A new landmark report suggests poverty in Clare is ‘systemic’ while the county’s housing system is ‘chaotic’.
The document, entitled ‘Towards an Anti-Poverty Strategy for Clare’, has been published this morning.
This is the first county-level project of its kind in Ireland and was written by economist and researcher Dr Conor McCabe, under the umbrella of the Clare Public Participation Network.
The report is described as ‘uncomfortable’ and ‘critical’ and makes stark reading across key areas such as housing, health, employment, poverty, tourism and agriculture.
It suggests firstly that Clare needs its own social housing action plan, and that holiday homes in Clare were built during the boom as ‘a tax avoidance scheme’ and have distorted this county’s housing market.
One participant in the study claimed people ‘would want to be on a CEO’s pay’ to afford to buy a house in West Clare.
It also says there are ‘stark differences’ in the delivery of healthcare in Clare compared to other counties, with the number of GPs here a third below the national average, and the number of dentists just half of that figure.
It further claims that tourism jobs aren’t ‘[adding] to anybody’s quality of life’ and that the industry is overly reliant on tourists visiting the Cliffs of Moher.
In terms of agriculture, it’s accused the Government of not having a ‘just transition’ plan for Clare farmers, who rely more in percentage terms on beef production than any other county, and that this will lead to the exit of low to middle income farmers altogether from the sector.
The report concludes by suggesting the National Development Plan, launched last year and running to 2030, ‘overlooks Clare’ and needs to be reviewed.
You can read the full report here
