Minister’s ‘no’ to Limerick worth €260,000 to Clare

ENVIRONMENT Minister Phil Hogan’s decision to reject the proposed transfer of five square kilometres of land into a new authority for Limerick City and County will ensure that Clare Co Council retains €260,000 in commercial rates.

Commercial rates from traders in Gillogue, Clonlara, net the council about €160,000 annually while the Westbury Shopping Centre and other local businesses provide about €100,000.

The county council had also faced the prospect of losing hundreds of thousands of euro from major new industries in south-east Clare if the minister had implemented the controversial boundary recommendations in the Limerick Local Government Report.