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 …

MORE than 1,000 homes in Clare could have pyrite, new research shows, with Newmarket-on-Fergus the worst hit area.  A study unveiled by Clare Pyrite Action Group (CPAG) chairperson, Dr Martina Cleary, estimates that 1,025 homes and 11 public and private buildings have defective blocks. A survey of 90 members of the CPAG, shows affected homes in 38 locations. Seven of these are in Newmarket. Drumline, Ennis, Kilkee, Kilrush and Sixmilebridge have five homes each. There are four properties in Cratloe, with the same number in Feakle, Kilkishen and Shannon. Clonlara, Crusheen, Inagh and Miltown each has three pyrite-affected properties. There are two in each of Doolin, Doonbeg, Fanore, Ennistymon, Quin and Tulla. The remaining 19 are dotted across Clare.  The findings were unveiled this week at a conference on the impact of defective blocks, hosted by the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS). The data shows that 17 private housing estates are affected and five Council developments.  Respondents were also …

ARTWORKS created by pupils from New Quay National School in the Burren will go on display early next month at the Courthouse Gallery in Kinvara.  An exhibition entitled ‘Creative Mapping’, will run from June 3 to 12 at the gallery which is the base of Kinvara Area Visual Arts (KAVA). The show is the culmination of initiatives support by The Arts Council, Clare Arts Office and The Department of Education.  School Principal Mary Reidy said the show will combine pieces from two art projects which children have participated in. “As a recipient of a Creative School grant award in 2020 New Quay National School is certainly busy these days,” she said. “An after-school art appreciation programme has been re-established since Easter, this is offered as a free programme to children from First Class upwards and will continue up into the early part of June. This is facilitated by local parents Ellie Farrell and Cate King. With the help of Creative …

THE plight of residents of Clare housing estates caught up in red tape over wastewater services has been raised by Senator Róisín Garvey. The Green Party member highlighted in particular the situation at Westcoast View at the Crosses of Annagh in West Clare. “The people there have been waiting many years for the estate to be taken in charge,” she told Minister of State, Thomas Byrne. “At this stage they have been waiting nine years. It has its own wastewater treatment plant and the position of Irish Water is that it is not responsible for taking in charge of developer-provided water services infrastructure. “Clare County Council can no longer legally take a private wastewater treatment plant, WWTP, in charge as it is no longer a water services authority. How will we remedy this situation? “From doing lots of research and from many emails over and back it seems a number of estates in west Clare are in the same predicament, …

AN APPROVED housing body seeking to build 11 social houses and two apartments in Mountshannon has been sent back to the drawing board by Clare County Council. In March, Inis Housing Association lodged plans for housing of varying size and design, and a single building containing the two apartments. The site, which is three quarters of a hectare, is close to St Caimin’s Church of Ireland on Main Street. After an initial assessment of the plans, the Council has now requested Further Information on nine aspects of the project.  Planners said that “having regard to the scale, extent and location of the proposed development, it is possible that subsurface archaeological remains could be encountered during the construction phase” of the works.  They have asked that Inis Housing Association to commission an Archaeological Impact Assessment (AIA) involving test excavations. The request follows a submission on the project from The Development Applications Unit (DAU) of the Department of Housing, Heritage and Local …

PLANS to develop lands on the County Clare side of its campus as an Economic Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) are advancing, according to Minister Simon Harris. The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science was asked by Deputy Cathal Crowe for an update on the University of Limerick’s (UL) plans for the portion of its campus which is located in Clare.  Minister Harris, who visited UL last week, said that while his department doesn’t have direct role in the project, meetings have been taking place between the university, Clare County Council and relevant government officials.  “UL has indicated that, as part of its future campus planning, it is advancing an application for the designation of lands on the County Clare side of its campus as an Economic Strategic Development Zone or SDZ,” the minister said. “UL has indicated to my Department that it sees potential for new and innovative models of teaching and learning through designation of …

TAOISEACH Micheál Martin has confirmed to Clare’s Fine Gael TD that the new defective blocks grant scheme will be introduced by way of primary legislation. He warned, however, that a consultative process as part of the legislative drafting could further delay the new scheme.  In response to concerns from pyrite and mica action groups, including that in Clare, Deputy Joe Carey raised the matter directly with the Taoiseach. He asked for clarity on what kind of consultation will take place on the new scheme. Clare Pyrite Action Group (CPAG), and others, have raised concerns over numerous aspects of the enhanced grant, including the updated damage threshold for affected homes. Last week the CPAG wrote to all Oireachtas members to tell them that a process without pre-legislative scrutiny must be opposed. “Householders in County Clare are anxiously awaiting admission to the enhanced defective concrete block scheme,” Deputy Carey reminded the Taoiseach. “Further laboratory analysis of affected homes in County Clare has …

CONCERNS that a scenic part of Tuamgraney could be turned into a “concrete jungle” have been raised in a submission on a major housing development proposed for the village. Last month, developer Michael Pearl applied for permission to demolish an existing pumping station and built 52 houses, in a mix of bungalows and two-storey units, on a site of just under four hectares on the Dock Road. To-date, one detailed submission has been made by a resident of Reddan’s Quay who has listed 15 concerns about the proposal. The objection raised concerns about “considerable increases in the level of flooding at Reddan’s Quay”. It said that additional housing would reduce the capacity of the land to absorb flood waters. The document has also raised concern about the adequacy of screening reports on the potential environmental and flooding impact of the development. The submission outlined that residents of the area have already experienced difficulty securing house insurance due to their proximity …