Art of deal making

LOUTH County Councillors rejected the proposed budget of Chief Executive, Joan Martin last week and are to reconvene this Wednesday in a second attempt to pass a budget.

Soundings from before and after the meeting give a gloomy picture of a likely deal.

Councillors have indicated that they would be prepared to see the Minister intervene if they cannot agree a budget.

The executive have put forward a balanced budget however unsavoury that may be and members seem unwilling to accept that this will either mean an increase in pay parking which they rejected last week having previously voted against increasing Local Property Tax or a reduction in services such as in our libraries.

With an election coming in the first half of 2019, members don’t want to cut services or increase charges and indeed would prefer for the Minister to increase the grant from central government.

That well may be the way out, but is it realistic. Is there any chance of an increase in the order of €500,000 from central government.

Good politics should be about the art of the possible. That’s what brought about the Brexit deal before us, compromises and deal making.

We have seen the Northern Assembly fail to compromise for two years now. That’s not a road we are likely to go down anytime soon, but at some point in the coming days or weeks, councillors and the executive need to meet in the middle and agree a budget for 2019.