Tag Archives: Councillor Pat O’Gorman

ROADS in a Clare housing estate were described as “an embarrassment” at a meeting of the local authority. Asking that funds would be allocated next year to the Municipal Districts (MDs) for infrastructure in local authority estates, Councillor Cillian Murphy was scathing about the situation. “At the heart of this motion is a lived and very frustrating experience,” he told the July Council meeting. “The issue is falling between the Housing Section and the MD offices. If you take Marian Estate in Kilkee, the roads there are, quite frankly, an embarrassment and they should be to the Council. “I have asked the Housing Section and they said it’s the MD office. The MD said they had no budget, and round and round and round we go. The only solution is to have a specific item in budget for MDs to tackle estates. We are not asking for more money, but for clarity.” Co-sponsors of the motion, Councillors Pat O’Gorman, Shane …

THE closing off of the entrance to the Cluainin apartments at Tullyvarraga could result in a death, so difficult does it make access for emergency vehicles, the May meeting of local councillors heard. In a motion before the meeting, Fianna Fáil’s Pat O’Gorman said, “I’m calling on this Municipal District to reopen the entrance to Cluainin apartments as a matter of health and safety. “There are a lot of residential care facilities within the above address, which call on emergency services on a more regular basis. “When there is an emergency and the Eircode is given out the ambulance is not directed to the house but to the entrance that has been closed off by Clare County Council. “The entrance has to be reopened or at the very least in the meantime the maps should be updated.” However a report from Senior Executive Planner Gareth Ruane explained the reasoning. “The Cluainin housing development received planning permission to use a temporary …

THE lack of bags for dog waste or bins on the Shannon Estuary Loop is causing a problem, Councillor Pat O’Gorman told a recent meeting of Shannon Municipal District. At the meeting Councillor O’Gorman put forward a motion looking for bags and dog waste bins to be installed along the route. In a written reply Senior Executive Engineer Tom Mellett said, “Clare County Council currently operates a leave no trace policy. To this end additional waste bins are not encouraged. “Scoop bags are provided by our environment department and are available free of charge from the Shannon MD office upon request.” However, that did not satisfy Councillor O’Gorman. He said that even when people do pick up the waste, they have nowhere to go. “People will pick up the poo, but where do they put it after?” He said that in some cases they actually hang it on trees on the walk. Councillor O’Gorman said that in one case he …

A NEW bill is going through the Oireachtas, which aims to allow the State to tackle instances of illegal dumping through the use of CCTV, drones and automated number plate recognition, writes Owen Ryan. The Local Government (Surveillance Powers in Relation to Certain Offences) Bill 2021 was introduced to the Seanad on Tuesday by Fianna Fáil Senator Malcolm Byrne. His party colleague Cathal Crowe said it is a piece of legislation that he himself has taken an interest in. “Over the past year, I’ve been in regular contact with Senator Malcolm Byrne and the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisors in the Oireachtas – they being the team that support members of the Oireachtas in drafting new legislation. “Senator Byrne and I feel that the current laws in place relating to litter pollution make it very difficult for local authorities to use modern technology to catch offenders. “This difficulty has increased with the advent of GDPR regulations which make it very …

A SOUTH-EAST Clare resident has been forced to replace five showers in her home due to frequent water breaks and changes in pressure, writes Dan Danaher and Owen Ryan. June Kirwan, who lives near the entrance to Corbally United FC, revealed decreasing and increasing water pressure when there is a water break on the busy regional road breaks her shower, particularly if it is being used at the time. “I had plumbers out to check everything in the house and our problems with water pressure. After spending so much money, they realised the problems are caused by changes in the water pressure,” Ms Kirwan told The Clare Champion. “When there is a water break on the road, they reduce the water pressure and then increase it again when it is fixed. If anyone is in the shower, I am in trouble. It is going to break the shower with the pressure coming off and on.” Residents are becoming increasingly frustrated …

A DUMPING incident blocked a road in South East Clare and resulted in a county councillor having to get a tractor out to clear the way for children travelling to school, the local authority has heard. At the May meeting, Councillor Pat O’Gorman described Gallows Hill, Cratloe and Meelick as “particular hotspots for dumping”. He made his comments in support of a motion from Councillor PJ Ryan, who asked the authority to reduce the cost of disposing of mattresses and suites of furniture, in the hope that it might discourage fly-tipping. Councillor Ryan said he had to report mattresses dumped on the road and the riverbank in Meelick. “I was struck by the cost,” he said. “It needed a JCB, a truck, a general operative for traffic, a general operative to handle the lifting and an overseer. “Within days, I had to get furniture removed from a nearby hill. It costs €20 to dispose of a mattress and €50 for …