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FUNDING of €4.3 million has been announced for Shannon Airport under the Regional Airports Programme 2022. Welcoming the allocation by Hildegarde Naughton TD, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Shannon Group CEO Mary Considine said the funding was very welcome as the airport continued its recovery. “The funding for Shannon Airport announced today by Minister Naughton will enable the airport to invest in vital infrastructure and rebuild in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ms Considine. “While we have made good strides in restoring air services at Shannon with 26 services to 11 destinations for summer 2022 secured, there is still a challenging few years ahead for the aviation sector. We are grateful for this Government support and will use it to continue to fund vital improvements to our airport infrastructure.” Positive news for @ShannonAirport of €4,347,750 Capital Allocation Funding announced by Min @1Hildegarde. Continued investment & promotion of the airport crucial for Clare & Mid West …

THE REGULATOR of planning, Niall Cussen, is to address councillors, amid ongoing concerns over the impact of regional and national strategies on rural Clare. A motion inviting the CEO of the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) was tabled by Councillor PJ Kelly. The Lissycasey man, a long-time advocate for rural development, was described by Councillor Gerry Flynn as “our own expert in terms of planning”. Outlining the motion, Councillor Kelly noted Mr Cussen’s close connections to Clare. “Planning law is very complex and we now have to deal with the OPR’s views and other regulatory guidelines,” he said. Describing the issues that have arisen, particularly in relation to the growth of rural Clare, during the drafting of the Development Plan for 2023-2029, the Fianna Fáil member remarked, “Many questions have been asked, but not answered.” The motion was seconded by Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy, who described moves to invite Mr Cussen as “very positive”. Referring to a response to …

In the third instalment of our climate change series Noirin Lynch, Traditional Singer and Director of FCJ Spirituality House, Spanish Point tells Bridget Ginnity that community and co-operation are key to our success I HAD what I call a “head moment” when I first read Laudato Si in 2015. That’s the papal letter by Pope Francis on climate change. I realised then that the climate crisis is serious but there’s a difference between the head moment and the heart moment. Even though Laudato Si was convincing, I wasn’t really emotionally engaged. Shortly afterwards I moved to Dublin to run a spirituality centre, and unexpectedly found myself in the heart of nature. The place was incredibly beautiful, with amazing 200-year-old trees and wonderful planting of flowers and shrubs by a sister now in her nineties. We had hedgehogs, squirrels, foxes, all kinds of birds. When I became aware of the seasons of nature, it transformed me. Something in me moved from …

RECORD overcrowding at the Mid-West’s main hospital has been strongly condemned at a meeting of Clare County Council, with an urgent call for a new regional facility for elective procedures. A motion from Councillor Johnny Flynn at April’s meeting called for a public, electives-only hospital, “in light of the record trolley numbers, lack of bed and clinical capacity at UHL”. The Fine Gael member said it would be “a failure of government” if no such facility was provided, given the worsening issues at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), in terms of emergency care and the growing waiting lists for elective procedures. “Everyone is very familiar with the Teamwork Report, published in 2009, because it recommended the closure of three Emergency Departments,” Councillor Flynn said. “At that time, they had combined admissions of 39 people per day. In March 2022, that figure was 245. In January 2012, there were 304 people on trolleys and that was considered to be an emergency. “In …

THERE were over four thousand people signing on the live register in Clare last month, according to figures from the Central Statistics Office. Its figures show that there were 3,850 people signing on in February, but this went up to 4,120 in March. There were 2,053 people on the live register attached to the Ennis Social Welfare Office in March, almost half the county’s total. The number signing on in Ennis was up by almost 200 on the February figure. The number in Ennistymon increased by 36 in March to 779. In Kilrush the number increased by just 10, from 698 to 708. In Tulla the number increased by 30, from 550 to 580. The last payment of the PUP was made on March 29, and people out of work would have been transferring to jobseekers benefit from then. As recently as February 8, 1,608 people were still receiving it in Clare. Despite the numbers on the live register, there …

WORK is set to begin on completing an unfinished footpath near the old quarry at Ballybeg later this year, the local authority have confirmed. This is one of a number of improvement works set to take place in the Ballybeg area a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District heard. Deputy Mayor of Ennis Councillor Paul Murphy told the meeting that finishing the footpath needs to be “prioritised” along with raising other matters relating to Ballybeg. The councillor requested that the path be included in this year’s works programme “and that that any drainage issues impacting on residential dwellings are dealt with. Barry Conway, A/Senior Executive Engineer, informed him that funding has been provided for this section of footpath in the 2022 Active Travel allocation. Work is scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2022 he said. The Clarecastle-based councillor also asked that lighting is provided “as soon as possible as the ducting is already in place along most …

EFFORTS to support those fleeing the war in Ukraine will be ramped up in the coming weeks, according to Council CEO Pat Dowling.  The Council chief told members this week that local authorities “are now more centre stage” in terms of providing supports to the more than 20,000 people who have fled to Ireland to-date. Mr Dowling outlined that, as of April 4, Clare is accommodating 1,916 people in 16 venues at seven locations. That number is set to rise considerably, with the Council now mandated to source more accommodation.  The CEO’s remarks came in advance of an emergency motion from Councillor Mary Howard calling for a centralised venue for the distribution of information and services.  The authority, Mr Dowling said, has been asked to identify and activate options, including emergency accommodation, repurposing of venues, acquiring properties and commissioning suppliers. “We are entering a phase of being challenged in the extent of availability,” Mr Dowling said. “A venue in Ennis …

AMBULANCE services in Clare came under the spotlight at the monthly meeting of Clare County Council, when a call was made to review the deployment system.  Councillor Ian Lynch demanded that the Health Minister review the ‘dynamic deployment’ process operated by the National Ambulance Service (NAS), asserting that the system does not work in rural areas.  “I have been raising this issue since I’ve been elected,” the Independent member said, “and it has been falling on deaf ears. The service is under-funded across the country and to talk about international best practice and dynamic deployment is a smokescreen. “That’s fine in urban centres, but it doesn’t work in rural Ireland. I have had contact from Waterford, Galway and Mayo on this and if someone who is a critical patient has to wait 90 minutes for an ambulance, it’s clear that the system isn’t working.” The Kilrush man noted recent tributes to the emergency services by broadcaster Marty Morrissey. On The …