Tipp Council amalgamation has been an 'unmitigated disaster'
A Nenagh councillor is calling for a review of the amalgamation of North and South Tipperary Co Council, claiming that the 2014 move has proven to be an “unmitigated disaster”.
In a debate on roads funding at the November meeting of Nenagh Municipal District, Cllr Séamus Morris (Ind) claimed the amalgamation has attributed to the loss of money for local roads. He said Tipperary suffered greater than anywhere with the centralising of local authorities, and that the move has led to difficulties for councillors making formal representations on behalf of the people they represent.
“This has been an unmitigated disaster for Tipperary, and we're seeing it every day,” Cllr Morris said of the new local authority structure. Tipperary has also been impacted upon by new health and garda structures, he said, adding that anyone who suggests similar proposals in future should be “run out of the county”.
Noting that local TD Alan Kelly recently called for a two-year review of the amalgamation of the Tipperary and Clare Garda Divisions, Cllr Morris said it is “high time” for the amalgamted local authority to be reviewed.
He called on the council to find a new means of dealing with councillor representations, saying he has had to make as many as five queries about the same issue before receiving a reponse. While not blaming the council's staff, Cllr Morris said he would have to resort to making representations by way of notices of motion at council meetings.
“That means meetings will last five and six hours,” he said.
“I think the whole system is in collapse, to be honest.” He mentioned that other local authorities employ an alarm system to ensure that representations are dealt with in a certain timeframe.
In support, Cllr John Carroll (FF) said he had formally logged an issue with the council months ago without response, only to then see it dealt with under a notice of motion. The situation is embarrasing and frustrating, and it needs to be dealt with, Cllr Carroll said.