News

AS THOUSANDS of people gathered in Dublin on Tuesday (June 15) to demand full redress for to repair homes with defective concrete blocks, it has emerged that one public building in Clare, as well as a number of council houses could be affected. Members of the Clare Pyrite-Mica Action Group were among the thousands who thronged the area around the Convention Centre, where the Dáil has been sitting, before marching to Leinster House to hand in a letter calling on Minister Darragh O’Brien to extend the existing redress scheme to and to cover to 100% of costs. Currently, the scheme only covers Donegal and Mayo and will only cover 90% of costs. A homeowner from Newmarket-on-Fergus said he believes that the scale of the problem in Clare could be huge. “My home is getting worse week-by-week,” he said. “A qualified engineer has seen it and said it’s grade four pyrite.We were filling and painting for a while, but it’s gone …

The weekend starts here for the footballing fraternity who embark on a frantic Friday of Cusack and Garry Cup action. The opening round didn’t exactly go according to script so it’s probably best to expect the unexpected once more. Consequently tasked with the futile exercise of predicting those second round winners is Eoin Brennan. Cusack Cup Round 2 Éire Óg v Kilmurry Ibrickane at Éire Óg, Friday, 7.30pm (J Donnellan) Normally a box office annual meeting, neither a full complement of supporters or players will be present in Ennis on Friday evening. Without county players in both codes, inevitably Éire Óg and Kilmurry Ibrickane lost their opening ties albeit that the Townies will be much the happier in defeat due to a battling display against Ennistymon which was in doubt right up until the final whistle. In Pairc Naomh Mhuire however, the final whistle couldn’t come soon enough in a derby demolition at the hands of their nearest neighbours St …

A PLANNING application for the development of eight 180 metre wind turbines in South-East Clare will be lodged to Clare County Council next February. RWE Renewables has unveiled plans for the development of the wind turbines at Fahy Beg, Fahy More North, Ballymoloney and Ballyknavin in Bridgetown. RWE Renewables spokesman, Kieran O’Byrne, has also confirmed the next stage of the process is the completion of the Environmental Impact Statement. In an interview with The Clare Champion, he said the company has sent out two information letters to residents in April and was planning to circulate a third one this Friday or next Monday. He confirmed a company representative has met about 30 residents, some of those living less than one kilometre away are positive, some of the houesholders living more than two kilometres away are negative, and it is also receiving questions from people living further away. He said the company is happy to talk to any resident and hoped …

CONCERN about the high turnover of staff in a Meelick nursing home has been expressed by a health watchdog. Inspectors from the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) found Ennis Road Care Facility (ERCF) was non-compliant with four standards: records, governance and management, fire precautions, as well as training and staff development following a recent inspection. The long-stay residential facility was compliant with standards on persons in charge, staffing, statement of purpose, notification of incidents, complaints’ procedure, visits, personal possessions, end of life, premises and food and nutrition. Eight breaches of national health regulations were detected following a previous unannounced inspection last September. The latest inspection report related to an unannounced risk-based inspection undertaken on February 25 to follow up on previous inspection findings in 2020, all of which had identified issues with the governance and management of the service. This had resulted in the chief inspection reducing the number of beds registered from 84 to 45 to allow for …

Mike Hanrahan tells Fiona McGarry he is on a mission to highlight escalating crisis of Alzheimer’s in our society STOCKTON’S frontman, Mike Hanrahan, has described himself as being on “a crusade” to improve services for those with dementia and memory loss. It follows the recent passing of his mother, Mary, who had vascular dementia, and to whom his new single ‘A River Rolls On’ is dedicated. The deeply personal piece, performed by Mike, along with Sandy Kelly, Lisa Lambe and the inclusive Forget Me Nots Choir, will raise funds for The Alzheimer’s Society. Mike hopes it will also spark a conversation about an issue facing an increasing number of Irish families. “After our experience of living with my mam’s dementia, I am on a crusade,” he told The Champion. “I feel I have to help. Our generation is encountering this condition on a scale not seen before. People are living longer and we’re going to need more supports for those …

Ailish and Eimear Considine talk to Owen Ryan about Clare football, professional support and their ‘sixth sense’ HAVING made their name in GAA, Kilmihil sisters Eimear and Ailish Considine are now stars of rugby and Australian rules football, having diverted onto two roads less travelled. Ailish is now home from Australia ahead of Eimear’s wedding next month and the two sisters took turns talking to the media via Zoom last Thursday morning. Undoubtedly a huge loss to Clare football, Ailish admitted that county manager Evan Talty has been in touch with her about possibly lining out in the saffron and blue this summer, during her off season. “I’m still a bit undecided on what my plans are. I’ve just been here a week yesterday, still pretty fresh off the plane, a little bit undecided in terms of gaelic football and stuff. “With the season moving forward it’s a little bit more difficult to make a decision. If I did decide …

WITH the economy reopening the number of people receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment in Clare is on the way down, writes Owen Ryan. The numbers receiving the PUP dropped from 8,170 on May 25 to 6,408 on June 15, a decrease of more than 21%. At one point last year, there were almost 15,000 Clare people receiving it. The resumption of hospitality and non-essential retail in recent weeks has been a major factor in the numbers reducing. With further reopening expected over the course of the summer, the number claiming the state support is likely to drop further. Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said that the figures are falling and the trend is likely to continue. “This week, we have seen another fall in the number of people receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment as we continue to make progress in reopening our economy and suppressing the virus. “In fact, there are now over 214,000 fewer people being supported by …

Sewage flowing into our greatest natural resource, the River Shannon, is unacceptable, says O’Brien IRISH Water has been urged to fast-track the upgrading of the existing Ballina Wastewater Treatment Plant following Tipperary County Council’s recent planning approval for these works. Repeated overflows of the treatment plant, which has resulted in pollution of the nearby River Shannon has prompted calls for major upgrading of this overloaded sewerage treatment facility. Tipperary County Council has stated upgrading works are programmed to start in the fourth quarter of 2022, with a completion date by the end of 2024, subject to funding and statutory approvals. The plant, which serves the wastewater needs of Ballina and Killaloe, has a 4,000-person equivalent capacity and the current load estimate on this plant is for a 5,400-person equivalent. Councillor Tony O’Brien confirmed Clare county councillors have not been informed of any change in the projected completion of these long-awaited improvement works. “There is a major issue with the existing …