2021
2021
8th October
- Catching up with paperwork for Kilkee Waterworld, and met with a number of constituents about local issues.
2021
9th September
- Meeting in Kilmihil with a local business person interested in developing a number of projects.
- Helped to fill out local info into forms for the Failte Ireland funded water sports activity centre proposed for Kilkee.
2021
10th October
- Meeting with a potential new customer for the Elliott Centre to discuss future use as a training centre
- Took part in the Kilkee Mental Health walk-on Kilkee Beach, organised by The Lighthouse and supported by Kilkee Waterworld
2021
11th October
- Met with a number of constituents regarding local and personal issues
- Followed up with the relevant staff in Clare County Council
- Met with the business owner who is supplying Kilkee Tidy Towns with a new polytunnel
- Attended a briefing by CCC with regards to Ennis 2040 strategy and the South Care SDZ
- Attended the full October council meeting
2021
12th October
- Its my birthday…started with a swim in the sea with our swim group followed by lovely cake and coffee…:-)
- Followed up on housing issues with the relevant staff members
- Dealt with a number of local issues raised by constituents
2021
13th October
- Met with the bank with regards to Kilkee Waterworld
- Dealt with a number of local issues with our brilliant local area engineer
- Went on annual leave…:-)
2021
15th October
- Even on holidays we get a lot of emails and documents to read so I set aside an hour or so every morning to catch up and make sure constituency issues don’t fall by the wayside….working remotely can be very pleasant.
2021
18th October
- A worrying environmental water quality issue was brought to my attention so i spoke with etc senior executive engineer about it. Having checked test and the results it was found to be of no consequence.
2021
19th October
- A number of local constituency issue came in by email, around housing, transport and roads so they were dealt with in the morning. Probably the biggest upside of holidays for councillors can be not having to attend statutory meetings… a lot of reading and prep goes into them if they are to be dealt with seriously, so to be honest, when I’m on holiday the break from all that is really welcome.
2021
26th October
- Corporate Policy Group meeting to deal with the upcoming budget..this is where we get to see any major issues around having to balance the books for the council and we start to really see what sorts of solutions might be on the able. Like any entity, the council has income and expenditure, and to balance the books, we either have to increase the income or cut the expenditure…. the consequences of either are significant for all the citizens in Clare, so decisions are not taken lightly and its often a case of trying to be fairest across all sectors of our society. It’s impossible to please everyone.
2021
28th October
- As Cathaoirleach of the West Clare Municipal District I was asked to attend the Clare Business Excellence Awards in Glor
2021
29th October
- Took part in a Zoom meeting with other Kilkee community members looking at the creation of a new brand for Kilkee based around it becoming a best in practice seaside resort with regards to accessibility to the ocean.
- Meeting with bank regarding funding for the future development of Kilkee Waterworld
- Meeting in Doonbeg with local residents with regards to car parking issues at Doughmore Beach
2021
30th October
- Delighted to have been asked to speak with the 20 young people who had competed their pool lifeguard training in Kilkee Waterworld
2021
1st November
- Drawing on my tourism experience i made a presentation to the Limerick Kerry Greenway Group
- Attended our monthly Corporate Policy Group Meeting in HQ
2021
2nd November
- A West Clare MD workshop in HQ on the County Development Plan to discuss the zoning maps for each settlement
- Chaired the November meeting of the West Clare MD
2021
3rd November
- Attended a meeting of the Clare Rural Development Forum to discuss the review taking place.
2021
4th November
- Constituency meetings with local clients
2021
8th November
- Dealt with a blocked sewer issue on one of the local estates
- Organised the making of a new steel Christmas Tree with a local supplier
- Clare County Council full November council meeting
2021
9th November
- Chaired the statutory West Clare Municipal District GMA budget meeting
- Met with local constituents about a range of issues
2021
10th November
- Attended AILG training day dealing with mental health issues and the hang elf supports available for both the public, and ourselves as public representatives.
2021
12th November
- Attended a full council workshop for the Draft County Development Plan 2022-2028
- Dealt with a number of planning queries raised by local constituents
2021
13th November
- Attended the Mid West Simon Charity Ball as Cathaoirleach of the West Clare MD
2021
15th November
- Dealt with an issue regarding housing adaptation grants for two local people
- Followed up on a planning query with the senior planner
2021
16th November
- Dealt with a number of local constituency matters
- Spoke with our local area engineer about the proposed traffic routing at the pier in Kilkee
2021
17th November
- Attended (online) a Corporate Policy Group meeting with regards to the budget for 2022
2021
23rd November
- Attended (online) the November Regional Health Forum meeting. I brought a number issues to the table here, firstly i sought information regarding the reporting by National Ambulance Service staff about conditions they felt put themselves or their patients at risk. Second I sought updates on the status of critical staffing for diabetes patients in the Mid West Region.
- Hosted an online meeting for all my party colleagues to discuss the upcoming budget and the proposal to raise the commercial ARV by 3.8%.
2021
26th November
- Attended a meeting with my party colleagues to discuss the issues arising from the increase in commercial rates in the budget
- A full council meeting to debate and pass the Clare County Council budget for 2022. The rates increase was a very divisive topic, and debate was ‘robust’ to say the least…however in my view, the correct decision was taken to pass the budget, albeit very reluctantly by many of us, and following a vote, (16 for – 10 against) to increase commercial rates by 3.8%. The cuts to services, especially housing, and the negative impact it would have had on our ambitions to create more vibrant places to live and visit was the critical factor for me. I agree wholeheartedly with the assertion that it was not the right time, but rates hadn’t been increased in Clare for 13 years, and in my view the timing argument was never not going to be made…costs of goods and services have increased for businesses, but they have also increased for the council too. over the 13 years that rates have remained static, inflation of 9% has taken a significant chunk out of the real spending power by the council.
2021
27th November
- As Cathaoirleach of the West Clare MD i was delighted to be asked to attend the War of Independence commemoration in Kilrush.
2021
30th November
- County Development Plan workshop to discuss solutions to critical issues raised by elected members
- Attended the full council meeting to debate the draft County Development Plan 2022-2028. I was very happy, after many many meetings and some very robust debate with senior members of the forward planning section, to propose the approval of our draft county development plan to go on public display from Dec 10th. I don’t like all of it, but I like a lot of it.. Its important to say that while I’m happy to have it sent out to public consultation I’m not endorsing everything in it…We have been handcuffed in many areas by government strategic policy, and our forward planners have had to thread the way through the pathway we as councillors want our county to take, and the legal restrictions placed on us by national policy.