CALL FOR INCREASED FUNDING FOR DISTRICT
CLLR Derek Mitchell has said that the Greystones area is getting short-changed in terms of revenue expenditure.
He called for a suspension of standing orders at last Tuesday evening’s district meeting to discuss the matter.
Cllr Mitchell told the meeting that he looked at the amount spent per person. He said that in Bray this is 42 per cent more than Greystones, and in Arklow it’s 66 per cent more per resident than Greystones.
In 2016, the allocation for work expenditure Greystones was €137 per person in Greystones; €196 in Wicklow; €227 in Arklow and €251 in Baltinglass/west, according to figures Cllr Mitchell passed out at the meeting.
‘I understand that the west has a very large road structure and more fire stations. However we are getting very little,’ said Cllr Mitchell. ‘We have taken a huge increase in population and lots of things need funding.
‘I’m not prepared to keep voting for the council budgets if it doesn’t change – I do realise there are roads and fire station in the west but I will not stand for being ignored on this.
‘I’m quite prepared to sit down with the manager, engineer, and Town Clerk and go through the budgets and see where we need more and it’s reasonable to say we need more – for example for the maintenance of the Charlesland Dual Carriageway.’
‘Someone needs to help us as to how we can get this changed,’ said Cllr Grainne McLoughlin. ‘Obviously the other councillors won’t vote with us.’
Cllr Jennifer Whitmore said that while Bray is doing better than Greystones, they are not doing as well as the rest. ‘Is there an opportunity to work with the Bray District Council to improve our situation?’
‘We are being left behind, and I wonder why,’ said Cllr Gerry Walsh.
District Manager Michael Nicholson said that projects must be listed to get funding.
‘Obviously I do want as much as possible to come to Greystones,’ he said. ‘But much more goes into the calculation than population, for example the length of road network. It’s a huge calculation and not a simple matter of per person. I take the point and will sit down with Derek, Ruairi and Myra and see how we can get a bigger share.’
He reminded members that if they get a bigger slice, somewhere else gets less. ‘ The cake doesn’t get any bigger,’ he said.
He added that Greystones has a sewerage treatment plant, while Arklow doesn’t. ‘Looking at what Greystones has, compared to what other areas have, we look very good.’
Cllr Mitchell said that many of Greystones’ facilities were things paid for by the people.
‘We are not doing well at all in terms of roads and paths,’ said Cllr Mitchell.
Mr Nicholson said that the case could be made that Greystones roads projects should be funded first because most of the funding comes from the Greystones area.
‘If the finance department got a sense that six members in Greystones are having doubts, they wouldn’t ignore that,’ he said.
Engineer Ruairi O’Hanlon added that, for example, the improvement of the R761 at Blacklion and Chapel road is vital.
‘It’s not just a fair share issue, it’s a safety issue,’ he said.
Members agreed to arrange a special meeting with finance representatives at County Buildings in Wicklow.