*Cllr Bill Slattery (FG). Photograph: John Mangan
A NORTH CLARE councillor has questioned the local authority on whether they know the meaning of the word honour while voicing criticism of the failure to follow through on a land agreement in Liscannor.
In a proposal before the West Clare Municipal District, Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) requested Clare County Council “to honour the agreement given by signed contract on October 2013, to provide a stone wall, internal fencing and maintenance of water levels i.e. flooding that occurs on lands adjacent to the 478 route at Sandfield, Liscannor”.
The Clare Echo understands that the landowner was paid €31,800 by the local authority after the land agreement was signed in October 2013 for the 0.782 acres. The signed agreement was for the Council to widen the road and take over it as use as a public roadway and to erect a new stonewall along the new boundary line
Senior executive engineer in the West Clare MD, Tony Neville outlined that the Council previously applied to An Bord Pleanála “for substitute consent for the project at Ballyellery, Liscannor. This was granted but included consent only for the roadworks already undertaken”.
He stated, “Any agreement in place with the landowner will be honoured by Clare County Council but is subject to the substitute consent granted and approval of impending Planning Applications. A further Part 8 planning application, including associated environmental assessments is required to complete any outstanding works. This process is ongoing. A subsequent application for funding, either via Active Travel or other sources will be necessary. Ideally, this section of the R478 could be considered as part of a future footpath and cycleway link between Lahinch, Liscannor and Doolin”.
Cllr Slattery told the meeting, “I have no conflict of interest even though the landowner is related to me, other councillors have brought it up also”. He said he “tried my best until 2018 with former Director Anne Haugh” to deliver on this. “Do Clare County Council honour anything, this is going on since 2013, we’re now into 2025, the word honour means a lot to people, the landowner gave away frontage on the road, there was no CPO”.
He continued, “The farmer is left with walls that are not complete, the cattle come up on the road because temporary fencing was put down two metres from where the boundary should be going, he was good to give it for a small fee, I don’t think anyone would give the frontage for the amount of money received and yet Clare County Council won’t honour what they said they would do it”.
Flooding is now occurring at the site, Cllr Slattery flagged. “It is an absolute disgrace,” he remarked. “How long is a piece of string,” he said when referencing efforts to bring this to a resolution since 2013.
Motions were tabled on the matter in October 2020, September 2021 and May 2024, Cllr Shane Talty (FF) recalled. A previous reply “acknowledged that a court case happened,” he said. When the matter was raised last year, councillors were told a Part 8 application was required, “we know what is required, is this a project on someone’s desk,” he asked.
“We have consultants on board to deal with the environmental aspect of it, that is the complication, ye have answered it yourself it is not straight forward,” Neville replied. Cllr Talty pointed out that consultants had been on board since 2021 and he reiterated his question on whether it was on the desk of any Council employee. “It’s on my desk and it will be moving on,” the senior engineer responded.
Active Travel is a viable consideration for the project, Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) believed. “If I was the farmer I’d be really worried, we need to put a footpath into it,” he said. “It is a fantastic amenity. We’ve every confidence in the Ennistymon office to sort this out,” he added.
Cllr Slattery told the meeting, “we’re getting a lot of criticism over this not being complete”. He added, “the Council is on notice that if any cattle or sheep are killed or any person that he will hold the Council responsible”.
