16 September 2003: Naas Town Council should be able to fund some ‘emergency’ projects that may arise from time to time out of its Community Grants system. Cllr Seamie Moore (left) has asked councillors to enlarge their community grants system to include a school application for an extension.
He recently put down a motion calling for a review of the conditions for awarding Community Grants to make sure they go where councillors say there is a greater need in regard to small capital projects, such as a school application.
However, Mayor Pat O’Reilly (right) asked him to remove the reference to a school as the Council’s legal advisors have said the Council cannot become involved in the funding of schools as that remit lies solely with the Department of Education.
But Cllr Moore said he wanted the motion to stand ‘as is’. “There are needs in the town for community groups and community development, in line with the town development,” he told a Naas Town Council meeting. He said a few ‘emergency types of projects’ require special funding.
He said the Church Box Collection is not the best way of obtaining funds for the community and parents have worries as to special requirements. He believed the Council should be in a position to help certain projects.
“In Dublin, it’s now a lottery and I don’t want to see it reach that stage in Naas.”
He outlined problems in schools like the need to turn a kitchen into a classroom in one instance. “I see that as being pressure development and we need to be able to help those groups,” he said. “They are our people, our children, our churches!”
He wanted his motion to be approved and ‘then we decide whether we want to give it or not’. “Give some of this money to our community groups, schools, drama or sports groups and help them out,” he urged.
Seconding the motion, Cllr Timmy Conway recalled that ‘when Fr Harris put the box on the spire of the Church, we contributed, so the precedent of giving such money is one we started ourselves’. He applauded Naas CBS primary school principal Declan McGovern and his committee for going ahead with the school’s extension themselves. “Otherwise, we would have been faced with a situation where children would not have been accepted in that school.”
Cllr Conway said councillors have a duty as representatives of the people ‘to look after them’.
Cllr Eibhlin Bracken pointed out there will still be a shortage of space with the girls school in the town and there are no places for young children going to school this year.
Cllr Pat McCarthy said he ‘could play the political game’ and support the motion knowing that nothing ‘will come of it at the end of the day’. “Everybody is talking about the education system which is in deep crisis and a small capital grant from this Council is not going to solve that,” he felt.
He said the Government should be ‘ashamed of themselves’ to have children being born in Naas town who can’t go to school in the town and a small capital project from the Council is not going to solve that problem. “It’s the most ridiculous solution I have ever heard.”
Cllr Moore loudly objected to this comment saying: “If he wants to spar I’m very good at sparring!” He said Cllr McCarthy should be asked to withdraw that remark.
“What am I supposed to withdraw,” queried Pat McCarthy.
At this the Chairman/Mayor exclaimed ‘it’s nearly impossible to chair these meetings’.
Cllr McCarthy went on: “We all know every school in Naas is in crisis and it’s nothing to do with ...”
The Mayor again interrupted: “You are bringing this Council into disrepute, sparring across the table. It’s time you grew up. We’re sparring over little issues that have no benefit to this town.”
He couldn’t see ‘any benefit in bringing in a motion when we have got legal advice that we are NOT allowed bring in grants for education. If we don’t grow up we will reap the rewards of it at the local elections next June’.
“New standing orders will be circulated and I intend to rigidly adhere to them. If I have to put members outside the door, I will! It’s ten times worse up here [at the top of the table] than it is down there listening to what’s going on.”
He said this particular subject ‘doesn’t warrant what’s going on’. “We are all concerned about education in the town and are blue in the face putting down motions about it. Until we have other advice, we cannot do anything about it. We should proceed in a civilised manner and not be jumping in.
“I beg you. I would like you to come together and work for the benefit of the town. We are achieving only ridicule. When anybody goes in for a pint, the Council is the butt end of jokes. We can only blame ourselves. We’re all guilty. For the next nine months, let’s bite the tongue and count to ten.”
