Cllr lashes out at colleagues claiming headlines for work of others
Opportunist politicians, who claim credit for securing money for projects they had nothing to do with have been branded “thieves”.
Sinn Féin County Councillor, Dermot Connolly blasted Oireachtas members for issuing statements claiming credit for work they did not lobby for.
He was speaking at the latest Ballinasloe Municipal District meeting, when he raised the issue of Clontuskert National School.
The school recently received confirmation that it had secured some €9,000 in funding to carry out road safety measures.
Cllr Connolly said that funding was granted because he had contacted Galway County Council to ensure that a request was submitted to the relevant government department.
He said he wanted to put on the record that it was Ballinasloe Municipal District who had applied for the money, which was subsequently granted, and not Oireachtas members.
“Some of them have never been to Clontuskert; and some of them don’t even know where it is,” he fumed.
Cllr Connolly did not name names although Galway West Minister of State Sean Kyne (FG) referred to Clontuskert in a press statement, while Roscommon-based Fine Gael representative Maura Hopkins also referred to it in a newsletter.
“I won’t take credit for footing somebody else’s turf. There’s thieving going on out there in relation to Clontuskert. It’s ridiculous,” he said.
Fianna Fáil’s Michael Connolly said it was not right to call people thieves. “You can’t say that. How do you know what representations were made by anyone else,” he asked.
Meanwhile, later on in the meeting, Cllr Michael Connolly, and the chairman of Ballinasloe Municipal District, Cllr Donal Burke, lashed-out at former county mayor, Pete Roche, for comments he made about how they had voted on a particular issue.
Fine Gael Cllr Roche, was quoted in the Connacht Tribune as saying those who voted against plans for a €1.7 million development of 10 social houses in Ballinasloe “should be ashamed of themselves”.
Cllr Roche said there was a housing crisis, and their decision to vote against the scheme was “disgraceful”.
Cllrs Burke and Michael Connolly took umbrage at the remarks in the newspaper and lashed back at Cllr Roche, a Tuam Municipal District representative who was not present at the Ballinasloe meeting.
Cllr Connolly said he was entitled to vote on the Part 8 planning, and did so while representing the views of people living in the area.
He said it was Cllr Roche, who acted with disgrace, for his comments, which he took “particular exception” to.
Cllr Burke said Cllr Roche’s comments were “inappropriate, insulting and completely outrageous”