This article is from page 24 of the 2008-10-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 24 JPG
WEST Clare councillors have vowed to change what has been described as a bias towards the southern half of the Shannon estuary in terms of commercial development.
At a special meeting of the two elected bodies responsible for the west of the county, councillors agreed that the northern half of the estuary was under-developed com- pared to the southern half.
Shannon Foynes Port Authority apologised that they could not attend the meeting which was held at the re- quest of Kilrush Fianna Fail council- lor Tom Prendeville.
Clir Prendeville told the meeting that to his knowledge, there hadn’t been a metre of quay development since the Foynes Port Authority opened.
“We have all been peeved that millions go up stream every year to Shannon Port Authority and some of it never comes back,” he told his fel- low councillors.
He said some of this money was used to fund court cases and to set- tle internal disputes – which was not value for money.
‘“Moneypoimt would never have been here but for the deep water. If we can convince Shannon Port Au- thority that if there is development on the northern half of the bank then
there will be knock-on benefits for all,’ he suggested.
“We have lost out on the northern bank on infrastructure and then lose out on all auxiliary development on Were h ne
Cllr Prendeville said he believed that Moneypoint had not reached its
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“Tt is inherently wrong that that state would invest €1 billion in a development and it not be used to capacity. We feel there is a great natural resourse out there for devel- opment.”
Mayor
of Kilrush Cllr Liam
O’Looney (FF) said that many of the problems facing the development on the Clare half of the peninsula is of the councils’ own making, as they did not “talk up”’.
“We are isolated. We have potential and we should put forward our case to the minister,’ said Kilrush Town
Councillor Collie Sweeney (Ind).
Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) told the meeting that there are two points on the Clare side of the estuary with deep waters – an area close to Cahercon and at La- basheeda – that could accommodate more tonnage than Foynes.
He said he is aware of a foreign in- vestor who was interested in develop- ing part of the estuary, but planning issues deterred him from doing so.
Cllr O’Looney said businesses in Kilrush were now having heavy raw material delivered by sea to Wick- low and taken across the country by road, as Cappa could not cope with the quantity.
Cllr Oliver Garry (FG) said, “Eve- ry time you hear of development in the estuary you hear of Ballylong- ford and businesses going to the land zoned. I agree we have to have the land on the north zoned and ready for a developer to see.”
Cllr Prendeville proposed _ that Clare County Council and Kilrush Town Council call on the Minister and the Port Authority to address infrastructural deficiencies on the northern bank of the estuary and this motion was passed.
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