Tag Archives: Minister Heather Humphreys

A FORMER Minister for Justice has sidestepped questions about the appropriateness of a cold case Garda review into the death of a 23 year-old banqueting manager in 1984. Former Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald appointed retired District Court judge Patrick Clyne to lead an inquiry into the Garda investigation and disciplinary inquiries that took place following the death of Patrick Nugent (23) Feenagh, Sixmilebridge at the end of a 40th wedding anniversary party in the early hours of February 11, 1984. His death was one of the 320 cases examined by the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM) set up by Minister Fitzgerald, following a complaint made by the family relating to alleged Garda misconduct in June 2014. Rural and Community Development Minister Heather Humphreys visited the Lisdoonvarna Fáilte centre, which is accommodating Ukrainian refugees on Thursday. She previously took on the role of Justice Minister while the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee was out on maternity leave. Minister Humphreys was asked …

THE resilience shown by Ukrainian refugees who have been forced to flee to North Clare was the first thing that struck Lisdoonvarna Fáilte CLG chairperson, Marie Urquhart after their arrival. “Ukrainian refugees are very happy, content and resilient. Their willingness to be involved in the community was one of the first things that struck me. They are very gracious and thankful for what is being done for them. “They are happy to muck in and help with Tidy Towns, Spring Clean and are actively looking for work. It has been challenging and humbling. I am mesmerised by their resilience and get up and go given what horrific events they have been through.” She has confirmed up to 800 Ukrainian refugees are being accommodated in three local hotels. According to the last Census the indigenous population of Lisdoonvarna was about 600, which is apart from about 200 asylum seekers who are also living in the Spa town. Asked about the logistics …

LOCALS and visitors to Ennis and Clarecastle can enjoy walking and cycling on a new riverside route thanks to the collaborative approach taken by Clare County Council and community groups. Last week Community Development Minister Heather Humphreys officially opened the River Fergus Walk and Cycleway, which came about after it was necessary to build an access road for a flood relief scheme. This new route runs from the R469 Quin Road in Ennis to the N85 Roundabout at Clareabbey along an area of significant recreational and visual amenity value. The paved walkway along the river is approximately 1.5km and provides a link between the two roads, resulting in a looped walk of 5.5km. The area is rich in heritage and biodiversity and the project is expected to generate significant tourism and educational benefits. Minister Humphreys also met representatives of Clarecastle Tidy Towns where she reviewed the streetscape enhancements that was funded by the Town and Villages Renewal funding from the …

THE new Ennistymon River Walk has been described as a “spectacular natural amenity” by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys. During a visit to Clare last week, Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, visited projects that are supporting the ongoing development and revitalisation of Clare’s rural towns and villages, including an extended DigiClare hub and two community and tourist amenities. The projects in Ennistymon have received funding under the Rural Development Investment Programme, which includes a number of integrated funding interventions. Contributions came from the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), the Connected Hubs Fund and the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS). Minister Humphreys officially opened the Ennistymon River Walk for which Ennistymon District Community Organisation (EDCO) was granted funding of €69,000 under the ORIS in 2018 to carry out works to the existing river walk. The project, which cost around €94,000 overall, was delivered by EDCO with assistance from Clare County Council’s Rural Development …

REIGNING Tidy Towns champion Ennis was the location this morning for the launch of the 2022 competition with Minister Heather Humphreys doing the honours. The Minister for Rural and Community Development was joined by Managing Director of SuperValu, Mr. Ian Allen to launch the competition which is sponspored by the supermarket chain. Speaking at the launch of the competition in Clare’s county town this morning, Minister Humphreys said, “It is wonderful to be here in Ennis, Ireland’s Tidiest Town, to launch the 2022 SuperValu TidyTowns competition. “Seeing the competition back to its normal cycle is very welcome news and no doubt thousands of TidyTowns volunteers across the country are thrilled to see the competition back in full swing. “TidyTowns groups have shown great strength in recent times and have continued to put their shoulder to the wheel in keeping our towns and villages and indeed the country, looking its best, when we needed it most.” Minister Humphreys continued, “My Department …

A FACELIFT is on the cards for six Clare towns and villages, three of them in the East and the South East of the county. A pot of €7 million is to be shared among 124 areas across the country under the Streetscape Enhancement Initiative. In Clare, the beneficiaries will be Tulla, Scariff, Clonlara, Kilrush, Corofin and Clarecastle, where property and business owners will be invited to apply for funding. The allocation will support a number of activities to brighten the appearance of towns and villages. These include strategic collaboration between property owners to paint buildings or shopfronts in vibrant colours and the commissioning of murals in towns and villages. The funds also enable the upgrade or restoration of historic and traditional shopfronts; as well as the provision of street planting, shrubbery, trees and flowers boxes. Enhancements through the illumination and lighting of architectural features can also be carried out, as well as the installation of canopies and street furniture …

REMOTE working for those living in the county town has taken a major step forward with the opening of the Ennis Digital Hub. The state-of-the-art facility at the Quin Road Business Park was officially opened by Minister Heather Humphries at the end of last month and brings to ten the number of hubs operating under Clare County Council’s Digiclare initiative. Among those welcoming the centre was Councillor Johnny Flynn who said the hub was a long-time goal for the county town. “Six years ago, I tabled a notice of motion requesting a feasibility study be carried out on the development of a hub for Ennis,” he outlined. “I believe the facility will be critical in enabling people living in the area to enable employment. The Ennis hub is the tenth in the county, so the people of the county town have been waiting patiently as the rural centres were developed first. The potential of the hub is huge in enabling …

A SIXMILEBRIDGE family has stated the nine-month delay concerning the publication of a state inquiry report into the Garda investigation concerning the death of a deceased 23 year-old banqueting manager “beggars belief”. A spokesperson for the Nugent family has also hit out over the lack of communication with the family, describing it as a “total disregard”. Former Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald appointed retired District Court judge Patrick Clyne to lead an inquiry under Section 42 into the Garda investigation and disciplinary inquiries that took place following the death of Patrick Nugent (23) Feenagh, Sixmilebridge at the end of a 40th wedding anniversary party in the early hours of February 11th, 1984. Judge Clyne completed his inquiry on October 31, 2020 and the Department of Justice received this report on November 3, 2020. The family are concerned about repeated delays in publishing a report concerning the inquiry, which started in January 2017. Deputy Michael McNamara has tabled Dáil questions asking …