|
£350,000 MARKETING AND SAFETY GRANT
FOR KNOCK AIRPORT
The Connaught Telegraph this week.
The Minister for Public Enterprise, Mary O'Rourke, announced on Tuesday
last that grants totalling £1.5 million would be allocated to the
regional airports of Ireland to assist with marketing, safety and security
measures. Knock airport will receive £350,000 along with Kerry airport.
Donegal, Galway, Sligo and Waterford regional airports will receive £200,000
each. Minister O'Rourke stated that the airports played a valuable role
in the context of Ireland's infrastructure and balanced regional development.
The Minister will also be reviewing the regional airports to address the
issue of further growth and development. Already this year, the Minister
improved the Public Service Obligation (PSO) flight network by adding
two new flights to Knock and Derry.
Back to papers index
BAVARIAN DELEGATION CASTLEBAR BOUND
The Connaught Telegraph this week.
A meeting will be held on Thursday (9th August) in Marsh House at 11
a.m. to discuss the visit of a number of people from Castlebar's twin
town of Höchstadt in Germany. The two towns were officially twinned
last year in a ceremony in Höchstadt and this year the delegation
from Germany hopes to visit Castlebar. The draft itinerary for their stay
includes a reception at Lough Lannagh Holiday Village on their arrival
on Wednesday the 29th August. The following day, the visitors will be
offered a choice of activities while on the Friday there will be a tour
of historical sites in the area and also a gala dinner in the evening.
The group will be free on Saturday, September 1st prior to their departure
later that day.
Back to papers index
MOUNTAIN RESCUE TEAM BUSY ON THE REEK
The Connaught Telegraph this week.
The Mayo Mountain Rescue team has been busy this week responding to climbers
in distress on Croagh Patrick. Three accidents occurred in the past week
on the mountain, in one of its busiest times of the year. The first incident
last Wednesday involved a woman who broke her ankle on the reek, while
on Friday, a Co. Wicklow woman also got stretchered off with the same
injury. On Monday, another Co. Wicklow woman was injured when she tripped
and tumbled three metres, receiving a bad head injury. A spokesperson
said that the woman went very cold after the fall and had to be wrapped
up and carried off the mountain.
Back to papers index
TD LASHES FISHERIES BOARD FOR "WILLY NILLY"
PLANNING OBJECTIONS
The Mayo News this week.
Fine Gael T.D., Mr. Michael Ring has lashed out at the North Western
Regional Fisheries Board for "objecting willy nilly to practically
every application for planning permission that is close to a river, stream
or lake." Mr. Ring continued saying that the Fisheries Board is overstepping
the mark and appointing itself as a "quasi-official planning board"
when there is only one planning board in Mayo and that is the County Council.
His comments came after the Minister for Marine and Natural Resources,
Mr. Frank Fahey, noticed that the number of objections lodged by the Fisheries
Board was substantially more in 2001 than compared to this time last year.
Mr. Ring stated that it was clear that the board were not assessing individual
cases and were lodging blanket objections to almost all applications in
the their region. Deputy Ring pointed out that there were major developments
that the Fisheries Board were expected to take an interest in, but that
it seems they are intent on preventing the smooth passage of planning
developments in Castlebar.
Back to papers index
THOUSANDS OF CIVIL SERVANTS WANT TO COME TO MAYO
The Mayo News this week.
Civil servants who would like to leave Dublin have opted for Mayo as
their first choice of relocation. Deputy Enda Kenny released figures showing
that more than 4,000 civil servants want to come to Mayo, which is a thousand
more than would like to go to Galway. The figure is also more than double
the number seeking transfers to Cork and four times the number seeking
transfers to Kildare or Kilkenny. Westport seems to be a popular location
for the civil servants if decentralisation were to be put in place.
Deputy Kenny said that it was clear that a decentralisation plan needed
to be put in place by the Government. Castlebar and Ballina have already
proved extremely successful for Governmental Decentralisation and for
the local economy and that there is room for expansion in both towns and
in other towns such as Belmullet, Charlestown, Claremorris and Ballinrobe.
Back to papers index
GRANT AID FOR LITTER CRACKDOWN IN MAYO
The Mayo News this week.
Cllr. John Carty has welcomed the announcement that Mayo County Council
is to receive a £10,000 grant for public education and awareness
initiatives on litter. The money will be spent raising public awareness
at local level and stimulating anti-litter activities such as clean-ups
and competitions.
"Litter pollution is a threat to Ireland's environment. This grant
will ensure that Mayo County Council takes practical steps to raise the
public awareness of the unacceptability of litter pollution and the damage
it does to the environment. It will also educate the public about their
responsibilities under current legislation to prevent and control litter".
Cllr. Carty also said that Mayo County Council would now be able to engage
in a wide range of actions to tackle litter at local level and to continue
the fight against it.
Back to papers index
ERRIS GAS TERMINAL GETS THE GO-AHEAD
The Western People this week.
Planning permission has been granted by Mayo County Council for the £200
million gas terminal proposed by Enterprise Energy Ireland (EEI) at Bellagelly
South, Bellinaboy, Belmullet. This will enable gas to be brought ashore
from the Corrib field to the national grid. A number of groups in the
area of Belmullet were opposed to the idea and because of this the original
proposed location of the terminal was changed and the site was moved 500
yards away. Additional information was sought by the County Council and
when this was supplied by EEI, planning permission was granted for a "gas
terminal and associated ancillary work" on the site. However, groups
such as An Bord Pleanala and the Environmental Protection Agency could
appeal the decision. A number of conditions are attached to the granting
of the planning permission, as with all major developments.
The decision has been welcomed by the EEI and its co-partners, Statoil
Exploration and Marathon Oil. Mr. Brian O'Cathain, managing director of
Enterprise Energy, said that the Corrib Gas discovery was one of the most
exciting developments the West of Ireland has ever seen and that progress
to recover oil from the bottom of the Atlantic seabed was going well.
He also stated that this was a golden opportunity for business interests
and communities in the West of Ireland and that various industries would
be attracted to the region. Meanwhile, Mr. Michael O'Sheighin, a spokesman
for one of the opposition groups, said that they have not given up and
that they will be appealing to An Bord Pleanala as it is the locals that
will have to "bear the brunt of this decision".
Back to papers index
BOND STAR DODGES THE CAMERA SHOTS!
The Western People this week.
Historic Ballintubber Abbey was the location for James Bond star Pierce
Brosnan and his long-time girlfriend Kelly Shaye Smith to get married
last Saturday - but spectators were denied any glimpses of the famous
couple as maximum security was in place.
Hello! magazine, who had exclusive rights to the ceremony photographs,
had imposed heavy constraints on the event and only the hand of Mr. Brosnan
was seen through the frosted window as he arrived at Ashford Castle with
his new wife.
Flowers which were flown in for the occasion from Amsterdam reportedly
cost in the region of £20,000 and a six-tier cake formed the centrepiece
of the wedding reception in which was held in a marquee beside Ashford
Castle. Music at the church included Mattie Dowd of the Balla pipe Band
and the Chieftains played at the reception. Monsignor John Fleming, Rector
of the Pontifical Irish College in Rome and friend of the groom, performed
the ceremony.
Back to papers index
BAN ON SALE OF ROD-CAUGHT SALMON AND TROUT
The Western People this week.
From August 1st, the sale of wild salmon and sea trout caught by rod
and line has been banned. Mr. Frank Fahey, Minister for the Marine and
Natural Resources, imposed the ban as a conservation measure for salmon
and trout stocks that were being sold illegally. The measure will ensure
that salmon that have been caught with nets or other methods will not
be sold as produce from a rod and line.
Mr. Fahey stated that the measure would help conserve stocks and reinforce
the view that angling is a recreational activity more than a commercial
one. Other measures will be brought in in 2002 if required, he added,
including catch reductions following a review of the tagging system for
wild salmon that was introduced this year.
Back to papers index
Go to Castlebar
|
|