Catherine Connolly stresses ‘ecological risks’ Donegal faces during visit to county

Donegal is facing "significant ecological risks" that mean the full implementation of the county's climate action plan will be essential, President Catherine Connolly has said during her first official visit to the county.

The country’s tenth president made the comments at Donegal County Council’s headquarters in Lifford during the first day of a two-day visit  to Donegal that takes in Killybegs, Letterkenny and Ardara.

Earlier on Tuesday, she opened the ATLIC International Creative Jam in Killybegs.

The visit to the council headquarters was in conjunction with Coiste na Gaeilge, and members of Irish language groups in the county were present in the council chamber along with county councillors and council officials.

The President said that having spent 17 years as a city councillor in Galway, including a year as mayor of Galway City, she is “never in any doubt as to the importance of local government”. 

“It was an experience that deepened my respect for the work of elected members and indeed the staff of local authorities who work hard to deliver essential services for their local communities.” 

Her time in local government copper-fastened her view “that decisions affecting people’s lives should be made as close as possible to those whose lives they impact”. 

“Effective and representative local government is the bedrock of a stable and robust democracy as well as being a key means of empowering local communities. It is clear to me as I travel the country, local communities on the ground have clearly identified the challenges that they are facing, and equally importantly, the solutions.

“It is vital that local authorities are enabled, empowered and resourced in light of the challenges they face and the existential threat posed by climate change.

“Indeed, the 2023 report by the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities shines a spotlight on local government funding in Ireland, and notes that just 8% of total public expenditure comes from local authorities, compared to the EU average of 23.3%,” she said.

President Connolly said that as a county, “Donegal faces significant ecological risks, primarily through increased coastal erosion, flooding, infrastructure damage, and biodiversity loss. 

“Donegal has borne witness to the increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events which we know are a direct consequence of climate change. The full implementation of Donegal’s Climate Action Plan 2024-2029 will be essential. 

“The Donegal County Development Plan 2024-2030 recognises the need to improve climate action resilience across the county.  

“It is approaching seven years since Ireland declared a climate and biodiversity emergency in May 2019 and over 10 years since we agreed the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals at global level. The transformative action needed is now even more urgent as we see the reneging of commitments across the globe.”

The Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Cllr  Paul Canning, thanked the President for making the commitment to visit the county and said he was delighted to welcome her.

“On behalf of the people of Donegal, I really appreciate you coming to Donegal,” he said.

Chief executive of the council, John McLaughlin, said it was a great privilege to welcome the president  to the county, adding that it was an honour to have her visit so early in her term.

Presentations were made to the president during the visit and award-winning singer Clíona Ní Ghallachóir performed An Mhaighdean Mhara in the council chamber.

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Cathaoirleach of Coiste na Gaeilge, Cllr Micheál Choilm Mac Giolla Easbuig, said the visit was significant for the county.

Coiste na Gaeilge had invited the president “to see the great work and fantastic work that the wider community do around the language”, he said.

It was a great honour to welcome her and the visit showed “a strong commitment from the president” to the county and  the work being done to preserve the Irish language in Donegal.

After Lifford, the President was continuing to Letterkenny to visit Cara House Family Resource Centre and the Donegal Travellers Project.

On Wednesday, the President is visiting Ardara Community Childcare Centre.