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A GOVERNMENT MINISTER’S leaflet claiming credit for the installation of street lighting in a Limerick city housing estate has sparked a war of words.
Sinn Féin councillor Maurice Quinlivan has criticised his Labour council colleague Frankie Daly and Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan over a leaflet concerning the installation of street lights in Stenson Park, a housing estate in the Farranshone area of the city.
In the leaflet, delivered to residents of the estate, Daly and local TD O’Sullivan claim credit for the council installing new lighting in the area, which has around 70 houses.
The leaflet states:
This work by Frankie and Jan has paid off as the Council have outlined a Programme of Work to replace 30 of the public lights for the residents of Stenson Park, and will commence in 3 weeks.
However, Quinlivan described the leaflet as “a work of fiction” and said neither the minister nor Daly had anything do with the street lights being installed by the city council.
The Sinn Féin councillor, who lives on the estate, said the council had been in touch with him about initiating a pilot project for street lighting in the area back in March.
He explained: “I, along with other party members then carried out a survey of lighting in the estate, consulted with local residents and with the installer of lighting for the pilot project. I also highlighted the project at a local residents meeting and have been continuously liaising with the council on this matter.”
Quinlivan told TheJournal.ie:
I did all the surveying, checked all the lights, and was meeting people. Then I arrived home last Thursday there was a leaflet through all the neighbours’ houses claiming that she [O'Sullivan] had done all the work.
He described the leaflet as being “in the best tradition of gombeen politics” and claimed that Daly had sent just one email, on 6 July, enquiring about the lights.
However, Daly disputed this and provided TheJournal.ie with another email he said was sent on 1 July.
In the email he raises the issue of poor lighting in Stenson Park and other areas of the city and asks officials to investigate the possibility of replacing them with low-energy LED lights.
He followed this up with another email and pictures of the poor lighting, which he sent to council officials on 6 July.
The Labour councillor hit back strongly at Quinlivan today, telling this website:
I think the thing with Maurice is he thinks he owns the northside but unfortunately when something positive is done you get an attack from the Sinn Féin characters with these bullish tactics.
“He’s just electioneering now. He’s looking to try and pounce on any good news story that comes forward.”
O’Sullivan went further, accusing Quinlivin of a “rant” that “seems to suggest that he should have a veto” on how she and Daly report back to constituents on matters raised with them.
She said she had represented the people of Stenson Park for more than three decades and, in a statement to TheJournal.ie, added:
When I have positive news for a community I get out on the ground and let people know. Cllr. Quinlivan seems more concerned about concocting stories for the press – I’ll leave that to him. It’s the people of Stenson Park who have elected me that I’m responsible to, not an irate councillor with a chip on his shoulder.
Daly also pointed out that the budget for the lights would have come from the Department of Environment, which is headed up by Labour party minister Alan Kelly.
Limerick City Council declined to comment on the matter, but pointed out that the street lighting project in Stenson Park was outlined and planned in 2015 programme of works.
A statement added:
Representations are received from Elected Members on a wide variety of projects on a daily basis. All representations are considered in preparing annual work plans.
It’s not the first time the Quinlivan and Daly have clashed.
Last week, the Limerick Leader reported on a row over Quinlivan failing to step down from a €6,000-per-year role as chair of the council’s transport and infrastructure committee in order to allow Daly to take up the post.
Quinlivan claimed today that the deal fell apart because Daly did broke off from the Labour-Sinn Féin pact and “did his own deal with Fianna Fáil”.
Daly said he had no comment to make on it, but accused Quinlivan of reneging on his promise to step down.
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This just goes to show what is wrong with our system. You have NATIONAL representatives who are supposed to be worrying about healthcare, education, economic policy, national issues wasting their time squabbling over credit for micky mouse council things that they’ve no power over and were probably done by an unelected county manager.
We need to end this farce by seperating local and national politics. It’s time for elected mayors with executive powers and real local govt so it can take this stuff off TDs hands. For Gods sake we have our PRIME MINISTER going to the opening of a bottle bank, in Wicklow Simon Harris is springing to every curtain being opened on a plaque…is it any wonder we’ve no joined up national vision / foresight on things like healthcare, transport etc?
Couldn’t agree more…
We have a very parochial political system, it is damaging us if only more of us can see the damage it does over time…
This country should have a population of over 10 million people…our entrenched parochialism is holding us back…
If we want reform in politics we need to start with reforming ourselves!!!
It very simple one councillor should be appointed to an area rather than 104 break council areas up into smaller ones and then it would more transparent what they actually do or don’t really this happens all over the country and people locally agree with the person they like rather than saying you all sound like a bunch of children I’m not voting for any of you
Labour silence on Greece is shameful. only communications from labour past week regard local photo ops. why so silent ?
Don’t worry the next leaflet will say they can raise the dead and that Gerry Adams sunk the Titanic… What do you expect from them??? But desperation?
So, the former teacher now education minister has time to arrange new street lights? She’s some wally!
Am I reading this right…..both Labour and SF fighting over who actually gets credit for doing their bloody jobs!! Childish stuff from both sides
Pot holes, medical cards and lighting are the vote getters not international or national matters. The road where my parents live badly needs to be done and there was the odd shovel of tar thrown in about 18 months ago. The sooner the election comes the quicker the road will be fixed.
It should be fairly simple to sort out really. Let the SF guy show any minutes of meetings, surveys or correspondence with the council and the Labour people do the same and see who did what and when.
It’s usually Sinn Fein denying what they have done not the other way around.
Shinners never lie – must be true
And Labour are as white as the driven snow.
How was your bonfire Baz?
Looks like Jan O’Sullivan and her boy Cllr Daly have been caught out trying to bull***t the residents.
The guy in the blue suit and green tie looks a bit like a zombie. Terrible picture
The education minister needs to be educated about what glare is.
Glare is when lights are shone into your eyes thus reducing visibility (as when an oncoming car doesn’t dip its headlights).
Nothing whatever to do with the colour .
There is more of a glare off some led lights, which is a factor of the colour. The reason they are so bright is they are on a different wavelength to the Iights, but there is a glare if you look at them directly.
Sinn Fein/IRA Or Labour.who cares?
We should put them in the octagon and let them battle it out..
have your say