Councillor denies any conflict of interest

Clare County Councillor Michael Begley has rejected claims there is a “conflict of interest” between his job as a planning consultant and his membership of the local planning authority.

The independent councillor has declared his involvement in his Clonlara-based Planning Consultancy and Planning Services in the latest council register of interests.

Mr Begley has insisted he doesn’t believe there is any “conflict of interest” between the two roles, as he makes a clear distinction between both of them.