Clare Fm - Podcasts

Clare County Council has confirmed it will be employing sixteen dedicated staff members to manage beaches this summer. Four of the beach operatives will have responsibility for Kilkee, Cappagh, White Strand Doonbeg, Carrigaholt and Seafield, while the other twelve will look after Lahinch, Doolin, Fanore, White Strand Miltown Malbay and Spanish Point. Their duties will include upkeep of beach facilities, litter control and assisting visitors. Lisdoonvarna Fine Gael Councillor Joe Garrihy is confident it will bring major benefits for the tourist season.

The Government is being accused of punishing rural people in this county with the latest fuel tax hike. The rate of carbon tax on home heating fuels has risen by €7.50 to €56 per tonne, while natural gas customers now have to pay 1 cent extra per kilowatt hour. Based on the average annual consumption, each household will now face a carbon tax bill of €122. Westbury resident and Sinn Féin local election candidate James Ryan believes the policy doesn’t take older homes with inferior insulation into account.

There are 70 patients on trolleys at University Hospital Limerick today according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation. Although this is a 25% reduction on the number of people without a bed there yesterday, the level of overcrowding at UHL today is still above that of the next two busiest facilities combined. A Clare Oireachtas Health Committee Member believes the staff on the frontlines experiencing this situation on a near daily basis are best placed to advise on additional capacity in the region and must be consulted in the review. Meelick Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe insists though that regardless of who's leading Leinster House next year, HIQA's recommendation must be included in the new programme for government. The Friends of Ennis Hospital is remaining firm in its view that any new emergency department must be located in this county Kilrush based Spokesperson Deirdre Culligan insists that even if it means constructing a brand-new facility, providing another ED in Tipperary or Limerick

A Clare Oireachtas member fears "serious" violence will soon be visited upon a politician in Ireland amid a surge in harassment of public representatives. A growing numbers of TDs and senators have given accounts of abuse and threats from the public in recent weeks, leading to calls for increased security around politicians. Simon Harris, Roderick O'Gorman, Paul Murphy and Holly Cairns are just a handful of the TDs who've been subject to intimidation and threats in recent weeks. In January of this year, Social Democrats leader Deputy Cairns was forced to close her Bandon constituency office due to security concerns after previously admitting to being left "absolutely terrified" when an online stalker began appearing at her home. Just this week meanwhile, a man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of stalking Fianna Fáil Senator Lisa Chambers - an incident Gardaí have described as "sinister and disturbing". A video has emerged in recent days of Ennis Independent local election candidate Amanda Major

An illegal dumping incident in south-east Clare has sparked renewed calls for surveillance to be installed in litter blackspots. Residents of Gallows Hill in Cratloe have been greeted this week by the sight of a mound of rubbish containing tyres, concrete blocks and various plastic items at the entrance to a popular nature amenity. 44 complaints of illegal dumping in Clare were made in April alone, bringing the total number for the year so far to 242. Following the recent introduction of legislation allowing local authorities to combat illegal dumping through CCTV and drones, Cratloe Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat O'Gorman has been telling Clare FM's Seán Lyons that areas known for dumping must be monitored.

A European election candidate for this region claims climate action in Ireland is "going backwards and punching downwards" with initiatives like the Deposit Return Scheme. It comes as Re-turn, the company which operates the reverse vending machines, has revealed it's had to replace seven machines nationwide this week due to functionality issues. It's claimed the number of drinks containers being processed reached 2.39 million on Tuesday compared to just two million items over the entire month of February - the first month of the scheme. Cork City South-East Councillor and An Rabharta Glas candidate for the Ireland South Constituency, Lorna Bogue, says people need greater incentives to move towards more sustainable living practices.

This week on 'Ours To Protect', Pat Flynn visits the Burren where Caher Bridge Garden, a haven for biodiversity, was created by Carl Wright from what was once a dense hazel and blackthorn scrub.

Cuppa Tea TV are it again; with yet another great gig lined up for this weekend! The Loft, Shannon Golf Club will host a night of fantastic original music on Saturday, with a bill including SAL, David Hope and Padraig Jack. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Singer-Songwriter David Hope and Damian O’Rourke from Cuppa Tea TV.

Corofin Dramatic Society are preparing to tread the boards this weekend. They will bring the John B Keane classic ‘The Field’ to the stage at St. Patrick’s Hall in Corofin from Friday to Monday. On Friday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by the PRO for Corofin Dramatic Society, Mary Kelly, the Chairperson Neil Haran and Actor Martin O’Donoghue.

Clare manager Brian O'Connell speaking after his sides win over Cork in the Munster MHC

On Friday’s Morning Focus, it was time again for our Arts Slot with County Art’s Officer Siobhán Mulcahy. Siobhán provided our listeners with all the details of this week’s live events for entertainment lovers in Banner County. This week, Siobhán discussed Culture Night, the Irish Concertina Orchestra and much more!

The Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly, is to initiate a review into urgent and emergency care capacity in the Mid-West region. The review will determine whether a second emergency department is required, in light of a big increase in the population in recent years and ongoing pressures at the ED at University Hospital Limerick. Smaller emergency departments in the region closed when configuration happened back in 2009. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Oireachtas Health Committee member and Meelick Fianna Fail TD, Cathal Crowe and Friends of Ennis Hospital Spokesperson, Deirdre Culligan.

Growing concerns for both politicians and their staff members have led to calls for all members of the Oireachtas to be provided with personal panic buttons. This follows the recent protests outside the homes of Taoiseach Simon Harris and Integration Minister Roderic O'Gorman. Justice Minister Helen McEntee was also the recipient of a hoax bomb threat, on her family home. Clare politicians and local election candidates are no stranger to these issues, either; the Ennistymon Fine Gael, Senator Martin Conway is behind the proposal that members of the Oireachtas be provided with personal panic buttons, after he was harassed on five occasions over the past six weeks, both on the street and on public transport. Meanwhile, the Independent candidate for the Local Elections, Amanda Major has been subjected to harassment while erecting election posters in Ennis. To discuss this further, on Friday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Fine Gael Senator from Ennistymon, Martin Conway and Independent Local E

It's claimed HIQA's upcoming review into the need for a second MidWest emergency department must consider the journey times facing patients in rural Clare. The terms of reference will be finalised in the coming weeks, to allow the findings of an independent inquiry into the death of Shannon Teenager Aoife Johnston at University Hospital Limerick in 2022 to be taken into account. It's estimated that over 20,000 Clare patients attended the ED in UHL last year. HSE Regional Health Forum West member Kilkee Fianna Fail Councillor Cillian Murphy says the review's outcome must benefit patients in isolated areas.

Threshold supported 128 Clare households experiencing difficulties in their private rental tenancies last month. Newly published figures show interventions from the housing charity prevented 15 adults and 12 children in this county from entering homelessness in April. According to Threshold, 65% of notices to quit issued here last month, were attributed to landlords leaving the market. National Advocacy Manager Ann-Marie O'Reilly says the problem is much more prevalent in Clare than elsewhere in the country.

A 24-hour fully-serviced drop-in mental health centre is being proposed for Shannon. The suggestion comes from Independent local election hopeful Pat Barry who's described the ongoing mental health crisis in Clare as well as nationwide as "appalling". Shannon's Hope Café played host to its first mental health conference in January where Azim Khamisa, who's been celebrated by the Dalai Lama, Al Gore and Bill Clinton, as well as renowned psychotherapist Robert Carley, were guest speakers. Long-time Shannon resident Barry, who was one of the event's organisers, insists the town needs a full-time accessible mental health service.

An Ireland South Candidate in the European Elections claims the Government has created a shambolic immigration system through a failure to invest. It comes as efforts continue today to move International Protection Applications from tented encampments in Dublin City Centre - as accommodation is unavailable elsewhere. At present there are now 758 IPA's residing in Clare, which is an increase of 35% in the last year. Social Democrats candidate Susan Doyle believes the state could be managing the immigration situation much better.

A new building for Tubber National School has been granted approval by Government. The school authority submitted an application to the Department of Education in December 2022 for additional accommodation and the project has now been approved to proceed to delivery stage. The development will consist of two mainstream classrooms, a special education tuition classroom, office, reception area and staffroom. Responding to Meelick Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe in the Dáil on behalf of Education Minister Norma Foley, Deputy Alan Dillon says funding will be made available in the coming days to allow the school to bring the project to the next stage.

The Parish Priest of Ennis says no words can relieve the pain of the family of an 18 month old boy, who's lost his life in a road traffic incident on the outskirts of the town. The toddler, named locally as Hunter Molloy, died in an incident involving a car shortly early yesterday afternoon, at the Ballaghboy Halting Site on the Quin Road. He was transferred to University Hospital Limerick, where he later passed away from his injuries. Fr Tom Ryan held a prayer service last night and says it's impossible for both his family and community to comprehend.

The EPA is warning that a large volume of households in Clare continue to risk human health and the environment due to faulty septic tanks. It comes as a new report by the Environmental Protection Agency has found that 55 domestic wastewater treatment systems here in this county that have failed inspections since 2013, have not been fixed. The prevailing issues include sludge discharge entering local water streams and ecosystems and potentially ending up in drinking water where households use private wells. Programme Manager of the Waste Water Enforcement Team, Noel Byrne says there are serious issues to address in Clare.