“The neglect of the North East, and in particular Drogheda, has gone on for long enough” – MacDonald
Drogheda’s People Before Profit representative, Angus Mac Donald, has likened the town to Brigadoon, the mythical village in the Scottish Highlands which remained invisible to the outside world except for once every hundred years.
He says that Drogheda is being overlooked by both central and local government and takes the repeated failure to provide the PANCR (Port Access Northern Cross Route) as an example.
“We’ve been waiting that long for the PANCR that I have an adult child as old as the plans!” he said.
“By now most of the residents of Drogheda are used to being overlooked and forgotten about but it doesn’t mean we’re not angry as hell about it!” he told Drogheda Life.
He also cites what he describes as the lack-lustre vaccine roll out in Drogheda, the fifth largest urban area in the state, where many are being sent to Dublin for their jab.
“Like many others I was only too glad of the trip to the Helix but I’m in a position to travel with not too much inconvenience” he said.
“However there are those who are not in the same position and will struggle with the added expense or travel arrangements.
“Those in financial difficulties must be enabled to receive the vaccine without bearing the brunt of the financial burden imposed on them by a vaccination program that forces them to travel to Dublin to avail of a vaccine the rest of the country can receive in their own locality.
“Given the numbers being asked to travel for the vaccine it would be an idea for the town’s political representatives to push for funding to reimburse those faced with financial or travel difficulties to enable them to attend for vaccination.
“The neglect of the North East, and in particular Drogheda, has gone on for long enough” he says. “It seems like we bear the brunt of cuts to services and infrastructure and are continuously failed and overlooked.
“We need to be more vocal on the contempt and neglect of the Dail and the council chamber and if that requires us to campaign to put an end to it, then so be it!”
