmountable financial challenges. This decision also places a major question mark over when projects like the €58 million Coonagh to Knockalisheen Road will be fully completed following the company’s serious financial difficulties. Residents in South-East Clare are becoming increasingly concerned this unexpected setback will result in years of a delay or may even scupper the project entirely for the foreseeable future. It is understood half of the first phase of this major piece of road infrastructure is properly finished. Concerns had been raised when the company, …

  PEOPLE in Lahinch are mourning the loss of a community leader following the passing of Tomsie O’Sullivan. The long serving community activist died at his residence in Doonboy, Station Road, Lahinch, on St Patrick’s Day. After reposing in Lahinch Church on Friday, his Funeral Mass took place on Saturday morning before burial afterwards in the Old Cemetery, Ennistymon. While Tomsie was involved with numerous community organisations for decades, he is synonymous with the RNLI, who presented him with a Long Service Award for reaching 58 years with the organisation last September. The RNLI was very much a family affair as Tomsie’s children used to help him with church gate collections and flag days.   In an interview with the Clare Champion last year, Tomsie estimated the Lahinch branch used to raise between €6,000 to €8,000 annually over a 28-year period. Born in Main Street, Tomsie’s father, Thomas, who was a carpenter fell off a roof in the early fifties …