Tag Archives: Deputy Joe Carey

CLARE is to receive an allocation of over €1.2m to improve rural roads around the county this year. Fine Gael TD Joe Carey has stated that the increased allocation from the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) will result in improved access to rural homes, farms and outdoor amenities all over the county. Welcoming the Government decision to double the funding available to the LIS to €22 million, Deputy Carey said it would see a major increase in the allocation to County Clare and deliver another element of the Government’s ambitious rural development policy. “Along with the €582,690 already delivered in April, a further €655,325 will be allocated from the Department of Rural and Community Development to schemes in Clare during August. “Clare County Council has consulted with local residents and landowners to identify road and laneway projects where works could start immediately and be completed this year,” Deputy Carey explained. “The funding provided by the Department will be complemented by a …

PROPOSALS to extend the River Fergus walkway to Clarecastle Quay have received a significant boost with the allocation of €50,000 to develop a plan for the link. The funding, announced by Rural and Community Development Minister Heather Humphreys, comes less than a year after the opening of the 1.5 kilometre paved cycling and walking route from the Quin Road in Ennis to the Clareabbey roundabout. In addition to the funding for the Fergus walkway, a further €121,000 has been allocated to six other recreational schemes around the county. These include €28,975 for the creation of a new walking trail adjacent to the Kilnamona GAA complex; €22,304 for the design and development of a lakeside amenity at Doon Lake, Broadford; €21,207 to link cycle routes from Kilrush Town Centre and along the nearby coastal roads; €20,102 towards the development of a community area at Cullaun Lake, Kilkishen; €15,508 for the development of a looped walking trail in Ennistymon and €13,036 to …

FINE Gael TD, Joe Carey, has told the Dáil he believes the scale of the defective concrete blocks problem in this county may extend far beyond what has been documented to-date.  Speaking during the second stage debate last Thursday (June 30) on the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022, he said he expects many more homeowners to come forward now that Clare is included in the revised grant scheme.  “The Clare Pyrite Action Group (CPAG) has identified 1,025 potentially impacted private homes, 17 private housing estates, five local authority housing estates and 11 large-scale public and private dwellings,” he said. “I strongly believe this is a conservative estimate and many more affected homeowners will come forward given that County Clare is now eligible for this scheme.” Deputy Carey, who first raised the issue of defective blocks in Clare homes in 2018, said that while many aspects of the new grant were welcome, concerns remained.  “The headline aspects of the …

TWO Clare TDs have tackled the Finance Minister over the impending departure of two major banks from the Irish market.  Both Ulster Bank and KBC Bank are to close Irish operations, prompting concerns for tens of thousands of customers, especially those who are older and less likely to be able to avail of online switching services. Addressing Minister Paschal Donohoe, Deputy Michael McNamara accused the Department of Finance of facilitating an “emerging duopoly” in the banking sector.  “A local businessman said to me recently they [the banks] will do what they want and I had to correct him and say they are already doing what they want,” the Independent TD told a Dáil debate on policy and legislation. “In theory, we have supervision from the Central Bank, but in reality those two banks have been allowed to do what they want, and it will hurt rural economies. It is already hurting them. The supervision from the Central Bank is supposed …

A CALL has been made for the opening of a ‘one stop shop’ in Clare to support midwestern homeowners affected by pyrite.  Deputy Cathal Crowe is seeking the facility, which would be overseen by The Housing Agency and would support homeowners accessing the new defective concrete blocks grant scheme. The calls has been made in parallel with the progressing of the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022. Deputy Crowe said the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) is examining the option of opening regional support centres and he believes that the centre for the midwest should be located in Clare.  “The Housing Agency would oversee this,” he told The Champion. “It would provide an interface between the public and government staff and support homeowners in accessing the grant and getting remediation works done.” The new Bill, published last Tuesday evening (June 21), is a 62-page document outlining the revised blocks scheme. While Clare and …

INTENSIVE efforts to ensure consultation on the new defective concrete blocks grant, which is to cover this county, have resulted in an agreement to hear from affected homeowners before legislation is finalised. The announcement from the Housing Committee falls short of full pre-legislative scrutiny (PLS), which had been sought by campaign groups, including that in Clare. However, it will mean that members of Clare Pyrite Action Group (CPAG) are likely to get the opportunity to address the committee next week. It also means the legislation can be fast-tracked. The move follows a request by Deputy Joe Carey and two party colleagues to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing to engage in a PLS process. “With Deputy Kieran O’Donnell from Limerick and Deputy Joe McHugh from Donegal, I have written to the Chair of the Housing Committee seeking PLS,” Deputy Carey confirmed. “I have also asked Minister Darragh O’Brien to facilitate a full briefing for the Clare Pyrite Action Group (CPAG) …

OVER €144,000 has been allocated by the Department of Rural and Community Development for the provision of five remote working hubs in Clare. The funding will provide new modular work spaces and privacy pods along with closed circuit television monitoring, lighting for external hub area, solar panels, internal LED lighting, electrical vehicle charger and bicycle racks. A further €50,000 will be made available to Clare County Council under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme to fund marketing campaigns and promote remote working opportunities around the county. “Rural and Community Development Minister Heather Humphreys made the announcement this week. Welcoming the allocation, Deputy Joe Carey said, “As former Chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development, I have been a long-time advocate of  remote working and the provision of connected hubs outside the major population centres. “Even before the transformative experience of the Covid lockdowns, the benefits of remote working were obvious in terms of rural regeneration, environmental impact and …

PYRITE has been confirmed a significant public building in Clare, owned by the Office of Public Works (OPW).  Deputy Joe Carey tabled a number of Parliamentary Questions (PQ) in relation to public buildings with defective concrete blocks and to-date has received just one response. That came, last week, from the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Patrick O’Donovan.  While the identity of the building in question was not disclosed, it is understood to be in the south of the county. “Pyrite has been detected in one building in the ownership of the Office of Public Works (OPW)  in County Clare,” Minister O’Donovan stated in this reply. “A routine inspection earlier this year raised concerns in respect to cracking observed in the external façade. The OPW appointed external consultants to investigate the cause of this cracking and the consultant’s report has confirmed the presence of pyrite in the external leaf of the building.” The minister’s response said that “further …