Tag Archives: Cathal Crowe

THE importance of Shannon Airport for Clare was stressed in the Dáil last week, with calls for it to be helped through the Covid-19 crisis. “Shannon Airport is the driving force in Clare and the Mid-West Region. At this time of crisis, it has been deemed essential and has accepted many cargo flights of personal protection equipment, PPE. “When the crisis is over, there will be an acute need for the Department to provide the airport with a capital expenditure fund,” said Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe. “For too long, the airport has had to self-finance all major projects, including a recent €15 million upgrade of the runway. “All such outlays seriously eat into the airport’s financial resources meaning that it has very little funding left over for marketing the airport, attracting new routes and retaining existing routes. There is urgent action needed in that regard. “The funding needs to be ring-fenced for the airport to safeguard it in the …

A total of €138,000 in funding is to be rolled out to three separate harbours in Clare for essential works. Clare County Council has been granted the funding for works in piers at Carrigaholt, Ballyvaughan and Bournapeaka. The grants are part of an overall €3.1 million package for coastal local authorities to carry out improvement works at these developments. The biggest sum of €51,750 has been granted to Bournapeaka Pier in Ballyvaughan, which will go towards underpinning the mid-section of the pier; removing and replacing a cracked section; the removal of a section of deck and removing and relaying a cracked stone along the pier edge.Nearby Ballyvaughan pier has been awarded €48,750 for the installation of flood gate and three flap valves, as well as the provision of rock armour to protect the pier wall. The final grant of €37,500 has been awarded to Carrigholt pier for essential repair work and the reconstruction of section of old pier wall. “I …

HEALTH Minister Simon Harris is coming under pressure to ease some of the Covid-19 restrictions in Clare following official confirmation the incidence of the virus is the second lowest in Munster. According to official figures, Waterford has the lowest number of confirmed cases in Munster on Wednesday with 138 compared to 229 in Clare, 288 in Kerry, 370 in Tipperary, 518 in Limerick and 1,126 in Cork. Even when population is taken into account, Clare has the second lowest incidence of Covid-19 per head in the province. As frustration grows over how many weeks Clare people will be forced to remain in a restrictive national lockdown, Deputy Michael McNamara has presented a strong case for the need to apply a different level of restrictions in different regions subject to public health guidance. New EU guidelines for the control of Covid-19 have proposed that national lockdowns could be replaced by targeted regional measures. However, the new EU guidelines also recommend that …

NEW Clare TD Cathal Crowe has said that a major investment package will be required to support Shannon Airport, after the Covid-19 pandemic abates. Before the pandemic Dublin Airport was very much dominant over all the other Irish airports, with economic consequences for other parts of the country. Deputy Crowe said that Fianna Fáil has already written to the European Commissioner for Mobility seeking a discussion on the European response to the crisis, and to examine means to support Irish airports and airlines. He added, ““It had been hoped that the situation (at Shannon) would improve in 2020, but with the Coronavirus public health emergency and travel restrictions, it seems impossible that any progress will be made this year. “Shannon has been hugely impacted by COVID-19, and the effects will be felt long after the worst of this virus is over. As an island nation, we rely heavily on our airports for international connectivity and economic opportunities. Pre-clearance was a …

AS Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil inch closer to government formation, opinion continues to be divided on the merits of a historic coalition. The broad consensus, however, suggests that, in this county, support for alternatives options is in short supply. Both parliamentary parties have been meeting separately to consider a joint framework document agreed by Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin last Tuesday. It is anticipated that mechanisms will then be explored to canvass the views of councillors and grass-roots members. Deputies Joe Carey and Cathal Crowe both suggested that, through consultation, those with reservations could be brought around to the coalition option. “Among Fine Gael councillors there is widespread support, but not unanimity,” said Deputy Carey. “I would say that around 70% favour coalition. People do have legitimate questions and they must be listened to.” Fianna Fáil’s Deputy Crowe said he would emphasising to party leadership the importance of listening to the grassroots. “I have huge support in our party’s negotiating team,” he said. …

A CLARE man, who was detained in mandatory quarantine in South East Asia, has voiced his relief at getting out of the Coronavirus control centre. English teacher Darragh Collins from Ennis, and was taken by Vietnamese health authorities from his home to an isolation facility, after he attended a bar which was believed to be the source of a Covid-19 cluster in Ho Chi Min city. After being detained for a fortnight in quarantine at the Hoc Mon University campus, with up to 100 other Irish nationals, Mr Collins was released last weekend. He previously told The Champion that while the detention wasn’t a violation of his human rights, there were concerns over hygiene and access to accurate information about the quarantine period. This week, he told The Champion he was delighted to have been released and to be able to return to his apartment, to the huge relief of friends and family. “Home and safe now, I got out …

  AN emotional appeal has been made by a number of community leaders for those intending to travel to Clare holiday homes for Easter to cancel their plans. Despite the signing into law of stringent new Garda powers to enforce the Covid-19 lock-down, concerns remain that many have flocked to the West in recent days. The Director of Nursing at St Theresa’s Nursing Home in Kilrush told The Champion that the increase in visitors has been noticeable, and said the situation is a great risk to aging communities are already living in fear. “The risk they are bringing is not just to us in the Nursing Home and protection agencies but also to the many ageing communities in West Clare,” Yvonne Moroney said. “This is the same area they love to visit year after year, but it will not be the same if the infection was to catch on in our small communities. Many people are worried about what people …

CLARE Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe has called on satellite broadband providers not to penalise families who exceed their data package, during the COVID19 pandemic. Deputy Crowe said, “The majority of families and households across Clare are abiding by the HSE guidelines and are staying at home during this pandemic.  They are playing their part by not going out, with people working from home and kids undertaking their schoolwork in their kitchens. “This put a greater demand on the broadband infrastructure, and for some households they may be using more data than is in their current package. “Many broadband providers have a policy of adding a penalty for people exceeding the terms of their bundle.  However, these are unprecedented times.  It’s not business as usual and I am urging providers to take the current circumstances into account. “I am calling on the Communications Minister to engage with satellite broadband providers who are still imposing a cap on customers to see what can be …