by Alan Jacques
COUNCILLORS in Newcastle West feel rejected by the council and are smarting that they are not allowed direct access to the local authority’s different departments during their working day.
Fianna Fail councillor Francis Foley told the council executive at this month’s municipal district meeting, that he feels public representatives are being “pushed further away all the time” and denied access to staff.
He took umbrage that councillors must conduct their business at customer service desks and are not permitted into the council’s inner sanctum.
“We’re being pushed out bit by bit,” Cllr Foley claimed.
District director for Newcastle West, Paul Crowe, insisted that councillors have the same access to council staff in the local area office as they had in County Hall.
“Staff are available, the same as in Dooradoyle,” he said.
Cllr Liam Galvin also claimed that public representatives were denied access to council departments. He said there was one member of council staff that he had dealt with on numerous occasions by phone and email and didn’t even know what this person looked like as he had never met them.
Mr Crowe asked Cllr Galvin if had ever asked to meet this staff member in person.
“No,” Cllr Galvin replied.
Sinn Fein councillor Seamus Browne reminded the council executive that, as elected representatives, councillors were its “board of directors”.
He asked Mr Crowe if there was any particular reason they were being “distanced” and not allowed access to local authority departments. He also said he feared there might be plans to change “points of contact” within the council for councillors.
Mr Crowe insisted that he had never refused to meet with a councillor.
“We will continue to engage with the councillors but that doesn’t mean that you need to be sitting next to me at my desk,” he said.
