Small towns urged to fight for right to have own elected councils

SMALL towns around the country have been urged to fight to ensure size doesn't matter when it comes to having locally elected town councils.

The Fine Gael leader on Limerick County Council, Newcastle West-based Patrick O'Donovan, has tabled a motion for the next meeting of Limerick County Council asking the Minister for Environment to amend the 2001 Local Government Act. It states a town must have a population of 7,500 or more before it can apply to have its own local elected council.

"I am calling for the deletion of all references to population in Section 185 of the Act and instead allow the minister to make decisions on the establishment of new town councils on a case-by-case basis," Mr O'Donovan said.

He said other towns like Newcastle West should put up a united front on the issue to press for change.

Mr O'Donovan also said that in the past Newcastle West had its own town commission.

"I want this restored to Newcastle West, because the town is at a serious disadvantage when competing with other similar sized towns for attention and investment," he said.

At the last census, the urban area of Newcastle West recorded a population of 3,495.

"The urban area of the town' current population compares very favourably with other towns, that all have town councils, such as Fermoy (2,270), Clonakilty (3,432), Macroom (2,826), Templemore (2,159) and Ballybay, Co Monaghan, one of the smallest towns in the country with a town council with a population of 437," Mr O'Donovan said.

He said these towns, along with many more, would qualify for town council status under the current legislation and for that reason he does not see why Newcastle West should be excluded.

"This is a campaign, which Newcastle West need not fight alone. Roscrea with a population of 4,578 has also requested town council status for itself and I intend to forward this motion to the councillors from Roscrea to have a similar resolution adopted by North Tipperary County Council," Mr O'Donovan said. "I will also be writing to each of the Oireachtas members in Limerick West in order that an amendment to the Local Government Act be brought forward, and to ask that they lobby the minister to re-instate a town council in Newcastle West."