'About time this Government gets off its ass' insists Laois councillor

A Laois councillor has hit out at the Government for not delivering more money to the county under a scheme which is described as being "essential" for the many small community groups and organisations.

Cllr James Kelly, independent, highlighted what he believed is a deficit in Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) funding in Laois at a meeting with councillors and council officials in County Hall.

The matter arose after Cllr Paddy Bracken tabled a motion relating to the refurbishment of O'Connell Square in Mountmellick. 

"There's a town team in place working very hard to redevelop the whole town, and looking at the potential for improvements," said Cllr Bracken at the latest Borris-in-Ossory / Mountmellick Municipal District meeting.

"I think that this is a very important phase, to try and source funding in terms of enhancing the square. This is a very special area, it’s the whole centre of the town.

"There’s funding out there, and I would ask that we try impress upon the local authority that we need to get that square finished. The second phase needs to be done, I’m not happy at all that it’s still going on from over two years ago," Cllr Bracken said.

Cllr James Kelly supported the motion adding that he and Cllr King sit on town teams in Mountrath and Rathdowney.

"It’s a slow process, as we both know it, but only for the great work of Denise Rainey and her staff (in the council), we’d still be back three or four years, back in the dark ages where we weren’t going to get anything done," he said.

Pictured: Councillor James Kelly.

"Denise Rainey can make it happen, but Mountmellick definitely needs the funding. We were lucky enough that we got the town and village funding in both towns, but we need to get more funding. 

There’s €14 million going spare now chair, from the European decision there. There’s plenty of money going to be available there, so it’s about time this Government got off their ass and started giving some of the money out, instead of talking about it," Cllr Kelly continued.

"We’re talking about it in this chamber at every council meeting, and yet there’s a big kitty out there and nobody seems to want to give it out. So it’s about time now that ye started moving lads," Cllr Kelly said.

Cllr John King asked for more information on the amount of notices of motion that have been completed.

"I also want to know from all of the notices of motion, roughly 18 per month, how many are completed? I know that I have quite a few that have yet to be attended for all sorts of reasons.

"When it comes to the council, they have to look for money and put it to use as well. When we go canvassing, all we can say is we have tabled the notices of motion, and then it moves on to the next level. I think that more staff is needed both outdoors and engineers," Cllr King finished.

Pictured: The unfinished O'Connell square in Mountmellick.

Councillor Kelly agreed with this point, and questioned the amount of funding allocated from central government.

"You look at the great work that was done before the local elections by our staff here," he said.

"We have 45% of the roads in the county. And they’re giving us what, 2.8 million? To look after forty five percent of the roads in the county? How can we get the notices of motion done when we don’t have the funding?" he asked.

"It goes back to the central government. You can say what you like, we do need staff, but it comes back here then.

"Central government have the power to give us extra money, they’re not giving us the extra money, so we’re then doing the notices of motion and asking why they aren’t being done, and then staff will say, ‘we don’t have any funding for it’. Everything is subject to funding, so it’s crazy," Cllr Kelly finished.

Cathaoirleach Cllr Seamus McDonald agreed with the points risen.

"I agree that the lack of funding is the main issue," Cllr McDonald said.