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About the council

Clare County Council is responsible for the administrative area of County Clare. The council is responsible for the provision of important services. 

Mission statement

"To enhance the quality of life in County Clare through leadership and partnership".

Introduction

Clare County Council is responsible for the administrative area of County Clare. The council is responsible for the provision of a number of important services. These are delivered through eight programme groups:

  • Housing and Building
  • Road Transportation and Safety
  • Water Supply and Sewerage (Water Services)
  • Development Incentives and Control
  • Environmental Protection
  • Recreation and Amenity
  • Agriculture, Education, Health and Welfare
  • Miscellaneous

In the provision of these services Clare County Council play a key role in community development, with the services interacting with each other and with services provided by other agencies to aid development in the following sectors:

  • Economic – through provision of roads, water and sewerage, industrial sites, urban renewal, waste management
  • Social – housing, community activities
  • Environmental – pollution prevention, waste management, water services
  • Infrastructure provision and operation / maintenance – roads, water services, housing
  • Tourism development, amenities, heritage, arts and culture – open spaces, amenities, libraries, heritage, museum, arts activities
  • Consumer protection – fire service, road safety, civil defence, building regulation, development control, other regulatory codes.

Under the Local Government Act 2001 each local authority has an elected council with members known as councillors who are elected every five years. In Clare County Council there are 28 councillors or elected members who are elected from 4 local electoral areas:

  • Ennis: 8 members
  • Killaloe: 6 members
  • Shannon: 6 members
  • West: 8 members

The elected council is the policy-making arm of Clare County Council, who act by what are termed 'Reserved Functions'. Reserved functions are defined by law and specified across a whole range of enactments. These comprise mainly decisions on important matters of policy and finance and include:

  • Adoption of the annual budget and setting level of rates
  • Making or varying the county development plan
  • Adoption a scheme of letting priorities for local authority dwellings
  • Making, amending and revoking bye-laws
  • Approval for borrowing money
  • Declaration of roads to be public roads

The council makes its decisions by resolution (at its meetings). The executive of the council (the officials) in turn, implement the adopted policy.

The Chief Executive performs, what are called 'Executive Functions', in accordance with the policy framework established by the elected members. The manager carries out these functions by means of what are known as 'Chief Executive Orders' - written signed and dated orders setting out decisions made. These functions include:

  • The letting of houses
  • The granting or refusal of planning permissions
  • The appointment of staff

Page last reviewed: 20/12/18

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