Tag Archives: Councillor Paul Murphy

WATER quality in parts of Ennis has been described as “deplorable” resulting in illness and malfunctioning appliances for concerned householders. Homes in Ard na Greine, St Michael’s Villas and St Flannan’s Terrace have been affected by “ongoing difficulities” with the quality of their water supply a meeting of the Ennis Municipal District heard this week. Councillor Paul Murphy highlighted the issue while urging the Ennis Municipal District and Irish Water to facilitate mains rehabilitation and road reinstatement works between Captain Mac’s Junction and Station Cross roundabout. Ian Chaplin, Acting Senior Executive Engineer confirmed that the Ennis Municipal District and Irish Water have been in discussions and a meeting is due to take place to finalise plans for the works. He added that the council is aiming to schedule works for a time that “least inconveniences the public”. According to Councillor Murphy these works were due to be carried out during Christmas of last year. He said that the issue needs …

TRANSPORT Infrastructure Ireland (TII) should be “shot at dawn” for its work on the Clareabbey Roundabout a councillor has said as he renewed calls for traffic calming to be introduced. Councillor Paul Murphy has described efforts to address safety concerns on the roundabout on the outskirts of Ennis over the years as a “personal crusade” believing there will be a serious accident some day if improvements are not made. The Clarecastle councillor has raised numerous notices of motion relating to Clareabbey roundabout at meetings of the Ennis Municipal District over the years. Most recently he has urged that traffic lights and or signalling be introduced to make the roundabout safer for motorists and vulnerable road users. Speaking at a meeting of the council he requested that all motions he has submitted regarding the need for traffic calming at Clareabbey be collated and forwarded to TII, alongside his latest request and that an “urgent response” be made. John Gannon, Senior Executive …

NARROW ‘pinch points’ along a popular cycling route on the Shannon Estuary Way pose a danger, according to one local councillor who has called for warning signs to be introduced. Councillor Paul Murphy, speaking at a meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, outlined the success of the R473 Ennis/Clarecastle to Kildysart, Labasheeda and Kilrush, Shannon Estuary Way. The Ennis deputy mayor said that the road, “has become extremely popular as a cycling route and this can be seen on a daily basis but particularly at weekends”. However, he pointed out there are a number of ‘pinch points’ along the route, including one in the Ennis Municipal District area, from St Anthony’s Grove through to Hempfield/Claremount Cross. “These pinch points are extremely narrow,” he said, with barely room for two cars to pass. “You throw cyclists and pedestrians into the mix and it makes it extremely dangerous.” Councillor Murphy requested that road markings are replenished on this stretch of road, and …

TIDY Towns groups need more clarity on their annual budgets, according to Ennis area councillor, Paul Murphy.  The Clarecastle man raised the matter at the May meeting of Clare County Council, when he asked the executive to bring the deadline forward for applications to Community Support Schemes (CSS). His motion said that earlier deadlines would “help facilitate the invaluable work that community groups are doing in towns and villages across County Clare”. He added that the move would benefit Tidy Towns organisations who are currently unaware of what support they are getting this year. This year’s mid-May deadline, he said, makes it very difficult to plan for the year ahead.  Addressing the meeting, Councillor Murphy said he wanted to speak up for Tidy Towns groups. “They are very reliant on these grants,” he said. “They find it hard to develop a work plan until they know what their budget is going to be.” The motion was seconded by Mayor of …

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 …

A BIKE rental scheme for Ennis town and its environs would be the solution to a shortage of parking in the county capital, Ennis’ Deputy Mayor believes. Councillor Paul Murphy made the call for the introduction of such a scheme to be “prioritised” as part of the Ennis Town Mobility Plan at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District. The motion seconded by Mayor of Ennis Councillor Ann Norton who voiced her support. The proposal will be considered in the Ennis Town Mobility Plan, Leonore O’Neill, senior executive officer with the Ennis Municipal District confirmed. Councillor Murphy stated that the inclusion of a bike rental scheme “should be a key component” of the mobility plan for a number of reasons, to improve mobility and also to give more options to people who want to come into town.” He added that the villages of Clarecastle and Barefield should be included in the proposed scheme. “People could come and park on …

Councillor highlights ‘traffic mayhem’ in Ennis with delivery drivers unable to access parking spots THE “abuse” of loading bays in Ennis’ town centre is the cause of much of the traffic congestion on the streets of the county capital, according to the deputy mayor. Speaking at a meeting of Ennis Municipal District, Councillor Paul Murphy hit out at those who do not use loading bays correctly as well as those parking on double yellow lines saying he experienced “mayhem” in the town while driving during the summer months. The councillor was speaking as calls were made for the provision of additional loading bays to be installed on every retail street and car park in the town. Councillor Johnny Flynn proposed the idea saying delivery drivers are being left “frustrated” when they cannot find a loading bay to bring goods to the town’s businesses. He pointed out the vast majority of businesses on O’Connell Street do not have rear access for …

CLARE County Council has been urged to provide a mechanism to help councillors track the progress on their public representations to the local authority, writes Dan Danaher. Councillor Gerry Flynn has asked for the introduction of performance indicators for each Municipal District to monitor representations from elected members. While several motions have been supported by councillors over the years, he claimed at a recent council meeting no substantial progress has occurred from the executive. He called for a faster turnaround, particularly at municipal district level, in response to requests from councillors. “Councillors carry out a very important role on behalf of their communities and require a timely response to their representations. “It is not rocket science to ensure that what councillors request is acted on.” Councillor Johnny Flynn said it is important to be able to demonstrate that representations from constituents, which form an integral part of local democracy, are acted upon efficiently. Having tabled a motion on this issue …