A WOMAN was put in fear by her ex-husband when he arrived outside her home at night and smashed the wing mirror off her car with an iron bar, but he completely denied the offence and said he was nowhere near the property at the time.

Kevin Hickey of Argideen Lawn, Deanrock, Togher, was before Cork District Court yesterday for trial on two charges, namely causing criminal damage to his ex-wife’s car at Capwell Road, Turner’s Cross, on Tuesday night, January 19, and contravening a protection order by putting Tina Hickey in fear.
Ms Hickey said there was CCTV of the accused causing criminal damage to her car on the night.
The owner of the house at Argideen Lawn said Hickey did not leave the house at all that night until the gardaí arrived and arrested him.
She said the accused had been down stairs all the time in his pyjamas and robe drinking tea and that the gardaí arrived to arrest him.
Judge Olann Kelleher said after hearing both sides in the disputed case: “I have no hesitation in convicting him.”
Inspector Vincent O’Sullivan said the accused had two previous convictions, one for cultivating cannabis and one for being drunk and a danger.
Judge Kelleher said: “It is a serious matter to breach a protection order.” He sentenced him to five months in prison, but suspended the sentence on condition that the accused would keep the peace for two years.
The judge fined him €500 for causing criminal damage to his ex-wife’s car.
The judge was told that Hickey was originally refused bail when charged with the offences and had spent 11 days in custody before securing bail.

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A DISTRICT Judge directed the writing of a letter to the governor of Cork prison outlining the court’s view that a prisoner be seen as a matter of priority by the prison psychiatrist.

46-year-old Declan Hallahan had his case adjourned a number of times and Judge Olann Kelleher directed that he be seen by a psychiatrist.
It was previously stated in court that Hallahan refused to see a psychiatrist appointed to meet him in prison.
Defence solicitor, Joseph Cuddigan, informed Judge Olann Kelleher that Declan Hallahan of Greenfields, Ballincollig, had still not seen the psychiatrist, despite the fact that the case had been adjourned a number of times for this purpose.
Judge Kelleher said he would write to the prison governor stating how important it was that the accused would be seen by a psychiatrist.
Mr Cuddigan said he would also write to the governor stating that this matter had been aired in court.
The judge previously said he was very concerned about the fitness of the defendant to plead guilty or not guilty.
The defendant faces a charge of contravening a protection order by putting his mother, Breda Hallahan, in fear.
Gardaí arrested Declan Hallahan at his mother’s house at Greenfields, Ballincollig, at around 5.30am on September 3 last.
Hallahan also faces three older charges for assaulting a member of staff at the Old Oak pub on Oliver Plunkett Street, back on August 29, 2014, and for engaging in threatening behaviour and being drunk and a source of danger to himself or others on that occasion as well.

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GARDAÍ arrested a man and charged him with dealing heroin and they objected to bail being granted, as it was submitted that he was under pressure to commit drugs crimes to clear a debt.

Stephen Murphy, aged 32, of 1 Deanrock Villas, Togher, denied that this was the case when he applied for bail at Cork District Court.
Garda Rory O’Connell arrested Murphy yesterday and charged him with having Diamorphine, commonly called heroin, at his home at Deanrock Villas on July 19.
More seriously he is accused of having the drug for the purpose of sale or supply.
Eddie Burke, solicitor, said the accused lived a short distance from Togher garda station and would be easily accessible to gardaí if granted bail.
He would be prepared to comply with any bail conditions, the solicitor said.
Mr Burke also said Murphy was already dealing with the probation service, through whom a course was presently being organised for him.
The solicitor also argued that Murphy was arrested and questioned when the case was being investigated on July 19 and he was released by gardaí on that date.
Murphy told Judge James O’Connor in the course of his bail application yesterday: “I am trying to get into a course through the probation.”
Inspector Bill Duane said in cross-examination of the defendant: “The State is concerned you would get involved in committing further offences.”
Murphy replied: “I won’t commit further offences.”
When the inspector expressed the prosecution concern that the accused would not turn up in court to face the charges if granted bail, he replied: “I will turn up in court.”
Insp. Duane said: “You are addicted to drugs?” Murphy replied: “I was.”
The inspector said: “You are a regular user of heroin?” He replied: “I am not. I was.” The inspector said the accused had a big drugs debt and was under pressure to commit further crimes to repay it. Murphy said he did not have such a debt and did not have the heroin drug habit.
Judge James O’Connor remanded the accused in custody until September 29 at Cork District Court.

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CORK teenagers from Knocknaheeny, Ballyphehane, Bishopstown and Cobh are setting out to solve problems in their communities under a special leadership project.

Donal O’Grady and Sean Og O’hAilpin with students participating in the Co-operation Ireland Partnership. Pic: Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision

Cork GAA star Seán Óg Ó hÁilpín and former manager Donal O’Grady were on hand to launch this year’s 2016 Co-operation Ireland Cork/Belfast Leadership Programme sponsored by Gas Networks Ireland.
The programme is designed to encourage the 24 participants, all aged between 15 and 16, to actively engage in their communities, developing their confidence and giving them the tools to become positive role models in their community.
Participants are recruited by their teachers and leaders in their local youth groups.
As part of the leadership project, all participants carry out a social action project to tackle a problem they identify in their community.
In the first year of the project, Knocknaheeney participants from Terence MacSwiney College identified that there was a problem with bullying in their school and community, and conducted surveys with their classmates and teachers to assess the severity of the problem.
As a solution, the participants developed an awareness campaign highlighting the effects and impacts of bullying, and encouraging their community to talk about the issue openly.
Since its establishment in 1979, Co-operation Ireland has worked with local youth organisations and the Cork Sports Partnership to facilitate leadership programmes for Cork youths from Knocknaheeny, Ballyphehane, Bishopstown and Cobh.
The leadership programme is run, under the same terms, in Belfast and the programme brings the groups, from both sides of the border, together so they can learn about each other’s traditions and cultural backgrounds.
It also helps to build a society which is based on understanding, tolerance and an acceptance of cultural differences.

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SINN Féin councillors are “disgusted” after a debate to raise the local property tax rate was cut short on Monday.

County Hall

When Cork County Council met to set the rate for 2017, only the party leaders were allowed to speak on proposals to offer or eliminate reductions on the tax.
The council opted to eliminate the 5% reduction that was given for 2016, meaning people in Cork county will be liable for the full rate next year.
After party leaders delivered their proposals on Monday, Mayor Seamus McGrath asked if councillors wanted to proceed to a vote.
The only members who indicated that they wanted to speak, and opposed the guillotine, were Sinn Féin and Cllr Kieran McCarthy, and independent and former member of Sinn Féin, while the remaining parties, who, like Sinn Féin, had already agreed on how they would vote, wanted to move on. Fine Gael proposed that the debate be guillotined, with agreement from everyone other than Sinn Féin and Mr McCarthy.
Cllr Des O’Grady, Sinn Féin’s leader on the council, said that there was a lack of democracy in the chamber.
“I’m disgusted by the lack of democracy in there. There are 55 elected councillors. Everyone of them should be entitled to speak on behalf of their communities, if they wanted to speak,” he said..
Cllr Eoghan Jeffers, Sinn Féin, said it was a “disgrace” that only party leaders were allowed to speak.
“If Fíanna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the independent grouping don’t like our views, that’s fine. If they want to propose differing views or not speak at all, that’s fine. But voices should never be silenced.
However, Cllr Kevin Murphy, the leader of Fine Gael in the council, said that the issue had already been debated over and over again, and that there was no need to repeat those debates, when people knew how they were voting.

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FIANNA Fáil Health Spokesman Billy Kelleher has backed a campaign by nurses for equal pay and the reimbursement of “money owed” from the Government.

Fianna Fail TD Billy Kelleher at Leinster House, Dublin. Picture: Gareth Chaney Collins

Cork nurses joined colleagues from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, Psychiatric Nurses Association and SIPTU at a protest outside the Oireachtas this week calling for equal pay of nurses and midwives who graduated between 2011 and 2015.
The INMO argues that 2011 to 2015 nursing and midwifery graduates have been left in a position where they will be earning less than their colleagues who graduated pre-2011 because they missed out on salary increments as a result of a decision of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DEPR).
The Cork North Central TD said: “This situation cannot be allowed to continue with nurses who qualified during this four year period missing out on between €1,040 and €1,477 per year.”
“Equal pay for equal work must be at the cornerstone of our public sector. These nurses have been badly let down by the last Government, and should, as matters of urgency have their pay restored to match that of colleagues who qualified outside of this time period,” Mr Kelleher added.
“It’s estimated that the total cost of restoring their salaries would be in the region of €4.2 million per annum. This is a major bone of contention for those affected, many of whom are struggling to pay for exorbitant private rent and attempting to save for mortgage deposits.”
USI President, Annie Hoey, a former UCC student, has spoken out in support of the INMO protest, calling for the restoration of incremental credit for nurses and midwives who graduated between 2011 and 2015.
“There is already a national shortage of nurses in Ireland,” Ms Hoey stated. “If action isn’t taken by the Government to restore the incremental credit, we risk exporting vital medical skills.”

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MIDDLE PARISH residents will meet in the coming days to decide on their response to the City Centre Movement Strategy, warning City Hall that they will not take the decision lying down.

City Hall Cork. Picture: Larry Cummins

City Councillors voted 19-7 to adopt a series of measures that will radically overhaul the city’s transport infrastructure in the coming years. The most eye-catching of these is the proposal to convert St Patrick Street into a bus and bicycle-only street between the hours of 3pm and 6.30pm, though the changes will have more wide-reaching effects.
Most of these will be felt in the Middle Parish, with people in the city’s oldest residential area concerned about noise pollution and traffic chaos caused by displacing cars from the city’s main thoroughfare onto side streets.
Grattan Street is expected to see a huge increase in traffic volume, with Grenville Place set to become a one-way northbound street instead of a two-way.
Breda Scanlon of the Middle Parish Residents Association said they are ‘disgusted’ with the result of the vote, and with the councillors who supported it.
“We were shocked and disappointed, and we are disgusted with Cllr Seán Martin. He was there to represent us and he voted for the strategy. Every meeting we had, he said he didn’t support the plan.
“We are going to put a plan into action and check out legal options. We can’t take this decision lying down. This area has a lot of elderly people and young children who will suffer.”
A meeting will be held in the coming days as residents assess their options. Ms Scanlon said, “They offered us sweeteners, we don’t want them. We just don’t want any more traffic.”
Responding to the residents, Cllr Seán Martin said he is not entirely in favour of the plan, but said there are a number of positive elements. “There will be significant investment in the Middle Parish, including trees, public lighting, footpaths. We got some concessions and decisions reversed, like blocking traffic from the Coal Quay, and we will have six monthly reviews with the councillors and 12 monthly reviews with the residents.
“I am not convinced by the whole plan, including taking the cars off Patrick Street, but it is two years away. We can come back in 12 months and see what is working and what isn’t.”
Mr Martin said that standing still is not an option for the area.
“Doing nothing is not an option. North Main Street is not working as it is. We have commitments that the pay-parking will reduce to €1.50 an hour there, so hopefully with the re-routed traffic and an anchor tenant in the shopping centre, we will see an improvement in the area.”
He also criticised other elected members for backtracking on their support for the plan. “We had several meetings in private where no complaints were aired. Then, as soon as the gallery is full, there is some political grandstanding.
“I know people are disappointed, but we have to have a compromise.”

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MORE than one case of elder abuse is recorded every single day in Cork, according to new figures from the HSE.

The data, released to the Evening Echo following a Freedom of Information request, shows there were 376 cases of alleged elder abuse in Cork city and county last year, which were referred to the Health Service Executive.
When broken down, the area with the highest number of cases is the North Lee area where there were 120 allegations last year.
The area with the second highest number is the South Lee area, which recorded 110 allegations last year. The North Cork area recorded 87, while the West Cork area recorded 59.
Over the last six years, there have been 2,813 incidents of alleged elder abuse in Cork.
The figures mainly refer to psychological abuse, financial abuse, and neglect, while a small number relate to physical abuse, sexual abuse and, separately, discrimination.
While the HSE say the latest figures represent a year-on-year decrease in the amount of elder abuse cases referred to it, older person’s charity Age Action said that in their experience the level of elder abuse is always far higher than what is reported.
Age Action head of advocacy Justin Moran said: “So many people simply don’t know elder abuse is a problem in Irish society and I think these recent figures show how big a problem it actually is. Having said that, it has become clear to us that the level of instances reported is far less than the actual level of elder abuse that’s going on out there.
“Very often people contact Age Action and they talk to us, but they don’t necessarily want to bring the HSE or the authorities in. And the reason for that is, in the vast majority of cases, elder abuse is perpetrated by family members, often very close, immediate family members. So there can be a real reluctance on the part of older people who are the victims of this kind of abuse to report it.”
Mr Moran said Age Action has found that the most common form of elder abuse is psychological, followed by financial. “It can be threats or implied threats, it can be repeated instances of verbal abuse, or the threat to withhold care,” he said.
“With financial abuse what we see are the savings of older people being targeted. It could be for example that an older person has given somebody else authorisation to their bank account to pay for messages because maybe they can’t get into town too often.
“But now we’re seeing maybe that person taking money for other reasons, maybe for personal gain, or putting pressure on somebody to change the terms of their will or to co-sign loans and things like that.” Mr Moran described elder abuse as being “extremely complex” which is compounded by an apparent lack of awareness around the issue.
“We’re trying to raise awareness through leaflets that we published earlier this year. We also want to encourage people to look out for the signs of elder abuse and try and stimulate an awareness among people about the scale of the problem.”
He encouraged anyone who is either being subjected to elder abuse, or is aware of someone else experiencing abuse, to contact either the HSE or Age Action.
For further information, or to report a case of elder abuse, phone the HSE infoline on 1850 24 1850. To request leaflets explaining the issue, email info@ageaction.ie.

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A YOUNG man flew into a rage in the family home and broke a table across his mother’s back, a Garda Inspector said at Cork District Court yesterday.

Alex McSweeney of 50 Cherry Lawn, Church Road, Blackrock, pleaded guilty to breaching a protection order by putting his mother in fear at the family home on Saturday, September 24.
Inspector Ronan Kenneally then went on to outline the background to the case.
Gardaí in a patrol car in the area were flagged down by the defendant’s mother on Saturday night.
She had obtained a protection order on August 17.
Insp Kenneally said the defendant’s mother told them that her son, Alex, had broken a table across her back. It was also stated that he caught another person present in the house by the throat.
Judge John Cheatle asked yesterday at Cork District Court how the defendant’s mother was doing now. Insp. Kenneally said the injured party did not receive medical attention and there was no medical report on her injuries.
Diarmuid Kelleher, solicitor, said there had been a bail application in this case on Saturday and that while the breach of a protection order was a serious matter the nature of the allegations against the accused were not exactly the same as those outlined yesterday.
Mr Kelleher said the evidence outlined on the bail application was not as extreme as the description of a table being broken across her back.
The solicitor said it was alleged on that occasion that he flew into a rage, picked up a bedside locker, threw it against the bedroom wall and parts of the locker broke off and fell on top of his mother.
Judge Cheatle adjourned the case until today, with the accused remanded in custody for clarification from the investigating guard on precisely what happened on the night.

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A PREGNANT woman was arrested yesterday and charged with three counts of threatening to kill another woman.

The accused woman’s partner was also charged with one count of threatening to kill the same complainant.
Detective Garda Ian Coughlan arrested Joanne Slattery, aged 36, of 1 Lower Bearforest, Mallow, and he brought three charges.
The charges state that on September 23 last year, at the Washington Street courthouse, she allegedly made a threat to a woman that she would kill her or cause her serious harm.
She is accused of similar offences in respect of March 29 and April 6 at an unspecified location this year.
Her partner, Zach Moloney, aged 45, of the same address is accused of threatening to kill the same woman at an unspecified location on March 29 this year.
Det. Garda Coughlan said there was no objection to bail being granted in both cases. However, bail conditions required both accused to have no contact, direct or indirect, with the complainant in this case.
They must also keep a curfew to be home from 11pm every night and abstain from intoxicants.
Inspector Ronan Kenneally said the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed trial by indictment.
He applied to have the case adjourned at Cork District Court yesterday until October 26 to allow time for preparation and service of a book of evidence. Eddie, Burke, solicitor, consented to that application in Slattery’s case. Joseph Cuddigan, solicitor, asked for a one week adjournment in Moloney’s case to see if the accused would be pleading guilty or not guilty.
Judge John Cheatle adjourned the cases until October 26 and October 5 for Slattery and Moloney respectively.
The judge was told that Slattery was due to have a baby very soon.
It is anticipated that ultimately the cases will be dealt with at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

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FOUR Roma women were caught with aprons adapted to conceal stolen property under their skirts in Cork city centre, a Garda Inspector said yesterday at Cork District Court.

One of the four women was present to face charges arising out of the case.
Vandana Munteanu of 50 Orchard Court, Blackpool, pleaded guilty yesterday to a charge of modifying an article for the concealment of stolen property to be used in the course of theft.
The 20-year-old, who had previous theft convictions, also pleaded guilty to several charges of possessing stolen property on the same date.
Inspector Ronan Kenneally said the crimes were detected on February 25 at Daunt Square.
The inspector said four members of the Roma community were found in possession of property that had been stolen from several shops all around Cork city centre.
He said that in Munteanu’s case the particular item that had been modified for use in the course of theft was an apron worn under a number of skirts.
Defence solicitor, Dennis Healy, described the item in question as a pillowcase.
“She was given stuff by others and she is putting her hands up.”
Mr Healy submitted to Judge John Cheatle that the defendant was unlikely to be before the courts again for offences.
He said she had a baby recently, she now received social welfare and she had signed on for an educational course and was hoping to find work and better herself.
Judge Cheatle said Munteanu was beginning to clock up the criminal convictions.
“Hopefully now that she has her baby, she has social welfare and she is doing a FÁS course she will turn the corner,” Judge Cheatle said.
He fined her €90 and put her on a bond to keep the peace and commit no further offences for the next 10 months.

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A 29-YEAR-old CORK man was charged yesterday with possession of a sawn-off shotgun following an investigation into a shooting incident and high-speed chase through Cork city on Sunday afternoon.

Gardai at the scene of an incident on Noonan Road in Greenmount on the south side of Cork city on September 25. Picture: Kelly O’Brien

Cian Walsh of 17 Mercier Park, Turner’s Cross, was arrested near Páirc Uí Rinn on Boreenamanna Road at around 1.50pm on Sunday afternoon, the scene of an alleged crash, and questioned about firearms offences at a house on Noonan Road, The Lough in Cork earlier in the day.
Detective Garda Niall Hayes gave evidence of arrest charge and caution and told the court that Mr Walsh made no reply to either charge when they were put to him and Insp Ronan Kenneally said that gardaí were seeking a remand in custody.
Insp Kenneally said that it was anticipated that there would be further charges following the completion of an extensive garda file on the matter and he was seeking an adjournment for DPP’s directions on the matter.
Mr Walsh’s solicitor, Frank Buttimer, said that his client was not making any application for bail at this point, but was consenting to the garda application for a remand in custody and Judge John Cheatle remanded Mr Walsh in custody to appear in court again on October 5.
Cian Walsh was charged by Detective Garda Hayes with two different charges.
Firstly, he was charged with possession of a firearm at St Joseph’s Cemetery, Tory Top Road, Ballyphehane, on Sunday, September 25, contrary to the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act.
Secondly, he was accused of threatening to kill a woman at Noonan’s Road, on the same date contrary the Non-fatal Offences Against the Person Act.
A second man was before Cork District Court earlier in the week on charges related to endangerment arising out of the alleged driving of a Mitsubishi Lancer as a large crowd of people were walking into Páirc Uí Rinn for the Cork senior hurling semi-finals.

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THREE Clonakilty teens are preparing for the trip of a lifetime as they make plans to set off on a schools visit to Malawi next month.

Mary Cullinane, Anna Mccarthy and Meabh McCarthy, all 16, will make the 12,000 kilometre trip to the southern end of Africa at the end of October on a week-long visit to rural communities in Malawi.

Mary Cullinane, Meabh McCarthy and Anna McCarthy, all 16, will make the 12,000km trip to the southern end of Africa at the end of October on a week-long visit to rural communities in Malawi. They will travel as part of an annual school trip organised by Irish development organisation Gorta Self Help Africa.
The Clonakilty Community College students were in Dublin last week for a meeting of fellow participants, who received information and discussed the itinerary for their upcoming trip.
The trio said they were excited about the trip, but confessed to being nervous too.
“We always hear about the situation in developing countries from an adult’s perspective,” Meabh said. “It will be interesting to tell people our age, from our own point of view, about our experiences there.”
Mary said the trip will give each participant “a better perspective” on their own lives.
“Our worries and stresses are so little compared to others in the world,” she said.
For teacher Ciarán Mulcahy, who will also travel, this trip is an occasion for his students to “see a variety of cultures and to interact with people”.
He said: “It’s also a good way of making them realise how lucky we are in Ireland.”
Mr Mulcahy, who has taken part in previous study visits, knows a trip to rural Africa can turn out to be a life-changing experience for students like Mary, Meabh and Anna.
He said: “They definitely become more active citizens and when they come back they often seek to engage again in projects related to development.”
This year, nine students and their teachers will make the trip, with the Cork trio joined by students from Kildare, Offaly and Wicklow.
Gorta Self Help Africa’s yearly trip is open to students from schools who take part in the charity’s Development Education programme. Trip participants from each school are selected on the basis of a one-page essay and an interview. Students then lead a fundraising campaign in their school to support the trip’s cost.

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CONTRACTORS are being sought to build the major new flood defences for Blackpool.

The Office of Public Works is inviting responses from suitably qualified civil engineering firms to carry out the work, estimated to cost €15m.
The village has been flooded repeatedly in recent years in both winter and summer and the flood defence scheme aims to protect homes and businesses from the River Bride when it overflows its banks.
Works will include the construction of new flood defence walls, new flood defence embankments, reconstruction of existing bridges, new reinforced concrete culverts, reconstruction of existing reinforced concrete culverts, remedial works within existing culverts, and new pumping stations and other associated works.
Some of the most significant visual changes to Blackpool will be the covering over of the open river section in the centre of Blackpool village alongside the Church of the Annunciation. Also, at Orchard Court, an area blamed for many recent floods, the open river will be covered over in a culvert to completely contain the river.
It means the River Bride will travel its usual course but enter the culvert system as it approaches the Blackpool Retail Park and Shopping Centre and remain underground until it exits into the River Lee opposite the Opera House.
The Bride, Glenamought and the Glen rivers all travel through Blackpool through a culvert network. The culvert system has been incrementally constructed since the early 1980s as part of the Glen-Bride-Kiln River Improvement Scheme which was commissioned by Cork Corporation in 1981.
However, there has been an extensive history of flooding in the Blackpool area in recent years. Flooding is primarily due to heavy rainfall in the catchment of the Bride river and of its tributaries.
The Blackpool flood defence scheme was initially part of the much larger Cork city Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme. However, those flood defences are still being designed and the decision was taken to separate Blackpool from the Lower Lee scheme.
The OPW has set a November 13 deadline for responses to the current notice. It is expected that once a contract has been awarded the flood defence works will take 18 months to complete.

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CORK’S northside needs a third-level campus and a northern ring road — otherwise Cork runs the risk of becoming irreversibly lopsided in terms of development and infrastructure.

Fianna Fail TD Billy Kelleher. Picture: Gareth Chaney Collins

That is according to Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central, Billy Kelleher, who said that the two factors were absolutely key to an area crying out for development economically and socially.
He said: “If you are to look at the city and the development of Cork, there is no doubt that it has become lopsided. If we are not careful, the South Link will become the major thoroughfare of the city. What we need to do is develop theNorth Ring Road from Glanmire bypass across the northside of the city to Poulavone in Ballincollig. That should be done for a number of reasons.”
The Northern Ring Road would lead to industrial development, investment and jobs in the northside, he said.
“We do need to develop an industrial base around the northside of the city. We have had the IDA Ireland Kilbarry Industrial Estate for many, many years. There is nothing happening in it, it grows barley year in year out. We don’t have a great strategic plan for the development on the northside periphery around the city boundary area. It’s poorly serviced and badly planned. The North Ring Road is of strategic importance in ensuring we develop the northside of the city. If you open up that area, you can attract more.”
He said that a third-level facility was still a major ambition for the northside.
“I thought we were close enough in getting a third-level facility into the northside back in the mid 1990s. That hasn’t happened and I am disappointed it hasn’t happened.” This isn’t from a parochial perspective, this is about giving people that are finding it difficult to get to third level. If you look at official statistics, we simply do not have enough progression from second to third level,” he said.

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NEW and existing businesses in and around Shandon Street, North Main Street and Barrack Street could be given 50% off their commercial rates under new incentives to combat vacancy.

City Hall Cork. Picture: Larry Cummins

Cork city councillors and council officials will discuss the plans at a meeting today, following proposals by two city councillors aimed at enticing business back into ailing parts of the city centre and to protect Cork’s historic spine.
The report by Director of Services, Pat Ledwidge, says: “Reducing the number of vacant properties/shops will aid regeneration and revitalisation of the city centre. This can be partly achieved through local authority intervention. One of the areas where Cork City Council can intervene in reducing costs for businesses is in commercial rates. A reduced rates scheme would act as a form of assistance for new businesses in the start-up phase, during a high-cost phase for the business.”
Fianna Fáil councillors Tom O’Driscoll and Seán Martin proposed a number of measures including commercial rates relief for new businesses.
In deciding which areas were most in need of intervention, a database and map of all vacancies was examined, according to Mr Ledwidge. While there are a significant number of vacant properties around the city centre, there is clustering of vacancy in certain areas which have a disproportionate impact. on those areas and these are the areas which were selected.
Mr Ledwidge proposed to focus initially on the “Historic Spine” particularly Shandon Street, North Main Street and Barrack Street.
It is proposed that a scheme of a 50% grant in lieu of rates for the first three years be considered. Businesses would pay their rates to show they had complied with what was required, and then they would apply for the 50% reduction grant.

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THE top 20 commercial rate-paying businesses in Cork city and county contribute more than €37.5m to both local authorities.

Cork City. Picture: Denis Scannell

According to information obtained by Cork senator Colm Burke, the top 10 companies in Cork city paid €9.3m while the top 10 in Cork county paid €27.4m.
More than 5,500 businesses in Cork city paid €61.2m in commercial rates to Cork City Council, while 10,200 businesses paid €118.8 to Cork County Council in 2015. The average rate paid in Cork County Council is €11,647, while in Cork City Council it is €10,899.
Mr Burke said: “The top 10 companies are paying a huge amount of local taxes. Nobody ever seems to take this into account when examining what tax is paid to the State. These local rates are very big sums of money. I was at a prominent premises on the northside of the city last week which pays €120,000 every year. Hotels are also paying vast sums of money.”

More than 5,500 businesses in Cork city paid €61.2m in commercial rates to Cork City Council, while 10,200 businesses paid €118.8 to Cork County Council in 2015.
He said that one of the faults about paying such commercial rates was that ratepayers had no say in how it was spent in the city.
“Granted, they are getting services like street cleaning and lighting, but businesses paid €61m in Cork city. Salaries paid to city employees were €74m.”

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THE Crosshaven RNLI lifeboat came to the assistance of two people in Cork Harbour on Saturday evening after their RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) struck a navigation buoy.

The alarm was raised at 8.49pm with a report that one of the boat’s occupants was injured.
En route to the scene the lifeboat crew were informed the RIB had managed to journey under its own power to the City Marina but was still requesting first aid help.
The crew assessed the casualty who was complaining of chest injuries and administered first aid until the emergency ambulance arrived and conveyed the casualty to hospital.
The lifeboat then escorted the damaged RIB on its return journey to Crosshaven.

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A 59-year-old man with serious health difficulties was caught with cannabis during a garda search of his home and he claimed last week in court that the drug gave him relief from pain.

John Henry of Pic Du Jer Park, Ballinlough, pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of cannabis for his own use on July 30, 2015.
Inspector Adrian Gamble said Henry had four previous convictions for having cannabis for his own use and two for having the drug for the purpose of sale or supply to others.
Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said, “This man has chronic medical problems. He has a breathing disorder and heart difficulties.
“There is no justification for it in any way, shape or form and I would never in any way seek to justify it but he believes it helps him,” Mr Buttimer said.
The solicitor added, “He is essentially a most decent gentleman. He accepts he is at risk. He is putting his cards on the table.”
Judge Olann Kelleher addressed the accused directly in Cork District Court yesterday, “Whatever your views on cannabis whether it should be legal or not, the fact is that it is illegal.”
The judge said that what concerned him were the two previous convictions the defendant had for having drugs for the purpose of selling or supplying to others.
Mr Buttimer said he acted for John Henry in those cases — dating back to 2008 — and he said that it was not a classic case of selling or supplying. He said the offences arose more out of smoking among a group of friends and the sharing of cannabis.
On the date of this latest offence, Garda Martin Lawton obtained a warrant to search the home of John Henry on the basis of information previously received by gardaí.
They found a clear plastic bag containing €200 worth of cannabis, Insp. Gamble said. Henry told officers on the day that the drug was his and for his own use only.
Judge Kelleher said yesterday that he would dispose of the case by way of a monetary fine. He convicted and fined the defendant €200.

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A 10-month suspended jail sentence was imposed on a young man caught with gloves and torches associated with the carrying out of thefts.

Judge John Cheatle imposed that suspended term on Jason Kenny, 37, of Heatherwalk, Shanakiel, at Cork District Court. The 19-year-old was caught on January 5 at 4.20am at Mardyke Walk.
Kenny pleaded guilty to charges of being in possession of torches, gloves, screwdrivers and pliers with the intention of using them in the course of a theft, possessing stolen property and causing criminal damage to a car.
Inspector Ronan Kennelly said gardaí became aware of cars being broken into in the area on that morning.
Officers arrived to find four young men in a car. One of them was Kenny. When gardaí searched him they found property stolen from cars and the equipment he was using in association with committing the offences.
Kenny had 22 previous convictions.
Donal Daly, solicitor, said the accused was 19 years old and was presently serving 10 months in prison. “I would ask you not to increase the period of detention,” Mr Daly said.
Judge Cheatle imposed a 10-month sentence and made it consecutive to the sentence presently being served.
However, he suspended it from the date of Kenny’s release from his present sentence.

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