Pic. Brian Arthur Photo
It’s his final few hours of his reign as Cathoirleach of Clare County Council and James Breen has been reflecting on his time in office.
James points to a number of visits as his achievements while in the role of Cathaoirleach. “First of all it has been a very busy year and I’ve represented the County at home and abroad to the best of my ability and I think we have a few achievements. I was the first mayor to ever visit Downing Street and Westminster Abbey, one of the first mayors in eight hundred years to attend the ceremonies in London so I think that was a first and I thought it was a nice achievement for the Mayor of Clare.
“I also had a first at the meeting in UL my final meeting last week, the first time ever Clare County Council held a meeting in UL campus but it was in Co Clare that was the best part of it”.
He told The Clare Herald that he wasn’t expecting such a busy schedule. “The only thing that surprised me in the position was that it was so busy, it was so hectic, you were invited to everything and anything in the County. I often done three or four engagements in the one day and it was an honour to attend and meet all those people who thought of inviting the Mayor of Clare to such events”.
A former Independent T.D. Breen feels that the length of time in the role could be extended. “A year is a very short time to be Cathaoirleach but it’s such a busy schedule that it’s very hard to do things you’d like to do because you’re all the time I’d say my term as Cathaoirleach I was absent from home two hundred and sixty five days of the three hundred and sixty five”.
Breen believes the housing crisis is the biggest issue in Clare today. “The housing crisis is very serious at this point in time, the amount of people that are homeless and have no homes, well I suppose they’re living in substandard accommodation, it’s a scandal this day and age that they’re so many people on the housing list in Co Clare, something will have to be done about it”.
At the Clare County Council AGM this afternoon, James Breen will pass on the Mayoral Chains, he’s tipping Fianna Fáil Cllr Bill Chambers to become the new Cathaoirleach.
“I’m expecting Bill Chambers from Cooraclare who has thirty one year’s done in Clare County Council and I think it’s a just reward for Bill, I’m fairly confident he will be elected Chairman next Monday and I think it would be a great honour for Bill having served his County and served his area for thirty one years”.