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Before storming out of the December monthly meeting of Kilrush Town Council last Thursday night, Fianna Fáil town councillor Tom Prendeville warned the council executive and his fellow councillors that they should think twice before trying to stop him talking for more than five minutes on a motion. “God help the one that tries to stop me from making a contribution for more than five minutes,” Councillor Prendeville advised.The former county councillor made his comments in the middle of a heated exchange dealing with a change to the town council’s standing orders.The meeting voted by five votes to two, with one abstention, to curtail councillors from talking for more than five minutes on one of their motions. Until last Thursday, councillors could speak for up to 10 minutes under standing orders.The change to the standing order was proposed by Fine Gael Mayor of Kilrush, Marian McMahon Jones and seconded by Independent town councillor, Mairéad O’Brien.“I think it’s very wrong of …

SCHWARZ Pharma has declined to comment on claims that job losses are looming in the company. A company spokeswoman told The Clare Champion on Wednesday that it would not be making any comment on the situation. Just over a year ago, the company also announced the loss of 55 jobs, resulting from a global restructuring of parent company, the UCB Group.The pharmaceutical company has been based in Shannon for over 30 years, manufacturing drugs for a variety of ailments.

Shannon workers have long been used to being embroiled in industrial relations problems with Aer Rianta, now Dublin Airport Authority, and Free Zone companies but their latest cause for concern comes from within their own union. Local SIPTU figures are deeply worried that, under a restructuring plan agreed by the union at a recent conference in Tralee, Shannon Civil Aviation Branch official, Tony Carroll is to be relocated to the Cork-Kerry region and the full-time official responsible for the Shannon Free Zone is to be transferred to the Limerick City regional headquarters.Concerns also exist regarding SIPTU’s future in Ennis, with the revised regional plan proposing that the Clare branch official would move to the Galway regional centre.SIPTU’s head of communications, Frank Connolly, has dismissed claims that a decision on the restructuring proposals has been made. While a restructuring of the organisation and its premises had been agreed, he said discussions were ongoing with those who would be involved in the …

THE Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey has done a partial climb down in his nominations for the new Shannon Airport Authority but has not as yet gone back on the decision to reduce worker-director representation, which has held up the formation of the new board since mid-September.

BUSINESSES in County Clare have been buoyed by the news that Clare County Council, in a conscious effort to stimulate economic activity, will not be increasing commercial rates next year.

ENNIS singer Maura O’Connell has been nominated for a prestigious Grammy Award for her latest album, Naked with Friends.

SMALL businesses and young people were among the first to express their anger at Wednesday’s budget.