Tag Archives: CEO Pat Dowling

NATIONAL policy is the biggest factor holding back the development of rural Clare, in the view of Council CEO, Pat Dowling.  Speaking at the January meeting of the local authority, Mr Dowling commended the work and commitment of Clare’s councillors and executive, but said rural development would remain “a lonely road” unless there is greater support from central government. Mr Dowling made his comments on foot of a motion from Councillor Joe Garrihy calling for a review of the Council’s “commitment to focus on and resourcing of Rural Development”. There was widespread support for Councillor Garrihy’s comments on rural development and his assertion that Clare’s strategy document represented “a landmark and trailblazing initiative”.  Commenting on what he said was a “very balanced” motion, Mr Dowling said Council staff were dedicated to rural development. He noted that significant government funding had been successfully drawn down and that there was a positive relationship with local communities.  “But I still look at our …

ALARM bells are ringing over a 34% increase in Clare’s homeless presentations for the first six months of this year compared with previous figures for full years. New statistics obtained by the Clare Champion revealed there were 94 adult single homeless presentations in Clare from January to June 2022 compared to 70 for twelve months in 2019 and 69 for 2020. The highest total was back in 2018 when there were 127 adult single homeless presentations. At the end of the first quarter in 2022, there were 59 adults in emergency accommodation which included 12 families, four couples with dependent children and eight individuals with dependent children). The total number of dependents was 23. During 2021, there were 1,959 presentations, 626 new and 1,333 repeat, and 29 new households were placed in accommodation in homeless services. Clare County Council’s homeless expenditure has increased dramatically from €561,032 in 2018 to €2.192 million in 2019 to €2.2395 million in 2020 and €2.223 …

THE chief executive of Clare County Council has rebuffed a bid by Clare GAA to have “a large area of land” at Clarecastle near Ennis rezoned for housing. As part of its bid, the management committee of Clare GAA employed KPMG to make a submission requesting that lands currently zoned for recreation with a smaller area of land to the north of the site zoned as ‘car parks’ around Clare GAA’s HQ at Clareabbey, Clarecastle, be rezoned for housing. Any rezoning from ‘recreation’ to ‘residential’ would greatly inflate the value of the lands which is mainly made up of a GAA pitch. As part of the consultation concerning the Draft Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029, KPMG presented the demand for housing in Clare and the study area along with an analysis of planning permissions in the pipeline. Making the case for the rezoning of the Clare GAA owned Clareabbey site, KPMG contended that if current trends of inactivity continue, the …

CLARE County Council has backed a proposal to maintain the Local Property Tax (LPT) rate at 15% above the standard rate for 2023 and 2024, despite opposition from three councillors. Members decided not to change the LPT Local Adjustment Factor that is payable for Clare homeowners for the next two years in line with what was in place in 2020, 2021 and 2022. An amendment proposed by Councillor Gerry Flynn calling on the council to reduce the LPT for 2023 by 15% and to only apply the change for one year didn’t secure the required level of support. It was backed by Councillor Flynn, Councillor Donna McGettigan and Councillor Ann Norton but was opposed by 23 other councillors. Councillor Gerry Flynn said it is easy to get bogged down on statistics but for most people they are concerned about coping at a time when the cost of living has gone out of control. “For more than 18,000 people that are …

MOST of Clare – apart from the Ennis-Shannon corridor – has been excluded from a new Regional Aid map of the country, which will result in it being precluded from getting support for industry. The June Monthly Management Report of Clare County Council explained the situation. “The new Irish Regional Aid Map covers the period 2022–2027 and has implications for enterprise investment in that areas excluded from the map become ineligible for regional aid. “In this regard, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment are tasked with the preparation of a new regional aid map for Ireland and the Mid-West region. “Clare County Council in conjunction with the other local authorities of the Mid West i.e. Limerick and Tipperary, made a submission to the above Department in respect of the preparation of a new Regional Aid Map for Ireland. “The Mid-West submission raised several concerns not least the fact that only 39% of the region can now offer regional aid …

The possibility of Clare County Council’s Chief Executive joining the board of Shannon Group was raised at a meeting of the group and the local authority. While Conal Henry said he hadn’t given the idea much thought, he wasn’t supportive of it. “The job of the board is to promote the interests of the entity to which it is the board. The job of the Chief Executive (of Clare County Council) is to promote the interests of Clare. They’re generally the same, but not always.” Mr Henry said it would create some potential for conflicts of interest. “It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have the interests of Clare County Council and the people of Clare at the forefront of our minds. “It means from a corporate governance point of view everybody on the board of Shannon should be thinking first and foremost about the interests of Shannon. “That’s not Pat’s (Clare County Council CEO Pat Dowling) job, Pat’s job first and …

EFFORTS to support those fleeing the war in Ukraine will be ramped up in the coming weeks, according to Council CEO Pat Dowling.  The Council chief told members this week that local authorities “are now more centre stage” in terms of providing supports to the more than 20,000 people who have fled to Ireland to-date. Mr Dowling outlined that, as of April 4, Clare is accommodating 1,916 people in 16 venues at seven locations. That number is set to rise considerably, with the Council now mandated to source more accommodation.  The CEO’s remarks came in advance of an emergency motion from Councillor Mary Howard calling for a centralised venue for the distribution of information and services.  The authority, Mr Dowling said, has been asked to identify and activate options, including emergency accommodation, repurposing of venues, acquiring properties and commissioning suppliers. “We are entering a phase of being challenged in the extent of availability,” Mr Dowling said. “A venue in Ennis …

COUNCIL CEO Pat Dowling vowed that the major opportunities offered to the region by having the 2027 Ryder Cup played in Adare won’t be spurned. Just after it was announced that the tournament would be played in Adare, Dublin Airport came out with a now infamous tweet, in which it claimed it was the “key gateway” for the competition. This resulted in a significant backlash in Clare, due to the slight on Shannon Airport, and something of the wording of the tweet was reflected in the motion Ian Lynch brought before Monday’s meeting. Nearest international airport to @TheAdareManor ? @ShannonAirport !😀 pic.twitter.com/l7uicA0UAe — Ryder Cup Ireland 2027 (@RyderCupIreland) July 31, 2019 “As the ‘real gateway’ to the planned Ryder Cup in 2027 I am requesting Clare County Council to establish and lead a joint marketing campaign with Limerick, Tipperary and Kerry County Councils to ensure a united approach that will maximise the potential of Shannon airport and the Shannon Estuary …