ENDA Kenny’s government is still flying high in the polls but with a harsh budget to come and the near certain defeat of Gay Mitchell in the Presidential election, there were at least a few clouds on the horizon when he visited Ennis last week.
Inevitably, a budget that cuts spending by billions won’t be popular and will affect people negatively but Mr Kenny said people are realistic about the country’s position. “The Irish people know that we face serious challenges and the Government were elected to deal with those challenges and we’ll deal with them in the fairest way that we can.”
He wouldn’t be drawn on exactly how much money will be cut from the coming budget but said that Ireland will meet the Troika’s expectations. “We can’t actually say what the figure is now because the reports in respect of self-employed and corporates and projections for growth are not available to us yet and won’t be for a number of weeks. But Government will publish the information that we have for all to see so that those in the Dáil can produce their views of what the budget should be like. But we will meet the commitments, that’s very important for restoring confidence for Ireland and confidence in Ireland. Our ambition of course is to be able to get back to the bond markets ourselves in the shortest possible time,” he added.
The story of Shannon Airport’s decline is well known but it’s believed the development of Lynxs Cargo hub has the potential to deliver a huge boost. Mr Kenny was positive about its possibilities. “This is an important element of business, there is a huge amount of freight crossing the Atlantic on a daily basis. I’m aware of the proposition and anything we can do to bring it about is something we will consider very strongly. Every job created helps the local economy and it’s important for Clare and the region.”
Mr Kenny was complimentary about cost management at Ennis General Hospital and said he was hopeful that new management structures can deliver improvements in Galway and Limerick.
“Ennis hospital is under budget at the moment so they’re measuring up to the conditions. What the minister has done in respect Limerick and Galway is arrange for short-term contracts in respect of particular competencies in management, which will bring about a change of direction in the way the hospitals are being managed.
“I’d make the point that in another large hospital where you had 35-40 trolleys each day for the last number of years, there were none last week because of a change in managerial efficiency.”

Taoiseach pays tribute as Clare FM open new premises

AN Taoiseach Enda Kenny was in the county town for the opening of Clare FM’s new 9,000 square foot premises on Francis Street.
He paid tribute to Clare FM’s importance to the county and said the opening of the premises marks the start of another era. “It’s the start of a new adventure for Clare people because you are their sound, you are their voice, you are their heart in so many ways.”
Mr Kenny said he was an admirer of Clare FM’s news coverage. “What you have done with all your staff over the past 22 years is set an example for others. I’ve been interviewed on every radio station in the country and Clare FM has been fair in its coverage of news. It is so important that it be objective and be done without fear or favour.”
He said that the challenges Clare FM faced in moving to the new premises are like the challenges Ireland is facing. “We live out of a very different world to what went past. Clare FM, in its own way, is parallel to the challenges the country faces. You were in an old premises, you did fine, you measured up. There were challenges to get here with the extraordinary sophistication of the digital equipment that you now have. In the same way, the country has to face a series of challenges ahead. Just as Clare FM have emerged into this new 9,000 square foot building with all of the sophisticated potential that you now have, so too will our country emerge from the challenges that we face. These are economic challenges that Government will not shirk.”
The Taoiseach said there is a huge appetite for local news in Ireland. “I remember back in the ’80s when the concept of local radio was beginning first, people were terrified that newspapers would go out of existence completely. A lot of the newspapers bought into the radio stations and then they discovered that people liked to hear about the thing on the radio or then read about it and then hear about it on the radio. One complemented the other because we are voracious news absorbers in this country. We like to know what the story is.”
FM chairman Liam O’Shea said that the station isn’t despondent despite the current challenges. “Confident and positive about the future. That’s the way that Clare FM feels. We know that times are difficult. We hear all about the recession but we’ll fight the good fight and hopefully we’ll reap the rewards of a lot of hard work and enterprise.”
He said it was a very proud day for Clare FM. “It’s a day when we celebrate not just our new home but what we in Clare FM have been doing for the last 22 years and we’re very proud of it. We’re very proud that after those 22 years of broadcasting we now hold the distinguished title of local station of the year, an award that we’re very proud of, that’s not given out easily. It’s an award judged by the most discerning of all listeners, the people of our industry, our fellow broadcasters in the radio industry in Ireland. I’d like to thank our listeners for helping us to achieve that.”
2011 has been a memorable year for Clare FM. As well as opening the new premises, it has won a number of honours, including being named PPI local station of the year earlier this month.