Lack of funding for local services

From the "Community Voice" newspaper

http://www.communityvoice.ie/pages/CV137/CV137n04.htm

Lack of funding for local services

As the local election campaign begins to heat up seriously an event organised at the Blanchardstown civic offices recently by the Community Workers Network sparked some debate on the issues closest to the hearts of the local people of Dublin 15. The evening provided an opportunity for members of the public to directly question existing and prospective councillors on their aspirations for the area and how these plans engage with the current economic realities.

While a number of issue emerged during the evening the question on funding and how the area could possibly secure more, or perhaps more realistically survive without any, had an over-arching element to it as it affects every other issue.

Socialist Party candidate Denis Keane criticised the withholding of the €70m in levies from the council saying that this is a time when local investment is needed more than ever. He lamented having to “apologise for being a public servant” asking if it was a case that we can only have services now if they are profitable.

Labour’s Patrick Nulty suggested that “those who made massive profits during the Celtic Tiger years need to pay” while the Green Party’s Roderic O’Gorman recommended that local authorities be enabled to raise their own funds locally, though with his government party hat on he added that the withholding of the levy money was “in line with general policy.”

Sinn Féin’s Paul Donnelly spoke about the effect of cuts such as the closure of childcare facilities in Whitechapel and Mountview and said that this will affect the ability of people to go out to work if they cannot get alternative childcare. Hinting at the underlying social cost of cutbacks he said “it is well known that drug use increases when other options are closed off to people.”

Cllr. Mags Murray (FF), on whose shoulders defence of the Government rested, said that the necessity for cutbacks was “a reality” but added that the council has spent vast mounts of money since 2004 - her time as a councillor - opening parks, libraries and such facilities that she said were among the best in the country.

Independent candidate Ignatius Okafor said he was surprised at the freezing of levies given that “there is nothing in Tyrrelstown” and wondered what will be the case there in ten years time.