*PJ Ryan. Photograph: Natasha Barton
FORMER MAYOR OF Clare, PJ Ryan has been elected as the Chairperson of the new Clare Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP).
At The Temple Gate Hotel on Tuesday morning, the LCSP held its long awaited first meeting. The forum has been established as a replacement of the Clare Joint Policing Committee (JPC).
A total of thirty six LCSPs are to be established across Ireland following the move to dissolve JPCs.
Up to thirty voluntary members can sit on the Clare LCSP. The members include elected representatives of Clare County Council, public service representatives from the HSE, Tusla, An Garda Síochána and the County Council, local residents plus representatives from youth, minority/new communities, social inclusion sector from the community and voluntary sector, education, business, older people, farmers and any other sectors deemed relevant to the county.
As one of the biggest casualties in the 2024 local election, PJ Ryan has focused on community work in Cratloe since losing his seat on the local authority. The process in getting the LCSP has been very slow and drawn out with the former Independent councillor among the front-runners to become Chair from an early stage.
Ryan had recorded his highest vote in the 2019 local elections but ended up losing his seat five years later, he had served on the Council for a decade following his 2009 election after unsuccessful runs for office in 1999 and 2004. He was elected Mayor of Clare in June 2021 in what was the high-point of his political career.
Cllr Rita McInerney (FF) was elected as Vice Chairperson of the LCSP. She is one of seven county councillors sitting on the body alongside Cllr Pat Hayes (FF), Cllr Bill Slattery (FG), Cllr John Crowe (FG), Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF), Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) and Cllr David Griffin (FF).
Kilmurry McMahon based, June Dillon (AON) who contested the 2024 General Election is among the community representatives. CEO of Ennis Chamber, Margaret O’Brien and Mary Coffey who serves as a community and voluntary representative on the Rural Development SPC of Clare County Council and is also a former Mayor of Tuamgraney are also members of the new grouping.
Newmarket-on-Fergus native Mike Cusack, Chair of the Clare Older People’s Council, Chief Officer with HSE Mid West Community Healthcare Maria Bridgeman plus Supt John Ryan and representatives of Tusla were also in attendance for Tuesday’s meeting, Cusack attending virtually. Chief Superintendent, Aileen Magner is not a permanent member of the new body.
Former rural and community development officer with the Council, Niamh Wiley is the co-ordinator of the LCSP. Each LCSP is supported by two full time, permanent staff, resourced by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and employed by the local authority.
Unlike the JPC, the LCSP meetings are set to be held behind closed doors with media prohibited from attending in what is viewed as a regressive move, lacking in transparency.
Efficiency and operations of the Clare LCSP has been questioned over the almost two-year wait to convene a meeting and appoint members. During his time as Acting Director of Service in the Ennis MD, Seán Lenihan had stated in April 2025, “we would expect to have the first meeting of the Clare LCSP before the end of May (2025)”.
