Councillors joy at millions for new roads

PING. Ciarán Hayes glanced sideways at his phone. ‘ You have one new email from: the Minister for Local G over ...’ His pulse raced. Tap. “‘4.3 million for the Eastern Garavogue Bridge...1.2 million for O’Connell Street, 750k for the Stephen Street Cultural Plaza...’ On and on it went. Millions coming.

The County Council Chief Executive had just set out his stall for 2019 and was getting hammered by Fine Gael’s Hubert Keaney for dropping ¤60,000 on a KPMG consultant’s report this year.

There’s a definition of a consultant, Hubert had declared, waving the report in the air. If you want to know the time, you ask a consultant, give him your watch and he’ ll tell you the time. It’s alright saying things are tight, but somehow we found ¤60,000 to pay for this.

Declan Bree and Chris MacManus had waded in on the housing crisis, Rosaleen O’Grady was lamenting the lack of Housing Grants for Older People and Cathaoirleach Martin Baker was warning all and sundry to “keep their sermons short”. “Now”, thought Hayes and interrupted proceedings to announce the good news that Christmas had come early for Sligo.

It did the trick.

The bonanza showed the commitment of this Government to Sligo, crowed Hubert, who had of course received the same email twenty minutes earlier. The spin units are working, mused Chris MacManus who had of course received no such email.

Seamus Kilgannon cut in to remind Hubert exactly who was propping up this benevolent Government. The confidence and supply agreement was working and Fine Gael wouldn’t be in Government without the independents.

Hubert certainly hadn’t forgotten the confidence and supply agreement, just like he hoped Seamus hadn’t forgotten the economic devastation his party brought on the country.

They moved on to roads funding, where Director of Services Tom Kilfeather had a field day going through all the new roads and bridges we’re getting next year.

“It’s the best report you’ve ever delivered on any budget day. I can hear the excitement in your voice,” said Hubert. He paid tribute to councillors of Christmas past, Matt Lyons and Jude Devins who called an emergency meeting of the council years ago to get the Eastern Garavogue bridge back on the agenda.

There were people who mysteriously absent and then reappeared after the vote, he added darkly.

Roads were a councillor’s bread and butter, he said. There’s been great improvement in local roads over the years - they were never in better shape.

Margaret Gormley rolled her eyes. She couldn’t believe her ears. They were only getting the crumbs off the table in South and West Sligo – just look at the state of the N17.

Dara Mulvey welcomed the urban funding for Sligo town as a rural councillor because big wide roads in Sligo town would definitely benefit people in rural areas who can’t get into their own homes without busting a tyre on the potholes outside. Dara is an (egg) cup half full kinda guy and appealed to the Independent Councillors (looking at Marie Casserly and Michael Clarke) to persuade their man Shane Ross to fund the N17.

Tom’s report “lifted my heart” trilled Sinead Maguire, who, having come from a rural area, knew only too well what it’s like to always feel “overlooked and left out.”

Michael Clarke couldn’t contain himself any longer and stood up to take the entire credit for the funding. He was the one who asked to meet with Shane Ross and everything announced today was on the shopping list he handed to Shane.

Not to be outdone, Marie Casserly reminded the members that when she met Shane Ross in 2016 she asked for funding for the three projects and lo, all three got funded.

Rosaleen O’Grady jumped up at the mention of Agriculture, Education, Health and Welfare in the draft budget. Health? Did she hear health? No, animal health, said Martin Baker. No matter.

Rosaleen didn’t hear the Taoiseach Leo agree to fund a Cardio Cath Lab for Sligo. Funding was also refused for 50 new beds at Sligo University Hospital. Shane’s new roads might get you to the hospital quicker but there’ ll still be no bed for you when you arrive. If Michael Clarke was so smart with his shopping list to Shane Ross, let them put together a new list for Simon Harris, said Rosaleen.

Hubert had enough. “I’ ll come back another day when you’re going to deal with the budget,” he spat and staged a walk out for, er, ten minutes.

It was only left to Ciarán Hayes to remind members that their upcoming local elections were going to cost the Council ¤100,000. No arguments there.