Galway Bay fm newsroom – There were chaotic scenes at this weeks meeting of Galway County Council over government intervention into the Headford Local Area Plan.
Councillor Donagh Killilea said a Ministerial Direction issued to the local authority over the plan was ‘treating councillors like schoolboys in a playground’.
Ministerial Directions are issued when the Department of the Environment feels there are significant problems or concerns arising from a local area plan.
These could include failing to comply with planning acts, ignoring statutory observations, or failing to set out an adequate strategy for sustainable development.
Such a directive has been issued to Galway County Council, in relation to the six year Local Area Plan for Headford for 2015-2021.
Councillor Des Joyce remarked that all of their hard work for the good of the people of Headford was being over-ridden by someone behind a desk in Dublin who has never been to Headford.
He suggested that Minister Paudie Coffey should visit the area and speak with locals if he had questions over the plan Councillors had put forward.
County Cathaoirleach Peter Roche said he simply couldn’t accept the Ministerial Direction after all the hard work they had carried out in the community.
Councillor Karey McHugh warned that if they didn’t put up a fight now, they would face the same situation in every district going forward.
Donagh Killilea demanded that Fine Gael Councillors ask ‘their’ Minister about the situation – which sparked heated and out of control exchanges across the chamber.
Councillor Donagh Killilea says Headford and Tuam area Councillors feel they’ve been slighted by the Department
Chief Executive Kevin Kelly said the Council would prepare a report for the Minister which would include the concerns raised at this week’s meeting.
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