This article is from page 68 of the 2006-02-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 68 JPG
A CLARE county councillor has claimed this week that the county is safe from any extension from Limerick City.
Councillor Cathal Crowe said that following a brief meeting with the Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche and the Taoiseach last week he got a strong indication that Limerick City’s proposed extension into Clare will not get the go ahead.
Instead Clare’s youngest councillor believes that Limerick County Council could provide adequate lands in their administrative area to the City Council.
This would not upset anybody’s THE work of members of Clare Civil mediate First Aid Course in 2005. defence was recognised at a ceremoMedals were presented to the memny at the Civil Defence Headquarbers of Clare Civil Defence who won ters, Clonroadmore Business Park, a record three in a row Munster Fire Ennis. The presentations were made Pump Drill Competitions from 2002by Ger Dollard, Director of Services 2004; the team who finished second with Clare County Council. Certifiat the National Finals and the Ladies cates were awarded to members who team who took top spot Munster and completed the Civil Defence Radio National Fire Pump Drill CompetiCourse in 2005/2006 and the Intertions in 2005. sense of county identity he claimed.
“Limerick City councillors need to understand that I am fully prepared to work with them on issues that affect the general mid-west area but I am not prepared to give a single inch of my native County Clare,” said the Fianna Fáil councillor.
“I think the Limerick City Council proposal for a boundary extension makes a farce of the Government’s National Spatial Strategy. The City Council’s proposal states that Limerick City is the urban hub of the MidWest Region. The proposal clearly negates the fact that Government policy has designated Limerick and Shannon as the ‘gateway’ to the MidWest Region.”
Showing Minister Roche a map of the south east Clare area the councillor outlined the various ways in which a boundary extension would negatively impact on local communities.
“I told the Minister that Clare County Council is currently providing a good service to my constituents. A commitment has already been given by Clare County Council to provide a full time Council area office and library facility in the Parteen/Westbury area. The Council has also adopted it’s Annual Roadwork’s Programme this week which provides €1,722,000 for local road surfacing and repairs in south east Clare,” he said.