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THE decision by former Fianna Fáil deputy leader Éamon Ó Cuív not to leave the party his grandfather founded some 86 years ago came as no surprise to those who know him. He is a man with a deep sense of loyalty to Fianna Fáil and while he believes the party is now wrong on a number of issues, it would go against the grain for him to pull the plug on his membership. It was that loyalty, which also made up his mind for him to take a vow of silence and not to campaign for a ‘no’ vote in the European Fiscal Treaty. It was not a bad result either for the Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, who has had his leadership accepted by Ó Cuív’s decision to obey the Cork man’s directives. Only time will tell if Ó Cuív will continue to serve under Mr Martin. He may continue to be a thorn in the side of …

THE Government’s controversial national recruitment embargo should be lifted to ensure staffing shortages don’t undermine new Health Service Executive recommendations concerning acute psychiatric care at Ennis hospital, which were drafted following the tragic death of a patient.

REPRESENTATIVES of Shannon-based Aer Lingus maintenance workers are due to meet CEO Christoph Mueller before the weekend, amid fears that the maintenance base will be transferred to Dublin with possible job losses.

SPEED restrictions on the proposed €100 million 10km dual carriageway linking South-East Clare with Limerick City could be as low as 60 kilometres per hour (40mph), it has emerged this week.

CLARE Local Development Company (CLDC) has announced the maximum rate of grant aid for private enterprises is to increase from 50% to 75% under the current LEADER Rural Development programme. Approvals under the current programme will run until the end of 2013.

THE getaway car used in an armed robbery of a bookies in Ennis at the weekend was stolen in Dublin last March, gardaí investigating the incident have confirmed.On Saturday, shortly after 7.30pm, two armed men entered the branch of Ladbroke’s in The Turnpike, while a third man waited outside in a silver Audi. Two members of staff and two customers, including 75-year-old Jim Cox, were in the bookies at the time of the raid. The robbers, who had Dublin accents, were armed with a gun and a knife and demanded the safe be opened. No one was hurt during the incident and no shots were fired. It is understood a passing taxi driver alerted the gardaí, who arrived at the scene shortly after the gang made their escape with around €450.Gardaí recovered the abandoned car afterwards in Glen Gardens, Ennis. The vehicle was forensically examined and gardaí have established that it had been previously stolen in Dublin. According to a …

INCIDENTS of animal cruelty are on the rise in Clare and the recession is partly to blame for it, the county’s dog warden has claimed.