Tag Archives: clare county council

PLACE NAMES for new developments in the county are to be considered by a Council-sponsored committee. It follows the tabling of a motion by Councillor Mary Howard calling for the previous ‘Placenames Committee’ to be reinstated. The Ennis woman told the monthly local authority meeting that she had been a member of the committee between 2009 and 2015. “There were a number of very wise gentleman on the committee and it was a great group,” she said. “Lots of research was done to make sure that the names would actually mean something.” Backing the motion, Councillor Liam Grant said that he too had an interest in placenames and would like to be involved. The issue of follow-up to make sure that developers comply with the Council’s decision on the naming of estates and other developments was raised by Councillor Michael Begley. “I’m supportive of this motion,” he said, “and I’m wondering what happens when developers don’t act on the Council’s …

FAR-REACHING adjustments to the forthcoming development plan for Clare have been recommended by the State’s planning watchdog. After examining the draft plan for 2023-2029, the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) has told the Council it is in breach of a number of national and regional guidelines. The regulator has made a total of 13 recommendations and eight observations on draft. The proposed settlement strategy, whereby population and growth targets are allocated across the county, is the focus of the greatest concern for the OPR. Five recommendations and one observation have been made on this aspect of the document. In its submission, seen by The Champion, the OPR has identified “a number of concerns regarding the amount of residential land zoned in certain towns”. This, it says, is “risking the ability to deliver housing that is well located and served by services and amenities”. The regulator has warned that “significant adjustments” will be needed to ensure the plan is fully …

FORMER county manager Joe Boland passed away last week in his hundreth year and following his death, there have been many tributes paid to him and the contribution he made to Clare. Lissycasey’s PJ Kelly has been a county councillor since 1974 and for the first nine years of his career he dealt regularly with Mr Boland, who he said had been responsible for several great innovations, which improved the quality of life for many people in Clare. “He arrived in the 1960s and at that stage there were a lot of thatched houses in Ennis. He was involved in four major improvement schemes at the Turnpike, St Michael’s, Marian Avenue and Hermitage. “As far as rural Clare was concerned he was a step ahead of his time. He arranged a water scheme from Doolough Lake which served most of west Clare, it was one of the biggest schemes in the country at the time.” “Then in 1978 he brought …

THE REGULATOR of planning, Niall Cussen, is to address councillors, amid ongoing concerns over the impact of regional and national strategies on rural Clare. A motion inviting the CEO of the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) was tabled by Councillor PJ Kelly. The Lissycasey man, a long-time advocate for rural development, was described by Councillor Gerry Flynn as “our own expert in terms of planning”. Outlining the motion, Councillor Kelly noted Mr Cussen’s close connections to Clare. “Planning law is very complex and we now have to deal with the OPR’s views and other regulatory guidelines,” he said. Describing the issues that have arisen, particularly in relation to the growth of rural Clare, during the drafting of the Development Plan for 2023-2029, the Fianna Fáil member remarked, “Many questions have been asked, but not answered.” The motion was seconded by Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy, who described moves to invite Mr Cussen as “very positive”. Referring to a response to …

RECORD overcrowding at the Mid-West’s main hospital has been strongly condemned at a meeting of Clare County Council, with an urgent call for a new regional facility for elective procedures. A motion from Councillor Johnny Flynn at April’s meeting called for a public, electives-only hospital, “in light of the record trolley numbers, lack of bed and clinical capacity at UHL”. The Fine Gael member said it would be “a failure of government” if no such facility was provided, given the worsening issues at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), in terms of emergency care and the growing waiting lists for elective procedures. “Everyone is very familiar with the Teamwork Report, published in 2009, because it recommended the closure of three Emergency Departments,” Councillor Flynn said. “At that time, they had combined admissions of 39 people per day. In March 2022, that figure was 245. In January 2012, there were 304 people on trolleys and that was considered to be an emergency. “In …

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 …

AMBULANCE services in Clare came under the spotlight at the monthly meeting of Clare County Council, when a call was made to review the deployment system.  Councillor Ian Lynch demanded that the Health Minister review the ‘dynamic deployment’ process operated by the National Ambulance Service (NAS), asserting that the system does not work in rural areas.  “I have been raising this issue since I’ve been elected,” the Independent member said, “and it has been falling on deaf ears. The service is under-funded across the country and to talk about international best practice and dynamic deployment is a smokescreen. “That’s fine in urban centres, but it doesn’t work in rural Ireland. I have had contact from Waterford, Galway and Mayo on this and if someone who is a critical patient has to wait 90 minutes for an ambulance, it’s clear that the system isn’t working.” The Kilrush man noted recent tributes to the emergency services by broadcaster Marty Morrissey. On The …

AMBITIOUS plans for an outdoor cultural activities space at a lakeside park in Mountshannon have received the green light from planners. Earlier this year, Mountshannon Community Council, who are spear-heading the project, secured a funding award of €54,860 from The Department of Rural and Community Development, to develop the facility at Aistear Park. Conditional planning permission has been granted despite two objections from residents of the town’s Main Street. Planners have asked that steps be take to allay their concerns over the impact on views of Lough Derg. After considering the application and two identical objections, which raised concerns that the open roofed structure would be “rarely used”, and could damage views and attract anti-social behaviour, planners supported the principle of the development. They described the pavilion as “modest in scale relative to the overall park area”, and said it “will not inhibit the use of the area for play and recreational activity”.  In relation to the concerns about visual …