Rosslare district ‘left behind’ amid claims community funding is skewed towards larger urban areas

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

Community groups in the Rosslare Municipal District (RMD) will receive less funding than their counterparts in the rest of Co Wexford due to a decision made by a committee containing local councillors. Under the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) groups across Wexford receive support with facility upgrades, accessibility improvements, energy-efficiency measures and essential equipment.

Wexford has been allocated €253,227, as part of a nationwide €7m investment announced by Community Development Minister Dara Calleary. That money is to be distributed across the five districts in the county (Rosslare, Enniscorthy, Gorey Kilmuckridge, New Ross, and the Wexford Borough). However, it will not be shared equally and will instead be distributed by population with the larger districts receiving more.

At the January meeting of the RMD, Cathaoirleach Ger Carthy wished to discuss this decision with an official from the council’s community department but discovered there was no one on hand to deal with his query.

“I note they’re not here today. It’s the first meeting of the year and we’re missing officials from environment, community, and planning. Should I adjourn the meeting until they arrive?” he asked.

With council staff pulling out their phones to send discreet text messages to the absent officials, Councillor Carthy issued a stern warning.

“I don’t want anyone contacted, there’s no one to be emailed,” he instructed, “I’m adjourning this meeting until respect is given to the RMD.”

He received support from Cllr Aoife Rose O’Brien who described the no-shows as “really disrespectful” and wondered “if this happens in other district meetings”?

Under the advice of Cllr Lisa McDonald, the cathaoirleach opted not to call a halt to proceedings, letting off some steam while he waited for the officials to appear.

“The Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) funding was put before the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) last week and they decided not to divide it out equally but to do it by population,” he said. “This concerns me gravely, and there’s no-one here from our community department to discuss this. The people we represent are going to be put at a disadvantage because we don’t have the population of the other districts, the towns will get it again."

“Also I’m disgusted and baffled by the active travel funding announcements made by the Transport Minister and supported by the Housing Minister – who gave us commitments that he’d give 20 pc of that funding for rural areas – and we got nothing, zero. We’re getting left behind here, the people we represent are entitled to footpaths and lights the same as everyone else.”

Visible from the chamber in County Hall, the €3.2m upgrades to Newtown Road were then called into question by Cllr Jim Codd who could only dream of a similar outlay in his constituency.

“Will more money be pumped into the gold-plated cycle lanes on the Newtown Road, while the people of Taghmon wait for a footpath out to the graveyard?” he asked. “You’d want to have an army of cyclists going up and down that road to make it viable the amount of money gone into it.”

"I travel that road daily and I have yet to see a cyclist on it,” said Cllr Carthy. “They’re too afraid to use it because of all the different junctions.”

Then finally, as if by magic, Philip Knight from the community department appeared on the giant screen behind Cllr Carthy.

After Mr Knight confirmed the LCDC’s decision to distribute the funding by population, the cathaoirleach requested that the applications for said funding “not be advertised publicly until we receive clarification from Minister Dara Calleary – we need to ensure the terms and conditions are being adhered to.”

“There’s €36,416 for the people of our district, and €76,000 for Gorey Kilmuckridge, why are we being treated differently?” asked Cllr Carthy.

“There was a proposal from Cllr Frank Staples that the money be split evenly but the director proposed it be done by population,” replied Mr Knight.

Cllr Carthy noted that there was a certain irony in that director – who went unnamed – making the decisions.

“I think that director actually lives in the RMD."

At the official launch of the LEP five days later, Chairperson of the LCDC, Cllr Aidan Browne said, “The LEP funding we are announcing for Co Wexford today will empower many small communities across the districts, to deliver dozens of small-scale but vital projects in the disadvantaged areas that need them the most. I encourage all interested groups to make their applications as this, in turn, helps the council to support them in their fabulous work serving their own communities.”