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PYRITE has been confirmed in Shannon Garda Station, prompting a call for the government to mount a legal challenge against those who produced the defective material. The presence of pyrite, which can cause severe cracking and other structural defects, was confirmed to Deputy Cathal Crowe, who said he will now seek answers from government on where that material came from.  The discovery was made after the Fianna Fáil TD queried that status of a request to have the building painted. In response to his question, the Office of Public Works (OPW), who manage thousands of public buildings, said pyrite had been detected. “A routine inspection early last year at Shannon Garda Station raised concerns in respect to cracking observed in the external façade of the building,” a reply outlined. “The OPW appointed external consultants to investigate the cause of this cracking and the consultant’s report confirmed the presence of pyrite in the external leaf of the building.” Deputy Crowe described the …

SERIOUS mental and physical health impacts for people living in homes where the concrete blocks are defective were outlined at a meeting in Ennis last Friday night (June 16).  As members of the Clare Pyrite Action Group (CPAG) sought an update on the new grant scheme, frustration boiled over they were told they would not be able to make applications for another five weeks.  One emotional homeowner told the meeting that she was recovering after recently suffering a stroke. “My husband now has long Covid and is unable to work,” she said. “How will we manage? What supports will there be to navigate this grant process? I feel like we’re being set up to fail.” Deputy Violet Anne Wynne said the woman was the second person in a fortnight to say they had suffered a stroke as a result of dealing with the stress of pyrite. “While politicians can certainly empathise with the issues constituents are experiencing, you can only …

  HEALTH inspectors found the Emergency Department (ED) was “grossly overcrowded” with a total of 121 patients requiring care on February 21, a new report has revealed. Patient experience times (PETs) and the time spent waiting for tests were raised by patients in the emergency department as areas of great frustration, according to a new report from the Health Information and Equality Authority (HIQA). One patient described how they waited for four days for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and seven days for an electroencephalogram (EEG). When asked what could be improved about the healthcare services at UHL, patients described how the hospital environment was‘noisy’ and how‘the bright lights in the emergency department made it difficult to rest and sleep’. Trolleys were described as “uncomfortable”. Patients described being accommodated on trolleys on the corridor as “not dignified or private”. Patients also reflected on how “there was not enough staff’” and “staff were overworked”. The report warns the association between …

MENTAL health services for young people in Clare are already deeply flawed, and could get much worse with many stressed and disillusioned staff hoping to quit, a new survey shows. The internal staff survey of workers in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in this county shows that 94% of respondents felt the Clare CAMHS clinical environment is not suitable for the support of young people. Worryingly, 100% of those surveyed either agreed or strongly agreed that a shortage of clinical space is putting the children supported by the service at risk. All of the respondents also held the view that poor staff retention is putting not only those who do access the services at risk, but also the children who are left on waiting lists. “We need more clinic space to be able to offer appointments to young people. Rushing people out of an appointment because there is someone waiting to come in, or not being able to …

Swimmers who use two popular bathing areas in West Clare have received a timely boost following the lifting of bathing prohibitions introduced earlier this week. Following additional investigative sampling and on the advice of the HSE, Clare County Council lifted the bathing prohibitions at both Spanish Point and White Strand Miltown Malbay on Friday morning. In accordance with An Taisce’s Blue Flag programme, the Blue Flags at both bathing areas were reinstated.   On the advice of the HSE, Clare County Council issued bathing prohibitions at both Spanish Point and White Strand Miltown Malbay on Tuesday. The red flag flew at Spanish Point until it was removed again on Friday morning. The restrictions were introduced as the results of routine bathing water samples taken at both locations had elevated levels of bacteria.   Run-off from the catchment after exceptionally heavy rainfall resulted in elevated levels of bacteria being identified in the water.   In accordance with An Taisce’s Blue Flag …

A new group has circulated a petition urging Clare County Council to stop the proposed development of riverside car parks in Ennis and to abandon what has been described as the “transfer of public land to a private company, Ennis 2040 DAC”. The “Save Ennis Town” group has collected almost 700 signatures from its online petition since it started a new campaign on Monday. This is a group drawn from community, business, retail and political representatives. It formed after a public meeting on 4th May in the Temple Gate Hotel where more than 200 people voicing opposition to the Ennis 2040 plans. In a statement issued to the Clare Champion, the group stressed it aims to have constructive engagement with Ennis 2040 DAC and develop a plan that will enhance the county town for everyone. Group members include Gearoid Mannion, chairman; Edel Cassidy; Joan Duggan; Councillor Johnny Flynn; Bridget Ginnity; Cora Hahessy; Teresa McGrath; Councillor Tom O’Callaghan; Michelle O’Connell, John …

THE SUMMER Solstice was celebrated on  Lahinch Beach this morning (June 21) with a Dip at Dawn in support of The National Council of the Blind of Ireland (NCBI). Senator Martin Conway joined the dozens who took part in the event which aims to remind the entire sight loss community that there is light even on their darkest days. Senator Conway, who sat on the administrative panel and is now the Seanad Spokesperson on Health, is an advocate for Disability and Equality, has just 16 per cent sight and is the first visually impaired Oireachtas member. Senator Conway said he understands the difficulties faced by those with severe sight loss and blindness. “Almost every week, I am contacted by somebody who has recently been impacted by sight loss,” he said. “Often, the contact is made by a family member, a son, a daughter or a parent of a young child. Very often, they are traumatised, deeply upset, with very little …

SHANNON grandmother Mariea Marley spent 55 hours on a trolley at UHL recently and this week she says she would be very reluctant to go to A&E in the future. Mariea’s only daughter Michelle lives near her two parents and she brought her mother to hospital, after having been told to go in at a doctor’s appointment. “She went in on Saturday after being down at ShannonDoc, her blood pressure was a bit up from this cough she had. I was a bit concerned because it was going on a while. “My mother is a dialysis patient, so she’d pick up things, and it seemed to me to be an infection, it was more than a cough or a cold. She had numerous antibiotics and steroids since Christmas and they weren’t clearing it.” Initially things didn’t look too bad at A & E. “It didn’t seem to be too manic at the time. There were a few in front of …