Tag Archives: Councillor Shane Talty

THE communities of Lahinch and Ennistymon are said to be “numbed and heartbroken” as they bid farewell to well-loved local man, Conor Tuohy. Mr Tuohy’s funeral took place this Thursday at Lahinch Church. The hugely popular 67-year-old musician, composer and former Garda lost his life in a road incident on Friday, January 20. His passing has cast a pall of sadness over North Clare as the community tries to come to terms with the tragedy. As his family announced news of Mr Tuohy’s passing, they described him as “a great friend to all”. Tributes have poured in from all across Clare and far beyond and musician Luka Bloom made a moving Facebook tribute to Mr Tuohy, dedicating one of his compositions ‘I Hear You’ to his family. Cathaoirleach of the West Clare Municipal District, Councillor Shane Talty extended condolences to Mr Tuohy’s family, partner and friends, on behalf of Clare County Council and Ennistymon GAA Club. He described Mr Tuohy …

NORTH Clare’s response to those fleeing the war on Ukraine has been described as “a long haul exercise”, that now needs a clear plan as well as ring-fenced funding support. Figures released this week by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that the Ennistymon Local Electoral Area (LEA) continues to be the area hosting the largest number of Ukrainian arrivals in the country, per capita. While the reception provided in the area since February was commended by the West Clare Cathaoirleach, Shane Talty, he said the ongoing challenges need to be properly and urgently addressed. Up to November 6, there were 3,567 arrivals from Ukraine in Clare with 45% or 1,592 living in the Ennistymon LEA. Arrivals from Ukraine now account for 8.8% of the population in the area. The figure, according to CSO data, shows that North Clare is supporting far more newcomers than areas of a similar size around the country. CSO analyst Karola Graupner said: “Our analysis …

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 LACK of access to affordable childcare has been described by a North Clare councillor as “a perfect storm”. Councillor Shane Talty told the July meeting of the local authority that many private providers are opting out to the sector due to the level of red tape. He said that while much of the public debate focuses on affordability, availability “is rapidly becoming a greater obstacle for parents”. The Ennistymon man called on the Minister for Children to address the affordability issue, as a matter of urgency. “This is an issue that has ballooned over last 12 months,” Councillor Talty told the meeting. “We have a growing population and virtually full employment and there is a huge demand for childcare. We have some private and some government-funded, community services where the waiting lists are running into the hundreds.” The Fianna Fáil member said that many private operators now seem to be leaving the sector. “This is a perfect storm,” he …

UPGRADING water and waste water infrastructure and implementing a new County Development Plan have been prioritised by the new West Clare Municipal District (MD) chairman, Councillor Shane Talty. The Lahinch postmaster said these two issues have to be viewed against the backdrop of a national housing crisis and the dramatic 70% increase in Clare’s population since 2011. He recalled Councillor P J Kelly has stated the County Development Plan is an impediment to the sustainable growth of rural communities. “From the Burren to Loop Head, our young people are facing impossible obstacles trying to build their own homes with their own resources. “They are dealing with issues such as visual impact, scenic routes, national roads and other reasons to prevent homes being built in the area. “I believe we must do everything in our power between now and next spring to ensure the new plan becomes an enabler for development for all communities, urban and rural, big and small. “Often …

“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 …

A COUNTY councillor has said you’d be as well off sending a proposal to Dustin The Turkey as Irish Water for all the response you would get. The quip by Councillor Shane Talty came in the context of his proposal of a feasibility study into the prospect of linking a wastewater system for Doolin to the existing one in Lisdoonvarna. Councillor Talty made the suggestion about the potential project at the West Clare Municipal District meeting on May 3. This study was promised to Doolin Tourism when the Lisdoonvarna scheme was installed over 20 years ago, he noted, and Councillor Talty put forward the motion “in the absence of action taken by Irish Water.” The proposal comes after an announcement by the government last week that there will be a series of schemes to address towns and villages with wastewater management issues, though Councillor Talty claimed the narrative in Clare involves the funding from such schemes going to Broadford. Councillor …

ACTIVE Travel projects are transforming pedestrian and cyclist access in West Clare, a recent meeting of the municipal district has heard. However, some works cannot proceed until aspects of the design of the West Clare Greenway have been ironed out.  In response to a question from Councillor Shane Talty, members were updated on a range of projects across the area. Seeking the update, Councillor Talty said he regularly receives questions about “projects which have been announced but not seen”. “I fully understand that these are in the pipeline and the Active Travel project have massive visibility,” he said. “My only concern is that some of them are contingent on the Greenway, which is still a number of years away.” In a written response to the motion, Senior Executive Officer (SE), John O’Malley provided an update on range of works on paths, crossings and lighting installations.  Mr O’Malley’s response noted that Active Travel is a five-year programme of funding which began …