Ryanair route to Marseille significant boost to Shannon and Midwest

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  • Twice weekly service launched
  • Further boost for Midwest region

 

Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Tourism and Aviation Cathal Crowe has welcomed today’s announcement that Ryanair is to commence a twice-weekly service from Shannon Airport to Marseille.

The route to the port city in the south of France will operate twice weekly, each Wednesday and Saturday, commencing Wednesday 4th May.

“Ryanair’s announcement today is another positive move for Shannon Airport and indeed for the Midwest region,” said Deputy Crowe.

“This announcement now brings Ryanair’s total number of destination routes from Shannon to 25 – hugely significant in terms of the knock-on economic impact in Clare and across the region.

“In 2019, during my mayoral term, I held a series of meetings with Dr. Loïc Guyon, the French Consul to Ireland, to try to establish air routes between France and Ireland.

“Covid upset these plans but I’m delighted that now progress is again being made.

“Brexit has reminded us of how geographically peripheral Ireland and indeed Shannon Airport is in the EU.

“While the Marseille route will be very popular with tourists both in France and Ireland, it would be a real win to establish an air route between Shannon and Charles de Gaulle airport.

“Access to a European airport hub would provide people in the west of Ireland with huge connection possibilities with Europe, Asia and Oceania.

“We also need, as we emerge from Covid, to really market the preclearance facility that Shannon offers to passengers entering the United States.

“The potential is huge and I would hope that we continue to see a more balanced regional aviation policy rolled out in this country.”

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Major expansion of DEIS schools in Clare

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  • 14 new DEIS status schools
  • Four existing DEIS schools to be reclassified

 

Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe has welcomed a significant expansion of DEIS schools in Clare by the Department of Education.

It’s been confirmed this afternoon that a €32 million expansion of the DEIS programme is being rolled out, which will see 14 schools in Clare receive DEIS status for the first time; while four existing DEIS schools here will be reclassified.

“This is a hugely positive announcement from my colleague, Minister Norma Foley,” said Deputy Crowe.

“DEIS is disadvantaged status and tracks many metrics, such as the socio-economic background of people, the community hinterland and so on.

“The benefit for the schools here is that money follows DEIS designation and allows these schools to pursue a lot – a much more extensive range of programmes to enhance literacy, numeracy and to better meet the needs of the children.

“The DEIS programme really amounts to a levelling of the playing field so that children of all backgrounds can achieve the same educational outcomes.

“Schools in almost every corner of the county have been chosen to benefit from the DEIS categorisation – as far north as Lisdoonvarna NS, Carrigaholt NS out on the Loop Head peninsula in the West, Killaloe Boys NS over in the east, my own local school in Meelick and more.

“Shannon, in particular, is to benefit well from this announcement with news that both Gaelscoil Donncha Rua and St Senan’s NS have been classified as DEIS schools, providing a significant boost to the children of the town and surrounding areas.

“In addition, we’ve seen the positive news that the junior and senior Holy Family schools in Ennis, the Convent of Mercy national school in Kilrush and Ennis Educate Together have all been reclassified from Urban 2 to Urban 1 status, which will see increased supports rolled out to them.

“It’s hugely important to remember that the DEIS programme is a positive one and the children that go to these schools will have the opportunity to achieve their dreams, with the benefit of the increased funding that their schools will receive.”

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€4.6m Sports Capital Grant Funding for Clare clubs

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  • Part of €150m million investment in sport
  • Significant boost for variety of clubs

Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe has welcomed the allocation of over €4.6 million in Sports Capital Grant funding to 69 clubs in Clare.

Minister for Sport Jack Chambers has today confirmed that his department will issues grants totalling €150m to clubs nationally under the latest round of funding of this programme.

“I’m delighted to see this huge investment in sports facilities throughout Co. Clare,” said Deputy Crowe.

“I have spent a number of months criss-crossing the county meeting sports clubs, community groups and a broad spectrum of people who enjoy using these fantastic facilities and I’ve worn a path to Minister Chambers’ office to try to secure funding for them.

“I love sports myself and played with my local GAA club in Meelick and also played rugby growing up.

“In more recent years, I’ve been involved in coaching hurling, football and rugby teams when I was teaching in Parteen NS and I’m proud to say that my children are now playing with a number of our local teams.

“Time spent involved in sports is golden time for young people and it’s only right that we invest in the facilities that improve participation.

“This year, Minister Chambers placed particular emphasis on clubs that prioritised female participation and also reached out to others in the community.

“I’ve been hugely impressed by the way in which some of our county’s sports clubs have teamed up with the likes of disability groups and active retirement groups.

“Many of our county’s sports fields are these days not just used for training sessions and matches but also by local people walking and jogging to keep fit.

“In this sense, sports clubs have become much more inclusive and really are the backbone of the community.

“Our collective experience of Covid over the past two years has really made us appreciate community and community organisations all the more.

“I hope over the next 12 months, a new round of applications for Sports Capital Funding can be announced and I will again help Clare sports groups to achieve a maximum allocation within this.”

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Planning rejected for windfarm near Miltown Malbay

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  • Third attempt to push application through fails
  • Concentration of windfarms too high in this region

 

Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe has welcomed the refusal of planning permission for a major new windfarm just 6km away from the town of Miltown Malbay.

Clare County Council has rejected the third attempt for the development, which would cover Glendine North, Fahanlunaghta More, Curraghodea,, Letterkelly, Cloghaun More, Tooreen, Silverhill, Doonsallagh East and Knockalassa, to go ahead.

“I was one of the objectors to this project and I want to make it crystal clear at the outset that I am 100% in favour of wind and renewable energy,” said Deputy Crowe.

“This issue here is that there is an excessive concentration of windfarms in this part of the county, far in excess of anything I’ve seen elsewhere in the country.

“I have a number of concerns relating to access, bird breeding habitats, the bog, displacement of turf banks and many more but one of the things that really struck me when I was back there lately was the noise already coming from Slieve Callan just across the valley from it.

“It reminds me of what I’m used to hearing on the apron of Shannon Airport’s runway – this loud, trundling noise each time the rotor of the turbine went around.

“The community have made it abundantly clear to me that while they support renewable energies, there comes a time when enough is enough and they’ve endured more than fair share and the proliferation of wind turbines and the issues these have brought to their community has to stop.

“I also want to say to the residents in the location that I’ve lodged a planning enforcement complaint relating to Slieve Callan.

“This farm is there and will be there for a long time to come but when that was granted planning permission, there were certain parameters relating to noise emissions, flicker effect etc and many have the belief that these thresholds are being breached and have raised this with me and others.

“On this basis, I have made a complaint and that investigation is now underway.

“Enough is enough – there’s more than enough wind turbine in this corner of our county and I reiterate my belief that the future of wind energy must now be focused on offshore developments.

“The winds are greater, the turbines are more efficient in the oceans and they are much less visually intrusive – it’s a no brainer.”

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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.”

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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