PUBLIC MEETING: MONAGHAN ROADS

27/04/2015 by borderroamer

Cllr PJ O’Hanlon Photo: © Michael Fisher

PUBLIC MEETING TO BE HELD ON STATE OF LOCAL ROADS

Road Funding for local and regional Roads in Monaghan for the year 2015 is €7.1 million, a reduction of over €4 million in four years. The issue has been discussed at recent meetings of Carrickmacross-Castleblayney Municipal District by the six Councillors, including PJ O’Hanlon. Councillor O’Hanlon told the Northern Standard he had been raising this issue continuously, but nobody in power seemed to be listening or did not want to listen. He said he had Parliamentary Questions asked in the Dáil by Brendan Smith T.D. and the response was that ‘this is your allocation for the year’. Councillor O’Hanlon said this was not acceptable and he believed public representatives had to fight to get further funding.

“Our roads are in a deplorable state and if we are going to create local, indigenous jobs we need a proper road infrastructure. A survey is being carried out by the National Roads Authority in relation to the condition of the roads and this will be a waste of time unless we receive further funding”, he said.

Timmy Dooley T.D.

“People cannot understand why they are paying road tax and property tax, and then the road funding has been reduced. As a result of this I have arranged a public meeting for Thursday 30th April in the Glencarn Hotel Castleblayney at 8pm.The guest speaker will be Timmy Dooley T.D., spokesman for transport, tourism and sport for Fianna Fáil. However this is not a Fianna Fáil party meeting, it is a public meeting and is open to everyone in the county. It is important that politicians from all sides stand up and say enough is enough. We want a proper road network as we are paying road tax and property tax and the funding has been reduced, so please come to this meeting and help us in our cause to get additional funding for our local road network”, Councillor O’Hanlon concluded.

COUNCILLORS OPPOSE GAMING OUTLETS

26/03/2015 by borderroamer

Ground floor unit in Carrickmacross proposed for conversion into a private members gaming club Photo: © Michael Fisher

COUNCILLORS CONTINUE TO OPPOSE GAMBLING OUTLETS

Michael Fisher

All six Councillors in the Carrickmacross-Castleblayney Municipal District have again highlighted their opposition to a proposed private members gaming club in Carrickmacross. A fortnight ago planners in Monaghan County Council put on hold an application by Carrick Gold Mine Ltd to set up a private gaming club in a vacant commercial unit off Main Street, beside the car park at the rear of the Shopping Centre at Drummond Etra.

Carrickmacross-Castleblayney MD Councillors PJ O’Hanlon, Aidan Campbell, Colm Carthy and Padraig McNally Photo © Michael Fisher

The applicants said the proposed use of the premises would be for a professionally managed Private Members Gaming Club. It would provide card games like Baccarat and other games like Texas Holdem etc “for groups of dedicated card players”. It would the Club’s intention to have weekly Poker tournaments, some of which would be for local sports teams and associations, according to the letter. The club’s facilities would be open to members only, who must be over eighteen.

Planning officials have requested additional information about a number of aspects and have given the applicants six months to reply to the Council.

Cllr Jackie Crowe (SF), Cathaoirleach Carrickmacross-Castleblayney Municipal District Council Photo: © Michael Fisher

The March meeting of the Municipal District Council held in Carrickmacross and chaired by Cllr Jackie Crowe heard from District Co-Ordinator Cathal Flynn that because of a loophole in current legislation, there was nothing the District Council could do to prevent the operation of such a club, if the application was approved. Councillor Padraig McNally asked for Standing Orders to be suspended so that he could ask a question seeking additional information, following last month’s decision to write to the Minister for Justice, asking for local authorities to be able to introduce bye-laws that would prohibit gaming facilities, including gaming clubs. He was told that the Council had received a letter from the office of the Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald T.D., last week. It informed Councillors that the government had approved the general scheme of the Gambling Control Bill in July 2013. The scheme was currently with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, awaiting legal drafting. A copy has been made available on the Department’s website. The letter, signed by the Minister’s Private Secretary, said that upon enactment of this proposed legislation, the Minister would assume the sole regulatory function as relates to all forms of gambling, with the exception of the National Lottery. It was not possible to indicate at this point when the Bill is likely to be published, according to the Minister’s Office.

Cllr Padraig McNally (FF) Photo © Michael Fisher

Councillor McNally said this letter should be circulated to local Deputies and they should be asked to help speed up the process of bringing the Bill through the Dáil, so as to ensure this planning application would come under the remit of any new gambling legislation.

Cllr PJ O’Hanlon (FF) Photo: © Michael Fisher

His party colleague Councillor PJ O’Hanlon said they would do everything in their power through the Council to stop such private members clubs. As public representatives they had a role and a function to represent the views of people on the ground.

Cllr Colm Carthy Photo: © Michael Fisher

Councillor Colm Carthy said a number of local businesses and residents in Carrickmacross had already been in contact with Oireachtas members and they would push the issue to try to get it resolved. Councillor Noel Keelan said their aim should be to try to close the planning loophole concerning private members gaming clubs. Councillor McNally proposed and Councillor O’Hanlon seconded a motion, which was passed unanimously:

“That this Authority writes to our local TDs to ensure the speedy passage of legislation in Dáil Éireann and to seek their support for measures to stop such gambling outlets from receiving consent for planning authorities and court services”.

Cllr Noel Keelan Photo: © Michael Fisher

The Northern Standard

COUNCILLORS DEFEND LIBRARY SERVICE

25/03/2015 by borderroamer

Carrickmacross-Castleblayney MD Councillors PJ O’Hanlon, Aidan Campbell, Colm Carthy and Padraig McNally Photo © Michael Fisher

COUNCILLORS OPPOSE PLANS TO CHANGE LIBRARY SERVICE

Michael Fisher

Moves to amalgamate library services in Monaghan and Cavan by the appointment of a joint librarian will be strongly opposed by Councillors in the Carrickmacross and Castleblayney area. A meeting of the Municipal District Council on Monday discussed a submission received by a Ballybay resident and member of the local library, who expressed her concerns over the issue. She said there was a real fear among members that if the proposal goes ahead then smaller libraries like the one in Ballybay would close. The library service is important to local communities on many levels, she told Councillors, and she asked them to contact Minister Alan Kelly to get him and his department to abolish the proposed amalgamation.

Councillor Padraig McNally said they had been told the only proposal was to share the County Librarian between the two counties. But he said they did not need such a change as they already had a good system in place. He proposed that the District strongly objected to any amalgamation. This was the thin end of the wedge and next thing they would be looking at the fire service, he said. The county had already been stripped of so many services.

Councillor PJ O’Hanlon said this was the start of another service being taken away from the county. Councillor McNally proposed and his party colleague Councillor O’Hanlon seconded a motion:

“That this Municipal District rejects any amalgamation of our library services. Monaghan has a proud record of providing library services and does not need to be linked with any other counties or regions”. It was passed unanimously.

Cllr Noel Keelan (SF) Photo: © Michael Fisher

Councillor Noel Keelan said ‘amalgamation’ was another word for cuts and proposed a motion: “That this District Council writes to the Minister, Mr Alan Kelly T.D., requesting that the proposed amalgamation does not proceed, given how important the Library Service is to the people”. Councillor Colm Carthy seconded and this motion was also agreed.

Cathaoirleach Councillor Jackie Crowe said they were all absolutely opposed to any amalgamation.

The Northern Standard

Michael Fisher's News

Tag Archives: PJ O’Hanlon

PUBLIC MEETING: MONAGHAN ROADS

COUNCILLORS OPPOSE GAMING OUTLETS

COUNCILLORS DEFEND LIBRARY SERVICE

Like this:

Like this:

Like this: