Councillors criticise bishop

The Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh, has come under fire from members of Ennis Town Council over a land deal he entered into with the council three years ago.

In October 2000, Bishop Walsh sold six acres of land at his Westbourne residence to the council for €1.52 million.

Bishop Walsh said at the time that the Diocesan Trust had responded to the approach by the council "because we are conscious of our obligations towards co-operating with the council in their efforts to respond to the needs for social housing".

In a letter to councillors, Bishop Walsh stated that he hoped that the sale of the lands would enable the council to make further significant progress in a number of areas and referred to the continuing problem of illegal parking of Travellers' caravans in Ennis.

However, more than 2½ years on, the council has yet to lodge a planning application for 75 houses on the lands, despite the council's growing housing list.

The housing list stands at 590, with 25 per cent of those being asylum-seekers or refugees.

At the council's May meeting, the town manager, Mr Tom Coughlan, told councillors that the delay in lodging plans for the site was due in part to complying with Bishop Walsh's wish for the council to consult with a third party, the St Vincent de Paul Society, which is seeking to build a 20-bed hostel for homeless people on the site.

Independent councillor Mr Tommy Brennan said: "There was no agreement with the vendor to enter negotiations with a third party. We always seem to get people selling us land and then telling us what to do with it."

Cllr Frank Neylon said the council should not proceed with any further discussions with the St Vincent de Paul. He said: "This hostel would push more undesirables into Ennis. I wouldn't like to see them at Westbourne and they wouldn't be accepted elsewhere in Ennis."

Cllr Michael Corley (Labour) said he disagreed strongly with Cllr Neylon, stating that society must do something for the homeless in Co Clare.

However, Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Fianna Fáil) told the meeting: "I am very disappointed with the bishop. The bishop is out of order on a lot of things and he would be better off doing his Christian duties rather than local authority ones."