Tipperary County Council has been accused of not facilitating local TDs to attend a briefing meeting in Clonmel on plans to house in the region of 300 people fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Both Sinn Féin’s Martin Browne and Independent Mattie McGrath were unable to get to the meeting with officials from the Department of Integration outlining proposals for 82 modular homes near the rugby club in the town.
They were caught up with Dáil business at the time – Deputy Browne says he sought to have the meeting at a different time but to no avail:
“The engagement team and councils know that Dáil representatives would be more than likely caught up in the Dáil at that time (12pm on Thursday).
“When I got the notice out I contacted the council to see could we move the time because of me chairing the Public Petitions meeting. That didn’t happen so we requested that either my office or one of our councillors Anne Marie Ryan was prepared to go instead of me and that was turned down as well.”
Thursdays meeting with officials from the Department of Integration was only open to members from the Borough District and Tipp TDs.
Martin Browne says all members of the local authority should have been allowed to attend a briefing on plans for modular housing for Ukrainians in Clonmel:
“I think decisions like this or if departments are coming down giving briefings all 40 councillors should be given the option of going – if councillors from outside the district that plans are being made for don’t wish to go then so be it.
“But that option should be open to them and like I said we had someone that was prepared to go in my place when the meeting wasn’t moved.”
