*Gordon Daly. Photograph: Eamon Ward
HOUSING and infrastructure have emerged as “key priorities” for the new Chief Executive of Clare County Council.
Tuamgraney native Gordon was ratified as the Chief Executive of Clare County Council in March, the June sitting of the local authority was his first time at the top table since taking on the role at the end of May.
Addressing the meeting, he thanked elected members and staff of the Council for a “warm welcome”. He stated, “I am very honoured to take on the role and there is no point saying otherwise”. His predecessor Pat Dowling and interim Chief Executive Carmel Kirby were acknowledged for their “significant contribution”.
He explained, “For the first couple of weeks, it has been a listening exercise, I have been meeting with senior staff and yourselves, it will continue to be a learning and listening process over the next few weeks and I will look to widen that to key stakeholders and agencies we deal with. I am conscious that we have four years left in the Council term so I want to establish the key conversations”.
For his first meeting, housing was a recurring item on the agenda as it featured in five of the nine notices of motion tabled by councillors.
Speaking later in the meeting, the former senior planner with Clare County Council said he had held “frank and honest exchanges with each Municipal District. The purpose of those meetings is to identify what the key priorities are and ensure organisation from HR, personnel and financial is pointed in the right direction”.
Daly continued, “housing and infrastructure are coming across as key priorities. I need a bit more time to reflect on how we do that”. He flagged, “it puts demands on structures because it needs more resources”.
Housing can serve as a rising tide, Daly said. “I see housing as an enabler, housing enables rural regeneration, employment and economic development, without housing it is hard to attract people to live in areas”. He added, “I am still considering what the key priorities are but I am getting it loud and clear on increased housing delivery”.
Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Alan O’Callaghan (FF) welcomed Gordon back to the top table. “I wish him the best for the next couple of years, it is good to see a Clare man back as Chief Executive, I acknowledge the work of Carmel Kirby and Pat Dowling before him”. He quipped, “being from East Clare we have him in the bag, it will be all Clare going forward now but I’ve more baldy heads around me now”.
During his time as a Director of Service with Limerick City and County Council, Gordon was involved in tackling derelict housing which has included the creation of a dedicated derelict properties team in 2017. In the past five years it has carried out almost 8,000 inspections, served more than 2,800 notices and has or is planning to compulsorily acquire 300 properties in Limerick city and county.
Between 2019 and last year, Limerick City and County Council brought 326 properties back into use. It has a revolving fund where properties are put on the open market and the proceeds used to pay for compulsory purchases if the owners can be found. The vacant property refurbishment grant (VPRG), also known as Croí Cónaithe, has been a big success in tackling dereliction in Limerick, as in many other counties. There have been almost 500 applications received, of which 350 have been approved.
Twelve towns and villages in Limerick have been part of a pilot project from the Department of Housing which contributes €2.5m to proposals with the Council providing €800,000 from its own resources. Six sites in Abbeyfeale are currently being brought back from dereliction using the fund.
