Tag Archives: Cathal Crowe

A VISION for the future of Ennis will be launched this Friday by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD. The much anticipated Ennis 2040 Economic and Spatial Strategy is, according to Clare County Council, “a bold vision to deliver economic investment and make housing, jobs, amenity and services easier to access for all. The strategy is about building communities and creating one of the best places in the world to live, work and visit.” The strategy has set out ambitious growth targets and proposes the prioritisation of sustainable economic activities that will grow its population on average by 1.6% per annum and deliver an additional 5,000 jobs by 2040. Nine transformational projects have been identified through which the Ennis 2040 vision can be realised. The projects deliver on the concept of the ‘10-minute town’, attracting investment and delivering quality of life. In the implementation of this strategy Ennis will become Ireland’s first Climate Adaptive …

A Clare TD has compared a Garda investigation into alleged squaring away of road traffic offences in the Limerick Garda Division, to the Salem witch trials, which saw 20 people executed in the Massachusetts town in the 1690s, reports David Raleigh. Eight gardai suspended on November 8 last year remain so, pending the outcome of the two-year investigation which is being led by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI). Clare Deputy Cathal Crowe said gardai have come to him and told him they are concerned at the nature of the probe. Gardai have privately expressed fear they may face the threat of suspension or court for using discretion when dealing with members of the public. Deputy Crowe said, “You could almost call the Limerick Garda Division ‘Salem’ at the moment, because there’s a form of witch-trial being going on for the last two years there.” “Eight members suspended, 60 garda phones confiscated, morale has never been lower,” he …

FUNDING allocated to Clare County Council for the transformation of parts of Ennis to facilitate permanent outdoor dining “will add to the already stellar outdoor spaces that have sprung up around the town over the past few months”. That’s according to Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe who has welcomed the allocation of €186,875 to Clare County Council under the government’s Outdoor Dining Enhancement Scheme. Francis Street, Lower Parnell Street, Abbey Street Car Park and the Temple Gate Plaza are set to benefit from the funding announced under Fáilte Ireland’s Outdoor Dining Enhancement Scheme. “Businesses across Clare and the country have adapted hugely to deal with the outdoor dining necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Deputy Crowe. “It’s one of the very few positives of this pandemic that we, as a country, are now ramping up the dining options available to ourselves as citizens and also tourists. “The funding allocated to Ennis will add to the already stellar outdoor …

CLARE Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe said he has secured funding to ensure that the Garda Station in Shannon is re-painted, following a number of representations from locals. After having the issue raised with him, Deputy Crowe spoke to the Minister with responsibility for the OPW to see if funding could be ringfenced to rectify the issue. “Representatives of Shannon Tidy Towns came to meet with me at one of my recent clinics in the town and outlined all the work they’re undertaking, which I think all of us can agree is fantastic,” said Deputy Crowe. “But they felt the Garda Station in the middle of the town was looking shabby and in need of a new coat of paint. “I went up to see it for myself and following this, I contacted Minister Patrick O’Donovan who has written back to confirm he has approved this and the OPW has approved funding to fully paint the station in the early …

FIANNA Fáil TD, Cathal Crowe has called on the Minister for Transport to use Co Clare as a trial spot for an urban e-scooter rental scheme, with a view to it eventually being rolled out nationwide. Such schemes already exist for pedal bikes in the likes of Dublin, Limerick, Galway and Cork and in last week’s meeting of the Joint Committee on Transport and Communication Networks, the idea of a similar scheme for e-scooters was discussed. “We are undertaking pre-legislative scrutiny on an updated version of the Road Traffic Act to include for e-scooters and new forms of electric transportation, including automated cars,” said Deputy Crowe. He added, “I asked Minister Eamon Ryan if he would consider Clare, and in particular Ennis, as a pilot area to trial urban e-scooters. He was positive to my suggestion and said he and his department would be happy to look into this possibility.

THE announcement of €920,000 in funding for Shannon Airport is being welcomed this afternoon by Clare TD Cathal Crowe. The funding has been announced today as part of an almost €23 million overall Covid-19 fund for Irish airports. “Every little helps when it comes to Shannon Airport so I welcome today’s announcement of this funding,” said Deputy Crowe. “This was on a pro-rata basis, based on an appraisal of traffic figures through each airport in the comparable period of April, May and June of 2019 – so the year before Covid. “It was on this basis that each airport’s share was calculated. “Whilst Shannon will need a lot more money, and €920,000 might feel like a drop in the bucket, this injection of funding from the EU will certainly play a role in helping to turn around Shannon’s fortunes as aviation reopens. “I’ve had a number of chats with both An Tasoieach and the Finance Minister Paschal O’Donohoe about the …

DEPUTY Cathal Crowe has confirmed he will not support any motion of no confidence, if one is tabled against an Taoiseach Micheál Martin in the near future. Media reports have claimed that rebel Fianna Fáil deputies are plotting behind the scenes to oust Deputy Martin as leader after a series of poor opinion polls. There is growing unease within the party after its worst ever 4.6% share of the first preference vote in the Dublin Bay South constituency recently. Speaking to the Clare Champion, Deputy Crowe said the Taoiseach is doing a good job leading the government, which has prevented the economy from imploding and also saved lives in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. He believes the Fianna Fáil party needs to “settle” itself now and avoid any leadership contest at the moment, which would be very destabilising for the party and the country. However, once Deputy Martin’s term as Taoiseach ends, he feels this would be an ideal …

AER Lingus have exploited the pandemic, using it to address industrial relations issues, Clare TD Cathal Crowe alleged at Tuesday’s sitting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications. Deputy Crowe said that the State had been paying the vast majority of the Aer Lingus wage bill, but the airline had still not treated its workers with respect. He said he had sight of a Shannon employee’s pay slip, which showed how little the airline had been paying. “They got €635.89 in a fortnight. The Irish taxpayer paid €600 of that, Aer Lingus’ net contribution was €35.89. I think when the taxpayer is contributing majorly to the airline there’s a certain onus on you to commit to airports, to your workforce and not wait until the eve of reopening, to the final furlong of Covid, before pulling the carpet from under them and use terms like inefficiency.” He accused the airline of abusing the support it has got from …