Minutes of the March Special Meeting of Clare County Council

Present

Councillors M. Howard, T. Guilfoyle, T. O’Callaghan, A. O’Callaghan, P. Burke, D. Griffin, B. Slattery, S. Talty, J. Killeen, D. Gould, I. Lynch, G. Keating, M. Shannon.

Officials

• Dr. Carmel Kirby, Interim Chief Executive.
• Mr. John Corry, Meetings Administrator.
• Ms. Aoife Coote, Assistant Staff Officer, Corporate Services.
• Mr. Séan Lenihan, A/Director of Service, Economic Development.
• Ms. Siobhan McNulty, Director of Tourism Development

Present via MS Teams:

• Cllr. P. Murphy, C. Colleran Molloy, T. O’Brien, P. O’Gorman, R. McInerney

Absent:

• Cllrs. P. Daly, A. Baker Bashua, P. Hayes, C. Ryan, R. Hartigan, M. Begley, T. Mulcahy, J. Ryan, J. Garrihy, J. Crowe

Presiding

The Cathaoirleach, Cllr. A. O’Callaghan presided.

Item 1: Draft Chief Executive’s Report to An Bord Pleanála on the proposed 30 no. Offshore Wind Turbine Generators located off the Coast of Counties Clare and Galway in line with Section 291 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. 

Cllr. I. Lynch welcomed the Chief Executive report and outlined the concerns he and the other elected members had. Cllr. Lynch advised the meeting that the elected members were submitting a report requesting that it be appended with Clare County Councils submission to An Bord Pleanála.

The report from the elected members sets out the considerations and recommendations for the proposed windfarm development in relation to the following:

1. Traffic Management Plan (TMP) and Road Infrastructure.
2. National Strategy for Offshore Windfarm Development and Grid Connection.
3. Strategic Planning for Onshore Compensation Compound and Infrastructure Development.
4. Community Impact and Fair Allocation of Funding.
5. Shannon Estuary Impacts.
6. Review of Road Bonds and Financial Guarantees.
7. Planning Restrictions and Project Transfer.
8. Lack of Adequate Public Consultation.
9. Need for a Strategic Approach to Grid Connection and Offshore Wind Development.

Dr. C. Kirby, Interim Chief Executive acknowledged receipt of the report from Cllr. Lynch and noted the points made in the report.

The elected members raised points during the meeting in relation to:

• Concern expressed that the proposal may be premature pending the DMAP process being completed.  There is no strategic vision for this nature of development. 
• Road closure licenses will be required to facilitate the development.
• The proposal is vague in its detail around construction.
• This project will set the standard for future developments.
• The offshore wind industry is very unregulated.
• The community benefit fund should ensure that a significant portion of the fund is set aside for Co. Clare having regard to the scale of disruption caused and the fact that the power lines used to enable the development are located in Co. Clare. 
• The proposal needs to be able to demonstrate the local employment and economic opportunities that it will present.
• Concern expressed around the protection of wildlife in the estuary.
• Ducting to be provided should not be for the exclusive use of one developer.
• Query raised as to whether a connection further down the estuary would be better – thereby reducing the distance that roads would be affected by.

a.      Ar moladh Cllr. I. Lynch Cuidithe ag Cllr. S. Talty agus glacadh leis

“Resolution from the elected members of Clare County Council setting out their recommendations to be attached to the CE Report under Section 291 of the Planning and Development Act (as amended)”. 

S. Lenihan, A/Director of Planning and Economic Development noted the concerns raised by the members and stated that the Chief Executive Report expresses the concerns of the local authority. Mr. Lenihan noted that the Council, in their capacity as lead authority for the Strategic Integrated Framework Plan for the Shannon Estuary, has written to Minister Darragh O’Brien and Minister Timmy Dooley in relation to a roadmap for a DMAP (Designated Marine Area Plan).

Conclusion

The meeting then concluded.

Signed: ____________________________ Riarthóir Cruinnithe

Signed: _____________________________ Cathaoirleach

Date:               _____________________________

Page last reviewed: 26/05/25

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