Diarmuid McMahon, President Ennis Chamber

Since being elected to the role of Ennis Chamber President in April, I have put housing and development at the top of the Chamber’s Policy Agenda. As an estate agent, I am at the coal face of the housing crisis and I understand both the obvious and widespread challenges, but also the nuances of the rental, residential buyer and commercial market for Ennis and wider afield for County Clare.

We are fortunate to have pro-active members involved in development, construction and sales within the property sector, and we have built on that foundation to create a strong ‘Ennis Chamber Housing & Construction Group’. This group has local knowledge and expertise on its side, and we are actively harnessing those assets to create a focussed policy for our county town.

The population of Ennis is currently circa 28,000, representing 22% of the population of County Clare. It is the largest town in Munster and the largest town in the West of Ireland. As such it is the main economic driver for the county. With a population growth to reach almost 40,000 by 2040, we need a clear plan for infrastructural investment and housing, if we are to accommodate those numbers.

While housing and development are my key focus, the expertise amongst the Executive Board of Ennis Chamber and that our of our CEO, Margaret O’Brien will ensure that essential areas such as tourism and hospitality, retail, education and services continue to be addressed in a deliberate and focussed way.