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Calls were made at an Ennis West Electoral area meeting to issue an urgent appeal to the National Roads Authority to implement safety measures on the N85 at Kilnamona following a collison there last Thursday. Councillor James Breen told members that it was “lucky there wasn’t a loss of life” in relation to the single vehicle incident which occurred on a stretch of road by the pitch and putt course in Kilnamona. The incident saw a car leave the road and drop a number of feet into the Shallee River. The sole occupant of the car was uninjured.  On Monday, Councillor Breen asked the Ennis West Committee to issue an “urgent appeal to the NRA to come up with funding before there is a loss of life. This drop is on a busy road and it is deadly dangerous”. Eamon O’Dea, senior executive engineer, explained that funding had been allocated for another section of the same road. He said that …

ON Tuesday, Ennis Chamber launched their second annual FBD Business Excellence Awards.The objective is to highlight examples of business excellence and to acknowledge the talent, dynamism and innovation to be found across the county.The FBD Clare Business Excellence Awards provide an opportunity for the local business community to promote themselves by entering one or more or the award categories.“At a time when many businesses are trying to survive, it is important to focus on the positive stories of what businesses are doing to succeed,” Ennis Chamber president John Dillane commented. “The awards give local businesses an opportunity to showcase their strengths and successes, as well as promoting Clare as an attractive place for investment and to do business. The awards benchmark the industrial, retail and service base in the county to a standard of excellence,” he added. The launch, in the Cloister Bar and Restaurant, was attended by the awards sponsor FBD as well as the sponsors of the categories …

The effect of halving of the lower rate of employer PRSI will be “immense”, a Clare business organisation claimed this week. “The reduction in the lower rate of PRSI is welcome, particularly at entry level for employers to employ more people. The net effect of having someone in employment even at the lower rate for the local economy is immense. “You have someone who is not on the dole, who has spending power, who has security and who has confidence. The knock-on effect is that there is a feel-good factor in creating employment and announcing jobs and that has its own effect in generating consumer confidence in the economy,” Rita McInerney, CEO of Ennis Chamber, told The Clare Champion. Ms McInerney also welcomed the retention of the 12.5% corporation tax rate, saying that the impact of foreign direct investment is felt across the whole economy. “The commitment to the 12.5% corporation tax rate is to be welcomed because in order …

Difficulties could arise for tourism businesses in implementing a change to VAT outlined in the Government Jobs Initiative, the head of a tourism lobby group has claimed. Changing the rate of VAT from 13.5% to 9% in mid-season may pose problems for some tourism businesses who have been paid in advance for their services, the president of the Shannon Branch of the Irish Hotels Federation, Michael Vaughan, told The Clare Champion. “There will be some difficulty in managing the VAT reduction for pre-booked tours and the likes, where guests have already paid the overseas tour operator in full for accommodation and meals. “I expect us to be able to come up with a creative solution on that though, like giving something back in kind in the line of complimentary additional services,” he said. Mr Vaughan stated that he would be encouraging all of his members to pass this VAT reduction onto customers “even though it will be a difficult thing …

Fianna Fáil know that even if they could persuade St Patrick to come back and stand for the presidency on behalf of the party, he would fail to get elected.That’s how poor an image Fianna Fáil has now and that’s why party leader Micheál Martin announced during the week that Fianna Fáil councillors may nominate an Independent candidate to stand for the presidency.Fianna Fáil dreads this coming presidential election. The party knows that they have little or no chance of winning. They also cannot afford a costly presidential election coming in the wake of a costly general election.The ideal solution for Fianna Fáil is an agreed candidate, which would avoid the need to hold an election, which happened on many occasions in the past. But that is not going to happen this time. Fine Gael and Labour are already committed to contesting and Senator David Norris is already in the field. So an agreed candidate is out.The next best thing …

LAST year, the number of calls made to the Childline service reached over 837,500, with over 2,300 calls and messages received per day. According to statistics released this week, there was a rise in the number of young people worried about mental health, with 15% of conversations on the web and text about mental health issues, including suicide and self-harm. Concern around family and peer relationships also continued to rise to 8% of phone calls and 19% on web and text. Abuse and welfare also continues to be high at 13% of phone calls and 9% of web and text. Ennis woman Gillian Maloney is a member of the team of Childline volunteers and told The Clare Champion that the young people who call Childline find they need to talk about topics ranging from everyday life to the heavier topics of suicide, sexuality and abuse.“I find giving my time as a volunteer beneficial for both myself and the kids. I …

RENTS in Clare have fallen again this year bringing them on average to €210 less than their peak it was revealed this week. This went against the national trend where rents rose by half a percent.In Munster, rents fell by an average of 0.5% in the first three months of 2011, a significantly smaller fall than that seen between September and December. The average rent in Clare in the first quarter of 2011 was €590, a fall of €210 from the peak.For those from Clare renting in Ireland’s cities, rents went up marginally in Dublin to €1,057 over the past year but rose by almost 3% in Cork to €869 on average. Rents in Galway fell to €746, in Limerick they dropped by 2.3% to €639 and in Waterford rents in the past year have plummeted by 6% to €639. Commenting on the report, Ronan Lyons, economist at Daft.ie, said, “The latest figures confirm the first signs of stabilisation in …

FOR a moment it seemed as if time stood still before the breaking of the dawn in Lees Road last Saturday morning.United in grief, over 550 people stood still at the Ennis Sports and Leisure Park to remember loved ones who died by suicide.The Darkness into Light walk and run, organised by Pieta House, the Mid-West Centre for Prevention of Self Harm and Suicide, proved to be a very emotional event for all involved.Over €11,000 was raised by the symbolic event, which was organised to give hope to those affected by suicide and self-harm. The huge response generated by the walk has prompted organisers to consider making it an annual event.Some people spoke openly about the death of a family member, relative or neighbour by suicide and the difficulties in trying to face up to changed family circumstances. Others admitted they felt helpless, vulnerable and simply didn’t know what to do when bereaved by a loss.The overwhelming message was one …