Democracy questioned as latest Athy development gets refused – Daly

The refusal to grant planning permission to the Abbey development in Athy makes nonsense of local democracy as planners disregard the wishes of the people according to Athy’s Leas-Cathaoirleach and Fine Gael’s Cllr Richard Daly.

Cllr Daly says “Local authority members of all parties in Athy held wide consultation and spent months in deliberating over a Development Plan for the town which concentrated on the central development of the town initially with development moving outwards as soon as we had secured the commercial centre. Instead of aiding this decision officials and planners have directly contradicted the unanimous decision of the elected members in refusing planning permission for the “Abbey” site in the centre of the town.

This is the second town centre development where the councillors have been united in promoting the projects to facilitate a complete regeneration of our economic fortune. In the first instance planning was finally granted with so many conditions that it could not have been less helpful and now the second development has been turned down unreasonably.

Do the officials know that this is South Kildare where we have not had the same development as North Kildare and where we desperately need the involvement of developers who will invest in our town? Do the officials not know that we are in an economic downturn and that to still have development interest is a miracle? Do the planners not realise that the elected councillors all support town centre development and have done everything to ensure that these projects go ahead? Have the planners and officials read the Athy Town Development Plan of which they were a part of creating?

It is a sad day for democracy and for Athy when we can reject investment in our town. For so long we have bemoaned the fact that shoppers were going out of town for their products and when we have the opportunity of not one, but two retail developments in the town centre they are made impossible by the very people who should me moving mountains to facilitate them.

I do not believe that any sort of development should be allowed and that constructions must be in keeping with the local environment but what is happening is embarrassing and ridiculous. Ironically the latest refusal of permission comes from Athy Town Council whose elected members unanimously support the project!”

“Democracy is in question when the will of the people is overturned by a northern based bureaucracy which does not see the urgent need of retail and roads in the south of the county” concluded Cllr Daly

Daly expresses disappointment for Athy as Sports Capital Grants axed.

Dozens of sporting organisations, voluntary and community organisations and schools will be bitterly disappointed to discover that the government has decided not to fund any sports capital grants this year according to Athy’s Leas Cathaoirleach, Cllr Richard Daly FG.

“Athy in particular has benefitted greatly from Sports Capital grants because it is a RAPID town which has been prioritised in the allocation of funds to all varieties of sports clubs. The delivery of these grants to the variety of organisations has both given our youth access to a wide range of sport and has promoted social inclusion which is a prerequisite of being a beneficiary.

In time of recession the development of our sporting facilities becomes even more important and it seems very short-sighted of the Minister that instead of reducing funding in this area he has indicated that there will be no funding whatever for Sports Capital Grants.

Many of our sports clubs and some schools have postponed their applications until this year as they were not have been ready last year and will now be devastated to find that all funding to this programme has ceased.”

“Health promotion and youth activities will all suffer as sports organisations locally relied on these grants to provide facilities” concluded Cllr Daly

Athy Southern Route now needs Government commitment – Daly

A commitment for funding for the construction of Athy’s Southern Distributor Road must be given by government now if the project is not to be delayed according to Cllr Richard Daly of Fine Gael.

“Following the most recent update on the progress of the Southern Distributor route it now seems that unless immediate funding is provided for the route that progress could come to a halt. Environmental issues and negotiations with CIE to allow acquisition of the disused rail track have progressed and the project now needs the commitment of funding of in excess of €40 million if it is to progress.

A hearing with An Bord Pleanala and the compulsory purchase orders for tracts of land would be the next steps following the commitment of funding but these would be unlikely to be initiated without money being allocated.

Athy Town Council and the various lobby and business groups are hoping that the request for finance for this project will receive a favourable response from the Department of Transport.” Said Cllr Daly

“This route is vital for the development of a town which is choked by traffic and which has a very high percentage of commuters. There now seems to be total local political and community support for the Southern Distributor Road and we must capitalise on this consensus.”

Public Sector have already paid enough – Daly

In response to the proposal for a pay reduction for public servants Cllr Richard Daly of Fine Gael says that the public sector have already paid for the mismanagement of the economy by the current government.

Speaking at this week’s Fine Gael meeting in Athy Cllr Daly told the members that the public sector were the ones who never got the benefit of the so called Celtic Tiger. “While some could afford to benefit from acquiring property portfolios and earning enormous fees during the boom, the public servants contented themselves in the knowledge that they might never be millionaires but they had the security of fixed employment, secure income and pension rights. This was to be their comfort while they watched the jet set accumulate holiday home abroad and at home. This same security kept them going while they saved for their children’s education instead of making their fortune by having friends at the Galway Races tent.

The teachers, the gardai, the nurses and the army watched the tycoons, developers and new rich experience a wealth which they would never see because they were consigned to a fixed wage where security came before financial gain.

Now those who gained less in the Tiger days are being asked to fund the gamble which others took.

The teachers who have already had to watch their children suffer education cutbacks are now being asked to pay for the mistakes of others.

The nurses who have watched their health service become a national joke are now being looked at as source of income to subsidise the system whose mismanagement they fought.

The gardai who waited throughout the boom years for the additional numbers, resources and speed cameras are being examined in terms of a pay cut because our country never prepared for winter.

Taoiseach Cowan, these people have already paid and paid times over both during and since the economic windfall. Now they are being looked at as a source of finance by a government who failed to prepare for a rainy day.”

“It is time for our government to put a plan for economic recovery together, to develop a spirit of confidence in the future and to supply leadership before forcing a large section of the population to throw their earning s into the bottomless pit of uncertainty”concluded Cllr Daly

Nurney Primary School must feature in School Building Programme – Daly

Despite the doom and gloom pronouncements for the next few years, Nurney Primary School must be included in the Springtime list to be announced by the Department of Education and Science according to Cllr Richard Daly of Fine Gael.

“Both in my capacity as a public representative and as a school principal I am extremely aware of the plight of the Primary School community in Nurney who have been left on the waiting list for far too long. The condition of the permanent building and the proliferation of prefabs send out a signal of neglect to the local community. I am only too well aware of the negative impact of inadequate and outdated buildings on the morale of students who should be our priority.

I am delighted with the advances being made in the construction of my own school project and have given a commitment that I will put every effort now to ensure justice for Nurney School which is in our catchment area and which has been overlooked for too long by the Department of Education and Science.

I am encouraging residents in the area to let public representatives know that Education will be an election issue in the forthcoming local and European elections. A window of opportunity exists where pressure can be put on the government which will not arise again for a number of years and it must not be ignored.

In my capacity as a school principal I attended a meeting of parents in Nurney following their omission from last autumn’s list where a general feeling of frustration was apparent. A number of local schools had benefitted from recent investment but despite almost a decade on the building list Nurney was once more kicked into touch and progress deferred.

Education is probably the most important area for investment to prepare us for once more attracting investment in our economy and will reap the surest of rewards and the excuse that these are difficult times cannot be used.

Now is the time to loudly let it be known that Education will be an election issue for Nurney” said Cllr Daly