The Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin was in Clare on Friday to attend Ennis Chamber's annual President's Lunch at the Inn at Dromoland.

The event, at which the Tánaiste was a special guest, coincided with the launch Ennis Chamber's new report entitled 'Ennis - A Socio-Economic Profile'.

The report has been put together based on the Central Statistic Office's analysis of Census 2022 data.

Among the findings are that Ennis is the largest town in the West of Ireland with a population of 27,923 and has a population catchment within a one-hour drive of over 575,000 which is greater than that of either Limerick City or Galway City.

The report also shows that of those who work in jobs within Ennis, just 49% live in the town – with 41% commuting from elsewhere in Clare and 10% commuting from beyond the county bounds.

Clare FM's Seán Lyons caught up with the Tánaiste and started by asking him if the high volume of workers commuting to Ennis points to a scarcity of housing in the county town.