News

A VERY serious reduction in staff numbers at Clare County Council has already taken place over the last two years, according to Mayor Christy Curtin.

AS Dr Willie Walsh heads into the final few weeks of his tenure as Bishop of Killaloe, he has once again spoken of his anguish in dealing with the issue of clerical sexual abuse. No other aspect of his 16-year ministry as a bishop has occupied as much time, or energy and carried with it so much pain and shame, he said this week.

THE Government is going to shy away from imposing either a property tax or water charges in the December Budget.

KHUN Bedu, Khun Kawrio and Khun Dee De are three young men arrested in Myanmar on May 10, 2008. They were taken by the authorities and tortured for 15 days. They were beaten, forced to kneel on stones and made to lie in the sun for hours at a time. The temperatures they were enduring rose to over 30 degrees at times. At the end of this abuse, the men were sentenced before a military court to jail terms ranging from 35 to 37 years. There was no judge present and the men were not represented legally.

A SIX-point plan to help stimulate the West Clare economy over the next five years, with some of the aims due to be achieved inside 12 months, was unveiled in Kilrush on Tuesday.

ROADWORKS taking place in North Clare for the past six weeks are costing local businesses in some cases as much as 80% of their custom, it was claimed this week.

Speaking at the launch of the West Clare Economic Task Force report in the Kilrush Vandeleur Walled Gardens on Tuesday, Defence Minister Tony Killeen described the report as an economic milestone for the region. Minister Killeen also highlighted the fact that several agencies had helped to draw up the report.