Cllr. Ted Tynan
Cork Workers’ Party Councillor Ted Tynan has said that the year on year underfunding of Cork City Council represents an ongoing attack on local democracy that is damaging the fabric of the city and its society.
Cllr. Tynan said that once again Cork City Council is faced with another annual budget with the task of providing vital services with an ever smaller pot of money. The Workers’ Party will once again vote against any city budget which does not provide sufficient funds to run the vital services of the city.
He said, “While the councillors are expected to run all the services of the city on a shoestring the Sword of Damocles hangs over the council with a minister who with the stroke of a pen can abolish this council or accelerate the merger with the County Council which would have exactly that effect. Merger or abolition would leave Cork City without an effective local democratic structure”.
“There is a clear agenda from the present government to turn local councils into mere corporate entities. Having already abolished town councils the government now has its sights on city and county councils. While these may not be abolished in the short term they are effectively being emasculated through lack of funding and all the important decisions are being taken by a management which has executive powers”, said Cllr. Tynan
“At least one member of this council constantly refers to what he calls ‘do nothing’ councillors. What he means in fact is that some councillors do what they were elected to do and fight the speculator elite who only see the council as a facilitator of their plans and not as a dynamic organisation mandated to improve Cork City and make it a place fit for people to live, work and play in”.
“There is no doubt that there are those who would shed no tears at the abolition of the elected council because it has got a bad name over the years from wastefulness and the junketeering of some councillors. However the loss of oversight and a direct link to the people through the ballot box would mean that whatever local democracy exists would be removed. The corporate entity known as Cork City Council would then truly be a mere rubber stamp of government decisions”, said Cllr. Tynan.
Ends