Politicians in spat over regeneration comments
Dublin People 17 Mar 2012
TWO Northside politicians have become embroiled in a
heated war of words following a recent report that the budget for the Ballymun
regeneration project is likely to be slashed.
Local TD John Lyons (Lab) accused Cllr Paul McAuliffe
(FF) of
“scaremongering
? when the councillor issued a statement predicting a
budget cut of e40 million. Cllr McAuliffe had warned that families would be
left in limbo if funding for the project was slashed so dramatically.
Northside People revealed earlier this month that
officials from Ballymun Regeneration Limited (BRL) have been in talks with the
Department of Environment, Community and Local Government in relation to the
future funding allocation for completion of the project.
Cllr McAuliffe said he was sceptical that the project
could be completed as planned. But his comments have incensed local TD John
Lyons (Lab) who accused him of
“playing politics
?.
“It’s absolute
nonsense to suggest that families will be left in limbo given the unwavering
commitment that each of the remaining families will be re-housed.
“Everyone is committed to the completion of the
project and work will continue apace.
“However, the reality is that we have to tighten the
purse strings because of the mess that Cllr McAuliffe’s Fianna Fail party left
us with and that may mean that the types of bells and whistles that BRL
proposed for the project may not be possible.
“But that doesn’t mean that there will be roads half
finished and abandoned around Ballymun.
“Also, Cllr McAuliffe’s figures are grossly
exaggerated, especially in relation to his claim that the regeneration project
will be cut by e40 million.
?
Responding to the comments by Deputy Lyons, Cllr
McAuliffe said that as a local councillor his role was to highlight issues that
affect the area.
“Last autumn Deputy Lyons invited the then Minister
for Housing, Willie Penrose, to the area and both of them gave assurances that
the Government was committed to completing the project,
? said Cllr McAuliffe.
“What we didn’t know was that the Minister himself was
due to resign the next day because of cuts in his own area.
“We now have a new Minister for Housing who represents
Limerick and I have no doubt that given the reduced resources, funding is being
diverted away from Ballymun.
?
Cllr McAuliffe said he stood over his figures and that
any reduction in the future regeneration budget will be a cut,
“regardless of
how Labour want to package it
?.
“The Labour
Party in Ballymun is asking us to trust that funding will be available,
? he
added.
“After the Government’s u-turns on Metro North, DEIS cuts and student
fees, that’s a hard ask.
?
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