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“We prefer foreign currency…” The smirk accompanying the statement says it all. We are back in Africa. I have asked if I can pay for our visas to enter Kenya with Kenyan Shillings and the guard has left me in no doubt that I cannot and so without papers, I enter Kenya for the first time in order to go and exchange all the money Helen had spent four days organising before we left Scotland.

KILKEE Chamber of Commerce secretary Paul Williams has expressed shock at Clare County Council’s instructions, citing health and safety concerns, that the chamber not collect rubbish strewn around the resort last weekend. The directive was issued despite the fact the chamber claims that the council provided no cleaning service in the resort town for the duration of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. “The Chamber of Commerce had requested that some cleaning be done over the Easter because it was a long holiday and the town was absolutely packed for Easter,” Mr Williams told The Clare Champion. “We were told by Clare County Council that no cleaning would be made available in Kilkee. The Chamber of Commerce then said to them that we would take it upon ourselves to do the cleaning. The response that came back was ‘not to touch the rubbish. It’s a health and safety issue. You should leave the rubbish there’. What shocked us most was the …

CLARE County Councillor, Michael Begley has rejected claims there is a “conflict of interest” between his job as a planning consultant and his membership of the local planning authority. The independent councillor has declared his involvement in his Clonlara-based planning consultancy and planning services in the latest council register of interests. Councillor Begley has insisted he doesn’t believe there is any “conflict of interest” between the two roles as he makes a clear distinction between both of them. “When I lodge a planning application for a client as an agent, I make no further contact with the council other than my work as an agent by responding to requests for further information and or revised plans,” he said.He stressed that at no time would he ever seek or make a public representation on any planning file he was working on as an agent. Now in his seventh year as a planning consultant, Councillor Begley explained he is just trying to …

SHANNON-based Air Atlanta Aero Engineering has been purchased by well-known Russian airline, Transaero in a move that will safeguard jobs at the plant.There are already 240 people working at the Shannon operation and it is understood they have been quietly recruiting in recent times. It’s expected there will be a statement from the company on the development in the near future.Air Atlanta Aero Engineering specialises in the maintenance of Boeing 737, 757 and 767 aircraft.Transaero is based in Moscow and operates services to destinations all over the world. In recent years, it has expanded into the US and Chinese markets.  

THE consortium behind proposals for a €60 million private hospital in Ennis, creating up to 700 jobs, are expected to lodge an application for planning permission with Ennis Town Council within the next two months.An Bord Pleanála has ruled that plans by Duesbury Limited for the development on the site of the former Our Lady’s Psychiatric Hospital, on the outskirts of Ennis, do not qualify as strategic infrastructure development (SID) and the project can be decided on by planners within the town council. In making its decision, An Bord Pleanála stated the proposed development is below the 100-bed in-patient threshold.Duesbury Ltd had submitted to An Bord Pleanála that the proposed development is not strategic infrastructure.A spokesperson for Duesbury said, “We had initially planned to apply for planning permission with Ennis Town Council but legislation meant we were obliged to make an application to An Bord Pleanála to seek a determination on whether this development constitutes strategic infrastructure. We had submitted …

SHANNON Town Council is seeking clarification from the HSE on the future of the high-support hostel at Deilginis. At the April meeting of the council, Labour Councillor Tony McMahon proposed the council seek information from the HSE on “the future status of the high-support hostel at Deilginis and advise what effect nursing staff reductions will have on the service users there”.He also wanted the HSE to clarify whether or not services for young people experiencing mental health issues in the Shannon area will be maintained at current levels.Speaking to The Clare Champion following the meeting, he said he was concerned about the situation. “My understanding of it is that it’s going to be downgraded, that the permanent staff are going to be moved to other facilities in Ennis and that it’s only going to have occasional staff visiting there. That’s why I want someone to come and tell us what the story on it is because there is no definite …

Dozens of Clare tourism providers will embark on a tour of visitor attractions throughout the County during April and May, as part of an initiative to build referral business within the local sector.The Clare Tourism Forum has organised a series of familiarisation tours that will take place in East, West, North and South Clare over the coming weeks.Chair of Clare Tourism Forum, Barbara Faulkner explains the thinking behind the initiative.“By broadening their knowledge and experience of other tourism attractions within County Clare, individual operators will be better positioned to promote the wider tourism sector and in doing so accrue the benefits of fellow operators doing likewise,” she stated.Ms. Faulkner continued, “Flagship attractions such as Bunratty Castle, Aillwee Cave and the Cliffs of Moher have for decades attracted thousands of visitors to County Clare. While these popular tourist sites have made immeasurable contributions to the local economy, it is important that tourism operators are suitably informed to educate visitors about the …

Lives will be lost if seriously ill psychiatric patients are allowed to refuse a controversial form of therapy, a well-known Clare psychiatrist has claimed. Retired public consultant psychiatrist, Dr Moosajee Bhamjee insists that removing the option of prescribing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to involuntary patients with severe depression or other serious illnesses who lack capacity and are unable to consent to treatment will result in deaths. “Will the minister take responsibility if a patient dies? Who takes responsibility if I say that a person needs ECT, the person says no, who is responsible if this person dies of starvation? “That is what happens with severe forms of depression. Some seriously depressed or ill patients will not eat or take fluids. Who decides in these cases?” Dr Bhamjee asked. Minister of State at the Department of Health, Kathleen Lynch told a recent mental health forum in Ennis that the Department was going to remove the provision allowing ECT for unwilling patients. “If …