Mattie McGrath: Slams Amendments for Eroding Local Powers
Mattie McGrath criticised withdrawn amendments and said they sought to undermine elected local authority members, complaining that the Minister did not reply and that Minutes had been withdrawn. He argued local councils are starved of funds for basic repairs while greenways and other projects receive prioritised funding, and he questioned whether major Tipperary road projects were being abandoned.
Main criticisms
McGrath said he was disappointed the Minister did not answer and that Minutes had been withdrawn in response to earlier questions. He described the amendments as attempts to undermine and dismiss elected members of local authorities and warned this was an attack on their already limited powers.
Funding and local services
He told colleagues that engineers in Tipper Council and Waterford County Council reported they "cannot get a penny to repair a bridge" or to carry out major works unless the project was linked to greenways or similar schemes. McGrath called this funding imbalance shocking and said it left councils unable to maintain basic infrastructure.
Questions about road projects
McGrath asked directly whether the Tipperary town schemes and N24, M24 and M20 projects were effectively "buried" and said he hoped the Tipperary bypass would still proceed in his grandparents' home area. He framed these questions as concerns over the Government's project priorities.
Local safety and powers issues
He warned that erosion of local powers prevents councils dealing with everyday safety problems - from cutting briars to straightening dangerous bends - citing health and safety rules and seasonal restrictions on cutting that hamper maintenance. He said such constraints risk road safety and frustrate councillors trying to act for their communities.
Tone and wider complaints
McGrath attacked what he called "vanity projects" and referenced a Deputy's remark on fertiliser prices as symptomatic of out-of-touch thinking. He expressed respect for cyclists but warned against policies that could effectively ban petrol and diesel cars, concluding on a note of frustration about parliamentary priorities.
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I am disappointed if you would allow me that the Minister did not reply to this. I know the Minutes were withdrawn to some of the questions that we have asked them, and tell us whether we are right or wrong. Sorry? No, you had got to hear the answer, the earlier amendments I am talking about. They were withdrawn, Deputy. Yeah, I know that. So I am disappointed I am just saying that we did not hear. So look, these amendments again are just, I do not know, they are fine. And it is a shame that we would, any member would put down, such amendments to try and undermine and dismiss the elected members of local authorities. I know the Deputy himself was a member of Limerick for some time. All right, whatever, but I mean it is a pity, because they work hard, and they do not have many powers, and the powers have been eroded, but this beggars believe. And that, you know, that we can want to bring in powers to empower and overpower the Board of Planala, and I am interested in it at this time, but the question marks are all about Planala. And I speak to engineers regularly in Tipper Council and Waterford County Council, who tell me now they cannot get a penny to repair a bridge, or to do any kind of major works. If it is not something to do with greenways, or cycle walking, or there is another name, it escapes me in this minute, but if it is not that, forget it. So Minutes, that is your legacy. So can I ask you, and I am not going to delay, and maybe you might tell us too, is the Tipperary town, is the N24 project off, is the M24 off, or the M20, sorry. Are they all buried now? And I dearly hope that you will continue in your grandparents' hometown, a home area of Tipperary, that Tipperary bypass will proceed. So we are going to stop everything, just to have these pet projects that you want to pursue, and you definitely want to pursue. I remember Deputy Ledin, some time ago, at an agro committee, said that he was delighted with the price of fertiliser, because farmers couldn't spread it with you. And you come to that kind of thinking, come to that kind of thinking, come to that kind of thinking, like, where does it leave us in this parliament? But the biggest attack here is on the elected members and their powers. The elected members and the powers that they have, and have, and they are limited enough taking them over, that we can't have a road, a safety road straightening, a bad bend. We put up on that all summer, and every summer, they can't go to a briars. They can take the eyes of a cyclist, at the head of faith, bushes hanging out, briars, you can't cut them between the period of February and first of March and July. And sure they've got health and safety, must come in to the road, must be somewhere in a balance with road safety. That that's nonsense, that you can't do something for the interest of safety. It's shocking, and we can do all these projects, vanity projects, many of them are. And I respect cyclists, and try and respect them the best I can on the road, and share the road. But now, it looks like you're going to have diesel or petrol cars. You're going to be banished from travelling the road. Will you back in the Aston trap? Will they be allowed? Because if they put our last broke wind, he'll be banished too. Thank you. Thank you very much, Geoffrey.
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