KEELAN AND O’HANLON CLASH OVER ROADS FUNDING REQUEST

PETER HUGHES

South Monaghan local public representatives Noel Keelan (Sinn Féin) and P J O’Hanlon (Fianna Fáil) had a robust verbal joust at Monday’s meeting of Monaghan Co Council on the issue of seeking more roads funding for Co Monaghan. A proposal by Councillor Keelan that the Council contact senior Government figures seeking additional money to address the poor condition of parts of the county’s roads network was repudiated by Councillor O’Hanlon on the basis that there was no realistic prospect of a further roads allocation before the end of the year.

Councillor O’Hanlon said road works could not be carried out in the winter months and suggested that the main purpose of Councillor Keelan tabling the motion was to attract the interest of the Press. Councillor Keelan stoutly defended his right to make the proposal in some barbed exchanges with the Fianna Fáil councillor. Co Council Chief Executive Robert Burns sidestepped the political by-play by reminding the councillors that they would have input into the Council’s new roads management strategy which was currently in preparation, and which the Chief Executive believed would be an advantageous document in any future petitions to the Department for muchneeded additional roads money.

Discussion ensued from correspondence received from Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan to previous Co Council representations about…