Plan to exempt islands and poor areas of Connemara from levies goes before public

A PROPOSAI to exempt the Aran Islands, Inisboffin and Connemara CLÁR areas from business rates and development levies is to be put before the publie for consideration in two weeks' time.

During the discussions on the draft of the new County Development Plan at last week's Coundil Meeting, Clir. Seán Ó Tuairisg proposed the exemptions. The CLAR areas include the Islands and almost all of West Connemara, and includes the strongest Gaeltacht communities in the Country.

CLÁR, or Ceantar Laga, Árd-Riachtanais (Deprived Areas in Urgent Need of Support), represent the areas which have suffered a huge population drop over the years.

The setting up of the CLÁR programme, said Cllr. Ó Tuairisg, is an acknowledge ment by the Government that to curb the population decline, special intervention measures are required. He added that radical measures were required to ensure viable and sustainable communities in these areas. Clir. Ó Tuairisg pointed out that whereas the population of the Country as a whole increased by 21% over the boom period from 1996 to 2006, the population of the Islands and CLÁR areas declined by 4%. The main challenge, he said, was to create employment in these areas. The islands, in particular, had suffered greatly in recent times, due to the decline in the fishing industry and business rates exemption would help existing businesses to survive. It would also encourage the setting up of new businesses.

A lot of the businesses in these areas, he said, were tourist related and therefore, seasonal. Meeting the cost of the rates can be a major burden for these businesses, he remarked. Building costs are particularly high on the islands, due to transport costs. Exemption from development levies would go a long way to alleviate this and encourage more people to live on the islands, he concluded

In his opinion, these measures, together with the substantial improvements in infastucture in these areas, could be a huge benifit to these areas.

The proposal was strongly supported by Cllr. Seosamh Ó Cuaig, and the idea will be included in the draft of the County Development Plan, which goes on public display on August 15. Members of the public will have 10 weeks from that date to make submissions on the draft.

Boost for Co-Op
A new support package has been announced for Comharchumann Siiog8eise Chonamara - the fishermens Co-Op on the west Connemara coast. Councillor Seosamh Ó Cuaig has announced that Údarás na Gaeltachta has now sanctioned grant aid of over ¤200,000 for the Co-Op which was set up in 1984.

As part of the package the fishermen wiIl pay in ¤50O per year over a five year period. It is expected that over fifty fishermen would be involved in this scheme.

The Co-Op has been mostly involved with oyster and escallop fishing since its foundation and it has 180 members on its books in the area from Roundstone south as far as Lettermullen. Most of their work is carried out in the Cill Chiaráin and Beirtreach Buí Bays.

The Co-Op had some difficulties in recent years and a complete study of its work was carried out by Gearóid de Faoite, a consultant on business development and community work. Following Mr de Faoite's report it was decided to start a 5 year plan to strengthen the Co-Op. Councillor Seosamh Ó Cuaig said that the Co-Op was bringing in almost ¤500,000 to the fishermen of the area when it was going well in years past. "That's important income in areas like this", Councillor Ó Cuaig said.

Councillor Ó Cuaig said he now wanted the Udaras to give grant aid for a manager for the Co-Op. "I think it will pay off in the long run. As it happens the oysters on French coast have been ht by a virus this year and according to reports there will be a big shortage in the coming years. So, while that is unfortunate for the French, it should give openings for the native oysters from this part of the world on the international markets."

Company closes
There was further bad news for the Carna area as regards jobs this week when the Carna Lighting factory closed after 32 years. The company employed four full time and one part time worker before its closure. There used to be up to 8 people there in earlier years.

The company made ornamental lights and it had its headquarters in Dublin. The staff in Carna were told that demand for the lamps and iights had dropped off. The closure of Carna Lighting now means that there is only one company invoived in industrial work on the Údarás na Gaeltachta estate in Carna.

Councillor Seosamh Ó Cuaig said the closure of the factory was another bad biow for the area. "The staff in Carna Lighting have given good service," Councillor O Cuaig said "and they ail live locally. They are certainly entitled to a decent redundancy package."

Water schemes
Counciliors Seosamh Ó Cuaig and Thomas Welby say that three areas in west and north Connemara are to be iinked to public water supply schemes in the coming months.

? A total of 30 houses in the Dawrosbeg area in Letterfrack wiil get a public water suppiy. A total of 4.2km. of pipeline is to be laid in that area. Councilior Welby said that the County Council will be in charge of the job and that it will be looked after by the County Council when it is done.

Councillor Seosamh Ó Cuaig said that the same thing will happen in Leitir Ard in the Carna area where 19 houses will have access to the public water supply. A distance of 2.2km of pipeline is to be laid in that area. Two areas in Cashel are also to be linked to the CillChiarain/Carna Water scheme totalling 3.3km. in length and providing water for 11 houses.

Both Councillors Welby and Ó Cuaig were involved in these projects. It is understood that the group scheme preparations will not be continued in these cases. People will be abie to link to the main and pay the County Council for the connection. The connection fee to the Cill Chiaráin/Carna/Cashel scheme is ¤800 per house.

This may, in fact, prove more costly than the Group scheme in some areas but it has the advantage of the County Council taking over the scheme.

Cúradh Connachtach 1/8/2008


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