We see the point of it but we don’t like it.
That’s the view of Carlow County councillors following an announcement that they won’t be able to have a say on social housing developments for the next two years.
The measure has been introduced to fast-track the building of homes on public owned land.
Council executives will now have the final say on new developments and the public will not be allowed to make submissions.
People Before Profit Cllr Adrienne Wallace told KCLR News “Local councillors will no longer be allowed to vote on these developments and local residents will not be allowed to make submissions, this is obviously a worrying trend that really undermines citizens concerns and local democracy”.
While Fianna Fáil Cllr John McDonald says “This is mostly for the big urban areas; like in Carlow there’s a very good relationship between the executive and the councillors and they always come back to the councillors with their ideas and all that and we’d have a discussion, it doesn’t have to be voted on, but they are bringing stuff to us and we have a talk about it and a debate about it”.
