New school to replace Mary Immaculate College, Lisdoonvarna

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  • Department officials deemed new site optimum solution

 

Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe has welcomed confirmation from Education Minister Norma Foley that a new school building on a new site will be progressed to replace Mary Immaculate College, Lisdoonvarna.

“It’s hugely welcome news to see that this much-needed replacement school will see the light of day,” said Deputy Crowe.

“As someone with 15 years of teaching in classrooms, I know only too well the need for learning facilities to be of a high standard and Mary Immaculate College in Lisdoonvarna is an old building which has reached an end-of-life point in terms of being an educational facility.

“I’m glad that the department have taken the decisive decision to now progress this to an outright new build.

“Now the real work begins in terms of identifying a new site and engaging proactively with school patrons to progress a design, obtain planning permission and to bring this to the point of construction.”

€524,000 secured for Scariff under Rural Regeneration Development Fund

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  • Will address dereliction and improve public realm
  • Part of national €21.5m announcement

 

Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe has welcomed the allocation of €524,000 in funding for Scariff, under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund.

This will go a long way towards the estimated cost of €655,000 to transform the town in terms of tackling derelict properties, enhancing the public realm and generating economic growth and footfall.

“This funding will be transformational for Scariff town,” said Deputy Crowe.

“Scariff is known for being vibrant and picturesque but now, with major works planned for the nearby island of Inis Cealtra it’ll become a tourism gateway of even greater importance in the Lough Derg region.

“This funding will help to revamp the town centre and address dereliction first and foremost.

“It’s hoped that one particular derelict building can be acquired and used to develop a Multi Service Innovation and Engagement Hub and improved public realm for the Market Square in the town centre.

“The revamped town centre should entice more people to Scariff and hopefully also make it attractive for people to overnight in the area when visiting Lough Derg.

“I met with a number of local activists a number of months ago – namely Debbie Bent and Clare Henchy of Scariff Community Council, Denis Tuohy of Scariff Town Team and Councillor Pat Hayes – and since then, have a path worn to Minister Humphreys’ office trying to get this over the line.

“I am somewhat disappointed that a project submitted for the Kilrush area has not been selected on this occasion.

“This application related to a proposal to develop a marine training facility in the town.

“Whilst I’m disappointed that it hasn’t been approved on this occasion, I very much consider this to be a viable project for the future and I hope to work with local councillors and stakeholders to ensure that new life is breathed into these plans and that it goes forward once again for public monies.”

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Approval of student teachers for subbing could add 1,000 to workforce

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  • Department has given green light
  • Vital to meet shortfall in substitute teachers

 

Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe has welcomed the confirmation that a cohort of student teachers will be permitted to fill in for schools where substitute teachers are scarce.

Following positive engagement between the Department of Education and Higher Education Institutions who provide primary initial teacher education programmes, it has been agreed to facilitate release of PME and B.Ed. year 3 and year 4 students to support schools up to the end of term.

They have also agreed to explore flexible options in relation to the assessment requirement for programmes in the context of students being available to support schools.

“This is a suggestion I had brought directly to Minister Norma Foley over the past fortnight and I saw first-hand how schools have been struggling – but in particular, I felt that there was a potential role to be played by student teachers,”

“These are teachers who have largely completed their degree – following the Christmas break, they’re down to examinations and project work.

“Their teaching practice placements have largely been fulfilled and so too have most of their pedological studies.

“It makes sense that we would deploy them to the frontline at this time of crisis.

“The cumulative effect of having student teachers from all colleges could add an additional 1,000 teachers to classroom duties over the coming weeks, which would significantly alleviate the current problem.

“I’m glad also that teachers on secondment to the PDST will also now, in many instances, return to the classroom.

“These are teachers who ordinarily would be teaching their own class but they’re now working with the Department of Education to assist with the upskilling and continuous professional development in the areas of literacy and numeracy.

“I believe that there is still a role for the inspectorate to also help at this time and I hope that the cumulative efforts of all of these groups will address the significant shortfall in terms of substitute teachers that we, as a country, are facing at this time.

“As always, until such a time that the shortage has been met, I stand ready to assist with schools in Clare in cases where I will not displace any other teacher.”

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Urgent independent inquiry into Irish Coast Guard management needed

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  • Oireachtas Transport Committee discussing Doolin Coast Guard
  • Doolin branch must get back up and running

 

Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe is calling for an urgent independent inquiry to be established to examine the central management system of the Irish Coast Guard.

The Oireachtas Transport Committee is sitting today, with Eugene Clonan, acting director of the Irish Coast Guard, Deirdre O’Keeffe, assistant secretary general at the Department of Transport, and other officials appearing before the members to discuss the ongoing controversy surrounding the Doolin station.

An independent mediator has been appointed in the form of Kieran Mulvey to oversee talks aimed at reaching a resolution in the dispute, but Deputy Crowe believes it is now time to take things one step further.

“The Irish Coast Guard, it appears to me, is in a state of organisational rot,” said Deputy Crowe.

“Since the Doolin Coast Guard controversy first emerged, I’ve been speaking extensively with volunteers associated with the station as well as the Irish Coast Guard Volunteers Representative Association.

“To quote directly from the ICGVRA – ‘Irish Coast Guard members are afraid to raise issues in coastguard units or with Irish coastguard management for fear of retribution by way of disciplinary action’.”

“This, simply, isn’t right and needs to be addressed by means of an independent inquiry into how the organisation’s central axis works – it’s clear to me that there are deep problems running from the higher echelons of management right down to each station around the country, and Doolin isn’t alone in experiencing this.

“Furthermore, and more urgently, I believe work needs to immediately be undertaken to get the Doolin Coast Guard station back up and running.

“All Doolin Coastguard volunteers live locally and are ready to respond within minutes.

“Other stakeholders, which are now expected to provide cover are too far away – the Kilkee Coast Guard Unit is 55 km away; the fire brigade based in Ennistymon 18km away; the Civil Defence in Ennis is 32km away.

“Perhaps most worryingly of all, the Aran Island lifeboat, operating in average sea conditions, takes about 60 mins, including launch time to get from Inis Mór to Doolin. The average launch time at Doolin is 15 to 20 minutes.

“A prolonged closure simply isn’t an option.

“We need action to be taken immediately to address the issues present in the Irish Coast Guard, for the safety of the volunteers but moreover to allow them to effectively continue to save the many lives they save on an annual basis.

“There is no other option here – we can’t afford to put this on the long finger.”

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Mediator appointed in Doolin Coast Guard dispute

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  • Kieran Mulvey to lead talks
  • Hope now on the horizon to end dispute

 

Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe has welcomed the news that a mediator has been appointed to oversee talks aimed at reaching a resolve in the ongoing dispute surrounding Doolin Coast Guard.

Kieran Mulvey, former director general of the Workplace Relations Commission, has been requested by the Department of Transport to oversee proceedings.

“I’m delighted that Kieran Mulvey has been appointed – he’s a highly skilled mediator and I believe that he has the skills required to unlock the situation at Doolin, which has been at an impasse for some time,” said Deputy Crowe.

“Mr Mulvey’s skills have recently been shown in his ability to resolve the long-running controversy surrounding the Irish Aviation Authority air traffic controllers dispute.

“I have met with and corresponded with many of the volunteers at Doolin Coast Guard station.

“They’re all highly valued individuals and carry out such important work.

“The station being closed, albeit on a temporary basis, has left many people throughout Co. Clare – particularly in coastal communities – feeling very concerned.

“I have met with Minister Hildegarde Naughton and have also spoken with other colleagues in government about the need to fast-track mediation.

“I’m glad that this is now happening with expediency and I hope that, very quickly, the base can be reopened again.

“Six volunteers recently resigned leaving 12 volunteers members remaining.

“I hold the view that many of the competencies fulfilled by the base, including support to road ambulance and air ambulance operations, can still be fulfilled even with a reduced cohort of volunteers.

“Mediation will commence in the coming days, but all efforts now must be focused on reopening the station in the quickest possible time.”

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End finally in sight to long-running South Clare water issues

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  • Irish Water to commence works in New Year
  • Will provide significant upgrade of mains system

 

Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe has welcomed the confirmation that works will be carried out to address long-standing issues with the water mains supply serving Clare’s largest housing estate.

Work is to commence in the New Year to address issues facing Westbury, Shannon Banks, Ardnacrusha and Parteen, whereby regular leakages and bursts have been happening for a long number of years.

“I’m delighted to have received confirmation from Minister Darragh O’Brien and Irish Water that works to replace 900 metres of asbestos water pipe mains from Athlunkard Bridge to Larkin’s Cross will begin in early 2022,” said Deputy Crowe.

“This 15-inch mains pipe has been very prone to leaks and bursts.

“Last year alone, residents in the Westbury-Parteen-Ardnacrusha area had to endure 15 outages.

“The most recent outage occurred on the last weekend of October, when more than 1,500 homes spent an entire day without water.

“When this section of pipe bursts, it’s very problematic to fix because of its location beneath one of the busiest thoroughfares between South Clare and Limerick City.

“Road closing permits are usually required, and traffic management crews have to arrive on the scene in order to manage traffic flows and enable workers to replace the pipes in a safe fashion.

“Irish Water have confirmed that a design for a replacement pipe network is almost complete and they would then hope to assign work to one of their contractors.

“It is hoped that the work would be completed by the end of April 2022.

“Most of the work will be carried out by night to minimise the impact on residents and reduce the propensity to cause traffic delays.

“A separate body of work will be under to install a new pressure reducing valve just inside the entrance to the Westbury estate.

“This, combined with the mains pipe replacement, will help to significantly improve supply to all houses in the area.

“The new pipes will be ductile iron, and these have a very long lifespan.

“They can also cater for a far greater pressure of water flow and are far less susceptible to leaks, cracks and bursts.

“The residents of Westbury, Parteen, Ardnacrusha and Shannon Banks have waited so long for this work to happen, but I’m now delighted that the works are funded and will now definitely happen in 2022 to the huge relief to all in the locality.”

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Approval of Asian/Middle Eastern vaccines will make international travel more fluid

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  • CoronaVac and Sinopharm now recognised by Ireland
  • Relief for Irish diaspora

 

Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe has welcomed the changes to the definition of a vaccinated person for the purposes of travel into Ireland, with two Chinese vaccines added to the approved list.

Sinopharm and CoronaVac have both been given the green light, with those who have proof of being fully vaccinated with either of those now permitted to enter the country and indeed the EU.

“I’m glad that sense have prevailed across the European Union and these vaccinations, which have been largely administered in the Middle East and Asia, are now being recognised for their efficacy,” said Deputy Crowe.

“This will make international travel through airports more fluid and will allow a lot of the Irish diaspora, particularly those residing in the Middle East, to return to Ireland without too much complication.

“I had raised the issue of these other vaccines with Minister Donnelly over recent months and whilst he was very open to my suggestions, he repeatedly made the point that it was the European Medicines Agency and the EU bloc overall that had the responsibility to determine which jabs would be recognised for international travel.

“With Covid very much on the rise, some people will undoubtedly be deterred from travelling internationally over the coming weeks and some may even put off their plans to come home to Ireland for Christmas.

“I hope that people will continue to book flights and fly internationally but we need to continue to have a very cautious approach in terms of Covid certification.

“Only those who are vaccinated or Covid recovered can travel at this time.

“The biggest surge in vaccinations in Ireland took place in June and July of this year, and now according to leading scientists, the efficacy of these vaccines is beginning to wane.

“These people will require booster shots and this in turn should help to reduce the instance of Covid and overall rate of transmission.

“I recently flew from Shannon to London, and I found that I felt very reassured by the procedures in place in Shannon Airport.

“In many ways, international air travel could be considered less of a risk than taking a local bus or train.

“When one travels on an airplane, they know that the passengers around them have been checked for Covid before the flight.

“The inclusion of new vaccines this month will pave the way for more people to travel but also for the depth of Covid tracking to be further deepened.”

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Over €278,000 in Covid funding for Clare community groups

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  • Disadvantaged areas in particular to benefit
  • Funding to be administered locally

 

Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe has welcomed the allocation of €278,514 in funding for Clare County Council, to support community groups impacted by COVID-19.

The overall €9 million Community Activities Fund will support groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas, with their running costs such as utility or insurance bills, as well as with improvements to their facilities.

Funding can also be sought for assistance with necessary repairs and to purchase equipment such as tables and chairs, tools and signage, laptops and printers, lawnmowers, canopies and training equipment; while disadvantaged areas in particular are being focused on.

“It goes without saying that the Covid-19 pandemic has hit most people and groups in the pocket in some way or other, but smaller community groups have been particularly badly hit,” said Deputy Crowe.

“Consecutive lockdowns have left it extremely difficult to have a rainy-day fund and many groups have seen their coffers dry up, as they continue to pay for their rent or bills and so on.

“It is for this reason that the Community Activities Fund is so important and I would strongly encourage all groups that may be eligible to benefit under this fund to express their interest as soon as they possibly can.

“Groups such as men’s and women’s sheds, parish halls, youth centres and community centres are all being targeted.

“I’ve met a number of these groups around the county since my election to Dáil Éireann and I also visit a number of community centres every single month to do my clinics.

“I know how hard it is for these groups, most of whom are ran by dedicated teams of volunteers, to keep their heads above water.

“Yet they have continued to do so and continue to serve their community throughout this difficult period.

“These grants may be small in nature but can help tide a group over and give them a much-needed boost at a time when they are unable to raise money in the more traditional ways.

“I would encourage anybody who is interested in getting some financial support to make contact with Clare County Council’s rural development team as soon as possible.”

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Independent mediation team urgently needed in Doolin Coastguard debacle

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  • Issues with remit of coastguard work also need to be addressed
  • Minister must appoint mediators to end dispute

 

Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe is calling for an independent team of mediators to be appointed as a matter of urgency, with a view to bringing an end to the ongoing dispute surrounding the Doolin Coastguard.

At present, there is no operational coastguard team in place at Doolin due to the issues that are persisting there, meaning one of the country’s busiest and most important stations is lying idle.

“I’m calling for the Department of Transport and the Irish Coastguard to immediately establish a fully independent mediation team to engage with all volunteers at the Doolin Irish Coastguard Station,” said Deputy Crowe.

“It’s my belief that there are two major issues at stake here – one is a HR interpersonal problem; the other relates to frustrations that the Doolin volunteers and indeed other coastguard volunteers nationally have with the higher echelons of their organisation.

“I believe that a fully independent mediation team could help to unlock whatever interpersonal problems that exist so that the base can get back to a relatively normal level of operations.

“With 12 of the 18 volunteers still registered with the Irish Coastguard, I think there’s also scope to reopen the base as soon as possible.

“Irish Coastguard stations typically have a minimum crew level for various operations such as launching a craft at sea, cliff rescue missions, administering first aid, supporting land and air ambulance crews, and some of these could be adequately filled by the 12 members still registered.

“Whilst it’s hugely disappointing that there’s been a mass resignation of six members, overall, the station shouldn’t close its doors.

“Minister Eamon Ryan and his departmental team need to have oversight as to what has gone wrong and to urgently address the problems that volunteers have faced but I hope and believe that some of this could happen parallel to a mediation process getting underway.

“Over the past year, I’ve spoken with quite a number of Irish Coastguard members throughout the country and they’re rather aggrieved that the service that they have provided for many years has been watered down by senior management of the organisation in its Dublin headquarters.

“In years gone by, coastguard stations would have been actively involved in cliff edge rescues and over-cliff rescues but increasingly so, they’re being asked to refrain from these.

“I also think that the level of training and refresher courses made available to them is inadequate.

“Minister Ryan needs to intervene in this matter on a national level and ensure that the Irish Coastguard is fully equipped and fully skilled in all competencies to ensure that those who go to sea and indeed those who explore the remote coastal part of our country do so in the knowledge that their local coastguard base has the authority, manpower and ability to keep them safe.”

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Work must immediately begin to find new investor for Moneypoint offshore development

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  • Equinor pulls out of ESB partnership
  • Hope still on the horizon for offshore windfarm

 

Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe is calling on the ESB and the government to immediately put their heads together and find a replacement partner for the offshore wind development planned for near Moneypoint in West Clare.

Norwegian firm Equinor has pulled out of the Irish market, having previously reached an agreement with the ESB to develop a major 1.4GW wind farm using floating technology, at a cost of €2 billion.

“Whilst it’s very disappointing that Equinor have withdrawn from their partnership with the ESB to develop the offshore Green Atlantic windfarm, I think the project can still very much proceed,” said Deputy Crowe.

“It has been widely reported in the media today that the outdated planning and regulatory systems in Ireland pertaining to the development of offshore projects has been a major factor in Equinor’s withdrawal, but I don’t necessarily believe that this is the biggest reason.

“Currently, much of what happens along Irish coastlines is dictated by the Foreshore Act of 1933.

“This legislation is totally outdated and unfit for purpose and served this country at a time when it still had steam powered boats.

“For the last 18 months, a new piece of legislation to overhaul offshore projects Maritime Area Planning Bill has been working its way through the Houses of the Oireachtas and is now around six weeks away from being fully enacted.

“This piece of legislation will supersede the 1933 Act and ensure that Ireland has a planning and regulatory framework equal to, if not better, than most other EU states.

“Whilst we should all be very grateful to Equinor for progressing the Green Atlantic project to this stage, it must also be noted that they were happy to partner in this project at a time when a modern offshore planning regime was a mere pipeline dream.

“Now this legislation is only weeks away from being a reality.

“There are many other companies who I believe will find the project to be very attractive and I will be asking government and the ESB to immediately engage with some of these companies so that the project doesn’t encounter any delays.

“When developed, the Green Atlantic project will be a key component of Ireland providing more than 80% of its energy needs from renewables and getting out country closer to 2050 carbon reduction targets.

“From a Clare point of view, the project and Moneypoint breath new hope into a part of our county that was hugely concerned about the future of the Moneypoint Power Station.

“With coal burning operations being wound down, all hopes now rest on the transition to wind energy offshore.

“Beyond generating electricity from offshore wind turbines, Moneypoint will also be a centre of excellence for developing new wind turbine technologies which will be used not only in the locality but also nationally and globally.

“The withdrawal of Equinor certainly won’t bury this project but it’s imperative that every effort is now made to ensure that a new partner is found and the project proceeds as swiftly as possible.”

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