On Monday's Morning Focus with Marian Egan
There's been a broad welcome to government plans that will strengthen laws in the area of domestic violence. The laws aim to give 'fresh hope' to victims, but the government is being warned that it needs to back them up with increased investment in social services.Minister Frances Fitzgerald's new bill puts forward a wide range of measures aimed at helping victims of domestic violence.Several of them relate to making the courts process easier for a complainant, including that they can give evidence by video link to reduce risk of intimidation.The new law would also allow for a domestic violence offender to be barred from communicating electronically with their victim. Denise Dunne of Clare Haven Services feels that's important she joined us in studio this morning. The new Bill has been welcomed too by Shannon Fine Gael Senator Tony Mulcahy.He previously spoke in the Oireachtas of how he witnessed dometic violence in his own home, by his father who he described as a "thug and bully" He's hopeful the Bill, once passed, will reduce instances of domestic violence.He also spoke to Marian Egan this morning. . .
Opponents to a controversial South East Clare Road say their fight is only beginning.The project will now go forward to An Bord Pleanala after Clare County Councillors voted in favour of the route on Friday. Seventeen councillors voted in favour of the route for the Limerick Northern Distributor Road at Friday's Council meeting. Nine voted against, in spite of a hard-fought campaign by opponents from Parteen, Clonlara and Ardnacrusha. They have expressed their outrage and upset over the result – Tony Ryan's parents Donal and Mary O'Rian will lose their home if the project goes ahead but says it's an entire community that is losing out – He spoke to Marian. Teresa Crawford Resident of Parteen also outlined her disappointed in the result.
John Moloney Manager of Galway Racecourse spoke to us as the Galway Races Summer Festival starts today – Action Kicks off there this evening at 5.15 pm with the first race of the evening.
Life-saving equipment taken from the GAA Club in Lisseycasey earlier this month has been returned. Members of the local community discovered the defibrillator was taken from the pitch of the local club after a man travelling from Kilkee to Limerick suffered symptoms similar to a heart-attack and pulled in to a local shop for help. Luckily, the defibrillator was dscovered by maintanance staff at the club this weekend under grass cuttings. John O'Malley of Lisseycasey GAA Club outlined his thoughts on how it went missing.
Garda Focus next with Sergeant Joe Downey Crime Prevention Officer Ennis Garda Station – Appealing for your help in solving recent local crime.
An energy expert has said hundreds of jobs at Moneypoint Power Station in West Clare could be protected if it was to be converted from coal to biomass.
The Moneypoint station is due to close by 2025, but Dr. Anthony White of BW Energy thinks it can be used to help Ireland achieve its renewable energy targets. He's argued that such an approach would save billions, when compared with building the 200 wind farms that he says Ireland needs to construct. Dr. White also says this would be good for employment here. He joined us on the show . . .
Ruth Gilhool Ennis spoke to us about Tom Kelly who has undertaken a 683 km challenge in memory of his beautiful daughter Leah who sadly passed away in August 2013, and also to raise much needed funds for two organisations that shave shown incredible support to the family over the past year, Aoibheann's Pink Tie and Barretstown. Tom is passing through Co Clare today.
Wildlife expert John Murphy is rubishing claims that seagulls are becoming more agggressive. Recent reports suggest that giant seagulls have been attacking and killing mature sheep in South and West Kerry while the Prime Minister of Britain David Cameron has also complained of attacks on pet tortoises' and dogs in Cornwall. Birdwatch Ireland says seagulls were driven inland after fishing rights were given away in the seventies, forcing them to feed on raw food in our country's dumps. John believes that following the closure of many dumps around the country, seagulls are now moving towards farmland but he says media reports on their aggression have been blown out of proportion – he joined us in studio.
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