Facts should not be ignored

Statement by Athy Town Council Candidate and RSF Vice President Des Dalton

I agree that the people of Athy need to make their voice heard on the chronic traffic congestion which the town has endured over many years now. People organizing themselves is the most effective way of advancing this issue, ensuring that a momentum is created that no public representative, local authority, official of civil servant can ignore.

It has been suggested that there should be “no blame game” on the issue. Whilst that is a worthy sentiment it ignores the reality that at a time when funding was available for the provision of an outer relief road some members of Athy Town Council chose instead to insist on an ill-advised and an ill-thought-out inner relief road project. It seems narrow political agendas were more important than the needs of Athy and its people. Even when the project was rejected by An Bord Pleanála then Co Manager Niall Bradley pursued a fruitless appeal to the High Court in a shameless waste of public funds, and in defiance of the wishes of the majority of the people of Athy.

These are important facts which cannot be simply brushed under the carpet and should be carefully considered when people cast their vote in this year’s elections for Athy Town Council.