The end of manufacturing at Finsa Forest Products in Scarriff has been described as a big disappointment and a major blow to East Clare
16 staff at the company last remaining production line in Scarrif are set to be made redundant in the New Year, following on from 52 redundancies last January
Finsa has been in operation in East Clare for over 50 years, and employed around 300 workers at it’s peak
On Thursday’s Morning Focus John Cooke was joined by Michael McNamara TD and Mayor of Clare Pat Hayes
Deputy McNamara says they have made a valuable economic and social contribution to East Clare over the past fifty years
The news is a blow to the remaining workers and it is extremely regrettable for them and their families that the decision has come so close to Christmas
Deputy McNamara is seeking urgent discussions with Shannon Development, Coillte and Enterprise Ireland to see if an alternative use can be found for this very prominent and extensive site that could use raw materials from the forests of Slieve Aughty and Slieve Bearnagh mountains
Cllr Pat Hayes says that the ending of manufacturing at the Finsa forest products plant in Scarriff after over 50 years of operations is yet another hammer blow to the area of the county worst hit by the economic downturn
The East Clare Councillor has called on Government and job creation agencies to immediately focus on securing replacement industry for the unemployment black spot of North East Clare following the untimely closure of one of its largest ever employers
The Private Security Authority has described as the results of a recent inspection of licensed premises in Ennis as ‘disappointing’ and ‘unsatisfactory’
Officials from the Authority carried out inspections of premises in Clare’s County Town on Saturday night last, and found that nearly one in three door supervisors were not licensed
Meanwhile, of those who were licensed to carry out this work, one in eight were not wearing the appropriate identify badge
The Private Security Authority says it has now commenced the prosecution process against those who were not licensed, and will issue sanctions against those not wearing the proper identification
John O’Dwyer, Chief Inspector with The Private Security Authority spoke with John saying Ennis has fared much worse than the national average
Ballycar National School in Newmarket on Fergus celebrates it’s 50th anniversary today
Originally in existence since 1824 the building presently in use was built 50 years ago
President Michael D Higgins attended the original primary school and was invited to attend the celebrations this evening but is unavailable due to engagements – he wrote wishing the school every success with the celebration
The celebrations include the staging of a play by the pupils written by sixth class pupil Ailis Hankinson, there will be music and song, a photo exhibition and the launch of a book entitled ‘Ballycar National School – A History of the School, Pupils and Teachers’
Noel Murphy Principal of Ballycar NS had a word with John and Colm Liddy, author of the book also had a word, he interviewed Michael D Higgins when compiling the book
The book will be available in the shops in the locality
www.clare.fm online poll
Where will you be doing most of your Christmas shopping:
• Locally/Clare – 47%
• Galway – 6%
• Limerick – 22%
• Online – 12%
• Elsewhere – 13%
Clare FM’s Dermot Hogan asked people how they felt about the possibility of another EU referendum…
‘Jane Hartfield’, an Ennis native. is the author of Psychosis and the Art of Hanging Cats
She grew up in the 1980s and decided to write this book to ward others off recreational drug use as this left her with psychosis.
The book is a short semi-fictional memoir of art college and psychosis Facebook page not finished yet but type in the book’s title
www.amazon.com
HSE Drugs Helpline-1800 459 459 / www.drugs.ie
Bushypark Treatment Centre, Ennis 6840944 / www.bushypark.ie
Maura Lennon, GOAL representative for the West of Ireland encouraged people to support
The Clare Mile that will be held this year on Christmas Day from 11 am – 12 midday in Fairgreen, (St Josephs Hospital side ) in Ennis
The GOAL Mile is held in villages, towns and cities all over Ireland every Christmas and is one of the country’s biggest and longest-running annual fundraising events. The concept is simple: people run or walk a Mile and donate whatever they can afford to GOAL on the day
For further information please contact Maura at [email protected], or at 087-9146837
If you have a story, comment or query for the Morning Focus team email [email protected]
