Councillors react to ‘cheeky’ letter
A letter from a senior Government civil servant to Sligo County Council was described as “cheeky” at the annual budget meeting of Municipal District last week.
The letter from Assistant Secretary General of the Department of Housing & Local Government Paul Lemass was sent to Chief Executive Ciarán Hayes in response to repeated requests from him over the last six months for a meeting to discuss the Council’s revised Financial Plan.
Hayes had also repeatedly sought ¤750,000 that was promised to the Council as far back as early 2015.
In his letter of 9 th November, Lemass said the Department would pay the Council the remaining ¤2 million Local Government Fund over ten years, instead of three years as sought by Hayes - ¤200,000 pa.
And he made no mention of the ¤750,000 Hayes alleges he promised them in 2015.
Councillor Declan Bree asked if the then Minister Alan Kelly had promised the money.
Ciarán Hayes replied that before the Plan was signed in December 2015, Paul Lemass gave him and other councillors a commitment that it would be paid.
Cllr Bree asked if he got anything in writing. Hayes replied that it was a “verbal assurance” but said he had witnesses.
Cllr Bree said it was “serious if a senior official made a commitment and it hasn’t been provided: “That’s a serious matter.”
He also said it might be worth getting affidavits from those witnesses.
Mayor of Sligo Municipal District Cllr Hubert Keaney said no minister had promised the ¤750,000 would be paid since Alan Kelly left office.
Cathaoirleach of the County Council Cllr Seamus Kilgannon said the latest letter from Paul Lemass was “cheeky” and wondered “what planet is he on.”
He proposed that Lemass’ letter be sent to all Sligo Leitrim TDs.
Cllr Marie Casserly said: “What next crisis do we have to have in the Council before they start to listen?”
Cllr Rosaleen O’Grady said the days of “soft talking” were over.
“We can’t go on limping on the way that we have. People have put their shoulder to the wheel.
She said the Council could not solve it on their own, they needed TDs to respond and take action at National level.
“I can’t understand Paul Lemass. I found his letter cheeky. He was trying to belittle our requests. I often wonder ye don’t take boys like this to task,” she said to Ciarán Hayes.
She added that Lemass’ letter was “very unprofessional” from a man in the Department.
“I’d love to meet him,” she told the meeting.