Tag Archives: Deputy Cathal Crowe

OVER €144,000 has been allocated by the Department of Rural and Community Development for the provision of five remote working hubs in Clare. The funding will provide new modular work spaces and privacy pods along with closed circuit television monitoring, lighting for external hub area, solar panels, internal LED lighting, electrical vehicle charger and bicycle racks. A further €50,000 will be made available to Clare County Council under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme to fund marketing campaigns and promote remote working opportunities around the county. “Rural and Community Development Minister Heather Humphreys made the announcement this week. Welcoming the allocation, Deputy Joe Carey said, “As former Chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development, I have been a long-time advocate of  remote working and the provision of connected hubs outside the major population centres. “Even before the transformative experience of the Covid lockdowns, the benefits of remote working were obvious in terms of rural regeneration, environmental impact and …

AN independent public inquiry needs to be undertaken to properly assess the impact of industries situated along the Shannon Estuary on the environment and health of Clare people. That’s according to Deputy Cathal Crowe who is supporting calls from local environment campaigner Pat Geoghegan for a fresh look at the impact of local industries in view of the findings of an epidemiologist. In an interview with the Clare Champion, Deputy Crowe said concerned residents living on both sides of the estuary want more than the current level of EPA inspections on industries releasing substances into the atmosphere. The Fianna Fáil Deputy stressed this call isn’t about jeopardising jobs provided by these industries but centres on appropriately addressing legitimate concerns of environmental campaigners who claim to have a body of evidence justifying their dissatisfaction with current levels of environmental protection. The Meelick Deputy said it was important that air monitoring stations should be permanently located on the Clare side of the …

BOGUS tradesmen who are travelling to Clare and ripping off vulnerable people should be banned from entering the county, said Deputy Cathal Crowe at Monday’s meeting of the Clare Joint Policing Committee. He said one group of what he called “bogus tradesmen” from the North Kerry area have been in Clare since last winter. “They don’t operate that covertly at all,” he warned. Deputy Crowe said they had been in his own area of South East Clare, in Kilrush and in Gort, and distributed the same advertising material in each area. He said they charge for work that they fail to carry out correctly and that they are “cleaning out older people to the tune of tens of thousands”. Detective Inspector Padraic Frawley said that in many cases the victims of such crimes had been among the most vulnerable members of the community. He said there had been fewer than ten such cases reported over the last few years, but …

PLANS to develop lands on the County Clare side of its campus as an Economic Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) are advancing, according to Minister Simon Harris. The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science was asked by Deputy Cathal Crowe for an update on the University of Limerick’s (UL) plans for the portion of its campus which is located in Clare.  Minister Harris, who visited UL last week, said that while his department doesn’t have direct role in the project, meetings have been taking place between the university, Clare County Council and relevant government officials.  “UL has indicated that, as part of its future campus planning, it is advancing an application for the designation of lands on the County Clare side of its campus as an Economic Strategic Development Zone or SDZ,” the minister said. “UL has indicated to my Department that it sees potential for new and innovative models of teaching and learning through designation of …

DOG theft has been raised with the Department of Justice by Deputy Cathal Crowe, who has sought clarity on plans to tighten existing legislation.  The Fianna Fáil member asked Junior Minister James Browne to make a statement and was told that changes to the legislation may be considered.  Responding to Deputy Crowe’s question, Minister Browne described dog theft as “an incredibly cruel crime which causes huge trauma for pet owners”. “I fully appreciate the strong emotional attachment we all have to our pets and that theft not only leads to their loss in our lives, but also a high level of concern for their welfare,” he said. “It is also a crime which often affects, and is indeed often targeted against, older and particularly vulnerable people, for whom their pet is of huge emotional importance.” Minister Browne noted that, in sentencing, judges look not only at the monetary value of the pet but also the emotional distress caused to the …

INVESTMENT totalling €3.97 million for health facilities in Clare has been included in the 2022 Health Service Executive’s Capital Plan. The funding boost includes €1.7 million for Bushy Park residential addiction treatment centre to replace their existing facility and build a brand-new complex with individual accommodation for patients. In Ennis Hospital, €0.5 million is being spent on equipping the new outpatient department. This funding will also provide for an x-ray room and other diagnostic equipment. A sum of €0.3 million will be allocated to progress the development of two new operating theatres and €0.7 million will be spent on the continued development of the hospital campus to include the fit out of vacated areas in the existing building to create a Local Injuries Unit. In East Clare, €0.35 million is being allocated to refurbish an area of Raheen Community Hospital comprising of 25 beds and in St. Joseph’s Community Nursing Unit in Ennis, €1.05m is being spent on a new …

SCHOOL places for Ukrainian children fleeing the war will be allocated based on capacity and existing enrolment, the Education Minister has told a Clare TD. On foot of three Dáil questions from Deputy Cathal Crowe, Minister Norma Foley outlined a range of supports for children forced to flee Ukraine and come to Ireland. She said the Department of Education already has school capacity data based on annual enrolment returns. However, the location where families are living will also have a bearing, she confirmed, and coordination will take place with other Government departments. In the first instance, Deputy Crowe asked what steps that her Department of Education has taken to mark sure schools “are adequately equipped with teachers, accommodation, furniture, schoolbooks, special needs assistants and so on, to cater for the influx of Ukrainian children that will be entering their schools”. Deputy Crowe also asked that Departmental staff might be appointed as coordinators “to oversee the even distribution of Ukrainian children to …

ASSURANCES have been given on the arrangements for school transport for Ukrainian pupils who have recently arrived in North Clare. Among them are 26 children who have been welcomed into St Augustine’s National School in Kilshanny. They are part of a group of around 500 people to take up residence in Lisdoonvarna in recent weeks. More than 100 children are being provided with educational facilities, based on availability in neighbouring schools. While the new arrivals were provided with private bus transport for a number of days, the Department of Education has not made any formal provision yet and the children have no other way to get to the school, which is around seven kilometres away. Councillor Joe Garrihy said Lisdoonvarna Fáilte are prepared to do all in their power to welcome new arrivals and ease their access to local services. “We have been searching behind every hedge for bus transport and everyone has been really cooperative, however we did have …