*Photograph: Tom Micks
THERE IS “no conspiracy” regarding the delay in the Acting Chief Operating Officer of Ennis 2040 DAC addressing a meeting of Clare County Council, a senior local authority official has said.
Speaking at the March meeting of the Council, Acting Director of Economic Development, Seán Lenihan said there was “no conspiracy” regarding the upcoming first appearance of Acting COO Padraic McElwee before a public meeting of the local authority. This had been requested for March, then agreed for April but is now to take place in May.
In a question before the March meeting, Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) sought the attendance of the Acting COO “to allay my concerns and allow discussions” on the AECOM report, costings, rate of return, the provision of all reports and advice received to date, a list of all assets owned by Ennis 2004 DAC, a detailed repayment schedule and confirmation that the board’s activity is fully compliant with company law governance requirements.
“My original motion submitted to the Council on the 17th February was to request the attendance of the Interim COO of Ennis 2040 DAC to attend today’s ie the March 2025 statutory meeting to answer questions of public interest regarding Ennis 2040 DAC finances and its spending,” Cllr O’Callaghan flagged.
He said he was asked and agreed to amend his motion on March 3rd at the request of the Council Executive to ask that the COO attend the April meeting instead. “I am disappointed that now the reply has the result in pushing forward the attendance in front of the elected members to May 2025, two months later than today . I am concerned that next month in April I and my selected members might be told it may be pushed out further beyond May”.
Cllr O’Callaghan said he will be asking the COO to disclose the exact details in the company asset register of the declared €2.2m assets in the actual ownership of the Ennis 2040 DAC as at the 31/12/2024 draft accounts. He believed a special meeting on the subject was merited.
“To clarify for the benefit who thinks there is any mystery to this,” Lenihan said in response to O’Callaghan’s motion. He added, “There is no conspiracy about pushing out date, the motion was for the March meeting, the motion in front of people today was to ask could he come to the April meeting which is perfectly acceptable, we had that agreed until he told me he had his holidays planned, he is going to Portugal on the night before the April meeting”.
Disappointment was then voiced by Cllr O’Callaghan, “There is no such suggestion. We’re waiting a further eight weeks, there is no other conspiracy,” he said.
