LEADER funding will be down by €105 million over the next five years, according to Councillor PJ Kelly, while CEDRA funding will be worth just 34 cent a year to every person in Clare. Councillor Kelly was calling on the Government to reverse its cutbacks to Leader funding at the adjourned April meeting of Clare County Council and said he was extremely disappointed in the reduction of funding, following a huge level of expectation throughout the country. “The money involved here is EU money, of which the Government only pays 37%,” he said. “In the previous programme we had €352m and because of costs rising over the past five years, we could have expected at least €100m more. Instead, it was cut back by €105m. We were given the impression that we would get €250m, until we actually looked at the small print. It said co-operation projects around the border, €10m; artisan foods, €15m – two in Ireland; CEDRA, €5m …
Read More »Crusheen man wants billboard removed
A Crusheen man has gathered approximately 300 signatures to get a billboard on the southern outskirts of the village removed. Michael Hickey believes the billboard at the railway bridge is no longer relevant and that it is having a negative impact on the look of the village. “I was moved to start the petition after passing the billboard on foot with my kids and seeing the torn pieces of posters strewn all over the briars and gathered behind the stone wall at the foot of the billboard,” he said. The poster currently on the billboard is one advertising Clare County Council’s own ‘Respect the Banner’ anti-litter campaign. “It is a joke at the moment because there is an anti-litter poster on the billboard and there are lumps of torn poster up in the briars,” Mr Hickey added. A spokesperson for Clare County Council stated that a person had contacted the local authority in February regarding the billboard. “Their concern related …
Read More »Shannon Crematorium remains a burning issue
WHILE the road seemed set for the development of a crematorium at Illaunmanagh, after Clare County Council voted to dispose of a site to Jim Cranwell, local residents are now seeking an emergency meeting of the council to put the brakes on. Local councillors PJ Ryan and Pat McMahon previously voted in favour of allowing the disposal of the site but have now reconsidered and said they would favour an emergency meeting of the local authority. A public meeting regarding the crematorium was held at the Oakwood Arms last Wednesday night and Michelle Hayes of Gleann an Óir said many locals had not even been aware that the development of a crematorium was back on the agenda. “Nobody in the town knew it was going ahead again or asked how they felt about it. A lot of the residents said no-one had come near them and asked were they in favour or not? People said that only for I had …
Read More »Council funds for Tidy Towns
Tidy Towns groups have been encouraged to make submissions in relation to Clare County Council’s Public Area Enhancement Scheme 2015. Clare County Council members recently approved an allocation of €100,000 countywide towards the scheme in 2015. Funded entirely from the Council’s own resources, the scheme aims to support community-based projects in towns and villages throughout Clare with a view to enhancing the overall performance of the national Tidy Towns competition. “I am confident this fund will have lasting, positive consequences for the communities who are successful during the funding submission process,” commented Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, John Crowe. Betty Devanny, Tidy Towns co-ordinator, Clare County Council, explained: “The council intends to focus on initiatives that will make a real impact in terms of public area enhancement and particularly where the funding can provide added value or complement another initiative or leverage other funding or support. Works under the scheme must be fully completed and expenditure incurred by the end …
Read More »Taking a trail around Lough Derg
A new trail showcasing the rich natural heritage of Lough Derg will be officially unveiled next week. Lough Derg (on the Shannon) Nature Trail is produced by the county councils in Clare, Galway and Tipperary, and co-funded by The Heritage Council and Lakelands & Inland Waterways. The 130-kilometre trail takes visitors from Portumna in Galway down the western shore of the lake, to Killaloe in Clare, and back up on the eastern side to Terryglass in Tipperary. The stops along the route, which can be travelled in any direction, include walking routes, lakeshore access, great bird watching locations, woodland parks for adventuring, and quiet spots to enjoy the beautiful vistas of Ireland’s third largest lake. Among the 24 discovery points featured is the monastic site at Inis Cealtra, known as the “Jewel of the Lough’, as well as the ancient woodlands of Portumna Forest Park, Derrycrag Wood, Raheen Wood and Cominchas Forest, the sheltered bays and harbours at Rosmore, Mountshannon …
Read More »Council not liable for unpaid water bills
IRISH Water has denied that Clare County Council will have to pay the water charges of tenants who fail to pay. The CEO of Clare County Council, Tom Coughlan told a meeting of the council that he understood that the council will have to pay Irish Water, if tenants don’t pay their quarterly water charges, the first of which have been dropping through letterboxes in recent days. But Irish Water said this Wednesday that this is not the case and under law, “the occupier of the house is liable for the bill.” “That also applies to private landlords, and once a landlord provides us with the details of the tenant then we will follow up any case on non-payment with the tenant,” a spokesperson for Irish Water told The Clare Champion. Clare County Council CEO, Tom Coughlan was responding to a series of questions put by Councillor Gerry Flynn after the council gave the names and addresses of tenants to …
Read More »Family appeal for new home
A homeless family, living in emergency accommodation for the past three and a half months, is begging Clare County Council to house them, as they cannot find suitable private, rental accommodation locally. Martin Mongan, his 21-year-old partner, Kathleen Delaney, and their two young children are currently living in one bedroom in a bed and breakfast in Lahinch. “It has been very, very hard. There is a lot of moving. Where we are now, we leave at about 12 noon or 1pm and we have to be gone until about 8pm or 9pm. My parents and brothers would collect us if the weather is bad but we have a double buggie and, in the fine weather, we walk down to Lahinch and wait there until we get collected,” Martin explained. “Then we wait with my parents in their house in Miltown Malbay and then, at night, we come back again. We have breakfast here and that is good and then, within …
Read More »€400,000 saving since town councils abolished
CLARE County Council saved more than €400,000, as a result of the abolition of three town councils and the reduction of 40 councillors since the local elections last May. Councillor Johnny Flynn had called for a report from head of finance, Niall Barrett, on savings following the abolition of the three town councils and the reduction in numbers from 68 to 28 councillors, since the mid-2014 elections. He also asked what reductions to Clare and Ennis town rates can be expected in 2016, as a result of these and other associated efficiencies that were predicted to be achieved, following the 2014 Local Government Reform package. According to Mr Barrett, payments to councillors in 2013 were €1,266,000; in 2014, €1,063,000, and this year, the cost is expected to be €858,000 – the first full year that the council is operating as a single entity – a saving of €408,000. Mr Barrett added that it should also be noted that the Local …
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