When Tánaiste and former Taoiseach Micheál Martin, TD visited Drogheda yesterday afternoon to canvass alongside local Fianna Fáil General Election Alison Comyn he dropped some pretty broad hints about the return of local government to Ireland’s largest town.
Alison Comyn says his comments, along with those made by Housing Minster Darragh O’Brien at her campaign launch, are a clear signal that there is Government backing to make it happen.
“I have been speaking to both the Tánaiste and Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien on their recent visits to Drogheda about the unique circumstances we have, where we are the size of a city, but are suffering badly from having lost our own borough council ten years ago,” Ms Comyn said.
“He can clearly see how, as the largest town in Ireland which straddles two counties, we have suffered from not having a dedicated manager based here and he has indicated that it is part of their plan to reverse that disastrous decision made by Fine Gael and Labour in 2014.”
In a wide-ranging discussion about the key issues coming up in Drogheda, the Tánaiste said the abolition of the borough council was ‘a mistake’ and looking at reinstating some element of local governance was needed.
“The other parties didn’t agree with us the last time out. I’m going to go for it this time and say ‘look, it’s part of our programme, it has to happen.’ Across the country you meet people who say ‘what an awful pity that we lost our borough.’
“It also was a very basic exercise in local democracy and it was an awful pity [for them to be abolished]. Brendan Howlin at the time, who was involved, subsequently acknowledged that it was a mistake to do it.
“I believe Drogheda in particular is a case in point.”
Meanwhile Ms Comyn had a very constructive meeting with the City Status Group earlier, where she pledged her support to seeing Drogheda become Ireland’s next city, by whatever means necessary.
“The Drogheda City Status campaign has been active since at least 2010 and the case has only gotten stronger since. The construction of housing along the Port Access Northern Cross Route will bring the population within 5km of the town centre to in excess of 90,000.
“Drogheda has consistently been Ireland’s biggest town – standing at 44,135 citizens per the 2022 census, however the more accurate figure is close to 75,000. The county boundary curtails the area and population that is part of Drogheda,” she explains.
“The town is divided in two by a county boundary so any decision that is made on the basis of a county boundary generally favours Navan or Dundalk. Whereas when there is a regional competition for resources and infrastructure – like on health – Drogheda tends to do very well. When seen as a whole, Drogheda will receive a fairer allocation of public services, jobs and infrastructure.
“Drogheda needs to be a hub for economic development and a place to thrive in rather than an underserved dormitory with poorly addressed social issues, and without city status, Drogheda is suffering without adequate leadership, governance and protection”.
A motion for a Louth County Council senior official to act as a city manager located in Drogheda will be tabled at the November meeting on Monday 18th.
