*Clare TD, Michael McNamara (IND). Photograph: Chris Copley
A CLARE TD has warned the local authority of the potential implications of transferring land in its ownership to the Ennis 2040 DAC.
Business personnel within Ennis are among those to express concern that the ownership of Abbey Street car park could be transferred from Clare County Council as part of plans to progress the Ennis 2040 Strategy.
Abbey Street car park is listed as one of the transformational sites of the Ennis 2040 Strategy with a mixed-use development a future aspiration which will result in the loss of up to 75 car spaces.
Speaking at a public meeting held in the Temple Gate Hotel, William Cahir a partner of Cahir & Co. Solicitors admitted he was “really concerned that an intended motion to transfer the ownership of Abbey Street car park will happen before September”.
Cahir stated, “This land is going to be transferred to private limited company, there is an urgency to engage with all county councillors, I am appreciative to see who is see here and actively engaging. The vote of elected members will be completed and therefore at that juncture, the lands will be transferred.
Addressing the meeting, Deputy Michael McNamara (IND) noted recent comments from senior Council management to pause plans for both the Abbey St and Francis Street developments. “Of course they can’t demolish the Francis Street cottages because they have no planning permission and objections would bring it to An Bord Pleanála but they nearly succeeded in bringing them under the radar and they also planned to transfer Abbey Street as fast as possible before any furore starts”.
McNamara noted that Ennis 2040 was a private company owned by the Council. “Private business is what is great and pays for rates and services, I have a problem with the transfer of public property to enable private wealth, it is fundamentally wrong”.
Deputy McNamara said he met with COO of Ennis 2040, Kevin Corrigan and flagged concerns on the impact to a large site of public real estate. “It can be improved but to transfer in a private big company like Penneys, I have no problem with them more power to them but we don’t need them in Abbey St”. He added, “I would be very cautious about transferring anything from Clare County Council because once it’s gone, it’s gone”.
