Rural Resettlement Ireland's (RRI) programme to boost depopulated areas of west Clare through building new homes yesterday lay in tatters.
This follows Clare County Council's refusals to RRI for three planning applications for a total of five houses in west Clare. The decisions follow the council's earlier denial of applications to build two houses at Carrigaholt last June.
Out of the applications for 11 houses lodged last May by RRI, seven have been refused. The council has expressed concern over the visual impact of the remaining four, requesting RRI to erect profiles of the proposed developments.
In the decisions, the council refused planning permission for two homes at Cross, in Kilrush, two homes at Carrowreagh West, and one home at Kiltrellig, in Kilbaha.
In each of the three cases, the council refused planning permission after concluding the planned houses would pose an unacceptable risk to surface waters and be prejudicial to public health.
The council made the rulings after stating it could not be satisfied the sites could be adequately treated in relation to the disposal of treated effluent. The decisions were made following recommendations in each case by the council's senior executive chemist.
RRI director Jim Connolly declined to comment on the council's decisions.
However, the focus will switch to RRI's two remaining applications at Knockadrine and Tullycrine Upper in west Clare - seen as vital to securing the long-term future of Tullycrine National School.
The application for the four homes was made by RRI in response to an invitation by Tullycrine National School.
In a letter to the council, chairman of the board of management of Tullycrine National School John Deely said the school is a two-teacher school with 13 pupils. If the number of students falls below 12, the school will revert to a one-teacher school.
Asking the council to take into account the school's situation, Mr Deely said: "That is not a happy situation and the future of the school is in doubt."
The council's acting director of service for planning, Liam Conneally, said that each RRI application would receive a fair, transparent and professional planning assessment.
Decisions on those applications are not due until the new year, while RRI must now consider if it wants to appeal against the refusals made by the council.
