This article is from page 65 of the 2007-05-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 65 JPG
AHEAD of the Clare Community Forum information night at the Tem- ple Gate Hotel on this Tuesday night, Fine Gael election candidate Cllr Joe Carey (FG) has called for strategic and comprehensive community sup- ports to bolster a vision of a stronger mid-west region.
Without strong and vibrant commu- nity infrastructure, the region will be ill-equipped to meet the challenges ahead, Cllr Carey said.
The construction of the Ennis by- pass and the resurgence of adjacent communities, such as _ Crusheen, Clarecastle, _Newmarket-on-Fergus
and Barefield means that proper facilities need to be put in place in these areas as a matter of urgency.
‘There are many areas where we need to be doing more in terms of playground facilities, activities for teenagers, recreational facilities, and generally implementing a vision for post by-pass Ennis. Currently this is not being done in any coherent or constructive manner’, said Cllr Carey.
The lack of adequate playground facilities continues to be a major is- sue for many communities, he said.
“I know for instance that residents in Quin are having to take on the 1s- sue themselves to try and get play-
ground facilities built in their vil- lage. And they are not the only ones. When funding has been earmarked for these initiatives, it 1s inconceiva- ble to think that people have to lobby to get basic facilities for their local area. It’s just not on”.
“IT am proposing that Fine Gael in government will appoint a Cabinet Minister for regional planning and development with sole responsibility for delivering a policy based on the principles of proper planned regional development”, he concluded.