This article is from page 33 of the 2008-09-16 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 33 JPG
ELECTED representatives have as little power as “the begging bull” – according to a Shannon councillor.
Councillor Gerry Flynn (Independ- ent) made the claim during a debate on a contentious footpath that has been erected through a green area in Finian Park, Shannon.
A letter, signed by three residents in Finian Park, called for a meet- ing with Shannon area councillors, where they could air their concerns.
Councillor Flynn said that there
had been a mistake “in so far as con- sultation didn’t take place. We had a duplication of a path which there was no need for.”
He said that local residents should have been consulted.
“It shows residents the actual pow- ers we have as elected representa- tives, which are so limited. . . We have the power of the begging bull, nothing else,” he said.
However Fine Gael Councillor Tony Mulcahy asked had we reached a stage where residents had to be consulted before every piece of work
would be carried out.
However, Councillor Flynn said when he pointed out the concerns to the engineer, the concrete had not been put in place, but it was later added, without the residents being consulted. “It just shows that solo runs can be dangerous,” he said.
However Shannon Town Manager Ger Dollard replied, “The decision that was made certainly wasn’t a solo run. The decision was made in good eis 0 ee
Clare County Council Senior Exec- utive Engineer Donal Hogan said that
this area was included in a schedule of footpaths to be put in place, un- der the town commissioners’ grants scheme, in 2006.
As a result of a survey carried out at the time, he said that a map was produced and this included the pro- vision of a footpath across a green area.
He said the council would be fool- ish to employ people to do work if they were going to be “hamstrung.”
“We can’t consult everybody about everything. There has to be some trust,’ he said.