The Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, Cllr Kevin Callan, has called for the reinstatement of Drogheda Borough Council so that Ireland’s largest town can have its own local authority. 

Speaking at the first monthly meeting of the Borough District to be held since the new Civic Offices in Fair Street were opened this afternoon, Cllr Callan said: “A decade has been wasted with no serious steps taken at national level to restore Drogheda Borough Council to Ireland’s largest town which further frustrates efforts underway to advance calls for city status.”  

Cllr Callan who is the last remaining elected member who served as a Borough Councillor up to 2014 before the enactment of the Local Government Reform Act. He has said that too much time has been allowed to pass and that the longer this matter goes on the less likely restoration will be.  

Cllr Callan proposed a notice of motion at today’s meeting to start to address the issue and the independent councillor said that the lack of action is “nothing less than disgraceful at national level” and that the members of the Borough must mobilise and coordinate to progress the matter. 

His motion reads as follows:  

Asking that the Elected Members of the Borough District of Drogheda seek through the Mayor to meet with the Cabinet Minister and Minister of State responsible for Local Government to start the process to advocate for the reinstatement of Drogheda Borough Council to its previous status as a local authority prior to the abolition of the Council with the Local Government Reform Act 2014.

That the Members begin this process to collectively call for the reinstatement of Drogheda Borough Council based on Drogheda's population increases and its historic status to allow for its future development and growth. 

“Everyone in Drogheda knows that losing the Borough Council was an error” Callan said, adding that national policy abolished the Borough Council and national policy and legislation can restore it.

“For this to happen their needs to be political will in Leinster House and Government Buildings and for ten years it simply has not happened.  

“I am placing this matter before the elected members to advance the process of seeking to have this requirement to reinstate the council set out at national level before the Oireachtas.  

“This lack of action is extremely disappointing as all of the main political parties have committed to restore Borough and Town Councils across the country, despite this fact there has been no substantive effort to progress the issue.

“As a councillor who served on the Borough Council I saw the benefits of an overall administration which acted as a close-knit community operating from Fair Street covering everything from housing, outdoor, rates, planning, engineering, roads and maintenance.  

“I am saying that the time has come to move forward with applying pressure on the Government and Oireachtas to bring back the Council, the people of Drogheda must be heard on this point and I will work as Cathaoirleach with the Mayor and all of the elected members to get this on the agenda as it is clear at this stage that it is not a priority at national level.”