Tag Archives: Clare Deputy Michael McNamara

NUMEROUS people in parts of East Clare didn’t receive a national Census form, it emerged this week. Deputy Michael McNamara has confirmed people living in Scariff, Tuamgraney, Feakle, Killaloe and rural locations near Flagmount didn’t receive a Census form, which they were required to complete on Sunday night. The Independent Deputy said it seemed there was a blanket exclusion for some rural parts of East Clare as well as those living within the urban speed limits of Scariff. “The legal obligation for people is to fill in a Census form if you are given one. Everyone should have been given a Census form. “If the government didn’t have enough enumerators, they should have sent the Census forms by post,” the TD said. “Completing the Census is important for a variety of reasons. Funding is allocated based on population. “If Shannon was a town with a population of in excess of 10,000, there would be more funding streams open to it. …

THE HSE has confirmed a €9.95 million capital budget allocation for the upgrade of a theatre at Ennis Hospital The project has already progressed to design stage according to Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara who received confirmation of the allocation from UL Hospitals Group CEO Collete Cowan. Ms Cowan confirmed the news to Deputy McNamara in response to his representations on theatre utilisation rates at Ennis Hospital, University Hospital Limerick (UHL), Nenagh Hospital and St. John’s Hospital during the pandemic. “While I very much welcome this long-awaited investment in theatre facilities in Ennis, I would like to see the project accelerated as figures given to me confirm the HSE’s pandemic response disproportionately impacted theatre usage at Ennis Hospital compared to other hospitals within the UL Hospitals Group,” commented Deputy McNamara. Some 2,021 procedures were carried out in Ennis during 2019, but this figure dropped by 56% to 897 in 2021. This compares to a 40% reduction at Nenagh Hospital (3,392 …

Irish Water’s confirmation that the wastewater treatment plant in Kilmihil is to be upgraded will have significant environmental, social and economic benefits for the village, according to Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara. Deputy McNamara said the works would facilitate future growth in the village and would also eliminate discharges from the plant to the Doonbeg River. “I am delighted to have received confirmation that Kilmihil is one 12 schemes across Ireland to be funded by the European Union under Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan,” stated Deputy McNamara. He continued, “The sewerage network in Kilmihil is a combined system and during past storm events the plant has become hydraulically overloaded. The upgrade will prevent treatment plant discharges from reaching the Doonbeg River, which is part of the Doonbeg Freshwater Pearl Mussel sensitive area. “New commercial, retail and housing developments in the village also will be facilitated as the result of the planned upgrade of the existing treatment plant.” Deputy McNamara …

NO new acute, sub-acute or ICU beds will be opened in the Mid-West this year, according to HSE figures released to Independent Clare Deputy Michael McNamara. In response to Deputy McNamara’s Parliamentary Question, the HSE’s Acute Operations department confirmed none of the six hospitals in the UL Hospitals’ Group will receive any of the 411 acute and 36 ICU beds scheduled to be opened this year subject to staffing and completion of some capital works. “The provision of additional bed capacity on its own will not resolve the overcrowding problems at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), but the delivery of new acute, sub-acute and ICU beds should certainly be part of the solution,” stated Deputy McNamara, who described the exclusion of all six hospitals in Clare, Limerick, and north Tipperary as “disgraceful”. “UHL is the most consistently overcrowded hospital in the country having recorded 76,000 attendances in 2021, up 16% compared to 2020 and up 7% on 2019, and with 91 …

THE referral rate of additional needs children to the Clare Children’s Disability Network Team (CDNT) has soared on average by 18% year on year, over the past four years, shocking new figures have revealed. The Mid-West Community Healthcare has acknowledged the introduction of Covid-19 related public health guidelines in March 2020 has also had a significant impact on the waiting times for all services and supports with Clare CDNT, given that services were paused in the most part for several months. This has particularly affected the waiting times for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) assessments. In total, 92 Clare children are waiting on average 9.3 months for an initial contact with the CDNT; 80 are waiting for an (Individual Family Support Plan) following initial contact; 2,190 specified needs have been identified for families to help achieve identified goals, such as training programme on toilet training and provision of equipment, provision of resources, while 138 children are waiting for an ASD assessment. …

Formal plan for offshore wind facility won’t be before board for two years while tanaiste says coal-burning plant won’t be decommissioned until country is is confident it can replaced with secure renewable supply THE ESB has put its plan before An Bord Pleanala for a production facility for off-shore wind-turbines at its Moneypoint power station in west Clare, writes Gordon Deegan. In a notice published by An Bord Pleanala, it confirms that the ESB is now engaging with the appeals board in pre-application consultation for its planned fabrication facility for the construction and assembly of floating offshore wind turbines. The pre-application consultation is required under the Government’s Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID) system and is a prelude to formal plans being lodged with An Bord Pleanala. The production facility for the off-shore wind-turbines is part of the ESB’s overall multi billion euro Green Atlantic at Moneypoint programme that is to transform the power station site into a green energy hub. The …

CHRONIC overcrowding in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) is back under the national spotlight following confirmation HIQA is considering inspecting the Emergency Department as part of its recent monitoring of this issue. The INMO’s Trolley Watch reported there were 87 patients on trolleys in UHL last week, which fell to 71 on Tuesday before increasing again to 75 on Wednesday. Calls are being made for the Emergency Department Taskforce to be convened and for emergency measures to be deployed in the areas worst hit. UHL regularly has the dubious distinction of being the most overcrowded hospital in the country. Deputy Michael McNamara has called on the HSE and government to publish the findings of a review by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) into the ongoing trolley crisis at University Hospital Limerick (UHL). The Independent Deputy issued his request in Dáil Éireann on Wednesday after Junior Health Minister Mary Butler confirmed to him that the health agency has written to …

THERE has been a welcome in East Clare for a period of additional consultation on a multimillion Euro windfarm proposed for the slopes of Slieve Bearnagh, writes Fiona McGarry. Controversy surrounded the initiation public consultation phase for the Carrownagowan Windfarm, which was submitted as Strategic Infrastructure in November 2020, because public health restrictions prohibited gatherings and meetings during the window for submissions. Over the course of last year, An Bord Pleanála sought Further Information on the 19-turbine proposal from developers, Coillte. The board has now judged the material received to be ‘significant’, meaning that it must go on public display, with an opportunity for members of the public to make submissions on it until 5.30pm on March 14. “The information received by An Bord Pleanála was deemed to be significant so it’s now very important that people review this material and make themselves aware of what is involved,” said Councillor Pat Hayes. “The period for submissions on the new information …