Two independent TD’s who
represent part of County Waterford in Dáil Eireann have thrown their support
behind a new campaign founded by former Fianna Fail and now Independent member
of Clonmel Borough Council Niall Dennehy.
Mattie McGrath and Seamus
Healy were amongst a group of people to attend a meeting in Clonmel recently
set up by the former Mayor of the town at which it was agreed to mount a legal
challenge against the abolition of Borough and Town Councils at the end of May
after the local elections.
F.L.A.M.E. (Former Local
Authority Members Éire) announced recently that they were looking for partner
organisations to seek a judicial review of the legislation enacted to end the
councils which are due to go out of existence after the elections in May.
Speaking recently Mr Dennehy
said that F.L.A.M.E. intends to ensure that the abolition of Borough and local councils
will climb higher up the national agenda.
The group has issued an
appeal for other interested organisations to join their attempt to start legal
action against the local government act 2014.
Both TD’s hit out strongly
at the abolishing of town and borough councils from the end of May.
Mattie McGrath has said that
Environment Minister Phil Hogan had named the programme “putting people first”
but he said that he would describe the abolition of the councils as “putting
people last”.
Seamus Healy said the move
by the minister was unconstitutional, adding that “Local democracy is being
taken away”.
F.L.A.M.E. has said that
another meeting will take place in the next three weeks which will give those
interested an update on the groups campaign.
Both Deputies Healy and
McGrath are set to loose out on a large number of those that have supported them in the past when it comes to future
General Elections that they contest, as the portion of County Waterford that
they represent at present is set to move to the Waterford constituency and the three seat
South Tipperary constituency and three seat North Tipperary are set to become a
single five seat Tipperary constituency.
