Tag Archives: Councillor Gerry Flynn

AT last week’s meeting of Shannon Municipal District, Councillor Gerry Flynn highlighted anti-social behaviour that has the “potential to cause serious accidents”. The Independent member asked that the Council to investigate possible improvements to the attachment of safety signage throughout the district. He said in some instances anti-social behaviour is “causing health and safety concerns for road users, due to malicious moving of signs, that has the potential to cause serious accidents”. In a written reply to his motion Senior Executive Engineer Tom Mellett said, “As the office becomes aware of damaged or missing signs we will arrange for their replacement. “We work with our sign suppliers to ensure that all signs are in accordance with current standards of attachment.” However Councillor Flynn said that the existing standards may not be adequate and that there is a need to give feedback about the issue to suppliers.  He said that “scumbags” are responsible for turning the sides the wrong way around. …

SHANNON Airport Group CEO Mary Considine declined to meet with local councillors to discuss the uncertainty around the transfer of Shannon Heritage sites (including Bunratty Castle and Folk Park) to Clare County Council. In advance of Tuesday’s meeting of Shannon Municipal District independent Gerry Flynn had put forward a motion stating, “I am calling on Shannon Municipal District to contact the CEO of Shannon Airport Mary Considine, and arrange an urgent special meeting with elected members to discuss the serious issues facing employees of the Shannon Heritage sites that are located in our district. “The current situation and lack of engagement and transparency is bringing uncertainty and having a negative impact on the lives of employees and their families.” However the invitation had been rejected prior to Tuesday’s regular November meeting of the Municipal District, and Senior Executive Engineer Anne Griffin provided a written summary of the reasons given. “Commercially sensitive discussions are ongoing between Shannon Group and Clare County …

THERE were bitter exchanges at Monday’s meeting of Clare County Council, with accusations of grandstanding and seeking to muzzle debate thrown around. The row began after a proposal from Councillor Gerry Flynn to suspend standing orders in order to discuss the taking over by Clare County Council of Shannon Heritage sites. His proposal also requested that CEO Pat Dowling take out a loan to fund the transfer, if such was required. The proposal was seconded by his fellow independent, PJ Ryan. However Councillor PJ Kelly said that the proposal could seriously damage the Council’s prospects of getting the funding it requires for the takeover. “We’re in a most difficult and sensitive situation in the negotiations here. Either the Government will give us €15 million or they won’t. We, here, are at risk of causing some self harm and defeating our objective of getting the maximum assistance from the Government.” He said the proposal amounted to “a classic example of foot …

WELL over a year after Clare County Council rejected Aldi’s plans for a Shannon store, An Bord Pleanála has yet to make a decision on an appeal. A spokesperson for An Bord Pleanála this week said that its inspector has already completed work on the case, but it still has to go before the board of An Bord Pleanála. She was unable to say when this would happen, but that the agency is dealing with a significant backlog. While the board usually goes along with the inspector’s recommendations, that is not always the case. Indeed, on a previous occasion an inspector had recommended allowing an Aldi store to go ahead in the town, only for the board to overrule them. There has been much anger in recent years over how Shannon has developed, and the Council’s decision to block Aldi’s proposals led to more disquiet in the town. When the most recent Aldi application came before the Council, it was …

HOUSING dominated debate at the July meeting of the local authority, with members resolving to write to Minister Darragh O’Brien, asking him to declare a housing emergency.  A motion from Councillor Donna McGettigan called on the minister to “introduce an immediate moratorium on evictions” for a period of three months, and to increase income thresholds for social housing support.  “I saw this motion being passed by Limerick City and County Council and brought it here,” she said. “This is now an issue affecting all social classes. There are just 13 properties available online to rent long-term in Clare. A two-bed apartment will cost €1,000 a month and that’s just not affordable. We are increasingly seeing families having to take in family members and couch surfing is the norm.” The Sinn Féin member accepted that local authority staff are doing their best and she urged her Council colleagues to write to the minister seeking more support.  “The homeless action team are …

TENSIONS between campaigners and political representatives have ratcheted up significantly this week, as the Oireachtas moves to finalise the Bill to underpin a new grant for those with defective blocks.  On Tuesday, Clare’s government TDs, Deputies Cathal Crowe and Joe Carey, voted in favour a proposal to allow just two hours to finalise the draft law. The move has angered local campaigners who had sought 80 amendments. Campaigners themselves, meanwhile, came in for criticism from some members of the local authority. The Clare Pyrite Action Group (CPAG) along with campaigners in Limerick, Mayo, Sligo and Donegal, challenged councillors to declare their support for the amendments. A poster was then circulated on social media with an X through the faces of those who had not responded by the deadline.  Councillor Gerry Flynn, one of two Clare councillors who didn’t respond, described the approach as “totally out of order”. “We are parish pump, we don’t sit at the Cabinet table,” he said. …

“WHO will you save?” a member of the Council asked, during a discussion on which Clare village will be put forward first tor a slice of a €50 million fund for wastewater infrastructure.  Councillor Gerry Flynn was speaking in support of a motion from Councillors Joe Garrihy, Shane Talty and Bill Chambers. The three West Clare members asked for clarity on the funding criteria.  Councillor Garrihy welcomed the national funding allocation “as a first effort to address lack of provision of waste water treatment in rural areas”. “I commended the Chief Executive and Council staff for pushing this,” he said. “We are now looking for the criteria, targets and the bar that towns and villages have to meet to put themselves in the frame for this funding. Has there been a town or village in Clare selected? There are four in Clare waiting: Doolin, Carrigaholt, Broadford and Cooraclare.” The Lisdoonvarna said Doolin’s economic development is held back due to lack …

THE indefinite closure of Shannon Town Hall has been criticised by a local county councillor. The building had to be closed to members of the public after a bizarre incident last Wednesday, when a car struck the building, causing a significant amount of damage. While no-one was seriously injured in the crash, it was a huge shock, given that it is so far back from the road. In the aftermath a local authority statement said, “‘Clare County Council wishes to notify the public that the offices of Shannon Municipal District, Town Hall, Shannon, are temporarily closed until further notice following damage to the building. “While our teams continue to deliver services, our front counter ‘walk-in’ services are closed. Members of the public who need to access Shannon Municipal District services can do so by phone on 061-362319 by email to shannonmunicipaldistrict@clarecoco.ie or online at www.clarecoco.ie. “Full service will resume as soon as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience and thank …