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THE  possibility of accessing EU funding to help with the clean-up costs of storm damage in Ireland and other EU countries will be debated by MEPs during the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg next week, if a request made by Sean Kelly MEP is accepted. In the aftermath of the storm damage across Ireland , Mr Kelly today called on the EPP Group, the largest political grouping in the European Parliament to which Fine Gael is aligned, to support Ireland in the aftermath of the storm, and to table a debate on the matter next week. At a Group meeting in Brussels today, Mr Kelly urged the EPP members to support Ireland in accessing relief funding under the €1bn EU Solidarity Fund. The Ireland South MEP, who is this country’s  only full member of the Parliament’s Regional Development Committee which oversees the Solidarity Fund, is also due to meet the EU Regional Policy Commissioner, Johannes Hahn, on the matter. …

THE National Coordination Group met today to review the response to date, to assess the impact of the storms on infrastructure and communities and to ensure that the response of relevant goverment agencies and local authorities continues to be coordinated. Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Brian Hayes was among the attendance. Met Éireann reported that Ireland has been subject to a sequence of Atlantic storms since December 18, resulting in extreme wind conditions, episodes of heavy rainfall and lately storm surges associated with high tides and low pressure atmospheric conditions. It was noted that the new Met Éireann colour-coded weather warnings (red, orange and yellow) issued in accordance with the international meteo-alarm system was of assistance to the public, as well as to Government departments, local authorities, utilities and transport sector in understanding the threats posed by the weather situations. Safety messages had been responded to well by the public but, regrettably, one fatality was attributed to …

By Carol Byrne THE niece of fashion designer Ralph Lauren has appeared before a sitting of Killaloe District Court on Tuesday charged with being a danger to herself or others on an international flight. Forty-one-year-old Jennifer Lauren, of  New York, was on board a flight that was diverted to Shannon on Monday while en route from Barcelona to JFK. Ms Lauren is charged with being intoxicated to such an extent that she would endanger herself or others on board a Delta Airlines flight on Monday, January 6. She is also charged with engaging in behaviour likely to cause serious offence or annoyance to those on board the flight, having been requested by a crew member to cease this behaviour. She is further charged with engaging in behaviour of a threatening, abusive or insulting nature on the aircraft. Garda Yvette Walsh gave evidence of arresting Ms Lauren at Shannon Airport on Monday at 2.05pm and that Ms Lauren said after caution, …

FOUR families in Kilcredaun, Carrigaholt were marooned on Monday when high tide hit the picturesque townland, which is home to an historic lighthouse. The flooding has resulted in the townland of Kilcredaun on the Loop Head peninsula being rendered effectively an island. A total of six houses were cut off by the flooding in recent days. The grounds of the nearby O’Curry’s Irish College has also been hit by flooding following the breaching of a wall. Meanwhile,  a number of houses in Carrigaholt village were hit by flooding when the village wall was breached at high tide. Locals are very concerned that their difficulties will be exacerbated should further storms hit the area in the coming days.

LEADING property website daft.ie has found that asking prices for house prices in Clare fell by 11% between the last quarter of 2012 and the last quarter of 2013. According to their figures the average house price in the Banner county fell to €128,175, down 59% from the peak of the bubble. According to their figures, the average price for a one-bedroom apartment in this county is now just €45,000, while a two bed is €57,000. A three bedroom semi detached house is €83,000, while a four bed is €169,000. A five-bed semi detached house now has an average asking price of €189,000. According to the Daft figures the price of apartments was hit hardest in 2013, with the one beds down y 18.6% and two beds down by 16.1%. Regarding houses, the five beds were down by 15.7%, four beds by 11.3% and three beds by 13.6%. The Daft report showed a two speed property market, with Dublin seeing …

RESIDENTS at Dooras, O’Callaghan’s Mills have been “trapped” in their homes since water levels began rising on the road outside their homes at Christmas. Some locals opted to abandon their homes taking up alternative accommodation, while others who had managed to traverse the flood in jeeps and tractors over Christmas week, are now unable to leave as water levels hit upwards of three feet. Flooding on this narrow stretch of road, which is a cul de sac, has been a feature of the area for many years, with residents having to resort to boats, or abandoning their homes until it subsided. However, in previous years the water abated much quicker. There are four houses on this stretch of road. Residents say although their houses have not been flooded the road servicing the properties is completely submerged and is extremely dangerous to even attempt to travel on as there is an eight to ten feet drop on either side of the …

UP to 1,000 acres of farmland in the Ballynacally/Kildysart area was flooded on Sunday, as a result of a major breach in the Shannon Estuary embankment. Over 50 farmers in the area have been affected – 43 in Ballynacally and the remainder in Kildysart. Kildysart graveyard has also been flooded, which has caused further distress to locals. At a public meeting, attended by elected representatives, in Ballynacally community centre, a formal appeal for Government intervention was made.  Efforts are to be made as soon as possible to assess the cost of the damage to support the appeal. There are no reports of the loss of livestock but in one instance fodder had to be brought to two horses isolated on raised ground. On many farms, however, silage bales have been left under several feet of water, which will cause an additional financial burden for farmers. John Joe O’Sullivan, whose farm in Ballynacally includes a parcel of corcass, said his holding …