REVEALED: Council spends more than €30 million on 'strategic projects' across Clare

Clare County Council has confirmed it has spent around €34 million on land purchases over the last decade, with €23 million being spent over the last five years alone. 

This was revealed in response to a question submitted by several councillors - Shane Talty, Joe Garrihy, Pat Hayes, Pat Burke, Tom O' Callaghan, Paul Murphy, John Crowe, Ian Lynch, Mary Howard, Rita McInerney, Joe Killeen and Bill Slattery. 

The written question, which was submitted ahead of the May meeting of the local authority called on the Council to provide a breakdown of lands/property purchased in 2024, including details of property acquired, all associated costs and the funding sources.

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In a written reply, Interim Chief Executive Dr Carmel Kirby said: "The Council on an ongoing basis acquire parcels of land for various strategic projects including infrastructure improvements such as road realignment, road widening, flood relief, housing development amongst others." 

In the decade of purchasing land, Clare County Council spent €11 million in the first five years. This more than doubled for the second half of the decade, where €23 million in land was bought across several capital project areas.