Tag Archives: Councillor Pat Hayes

A MEMBER of Clare County Council has described as “deplorable and shocking” the treatment of public representatives by Irish Water at a recent briefing.  Councillor Pat Hayes was sharply critical of the utility following the online event last Monday (February 14) for members of the authority. He said that while Irish Water had originally committed to an in-person briefing, with members of the media present, the utility appeared to have had a “change of heart”. “We had a commitment for a briefing before one of the monthly meetings, at which media could attend, on issues including waste water treatment, network leakage and the extraction of water from the Shannon,” the Fianna Fáil member outlined. “There was a change of heart somewhere along the line and it became an in-camera meeting. Then, it was decided to hold it on Zoom. Because councillors were travelling to Ennis for the monthly meeting, we ended up dotted around the headquarters, some having to use …

“RISKY” footpaths around Tulla are to be upgraded, however a funding allocation from the Department of Transport will not cover pavements repairs in one of the area’s oldest housing estates.  The matter is one of ongoing concern in the East Clare town and was back on the agenda at the most recent meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District. Cathaoirleach Joe Cooney appealed to the authority to replace the main footpath in O’Reilly Park in conjunction with the upgrade works for the centre of the town. The Fine Gael member tabled a motion calling on the Council to take the opportunity to address a long-standing problem for residents.  In a written response, Senior Executive Engineer Niamh Madden said the funding available to the Council only covered the town’s main streets. “ The footpath upgrade works for the town of Tulla are being funded by a grant awarded by the Department of Transport as part of the Active Travel scheme,” her response …

‘OUTSIDE influence’ was described as a major threat to the vitality of rural Clare at a meeting of a local authority committee this week.  At the briefing on the Draft County Development Plan 2023-2029, Rural Committee Chairperson Councillor Pat Hayes said the public need to know that Clare is being ‘dictated to’ by The Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR). In a detailed presentation, Senior Planner Helen Quinn outlined how a target of 4,500 new housing units, over the lifetime of the plan, had been set by Government. “The location of these houses is reflected in our settlement strategy,” she explained. “We are tasked with looking at areas for housing and have to identify lands for residential development which are capable of being serviced in the lifecycle of the plan.”  Councillor Joe Killeen expressed “complete disappointment” at the focus of population growth on Ennis and the Limerick-Shannon Metropolitan Area. “People will move into built-up areas and rural communities will not …

The Currakyle Ambush is not as well known as some War of Independence actions, but that is about to change THE East Clare Memorial Committee are to mark the centenary of one of the lesser known, but highly significant incidents in the War of Independence in this county. Supported by Clare County Library under the Decade of Centenaries Project Awards, the committee will commemorate the Currakyle Ambush, when, according to local lore, ‘two took on 200’. The event will take place in Flagmount Hall at 8pm on Friday, October 29 and will involve a lecture from Dr Tomás Mac Conmara and the recounting of stories and songs. Chairperson of the committee, Councillor Pat Hayes, outlined the importance of remembering the Sixth Battalion of the East Clare Brigade. “Often commemorations centre on events in relation to The Scariff Martyrs and The Feakle Ambush,” he said. “This event will help to raise awareness of those who came from Flagmount, Killanena and Upper …

ALARM at the potential impact of forthcoming guidelines on development in rural areas has prompted a rush of planning applications, an East Clare councillor has said. Councillor Pat Hayes said that, after members of the local authority secured a seven-month deferral of the next County Development Plan (2022-2028), those looking to build in rural areas are keen to lodge their applications before the new and potentially more restrictive regulations come into force. At the end of June, councillors unanimously backed a motion to defer the new plan on the basis that Covid-19 had significantly disrupted the public consultation process. The move was seen as a pragmatic response, not just to the pandemic, but to national policies, of which the plan will have to take account. Several rural councillors have made no secret of their concerns that some elements of the National Planning Framework (NPF) and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) could do irrevocable damage to rural areas. “There …

AN INCREASE in the cost of burial plots could be on the cards in a bid to boost resources for cemetery services in Clare. Following a detailed review of burial ground management, the council’s rural policy committee was told that just half of the costs of running cemeteries is covered by the income generated. The review, which was presented to the council’s rural policy committee, was conducted by former Fire Chief and Director of Services with Limerick City and County Council, Ollie O’Loughlin. It examined eight aspects of the operation of burial grounds in Clare. Among the report’s recommendations is an increase in clerical and technical support for the Burial Ground Unit, something that could potentially be done by pooling resources with those for community playgrounds. Mr O’Loughlin is also proposing a review of the bye-laws governing burial grounds in order to address issues including anti-social behaviour. In addition, Mr O’Loughlin has recommended a licencing system for those working in …

THE introduction of any cuts in suckler cow payments under new CAP proposals would hit rural communities throughout Clare, a local councillor has warned. Councillor Pat Hayes told The Clare Champion that Clare is renowned for the quality of beef produced by its suckler farmers, and stressed they play a key role in keeping rural towns and villages alive. The councillor said it looked as if suckler farmers were effectively facing cuts in payments, which they can’t afford. “I think it is time farming organisation and politicians woke up to the fact this will have a major impact on rural communities. Further cuts to CAP and the suckler herd will be detrimental to the future of rural communities if the current proposals are implemented. “It looks as if suckler farmers will be hit the hardest by the CAP proposals. While environmental schemes are important, when core payments are reduced for suckler farmers, this hits rural communities.” While farmers can avail …

A DANGEROUS building in Tulla is to be made safe by Clare County Council, after the owner failed to comply with several requests for action to address the situation. There have been a number of false dawns in terms of works on the vacant building on Main Street, with numerous efforts made by the local authority to communicate with the owner and to get them to make the building safe. Since a Dangerous Structures Notice was issued five months ago, the footpath has been closed and disruption caused to vehicular as well as pedestrian traffic in the town. Last week, the Council moved to inform members of the Killaloe Municipal District that it is to carry out the works and that a contactor has been procured. Councillors were told that while multiple opportunities were given to the owner, no works had materialised. An exact date for the beginning of the works has not been confirmed. The Council has previously said …