SPCs are “glorified talking shops”: Queenan
“IF the Government has money to spend, let them spend it on road rather than a talking shop on Brexit” - so said Councillor Joe Queenan.
He was responding to Councillor Jerry Lundy’s motion calling on the Council to ask Government Minister Simon Coveney to set up a “powerful and special purpose S. P. C. ( Strategic Policy Committee) in each Border Regional Council, including Sligo.”
Councillor Seamus Kilgannon also proposed a motion calling on Simon Coveney to give additional resources to Sligo County Council due to Brexit. “We have to try,” he said. Cllr Lundy said Northern Ireland could leave the UK for the EU and that “given the EU is part of the Republic, after Brexit Northern Ireland would not have to re- apply for membership of the EU.”
He also said that under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement the people of Northern Ireland had a right to a Referendum on the issue.
“I disagree on some of the analysis,” said Cllr Queenan.
“Sligo is not a border county - if the Government gives to us they’ll have to give to every County Council.
“SPCs are little more than glorified talking shops,” he added.
Cllr Sinead Maguire disagreed with Cllr Queenan: “We have benefited from PEACE funding. It’s important for us in Sligo to stand up and say “we are a Border county and will need help after Brexit.”
Cllrs Kilgannon and Lundy said they were “shocked” to hear Cllr Queenan say Sligo was not a Border county and asked him to withdraw it.
Interjecting, Council Chief Executive Ciarán Hayes said there was “absolutely no doubt that Sligi is heavily influenced by border issues and no way we won’t be affected by Brexit.”
“I’m disappointed to hear these comments on SPCs. They have played an important role in policy formation,” he said.
As for the Government funding, Mr Hayes said they needed to be clear as to what that funding would be for.
“We have a dearth of infrastructure and any amount of plans to address that. We don’t need any further plans - if the existing plans are funded it would go a long way,” he said.
Cllr Queenan conceded: “Maybe I went over the top”, regarding his Border comment but insisted he didn’t see the benefit of SPCs and Cllr Lundy’s motion was “not correct.”
Cllr Lundy agreed to withdraw his request for an SPC and the motion was amended to look for funding for “all Border counties.”