Tag Archives: clare county council

A CALL has been made to have as many defibrillators as possible registered with an award-winning app that tells people where the nearest one is located.  Councillor Donna McGettigan tabled a motion at the December council meeting urging the authority to resister them with PulsePoint AED, a defibrillator location app, and to encourage community organisations to do the same. “This is a one-touch button app that will tell you where your nearest defibrillator is,” she said. “You don’t need to ring an ambulance. You don’t need to wait for them to get back to you to tell you where it is. You just do this at the touch of a button, so I really believe it will save lives the more places that they’re registered in.” “This is a multi-award winning app. It’s got the Garda Community Safety Award. You don’t need to be a nurse or a doctor, you can find out where it is and get the help …

CCTV at illegal dumping blackspots cannot be rolled out until new legislation is enacted, members of the Council have been told.  In response to a motion from Councillor Gerry Flynn, the authority confirmed that the use of surveillance systems would breach privacy laws. The Independent member was told that the new Circular Economy Bill aims to change this.  Outlining his proposals at last month’s Council meeting, Councillor Flynn noted that other authorities are reported to have successfully used surveillance. There was widespread support for the motion. “There are two types of illegal dumping and one of them starts with illegal collection,” observed Councillor Michael Begley. “We have to find a way of stamping out people who go around knocking on doors, with a small trailer or a van and saying, ‘I’ll take your rubbish for €1 a bag’, or whatever they charge for it. The vast majority of people say, ‘That’s grand,’ and give it to them on the assumption …

THE housing crisis in West Clare, and elsewhere, is being worsened by short-term letting, a meeting of the Council has heard. A motion was tabled, at the December meeting, by Councillors Cillian Murphy, Tony O’Brien, Alan O’Callaghan and Pat Hayes calling on the Minister for Finance to look at a tax policy solution to encourage a switch from short-term to long-term rental. Outlining the situation, Councillor Cillian Murphy said that a search of Daft.ie had shown a total of 1,830 properties to rent nationwide. Of these, four were in Ennis and its environs; one in Lahinch; none in Ennistymon or Lisdoonvarna; two in Kilrush and its surrounds; none in Kilkee and six in the Shannon area. The Fianna Fáil member contrasted that situation with short-term letting, as revealed by the ‘Inside Airbnb’ research. “Across the whole country, there are 15,851 entire homes or apartments available for short term let on Airbnb,” he explained. “6,420 of those are operated by hosts …

DEVELOPERS looking to build a 24-metre mast in Quin have offered to reduce the height of the structure as part of an appeal against the council’s decision to refuse permission. After a significant local opposition, and multiple objections, County Planners refused an application from Vantage Towers for the structure at a site at Quinnville South. The planning authority said that the proposed mast would materially contravene the zoning of the site and adversely affect Quin as an Architectural Conservation Area (ACA). In addition, planners noted national guidelines stating that free-standing masts should only be located, as a last resort, in residential areas or close to schools. County Planners added that the mast development would also impact negatively on a medieval settlement area. In an appeal lodged earlier this month with An Bord Pleanála, Vantage Towers has now offered to reduce the height of the mast to 21 metres. The company said that this is in order “to uphold the attractiveness …

A TOTAL of 165 sites are being processed by Clare County Council, under the Derelict Sites Act, with 35 of these on the register of derelict properties. The figures were given to Councillor Paul Murphy, who tabled at motion at the December meeting of the local authority. The Fine Gael member sought an outline of the number of sites in each Municipal District, as well as an update on those being pursued under the Derelict Sites Levy, and the monies recouped to-date. In a written response, Carmel Greene, Senior Executive Officer (SEO), outlined how there has been an increase in activity since the derelict sites function was transferred to the Economic Development directorate in 2020. “Derelict sites that we are dealing with are at various stages from inspection, establishment of owners, discussions with owners, dealing with financial institutions regarding debt, sales being organised or proposals being developed for planning applications,” she stated. “Our priority is to try to work with …

CLARE County Council has thanked everyone who made submissions to the final round of public consultation on the Draft Shannon Town Centre Masterplan. The closing date for submissions was December 20, 2021. Cllr John Crowe, Cathaoirleach, Shannon Municipal District, said: “I welcome the positive engagement on the Draft Shannon Town Centre Masterplan from members of the public, stakeholders, residents and business groups, and I thank all those who participated in the public consultation process. Clare County Council acknowledges the positive input and will take on board all of the submissions received.” Brian McCarthy, Senior Planner, Clare County Council, said: “We are delighted with the quality, informed nature and positive contributions of the submissions received on the draft plan during the consultation process, each and every one of which we will review and analyse over the coming weeks with a view to informing the final plan. “We will also be consulting with the Elected Members of Shannon Municipal District to get …

A CALL has been made for branded signage at access points to the county, to highlight Clare’s unique musical and cultural heritage. At the December meeting of Clare County Council, Councillor Pat McMahon made the appeal, saying such an initiative could help to rejuvenate tourism and hospitality in the wake of the pandemic. “We all know about the decimation of our hospitality over the last couple of years and that we need to get the rejuvenation going,” he told the meeting. He then explained that his motion was inspired by his own travels and seeing how different regions are promoted around the world. “In Florida, each county you go through, there’s a symbol of that county,” he said. “It leaves a seed in the mind. You see the same in Cornwall and in Oranmore in Galway. It leaves a seed as to what that area produces. “What I would love to see is that, no matter from what direction you …

Councillor urges creation of more apprenticeship roles A WEST Clare councillor forecast success in the stars, as he called on the local authority to create more opportunities for apprentices. Councillor Gabriel Keating, with permission from the Mayor, read his horoscope at the December Council meeting. The prediction, he said, was that “a dynamic influence can add extra sparkle to your social life and community activities’. He then called on the authority to “expand its role in this regard with the initiation of the process for recruitment of apprenticeships into the trades and green skills”. These would include opportunities for carpenters, block layers, plasterers, plumbers, fitters, mechanics, electricians, retrofitting personnel, alternative energy technicians, and others. The Fine Gael member said the measure would help the Council retrofit its housing stock. There was a generally positive response, with Mayor of Clare, Councillor PJ Ryan describing the motion as “fantastic”. Councillor Donna McGettigan said she would like to see more women taking up …