Kilrush street highlighted in Dáil

A CLARE TD has called on Clare County Council to prioritise the upgrading of Moore Street in Kilrush. Speaking in Dáil Éireann last Thursday, Deputy Michael McNamara urged Clare County Council to repair Moore Street in the town.
However, he also highlighted Kilrush Town Council’s upcoming Retail Incentive Scheme in the same street, which will be launched at this month’s town council meeting. The scheme is aimed at making it more attractive for retailers to upgrade their premises, which may be currently unused or in a state of disrepair.
Deputy McNamara was speaking on the Finance Bill 2011, second stage, when he made his comments pertaining to Kilrush.
“Over €60m has been set aside for regional and local roads investment schemes. Of this, €2.5m has been set aside for my own county of Clare and I greatly welcome this. A scheme of roads has been published by the Department of Transport for each local authority area. However, it is important to stress in the house that this scheme of roads is a provisional list only and there is scope for county councils and local authorities to prioritise other roads, which may be lower down on their existing list,” he commented.
The Clare TD then urged Clare County Council to prioritise the upgrading of Moore Street, which is technically under the jurisdiction of the National Roads Authority. The street is part of the main route between the Killimer car ferry and North Clare. It has fallen into a state of serious disrepair in recent years and is full of potholes.
“I think it’s very important that county councils and local authorities examine their list and see which roads are most important to economic growth and getting people to retail premises. In that regard, I must return to Moore Street, where retailers have increasingly drawn attention to the bad state of roads, which is forcing people out of the centre of the town, into shopping centres of large multi-nationals not based in this State. In that regard, I would call upon the local authority to prioritise roads that will lead to people going back into the centres of our towns and will benefit retail outlets, which of course create employment in our State,” Deputy McNamara commented.
He cited Kilrush Town Council’s Retail Incentive Scheme in Moore Street as a proactive idea.
“In my own County Clare I’m very pleased to learn that Kilrush Town Council has announced a Retail Incentive Scheme in Moore Street. The idea is to incentivise retailers to occupy and to take up empty retail premises in the town. A grant of 50% of the rates which would apply to the premises is envisaged in year one and a grant of 25% in year two,” he explained.
“If this initiative is successful, it will be replicated in other local authority areas in County Clare and beyond,” he suggested.