One location in West Clare will be the beneficiary in the 2020 Town and Village paint scheme.
Councillors overwhelmingly agreed that one area be chosen to receive the entire focus as opposed to splitting the funds between multiple parishes under the scheme. An allocation of €10,000 will be put towards the selected area.
Director of Service with Clare County Council, Leonard Cleary informed elected representatives at the March meeting of the West Clare Municipal District that it was best to give the funds to one area rather than splitting the pot. “Because the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open was in Lahinch, elected members decided that Ennistymon, Liscannor and Lahinch” were chosen for the scheme in 2019 and he outlined that the budget was enhanced due to the prominence of the event.
Cleary told the meeting that there was an agreement the chosen spot would rotate between the Ennistymon and Kilrush side of the District on a year to year basis. “It is designed to have an impact in one area than a sprinkle effect of painting different areas”. He said they would hold a future meeting to decide on which location was chosen to benefit from the scheme in 2020.
“I am totally supportive of that stategy,” Cllr Shane Talty (FF) stated. “It touches on what Cllr Garrihy has been saying of having an effect in communities. We need to be strategic about it so a nice chunk of change goes into it and it makes a real difference to communities,” Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) acknowledged.
Encouragement for the scheme was also voiced by Cllr Ian Lynch (IND), “Keep rotating it. We have to have a plan for it”.
