News

A NEW Ryanair Shannon-Alicante service was launched in Limerick last Thursday, something of a reverse on the trend of the last few years.

THE thorny issue of unfinished housing estates stirred a lengthy debate among Clare County Councillors last Friday afternoon.

Councillor Paul Murphy put forward a motion looking for information on an assessment carried out by the Department of the Environment on such estates in the county.   He also asked how much of a €5m fund to assist local authorities had been applied for, or drawn down by Clare County Council. In his response, director of services Ger Dollard stated, “Clare County Council assisted the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government in carrying out a National Housing Survey on unfinished estates in the summer of 2012. The survey was a follow-up on the housing survey that was carried out in 2010. The 2010 survey was to ascertain the number of housing developments, which had been commenced but had not been fully completed as a result of the prolonged economic downturn. The survey did not include all completed housing developments with outstanding taking in charge or maintenance issues. “Clare County Council has 63 unfinished housing estates on the …

WORKERS in Lahinch could face additional parking charges if plans by Clare County Council to centralise the parking permit system go ahead.

EXTENSIVE damage was caused to a detached two-storey house in the Tobartaoscáin area of Ennis when a fire broke out in the early hours of Monday morning.

At Monday’s Kilrush Electoral Area meeting, Councillor PJ Kelly asked that speed ramps be put in place on the eastern approach to the school. However, Mr Feeney told the meeting that parents should take responsibility for their driving habits and said ramps are not required. “I suspect, and I use the term very loosely, that the main offenders are probably the users of the school. I don’t think it’s beyond the wit of the school to write and explain that situation to parents, that it is in their interest and that they should have some cognisance of the rules of the road in this instance. It’s their children that are attending the school,” Mr Feeney commented. “I’ve been there myself and observed cars two if not three abreast on the road, which can create havoc and makes manoeuvring that little bit more difficult. If people were a bit more courteous and followed the road markings and speed limit signs, I …

OVER €2 million was spent on consultants to produce a Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) concerning Dublin City Council’s (DCC) proposed water extraction of an estimated 500 million litres daily from Lough Derg in 2020.

DO not ask me to write about the banking crisis in Cyprus or about its effects on Ireland and on the eurozone in general. I’m afraid I don’t have a clue about how we can be affected. But then, I am not the only one.