Kilkee meeting critical of storm repair programme

Last week (May 14), a big crowd filled the function room of the Stella Maris Hotel at a protest meeting regarding what organisers maintain is the lack of progress on repairing the storm damage on the sea front in Kilkee. The meeting was supported by all the main organisations in the town.
Retired Kilkee pharmacist and community activist, John Williams was among those who spoke at the meeting. “A large number of people spoke, most expressing frustration at the absence of information from Clare County Council on where it stood on the works to be done. Speaker after speaker said it was a disgrace that the local authority would leave a major tourist route and part of the Wild Atlantic Way in the condition it is, over the tourist season,” Mr Williams told The Clare Champion.
He said organisers of the Hell of the West Triathlon spoke of their frustration trying to get details of their route from Clare County Council and of trying to organise a competition in June with almost 1,000 participants. “Now, in the month of May, Clare County Council is still prevaricating. The minor works on the Strand Line and West End have started but questions were asked as to why this work did not start last March or April and why the Strand Line was left in this dreadful condition over three bank holiday weekends. A number of speakers with engineering skills spoke about the local authority making a ‘mountain out of a molehill’ in its approach to the repairs,” Mr Williams revealed.
He said criticism was also aimed at the local elected councillors who have been “remarkably quiet” over the last three months, “when they should have been representing their constituents and demanding that  repairs be carried out promptly.”
In a statement, Clare County Council said it is “fully committed” to restoring infrastructure.
“A programme of remedial works to paving and walls damaged during February’s storms commenced early last week and is scheduled for completion by the end of next week. These works are being financed by Clare County Council. The council anticipates that the contract for specialised works to stabilise and rebuild the wall at the Thomond/Strand Line will go to tender before the end this month, with a view to undertaking works during August/September,” it outlined.
The council said a consultant is currently preparing the design and contract documents. “This stage of the process has been time-consuming for a number of reasons, namely the protected nature of the wall, the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the site investigation works required to develop the required solution for such a major structural sea defence. The area remains securely fenced off with appropriate warning signs. The Strand Line however, remains fully accessible for walkers to enjoy,” the statement pointed out.
“In relation to Mr William’s suggestion that the organisers of the Hell of the West Triathlon had spoken ‘of their frustration trying to get details of their route’, Clare County Council would like to point out that there was regular correspondence between race organisers and the council. The race organisers were kept fully abreast of the situation in Kilkee in the weeks and months leading up to the event and at no point has any sentiment to the contrary being expressed by organisers to the council,” it concluded.
At the meeting, a four-person delegation of Cillian Murphy, Johnny Redmond, Paddy Collins and Elaine Haugh Hayes was proposed and they subsequently met Phil Hogan, Minister for the Environment, who visited the damaged site. “He assured the delegation that finance was not a problem and that his department had made funds available for this type of situation. The ball is back in Clare County Council’s court,” John Williams claimed.

By Peter O’Connell