This article is from page 2 of the 2012-02-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
MORE than € 140,000 could shortly be released to community groups in Inagh and Kilnamona by Clare County Council, once a number of projects have been evaluated by a panel that is expected to announce their decision following a meeting on March 8th.
The money is part of a community fund which was set up to compensate local organisations for the construction of the local authority’s Central Waste Management Facility in Ballyduff beg in 2002.
According to an agreement, a small percentage of the profit made by Clare County Council on every tonne of waste taken in at Ballyduffbeg would be allocated to local “environmental” projects.
Between 2004 and 2006, a total of € 267,000 was allocated to local community groups under the scheme. At present, the local community is due to receive more than € 140,000 for waste disposed of in Ballyduff beg during 2007 and 2008. In addition, while the amount of landfill waste going to the Central Waste Management Facility has decreased in recent years, it is estimated that the community fund can expect as much as € 100,000 for waste disposed of in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
“My information is that this money has not been paid out since 2007 and I can’t understand why this should be the case,” said Cllr James Breen (IND), who campaigned against the siting of the Central Waste Management Facility in Ballyduff beg.
Clare County Council invited applications for funding in late 2009 for sustainable community based environmental initiatives or projects in the parishes of Inagh, Kilnamona and Cloonanaha under the Central Waste Management Facility Community Fund. The total funding available is € 140,775. A number of applications were received and are presently under adjudication by an independent Evaluation Panel. The Evaluation Panel is made up of six members in- cluding the Chairperson, three representatives from the local community, a representative from the community sector, a representative from the educational sector and a representative from Clare County Council.
No timescale has yet put in place for payments from 2009, 2010 and 2011.
“A number of meetings have taken place and when a recommendation is received from the evaluation panel, it will be placed before the members of Clare County Council for consideration. The next meeting of the evaluation panel is scheduled for March 8,” said Betty Devanny of Environment and Water Services with Clare County Council.