Annual Report 2020, Which Outlines the Work Changed from Office-Based to Remote Working
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20 Annual Report 20 PB 1 June 2021 tAblE oF ContEntS Introduction by the Cathaoirleach and Chief Executive 2 Clare County Councillors 6 Finance and Support Services Directorate 13 Physical Development Directorate 27 Social Development Directorate 41 Rural Development Directorate 53 Economic Development Directorate 67 Municipal Districts 87 Abridged Financial Statement: Year ended 31st December 2020 97 Seminars and Conferences attended by Clare County Councillors in 2020 98 Contact information/telephone numbers 99 065 6821616 065 6828233 [email protected] www.clarecoco.ie Cllr Mary Howard Mr Pat Dowling Cathaoirleach Chief Executive INTRODUCTION BY THE CATHAOIRLEACH AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE We are pleased to introduce the Council’s staff and elected members as service delivery Annual Report 2020, which outlines the work changed from office-based to remote working. of the Council in delivering on a wide range Clare County Council staff met these challenges of vital public services and a number of major head on; they are to be commended for the projects during the year. commitment to public service demonstrated in 2020. the year 2020 was an extraordinary one locally and globally in the context of the Covid-19 In addition to meeting the challenges of pandemic. the impact of Covid-19 is evident Covid-19, Clare County Council continued throughout this Report. the pandemic, and to deliver core local government services the Government restrictions necessary to across the county, focusing and delivering safeguard public health, significantly impacted on key strategic objectives, creating new the nature of service provision. the Council opportunities. the Council is responsible for had to respond decisively and innovatively delivering services to over 118,000 individuals, to challenges that could not have been with a staff of 940 and an annual budget anticipated. Clare County Council provided of €128m in 2020 and a forecasted capital a leadership role in the Covid-19 response in expenditure of €372m over the next three the county, working with national government, years. regional partners and agencies, and local businesses and communities to chart paths the pandemic and the associated public through the periods of uncertainty. health measures presented immediate and severe financial challenges for the Council Council staff across the organisation had to and business communities as they dealt with adapt to new ways of working while finding the economic impact and restrictions on innovative ways to continue to provide its business activity. the Council had forecasted wide range of services. new technologies and extraordinary financial and cash flow impacts new ways of working were embraced by our in the areas of Commercial Rates, Income from 2 Goods and Services and additional expenditure Sections of the Major Emergency Plan were incurred in responding to the crisis in excess of implemented in the response to protracted €25m. flooding at Clonlara in February 2020. Emergency exercises carried out during 2020 During 2020, a combined total of €215.4m include the ESb Moneypoint test of the External was spent in the revenue and capital account Emergency Plan (Seveso Plan) and the limerick (excluding transfers) of Clare County Council tunnel inter-agency response exercise. in delivering services and developing infrastructure. It is positive to report that 2020 saw the largest number of duties and the Council recorded a near break-even responses carried out in the history of Clare financial result for the year after the receipt Civil Defence in a single year. the members of Government support for lost income and contributed over 900 hours in Covid-19 related additional expenditure incurred. duties alone. In July, Clare Civil Defence moved into a new state-of-the-art, purpose-designed In the area of physical development, the 2020 headquarters at the Quin Road Campus. Schedule of Municipal District Works provided for a Roadworks Programme which had a Housing staff worked tirelessly to maintain total fund of €30.6m, which was completed standards of service delivery in the critical successfully. Much progress was made by the areas while adapting to remote working and PMo team during the year on its portfolio of huge changes in the working environment. projects, including major roads projects such Despite these challenges a comprehensive as the Killaloe bypass, new Shannon Crossing work programme was delivered during 2020. and R494 upgrade project. In terms of capital project delivery, there were the Water Services staff, following all safety four social housing developments completed protocols, provided an uninterrupted service in 2020, providing a total of 30 units of throughout the year. the Council delivers a accommodation for applicants on our social service level agreement (SlA) on behalf of Irish housing list. this was in addition to purchasing Water through an Annual Service Plan. 35 units at various locations and the provision of a new four-unit turnkey development in A diverse range of activities continued Ennis. in the Environment section, such as waste enforcement, waste management, Covid-19 brought significant extra complexities environmental awareness, energy, climate to a service that engages with Clare’s most action, gardening, scientific services (laboratory, vulnerable, the Homeless Action team (HAt). water, air), veterinary services and blue Flag the HAt continued to work towards building a beaches. service that can appropriately meet the needs of homeless clients in Clare. Clare County Fire and Rescue Service attained accreditation to the ISo 45001 Health & Safety 2020 was a challenging year for the sport Management System Standard in April for the and recreation facilities in the county as the implementation of its Safety Management facilities were closed for a period due to System throughout the service following an Covid-19 restrictions. new booking systems audit by the national Standards Authority were implemented for the facilities once they Ireland. were permitted to open. the public library 3 service nationally was hit with intermittent the Community Response Helpline, a periods of opening and closing in 2020. dedicated phone service responding to the During periods of complete ‘lockdown’ staff needs of the people of County Clare, has were engaged with book delivery services operated seven days a week throughout the to cocooners which was extended to all who various stages of restrictions. there were requested the service. 1,136 calls to the helpline in 2020. the impact of Covid-19 was felt deeply in the the Clare ‘Keep Well’ campaign commenced, arts sector, and Council staff endeavoured to connecting the public to information about provide supports to both artists and audiences. local wellbeing resources and initiatives. Clare County Council maintained its focus on providing quality public services by working the local Community Development Committee closely with community groups, organisations (lCDC) had another busy year of managing an and businesses to deliver positive change for extensive range of strategic programmes and communities in the county. activities, while a Service level Agreement for 2020 was finalised between the Public 2020 saw a further expansion of the DigiClare Participation network (PPn) and Clare County initiative with the establishment of an Council and an annual work plan agreed for additional five digital hubs/remote working the year. facilities throughout the county. this is now particularly relevant due to the increase in the the sudden stop to international travel number of workers seeking to work remotely and tourism deeply impacted domestic as a result of the Covid-19 epidemic. tourism within Ireland. However, the tourism Department continued its development, the Department of Rural and Community planning and promotional work and managed Development channels a number of funding to contribute significantly to the strengthening programmes through the Council. In 2020, the of the tourism product in Clare. schemes attracted projects and funds under the town & Village Renewal Scheme 2020 Clare County Council, in conjunction with Fáilte and Accelerated Measures, the ClÁR Initiative Ireland, established a Clare tourism Recovery 2020, the outdoor Recreation Infrastructure taskforce to guide the reactivation of Clare as Scheme 2020 and the Rural Regeneration and a tourism destination in a tactical response to Development Fund. the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. In response to Covid-19, approximately 40 In September 2020, the Clare tourism Strategy community and voluntary groups around 2030 – Guiding our Journey to a Vibrant new the county supported the ‘Community Call’ Future in tourism – was adopted by the elected by assisting vulnerable individuals in their members of Clare County Council. community with practical supports such as collection and delivery of food, fuel and In the area of planning and economic medicine. development, the two-year statutory process of preparing a new County Development Plan 4 2022-2028 commenced on 18th September, the Property Management Unit advanced a 2020. the new County Development Plan number of property refurbishment projects will set out the overall strategy for the proper during the year, while significant progress was planning and sustainable development of the made in rectifying and registration of title to county over a six-year period. Council-owned properties and dealing with queries from the public. In 2020, a group of public and private