24 county playgrounds completed

Twenty-four community playgrounds have been completed in Clare, with all bar four of the projects having drawn down full funding of €1.85 million from a €2m council kitty.
Director of services Bernadette Kinsella outlined at this week’s council meeting that funds are unspent at Roslevan (€83,333), Clarecastle (€50,753), Crusheen (€43,333) and Killaloe (€24,212).
However, in Killaloe’s case, the project came in under budget. The project was completed at a cost of €139,122, giving a surplus funding of €24,212 from an original allocation of €163,334.
Ms Kinsella explained that Sixmilebridge, Inis Ealga in Shannon and Mountshannon had yet to claim final grant funding, while work had not commenced at proposed playgrounds in Crusheen, Clarecastle and Roslevan.
Explaining the background, she pointed out that the committee in Crusheen applied for planning permission last December for a playground at Stonepark and are currently awaiting a decision.
The committee had previously identified two sites, which proved unsuitable due to planning issues and lease arrangements.
Ms Kinsella recommended the allocation of €43,333 for a playground in Crusheen remain available until December 31 of this year and if the funding is not taken up by then “a decision needs to be made regarding withdrawal”.
The Clarecastle Playground Committee, she said, had difficulty reaching agreement on a suitable site and the project hadn’t progressed to planning while the proposed playground at Roslevan was planned as part of a bigger development encompassing a community hall, GAA pitch and other facilities, which hadn’t materialised.
Ms Kinsella pointed out that funding had been requested for a playground in Newmarket on numerous occasions but the committee had experienced difficulties in identifying a suitable site.
“However, a site has now been identified at a central location, a playground committee is in place and they are ready to proceed if funding becomes available,” she added.
She recommended a grant of €80,000 be made available and that funding remain available to the committee until December 31 next.
Ms Kinsella also suggested a sum of €31,200 be set aside for the installation of signage on the approach roads to villages where playground facilities are in place.
The overall expenditure on the playgrounds in the six electoral areas is: St Clare’s Special School (€41,667); Quin (€84,334); Kilmaley (€70,000); Lees Road (€52,000); Lahinch (€119,667); Corofin (€68,667); Lisdoonvarna (€81,666); Kildysart (€90,000); Kilkee (€113,333); Ballynacally (€65,333); Cooraclare (€64,666); Sixmilebridge (€153,333); Inis Ealga, Shannon (€83,333); Cratloe (€56,667); Kilkishen (€40,000); Shannon (€30,000); Tulla (€113,333); Scariff (€81,667); Mountshannon (€61,666); Kilkishen (€43,333); Feakle (€63,333); Killaloe (€163,334); O’Briensbridge (€106,666); Parteen (€41,667); Meelick (€41,666) and Cratloe (€10,000).