Tag Archives: clare county council

AN APPEAL has been made for equal access for artists with disabilities to a new pilot scheme introduced to support the sector. At the May meeting of the local authority, Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy said she had been delighted to hear Minister Catherine Martin introduce the Basic Income for Artists Pilot Scheme. “This is for those who haven’t been able to perform or create any great income due to the pandemic,” Councillor Colleran Molloy said. “A total of 2,000 applicants at random will be picked to receive €325 per week, paid monthly. This is a very positive thing and it will last for a number of years. “There has been a call from the music and entertainment industry who have highlighted that the scheme will not be applied equally. Those who have disabilities will not be treated equally. “This is a very straight forward motion. It is a call on Department of Social Protection to equalise the application of the …

Irish Water has been accused of causing a “public health hazard” by allowing a wastewater treatment plant to pollute a stream in West Clare that is potentially contaminating bathing waters for local swimmers. This assertion comes after an EPA report found breaches for ammonia at the Miltown Wastewater Treatment Plant were 171 times the permitted emission levels following an inspection carried out on June 10, 2021. It has also emerged that that the EPA raised concern about the absence of a proper roadway into this plant in August 2018 to facilitate desludging, which still hasn’t been properly addressed by Irish Water. North Clare civil engineer Mick Duffy has expressed major concern about the contents of an EPA report, which stated a visual inspection of the Legard Stream at its discharge points indicated widespread sewage fungus following discharges from the Miltown waste water treatment plant. Irish Water was requested to examine the pathway of this stream to the sea to identify …

FACILITIES for housing cremated remains are to be developed at cemeteries across Clare, in response to rising demand and changing funeral practices.  The matter was discussed at the monthly meeting of Clare County Council on foot of a motion from Councillor Alan O’Callaghan who called on the authority to look at installing columbarium walls and other options for urns. The Kilmurry man said he had recently met a lady who inquired about a grave to bury an urn. “It struck me that a lot of ground could be wasted and that all this lady wanted was a place to bury the urn,” he said. “There has been a huge jump since 2016 in cremations and 212 people are cremated in Clare every year. That figure will definitely increase and burial ground at a premium. We need to open a discussion and look at having columbarium walls in graveyards. As it stands, some areas don’t meet bye-laws for full burial, but …

“MORE boots on the ground” are being sought to support Ukrainian refugees and the communities welcoming them to Clare.  The appeal came from Councillor Joe Garrihy, who said he is “immensely proud” of the response of communities in Clare. The Lisdoonvarna man, who has been helping to spearhead relief efforts in North Clare, made his call in response to an update from Chief Executive Pat Dowling.  “We have gone from a national high of 750 to between 100 and 150 per day,”” Mr Dowling said. “Most definitely, the numbers have softened somewhat.” In response to an update request from Mary Howard, Mr Dowling said that there are an estimated 2,200 Ukrainian nationals now in Clare. “We had some additional arrivals over the weekend,” he said. “These were small enough numbers. Those that were accommodation in Quin Road have been now relocated to Rowan Tree building, The Abbey Hostel. That Quin Road emergency facility remains available and we have another facility …

RURAL development is being seriously stifled by restrictions on ‘in-fill’ sites, a West Clare councillor has said.  At this week’s local authority meeting, Councillor PJ Kelly described the situation as “a landmine” and he called for all references to in-fill sites to be removed from the forthcoming Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029. The Fianna Fáil member said that some people were being refused permission to build a home, on the basis that developing their site would create an in-fill site, a situation the Council did not want to see.  “I know of situations where a farmer wants to give land to a son for example,” he outlined. Planning permission is refused because if son got it, there would be an in-fill site beside it.  This situation is not good enough and it’s downright discrimination. If there’s an in-fill site, someone with plenty of money can come in from outside and build. I have no objection to that and Iove to …

SEE Her Elected, the award-winning Government funded project which aims to encourage women from rural areas to engage in local politics are collaborating with Clare County Council for an upcoming event to promote and support greater involvement by women from diverse backgrounds in Local Government.  ‘Promoting Gender Equality & Diversity in Local Government’, will take place on Tuesday, May 17 from 10.30am to 2pm in Glór, Ennis and will include a panel discussion with local and national politicians as well as speakers from diverse groups. County Clare’s first ever female TD Madeline Taylor Quinn will be the keynote speaker on the day. Other speakers on the day will include Noeleen Fitzgerald, Director of Finance & Support Services, Clare County Council; Dr Michelle Maher of See Her Elected; Senator Roisin Garvey; Mayor of the Ennis Municipal District Councillor Ann Norton; as well as Bridget Casey, CLDC & Traveller community rep;  Teresa O’Donogue, Clare PPN, Community activist; Ann Marie Flanagan, Regional Development Officer, SHINE voice for disability  …

AN URGENT call has been made for improvements to supports for childcare services, which one Clare councillor describing a “crisis situation” for the sector. A motion was tabled by Councillor Pat McMahon at Monday’s local authority meeting, in which he appealed for support to put pressure on government on the matter. “Childcare workers are barely getting the minimum wages in some cases,” Councillor McMahon said. “People are studying for years in college and they are just not being appreciated. Childcare services are finding it difficult to recruit staff as a result. The councillor state the minimum wage “is not good enough for such an important role”, pointing out that childcare workers are highly qualified and, like everyone, affected by issues accessing housing, health and education. “We need a strong childcare system, but it’s falling apart,” said suggesting the government “gets serious and looks at countries with same population like Finland”. “There is a huge amount of people leaving the sector, …

ANNOYANCE at the exclusion of local authority chiefs from the new Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce, was expressed in no uncertain terms at this month’s County Council meeting.  Strong concern was expressed that the Chief Executive of Clare County Council has not been included on the group, and that his counterparts in Kerry, Limerick and Tipperary have also been snubbed.  Chief Executive Pat Dowling told councillors that he had gone so far as to formally apply for a place on the taskforce, but that his application had been rejected. That is despite the fact that local authorities have been identified as key stakeholders in the development of the Estuary.  In a joint motion, Councillors Ian Lynch, Cillian Murphy and Johnny Flynn called on the Tánaiste to include local authority heads. A separate motion from Councillor Flynn also asked that the potential of the Fergus Estuary be included under its remit.  Councillor Murphy said there were several concerns over the taskforce. “The …