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THE Minister for Housing has insisted that the bar has not been raised for Clare in terms of access to the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme, writes Fiona McGarry. However, Darragh O’Brien is likely to face intense questioning when he meets the county’s Oireachtas members in Dublin this Thursday, January 27. Ahead of the meeting, Minister O’Brien issued a written assurance to Senator Martin Conway, who raised serious concerns over the level of detail being sought by the Department, as follow-up to a report submitted by the local authority last July. “It must be noted that the bar for entry for eligibility for inclusion into the scheme has not been raised by officials from my Department,” the letter stated. Speaking to The Champion, Senator Conway said he did not doubt the Minister’s sincerity in wanting to support Clare homeowners. He noted, however, that it is now six months since Darragh O’Brien visited homeowners in this county. “It is very regrettable …

CONSISTENT fly-tipping in Kilrush and how to tackle it was discussed at the recent meeting of West Clare Municipal District, writes Conor Clohessy. Councillor Ian Lynch commented on the frequent fly tipping and dumping that has become commonplace in Kilrush, particularly at the local bottle banks. He also highlighted the difficulties surrounding installing CCTV to prevent such misuse of public facilities. Councillor Lynch explained that the council sends teams to tidy up the bottle banks every Monday morning, where they regularly spend hours on end restoring the area to an acceptable state. These outdoor crews are now subjected to exposure to household rubbish and clothing on a weekly basis. However, the installation of CCTV has been prevented by concerns surrounding General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), which protect a citizen’s personal data from being processed. “The idea of you being a good citizen and going to the bottle bank, only to throw your rubbish on the ground to let someone else …

SHANNON Airport had just under 380,000 passengers in 2021, with Covid-19 measures having a huge impact. It was only after the rollout of vaccinations and the introduction of the EU Digital Covid Cert that restrictions on non essential air travel were lifted in mid July. The numbers that travelled in 2021 were actually an increase on the 352,000 figure in 2020, but they were down by 78% on 2019, the last full year of operation prior to the pandemic. Shannon Group CEO Mary Considine said that while it had been a challenging year, the relaxation of restrictions gives grounds for optimism. “Our team at Shannon Group have been unwavering in our focus on recovery and rebuilding to ensure a successful future for our employees, the people and businesses in our region who rely on our Shannon Airport services for their livelihoods. Although it has been another challenging year, having come through the worst of the Pandemic, we are confident that …

CONCERN has been expressed by a local Dáil deputy the new 96-bed block approved for University Hospital Limerick (UHL) will only deliver 48 additional new beds for public patients in the region, writes Dan Danaher. UHL is in the process of tendering for the development of a new four-story 96 single bed acute inpatient ward block extension at their main campus. Tenders are due to be returned by the end of the month. In addition to securing full planning permission, UL Hospitals’ Group chief executive officer, Colette Cowan stated it is anticipated the works contract will be awarded in the second quarter of this year, subject to HSE Board approval and funding availability. “It is envisaged that when the new 96-bed block opens, about half of the beds will be used to replace older bed stock on the UHL site,” she stated in response to a Dáil question tabled by Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne. “This stems from a long-identified need to …

WORK has begun to construct a Wastewater Treatment Plant in Kilrush which will end the discharge of raw sewage into the Shannon Estuary. The project being delivered by EPS Group on behalf of Irish Water and Clare County Council is expected to take 18 months and is due for completion in 2023 It involves the construction of a new state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant and sewer pipelines that will serve a population equivalent of approximately 6,700. The pumping station on Frances Street will also upgrade its pumps, mechanical plant and a storm water storage tank. Speaking on-site, Esther White from Irish Water said “Wastewater from the public sewer network in Kilrush is currently discharged untreated into the estuary. “This unacceptable practice threatens water quality, detracts from the amenity value of the area and does not comply with EU regulations relating to the treatment of wastewater. “Providing improved wastewater treatment for Kilrush will enhance the environmental amenity and protect the waters of …

CLARE’S first citizen is urging members of the public to make themselves aware of proposals that will determine planning and development in the county up to the end of the decade.  With that in mind, a series of public information events is taking place across the county on the Draft Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029. The first of these take place on Tuesday next at the Lisdoonvarna Pavillion from 4pm and Mayor of Clare, Councillor PJ Ryan is encouraging people to inform themselves of the draft plan’s provisions. Submissions are being accepted up to 4pm on Monday, March 28. The plan sets out the overall strategy for the proper planning and sustainable development of the county over a six-year period. “The preparation of this Draft Plan has come at a very challenging time across all sectors of our county as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Councillor Ryan said. “There has been a profound change in the way we work, …

PERMISSION has been granted to a telecommunications company to extend a mast in north Clare by 30% Ontower Ireland Limited’s application to install a 6m extension to a 20m lattice telecommunications support structure at Gragan West, Ballyvaughan, was approved by planners. In the application Ontower Ireland says it “has significant commercial relationships with each mobile network operator in the State, namely Three, Vodafone and Meteor/Eir in addition to radio, broadband and emergency communication service providers.” The application also says “Increasing the height of this structure from a 20m lattice tower to a 26m lattice tower will allow this site to accommodate mobile operators and a broadband operator, all above the local tree clutter, thus extending the reach of communication technologies into areas that currently have poor to non existent wireless mobile voice and data services. “The proposed structure will allow existing and future operators to bring a significant improvement in voice and broadband services to the area, particularly Gragans West …

THE Zimmer Biomet team in Shannon and Galway rowed and cycled the equivalent distance of Ireland to Beijing to raise over €20,000 to support sick children, writes Owen Ryan. The company’s contribution will benefit BUMBLEance, an Irish charity devoted to transporting extremely ill children or children with life limiting illnesses to their hospital appointments. This latest fundraiser forms part of an ongoing partnership with BUMBLEance and the Zimmer Biomet team. Prior to the pandemic, the team traditionally completed an annual fundraising cycle from its plant in Shannon to its sister site in Galway. However, this year, in response to COVID restrictions, the team decided to cycle or row approximately 15,000kms, equating to the average distance travelled by the BUMBLEance fleet in Ireland each week. Observing social distancing, the cycling and rowing activities were safely completed either at the employees’ homes or within the company’s plants in Shannon and Galway with all funds raised matched by the company. Brian Conlan, CEO …