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Dooley critical of inaction on mobility allowance grant

Clare Fianna Fáil TD, Timmy Dooley TD has deplored the Government’s failure to make any attempt to replace two support schemes for people with disabilities that were discontinued last year. The Mobility Allowance and the Motorised Transport Grant were closed to new applicants from February 2013. The Government promised last June that these schemes would be replaced. “There was outcry when the Government discontinued these two important supports for people with disabilities were cancelled last year. Almost 400 people in the Mid West are dependent on the Mobility Allowance alone. They are still in limbo as the Government drags its heels on establishing alternative support schemes. It is completely unacceptable that a year later, these people are still waiting,” said Deputy Dooley. “The Government first announced the cancellation of these schemes early last year, describing them as ‘obsolete’. It caused great distress among people with disabilities who depend on such support to maintain a level of independence. The Mobility Allowance …

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Tubber woman on track in Navan

A County Clare graduate will work at Navan Racecourse after she was selected as one of five Horse Racing Ireland interns. Niamh Baker from Tubber began her 12-week work placement at the Navan track last Wednesday. In November 2013, HRI launched its first Student Internship Programme, offering five placements at HRI headquarters and each of the four HRI-owned racecourses, Leopardstown, Tipperary, Navan and Fairyhouse. Over 120 applications were received from students throughout the country and 35 students were shortlisted and interviewed. Niamh has just completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at NUI Galway. Niamh grew up on a stud farm and has a keen interest in horses and horse riding. She also plays Gaelic football, camogie, basketball and soccer. As part of her role at Navan Racecourse, Niamh will be required to assist in many areas of racecourse operations such as marketing, sales, social media, website maintenance, raceday operations and the promotion of events over the summer season. Welcoming Niamh, …

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Cratloe Researcher wins top award

A Cratloe man has won a national award for his work on walking and cycling routes. Richard Manton from the Ryan Institute at NUI Galway is the inaugural winner of the Environmental Sciences Association of Ireland (ESAI) Postgraduate Researcher of the Year Competition 2014. Richard is in the write-up stages of his PhD, working on a multi-disciplinary project, entitled Route Selection and Design of Greenways: Guidance for the Irish National Cycle Network, which combines civil engineering and social science. Many people recognise Ireland’s over reliance on the private car and a shift to walking and cycling has the potential to dramatically improve the environmental, economic and health implications of Irish transport. “In the context of the unsustainability of Irish transport and restrictions on public space, a major shift to walking, cycling and public transport is needed. Although we need to curb car use and make our roads safer, the growing number of greenways represents a step in the right direction. …

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Laura’s letter to the President

QUIN National School pupil, Lauren Wall took a persuasive writing exercise to great heights this year, when, instead of writing to her teacher like the rest of her class, she wrote to the President of Ireland. Fourth-class pupils at Scoil na Mainistreach were asked to write a letter to their teacher, Eleanor Gallagher, to try to persuade her where they would go on their school outing this summer. While the majority of the class did the task as assigned, 10-year-old Lauren took matters into her own hands and wrote to President Michael D Higgins, asking him if her class could visit him at the Áras. Her endeavour resulted in fourt- class students travelling to Dublin last Friday, for a tour of Áras an Uachtaráin. In her letter to President Higgins, which she sent on March 25 last the national school student wrote: “Hello, my name is Lauren Wall, I live in Quin, County Clare and I’m aware you are from …

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Clare’s young ‘graduates’ at NUI Galway

Clara Feeney from Inch National School and Seosamh Ryan from Holy Family Senior School, Ennis were among 200 primary school children who were conferred with special certificates from NUI Galway as part of its Youth Academy. The pupils from across the Western region received their certificates, with more than 1000 friends and family attending the ceremony. Established in 2012, the Youth Academy aims to inspire entry to university by introducing children and their families to university life. Since its foundation, almost 800 children have graduated from a variety of courses on Saturday mornings ranging from Italian to Mandarin, Philosophical Discovery, Psychology, Engineering, English Literature, History, Film Studies, Eco-Explorers, Map Adventures and the World in 3D, and Information Technology. The Youth Academy runs for a six week period and works with high ability fourth, fifth and sixth-class primary school children to support their learning and academic development, in partnership with their primary schools. Speaking at the event, President of NUI Galway, …

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Kiltiernan date for influential inventors

TWO of the world’s most influential inventors visited a small South Galway school this week, prompted by a series of coincidences. All the pupils of Kiltiernan National School take part in the annual Write-a-Book project, run by Galway Education Centre. The children each write a book in just six weeks and it was one by Áine O’Rourke, about telecommunications, that led to Friday’s visit. While he is not a household name, Marty Cooper’s invention is something that almost every adult and many teenagers own and use multiple times per day. “On a recent visit to our school, Ciarán Cannon, Minister for Training and Skills at the Department of Education, launched our newly updated website. He is very interested in the myriad of ways IT can be used to support learning and education in schools,” explained teacher, Bríd Fenlon. “Coincidentally, we had a display of our Write-A-Book projects in the hall. Minister Cannon is very interested in technology and these books, …

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Revenue squeezes €150,000 from defaulters

Revenue collected €150,000 in taxes, interest and penalties from a Clare company and two publicans, it has emerged. Construction contractors Kilkishen Homes Ltd, of Clonlea, Kilkishen, was ordered to pay a penalty of nearly €60,000 after under declaration of tax totalling nearly €200,000. The court ordered the East Clare company to pay €59,422 for under declaration of VAT amounting to €198,072. Following a Revenue audit case, publican Colm Gleeson, also with an address at Clonlea in Kilkishen, was found to have under declared income tax and VAT. The tax, interest and penalties in the case totalled €35,000. Another publican, this time Lahinch’s Olan O’Connor had to pay a total of €60,000 in tax, interest and penalties for under declaration of VAT and income tax after a Revenue audit. A Clarinbridge-based medical consultant settled was found to owe nearly €100,000 after a Revenue audit. Fabio Bartolozzi of Cloan, Stradbally North owed more than €65,000 in tax, €12,190 in interest and €19,517 …

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Ennis Mayor Won’t Take €12,000 Stipend

Fine Gael Councillor, Johnny Flynn is the new Mayor of Ennis has said he will not take the allowance of €12,000 that goes along with the mayoral chain. He was elected to the position at the inaugural meeting of the Ennis Municipal District on Tuesday afternoon. The role of mayor carries a maximum stipend of €12,000 and it was agreed at the meeting on the proposal of Councillor McNamara that the maximum allowance be allocated for the position. However, speaking after the meeting Councillor Flynn said that he would not be drawing down this stipend as per his election promise not to take any allowances or expenses. He explained that as he lives within a mile from the council chamber, he does not incur the same kind of expense as some full time councillors who live outside the town bounds. He said he hoped to work with his fellow councillors to see if the allowance allocation could be redirected to …

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