Moore urges local body to abandon bylaws proposals

Fianna Fail South Louth PRO Anthony Moore has slammed Council plans to curtail trading at the Saturday Bolton Street market.

“Plans for casual trading bye-laws to be introduced at the market, using supposed criminal activity there as a pretext, is nothing other than a power grab by the Council which will extinguish centuries-old market rights and tie the traders up in bureaucracy and red tape.”

Moore scorned suggestions that such bye-laws would eliminate criminal activity at the market, saying “Clearly there can be occasional criminal activity by a minority of traders at any market, such as people selling bootleg DVDs or fireworks at Halloween. But introducing casual trading licences won’t end that. It will only punish honest traders and do nothing to keep out unsavoury elements. What is needed to combat them is a more visible presence of the authorities, like Gardai and customs officials. That will remain the case even in a regulated system.”

In Moore’s view, the market needed to be encouraged to grow, not curtailed, saying:“Travel anywhere in Europe and farmers’ markets like this are an indispensable part of trade in many towns and cities, selling all sorts of quality artisan produce. I’ve been at the market every Saturday for years and it is a real asset to the town. Instead of making it harder to trade there, we should be using the flexibility of the existing system and encouraging it to grow. It beggars belief that the Council and their cheerleaders are proposing the opposite, putting yet another nail in Drogheda’s coffin.”

Warning the Council to think again, he said:- “As a barrister, I can say that when other councils have tried to extinguish market rights elsewhere in Ireland, they’ve got embroiled in very costly legal battles.

‘ Traders won’t lie down and see their ancient rights extinguished. The Council needs to abandon these plans. If it really cares about protecting honest trade in Drogheda, it should focus on revamping West Street and reversing its ruinous policies which have wrenched the heart out of our town. I therefore call on people who use the market to stand up and make their voices heard against these disastrous plans.”