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Regional

New hospitals’ boss concerned about patient ‘no shows’

The non-attendance of approximately 35,000 out-patients scheduled for appointments in two Galway public hospitals last year represents one of the biggest challenges facing the local acute hospital service.That’s according to the new chief executive officer of the Galway and Roscommon University Hospitals’ Group, who insists the Health Service Executive (HSE) has a difficult task to ensure all patients fulfil their out-patients appointments.The huge number of so-called “no-shows” is 5,500 less than the total number of “invalidated” patients on the Outpatient Waiting List for University College Hospital, Galway and Merlin Park, Galway, which now stands at 40,517.However, Mr Maher expects this figure could reduce by between 10% and 15% when the number of patients on multiple lists for the same out-patients’ procedures are removed from the system.It is estimated that Galway University Hospitals see 5,000 patients every week. Speaking at a recent HSE Forum meeting in Galway, Mr Maher explained if all patients turned up for their appointments, their overall out-patient …

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Multi-million gas project in jeopardy

THE Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) is putting a project worth hundreds of millions of euro in jeopardy and preventing the creation of hundreds of jobs, a special meeting of West Clare councillors heard last Friday.Executives from Shannon LNG, the company that has received planning permission for a €600 million LNG terminal and which is also looking at developing a €400m power plant (both at a site in Ballylongford), addressed the members. They voiced their concern at CER proposals that all gas suppliers be required to pay tariffs for the interconnectors, which bring gas from Britain to Ireland. They claim they shouldn’t have to pay towards those interconnectors, as they will not use them.At the meeting, former Kerry footballer and Shannon Development executive Óige Moran said there are plans for an LNG gas terminal on the Kerry side of the estuary and that during construction up to 650 jobs would be created, with 50 permanent direct jobs and 50 indirect …

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Boosting the bottom line through workshops

With the retail trade being one of the sectors that has been hit hardest by the downturn in the economy, ACIST Skillnet and Ennis Chamber are providing a workshop series entitled Boost the Bottom Line – A Profit Margin Workshop Series. The series will take place on four consecutive Wednesdays in May from 6.30pm-9.30pm in the Temple Gate Hotel. The aim of the workshop series is to assist business owner/managers to protect and increase profit margins and to create awareness of areas that profit margins may be lost.  The workshop series will cover profit margins within a business that has employees, products and a premises such as any form of retail business. However, many of the principles of profit margin will apply to all businesses.  The series is targeted at owner/managers, supervisors and decision makers within a business.The first workshop will take place on Wednesday, May 9 on the subject of increasing sales.  On Wednesday, May 16, the workshop will …

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€120m road will have long term benefits – Tiernan

THE long term benefits of the proposed €120million distributor road linking South-East Clare with Limerick City will be seen by future generations, according to senior engineer Tom Tiernan.Speaking to The Clare Champion, Mr Tiernan said Phase Two of the Northern Distributor Road is needed  to facilitate the future needs of the region.Clare County Council’s senior engineer explained this new road will facilitate development, good quality connectivity and access to all opportunities that exist in South East Clare and North Limerick at present and into  the future.He noted the traffic situation on the north side of Limerick City is different from rest of the city. “The road infrastructure from that area is more radial from Limerick City Centre. A lot of it isn’t good quality road infrastructure. It is quite restricted in some cases at particular times, you do have a deficit from a traffic capacity point of view, particularly at peak times, morning and evening.“There are a series of local …

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€4.6m spent on Glaisce na Rinne

OVER €4.6 million has been spent on the affordable housing development adjacent to Cluain Airne, this week’s meeting of Shannon Town Council heard, while frustration about the developer going out of business was expressed.Work at the site has been stalled since Easter, while it is estimated around three weeks more work is required to complete the development.Councillor Cathy McCafferty put forward a motion seeking details of spending on the development. In a written reply from town manager Bernadette Kinsella she stated total spending to date was €4,602,417.56, while a site subsidy of €653,982 and a grant for the six step down units of €752,952 had been received by the county council.The independent councillor also questioned the pricing of the houses asking whether it is fair, reasonable and accurate to describe the units for sale at Glaise na Rinne as affordable homes.In her written reply, Ms Kinsella stated, “The houses are currently being marketed by Mr Liam Browne, Paddy Browne and …

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Record breaker brought to book

THE inspirational story of one Barefield man’s successful attempt to become the first to complete a 10km dive without surfacing has been turned into a book.Record-breaking scuba diver Christy Healy set the record late last year with his second attempt at the dive in Lough Derg. The record was confirmed by Guinness World Records and the money raised from the dive went to the Share a Dream Foundation.Christy is now hoping the launch of the new book The 10K Record will raise even more funds for the charity, which makes dreams come true for sick children all over Ireland.  Christy saw first-hand the amazing work of the Share a Dream Foundation when his son Stephen was diagnosed with non-hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2010. One of Stephen’s regular visitors was Christy’s cousin, Jonathan Mangan, a volunteer with Share a Dream, who got the teenager involved in helping to design the charity’s ‘dream machine’.Stephen has since been given the all-clear and the record …

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Lift-off for Harbour Flights in Limerick City

HARBOUR Flights Ireland Ltd, whose base for operations is in Mountshannon, has just received planning permission for its sixth sea plane base to be located in Limerick City. An Bord Pleanála granted the application on Friday, April 20 and marks the end of Harbour Flights’ first phase of planning applications towards its overall strategy to connect Ireland via a commercial sea plane operation. Limerick City is now its sixth base with full planning in place for its intended operation which include Galway, Dublin, Cobh, Foynes and its main operation base on Lough Derg. Flights are not operational as of yet as the company is awaiting its Aircraft Operating Certificate from the Irish Aviation Authority. If successful, the seaplane operation between all six bases will be up and running. On September 20, 2011 Harbour Flights Ireland Ltd became the first IAA (Irish Aviation Authority) licensed Waterdrome base in the country.The company will now embark on phase two of its planning proposal …

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Popping up under the Ennis Access to Spaces Initiative

  A TANNING salon in Ennis is bringing colour to the town in more ways than one after becoming the location for an Artisan Pop-up Shop, the first project to be rolled out under the Ennis Access to Spaces Initiative (EASI).Co-ordinated by Ennis Town Council, Clare County Council and Ennis Chamber, the unique scheme aims to revitalise Ennis town centre by facilitating the use of unoccupied spaces for commercial, creative and community use.Empty and underutilised space in Sunkiss in Market Street has been transformed into a bijou pop-up space highlighting work by some of Clare’s very best craftworkers and artists, including textile artist Steph Gahan, ceramicist, Helen Griffin, and contemporary furniture maker, John Hogan.The display will be officially opened by Councillor Michael Guilfoyle, Mayor of Ennis, this Saturday at 12 noon. County arts officer, Siobhán Mulcahy complimented the initiators of the project, Steph Gahan and Sunkiss owners Siobhán Ní Chofaigh and Elizabeth Nolan, “for their foresight in undertaking the initiative …

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