Government 'look down' on local authorities, claims Tipperary councillor in stinging attack

""Unless it's happening in Dublin, Cork, Galway or Limerick, and good luck to them. The amount of housing that's being built in Limerick is massive, and it's absolutely brilliant, it's great to see it. "Cork always maintained they were a country on their own, and they really are, the amount of wealth in Cork as well is unbelievable, but it's not percolating down to us, we seem to be going, cap in hand every year," he said."

""They're just not listening to local authorities, I don't know why it is, even when I hear ministers in the Dáil and you can hear the condescending tone in their voice when they have to address anything to do with local authorities," he added. "They really do look down on us, the national Government.""

""When you look at the Oireachtas reports, or you look at the Dáil committees, the derision that they have for local authorities is absolutely unbelievable," Cllr O'Meara said. "There's a job of work for us to do collectively, as local authorities, whether we do that through our unions or the AILG (Association of Local Government) or whatever, but it seems to me that national Government have no time for local authorities," Cllr O'Meara added."

Michael O'Meara said national Government looks down on and neglects local authorities, creating a void between national and local levels. He described ministers speaking to local authorities with a condescending tone and said Oireachtas reports and Dáil committees show derision toward local authorities. He said lack of support increases workload for council executives and councillors and makes local governance harder. He urged collective action through unions or the AILG. He noted housing and wealth concentrate in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick while places like Tipperary are left to seek funding annually.

Read at Irish Independent