PANCR funding failure the latest example of neglect at national and county level
“There is a better way of doing politics” says Independent Drogheda Councillor Paddy McQuillan in an article he has written for Drogheda Life in response to recent events.
He says that successive governments have overlooked Drogheda and it seems that the people need to organise and protest to attract attention to get anything done.
Here is the full text of Councillor McQuillan’s article:
There are those who believe that it is ‘sour grapes’ when people from Drogheda complain that Dundalk gets the lions share. For many it feels like an uncomfortable fall back response and you try to rise above it. But sadly evidence often suggests otherwise.
Going back to the days when Dermot Ahern was a TD and Minister in successive Fianna Fail governments, the investment and support of Dundalk’s development has continued to feed into the uneasy narrative. Having an institute of technology in Dundalk is a huge attraction for investors. There is no doubt. It has attracted IDA clients such as WuXi Biologics who are building a €325 million plant there creating 200 additional jobs for the town over five years.
Dundalk has a 90 acre business and technology park and a 109 acre science and technology park, both hives of activity attracting top level FDI and creating many high value jobs. The IDA Park in Drogheda was built on the County Meath side of the town, losing out on any real strategic focus by Louth County Council. Amazon’s new monstrosity has taken over in a building that will create a couple of dozen jobs at best. We now have no IDA Park in the town nor a third level institution that can attract jobs and investment for sustainable growth.
Successive governments are overlooking Drogheda. The people of the town are naturally annoyed at this. It seems that the people need to organise and protest to attract attention and get anything done.
Narrow West Street was left crumbling, but thanks to the work of Councillor Pio Smith and others, the Westgate Vision for this area is at last beginning to happen.
Similarly, St Laurence Gate was successfully closed to traffic following a prolonged and concerted campaign. But it has been ignored since. Numerous ministers promised to restore this as a tourist attraction. Nothing has happened. The road markings are still in place nearly three years on. The council haven’t even costed the repairs needed to get the Gate open.
Drogheda’s drug feud continues and has been highly documented and publicised in media. People were genuinely concerned for their safety walking the streets. It took action from myself and Alice Duff in organising a rally on the steps of St Peters to make the government sit up and take notice. It was not until people got out and protested on the streets that any action taken to resource Gardai to handle the crisis. It was obvious that more Gardai were needed at the height of the feud.
The failure to secure funding for the Port Access Northern Cross Route is the latest example of neglect and government failure both at national and county level.
This is more than just a road for Drogheda. It removes trucks from the centre of our town and aids its development. It has the capacity to deliver thousands of homes. It has the potential to expand the port and to attract jobs both directly and indirectly. It helps our town to develop and fulfil its true potential. Drogheda people know how important this road is.
It is vital. Again, governments, local and national, have failed to deliver after over a decade of talking. A blame game has now ensued. ‘They said this’. ‘He said that.’ ‘We were told this.’ ‘We were told that.’ Irrespective, it seems unfathomable that an application of such importance could fail three times. And fail dismally. Who and where is the accountability?
In the aftermath of the latest application failure, a lot was said in public. Personally, I stand by what I said. I believe that Joan Martin, as Chief Executive of Louth County Council should have done everything possible to ensure that this application for vital infrastructure would be granted.
It is not an excuse that we failed to meet marking criteria after three applications. How could anyone be as misinformed about this application to fail so miserably at 315\1000 (i.e 31.5%). The people of Drogheda are rightly disheartened by this. I can assure everyone the Councillors are equally disheartened.
I can also advise that there was a lack of communication between the council and the elected representatives after the result of the application was made public. Councillors had no information given to them by the executive until shortly prior to our meeting with senior executives on Friday 12th March. This meeting was rightly called by Mayor Kevin Callan.
Our first knowledge of the application score was given to us by LMFM live on air, not by the council. Where is the communication and the accountability? Perhaps if the councillors had a better working relationship with Drogheda’s newly appointed senior executive officer, a town clerk of sorts, whose job it is to oversee the development of the town, then maybe there could have been better communication. She has been appointed since early 2020 I believe, but unfortunately, she does not attend all the Municipal meetings. I find this quite strange.
So, what now and where to next? Myself and the other elected representatives from Drogheda believe that there is a better way of doing politics at a local level. Gone are the days of shouting across rooms at each other, quarrelling and fighting with each other, blocking projects that might have bettered the town.
We believe that if it is good for Drogheda its good for all of us. We may have individual projects that we are working on, but I will join forces with all elected representatives for the betterment for our town. Our TD’s need to follow suit. They must work together to secure funding for this PANCR. If we can agree to work together, they must do so also. As councillors we will do whatever we can to help to secure this vital infrastructure for the development of our town.
