CLARE County Council’s ambition to be “a national leader in climate change” has been bolstered by recent projects including delivering flood protection in Springfield and installing LED lights at Lee’s Road.
The local authority’s work on its Climate Action Plan was highlighted at this week’s meeting of the Physical Development SPC, where Community Climate Action Officer Dara Dever delivered a presentation to members of the committee detailing the council’s sustainable achievements thus far under the current 2024-2029 plan.
The meeting was chaired by Cllr. Pat Burke (FG) and attended by various councillors both in person and via MS Teams including Rita McInerney (FF), Ian Lynch (IND), Conor Ryan (FF), Alan O’Callaghan (FF) and Rachel Hartigan (FF). SPC members Bridget Ginnity and Thomas Burke were also in attendance at the council chamber.
The current plan is divided into five categories: governance and leadership, built environment, transport, community partnership, and the natural environment. Mr Dever reiterated the council’s mission “to be a national leader in climate action” by fostering low-carbon, resilient, and biodiverse communities. Its mission focuses on a just transition that results in sustainable growth and high-quality service accessibility. The council’s work in retrofitting public lighting was referenced during the presentation including a full upgrade of the lighting system at the Active Ennis Lees Road Sports, replacing legacy lighting with high-efficiency LED fixtures.
The Climate Action Officer outlined further significant projects that the council had completed, including the €5.2 million Springfield Flood Relief Scheme, providing significant protection from flooding for 21 homes in the Springfield area. The project involved the construction of an 850 metre flood defence embankment across the floodplain at Cappavilla North and Illaunyregan, as well as a pumping station, culverts with sluice gates, land raising at Cottage, and associated drainage, fencing, and storage works.
Community partnerships were highlighted as a key part of the plan The Community Action Program (Phase 1) has funded 27 projects with over €88,000 in funding so far Phase 2 launched last July with €649,000 in available funding. Other initiatives include Climate Action Week, energy fairs, and the installation of water refill stations in built up areas and tourist hotspots throughout the county.
The council implemented circular economy initiatives, such as a refurbished bike scheme and a toy library event in Ennis to encourage reuse. Additionally, a new Biodiversity Action Plan was formed in December to address the climate crisis in Clare over the next six years.
Additionally, the council has implemented several circular economy initiatives, such as a refurbished bike scheme and a toy library event in Ennis to encourage reuse. As well as this, a new Biodiversity Action Plan was formed in December to address the climate crisis over the next six years.
Clare County Council has joined the Global Covenant of Mayors in January 2025 to improve transparency. As of the report, 17 climate actions are complete, 77 are in progress, and one action has not yet started.
Following the conclusion of the presentation, Director of Service Carmel Kirby praised the work of the Climate Action team in compiling the report, calling their work “extraordinarily competent”.
