*Flooding along the railway line at Ballycar has been a reoccurring problem for generations. Photograph: John Mangan
Members of the public still need to be persuaded when it comes to reducing energy consumption, an Ennis councillor has acknowledged.
RPS Group has been commissioned by Clare County Council to prepare an energy and emissions balance report for the county this year which will include predicted energy use up to the year 2030. A Clare Renewable Energy Strategy is also to be prepared as part of this work and will form part of the new County Development Plan.
Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) called on the local authority to prepare a Clare Climate Change and Green House Gas (GHG) Emissions strategy to meet it 2030 commitments. An update to the Limerick and Clare Climate Change Strategy and Limerick and Clare Energy and Emissions Balance, both of which were produced by the Limerick Clare Energy Agency in 2012 was also sought by Flynn. “The real threat of Climate Change is clearly set out in the recent UN IPCC report whose findings have been described as ‘code red for humanity’”.
Senior engineer in the environmental section of the Council, Cyril Feeney said “further clarity” would be visible from the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 to assist local authorities in tackling the effects of climate change.
Flynn admitted he was “not confident” of the effectiveness of the Climate Adaptation Strategy completed in 2019 by the County Council. He cited a recent Irish Times/IPSOS poll which detailed that three quarters of the persons polled were against paying for climate change measures, “I believe the public will be hard to bring along with this process”. He spoke of being “disturbed” to see other counties had specific strategic policy committees (SPCs) on climate change whereas Clare didn’t, “we need to have a good look at our climate change actions to protect our communities, infrastructure, economy, biodiversity and environment”.
Clare is “very vulnerable” to the effects of climate change, Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) cautioned. Funding from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland should be leveraged to prepare the county, the Lisdoonvarna representative said. “It is scary when we hear of the big numbers and big predictions, we have to control what is on our own doorstep”.
Challenges on energy, climate change and biodiversity are looked at “clearly” at SPC level, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) responded. “It is an opportunity for us as a county to be to the fore, we are one of the counties at risk but we have opportunities to deal with it, we need actions now”. Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) recalled that councillors agreed to have climate change and biodiversity as a standing item on each SPC meeting so that it was regularly discussed by all members, “that was my understanding,” Cllr PJ Ryan (IND) responded.
There was “a huge financial saving” to Clare County Council by not setting up another SPC, Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND) noted. “I acknowledge the work done by the Chief Executive in making sure all of the SPCs incorporated climate issues into the conversation, it is working very well”.
Elected representatives were informed by Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) of his ongoing work in renovating a one hundred year old house into a “totally decarbonised house” which “fundamentally means everything is through electrification”.
A member of the Economic Development SPC, Cllr Johnny Flynn said his appeal for a climate change vulnerability study to be done could not occur “because it had to be referred to the Physical Development SPC. I still believe we need our own SPC for climate change, it is done in seven or eight counties, we need actions not print strategies”.
Director of Economic Development, Liam Conneally outlined that this query was referred to the Physical Directorate. “I will give a commitment to follow up and will have a response at next the SPC meeting”.
Chief Executive, Pat Dowling said allocating climate change to one SPC would make it “a minority subject”. He stressed, “It is all of our business, all of the time. We are best served by all of us dealing with it rather than locking it in a pigeon hole”.
