It looks like there may be good news on the boundary front between Kilkenny and Waterford following a meeting of Fine Gael party members and councillors in South Kilkenny on Monday night.
A little after 6pm, city councillor David Fitzgerald had suggested that the Kilkenny-Waterford boundary would ‘not change’ as per plans for an announcement by Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government and sitting Fine Gael TD for Cork South Central, Simon Coveney.
That news was confirmed later on Monday night at a sit-in at the Rhu Glenn in the south of the county. You can read the Minister’s statement in full below.
Minister @simoncoveney says he will "not be implementing the recommendation to change the county boundaries". Tune into #KCLRLive tomorrow
— KCLR 96FM (@kclr96fm) April 3, 2017
Minister @simoncoveney says while county boundary won't be changed he must ensure Waterford city is allowed "to grow into south Kilkenny".
— KCLR 96FM (@kclr96fm) April 3, 2017
Statement from Minister Simon Coveney
“The report in relation to the Kilkenny/Waterford boundary is one of four such review processes initiated by former Minister for the Environment, Alan Kelly, TD. The committees were asked to carry out a review of the boundary between the respective local authorities and to make recommendations with respect to those boundaries and any consequential matters that they consider necessary in the interests of effective local government. The reports are advisory – I am not bound by their recommendations.”
“The recommendation in the Waterford/Kilkenny report to move the existing county boundaries has caused a lot of unease and concern in the area. This has been articulated directly to me by elected representatives and citizens through the consultation process on the National Planning Framework. The issue of identity, linked to county boundaries must be an important consideration.”
“I want to make clear now that I will not be implementing the recommendation to change the county boundaries. The county boundaries will remain as they are. Kilkenny will continue to be Kilkenny and Waterford will be Waterford.”
“Having made that decision, there is a responsibility on me now to ensure we have an appropriate management structure to allow Waterford City to grow into the South Kilkenny area. Whereas I don’t intend to implement the recommendation to move the county boundaries, I do intend to ensure that new management solutions are in place to facilitate the cohesive expansion of Waterford City, which will include areas of South Kilkenny. There is an onus on both Waterford and Kilkenny Councils to be open to imaginative and new local government solutions in this regard. I will work with the Chief Executives of both authorities and councillors to that end over the coming months.”
KCLR’s Eimear Ní Bhraonáin was in attendance on Monday night, with interviews and more details on KCLR Live this Tuesday morning.
All smiles for cameras Pat O'Neill, @simoncoveney , @JPPhelan, ahead of FG announcement on #boundary tonight pic.twitter.com/fQqBV9aHKR
— Eimear Ní Bhraonáin (@eimeardeschemer) April 3, 2017
You can view previous stories connected to the boundary issue here.
Recommendations of the Boundary Committee
In February of this year it was revealed that over the 19,131 public submissions received by the three-person boundary committee, 19,096 opposed any change. The committee, in its findings, recomended that the “impractical boundary” between Kilkenny and Waterford be moved in favour of Waterford.
“The Committee recommends that the Minister should extend the boundary of Waterford City and County Council into County Kilkenny by including the entire Electoral Area of Kilculliheen and those parts of the Electoral Areas of Aglish and Dunkitt contained within the Area of Interest that lie south of the of the N25 bypass.”
“The population living within the proposed boundary extension area in County Kilkenny is estimated at about 4,500. The effect of transferring this area to Waterford is likely to be an increase of one councillor in Waterford Metropolitan District and a reduction of two councillors in the Piltown Municipal District of Kilkenny County Council. As this would result in the membership of the Municipal District dropping below the statutory minimum of six elected members, it would be necessary to reconfigure all of the Municipal Districts within County Kilkenny.”
Read more on the original reports findings here.
Tune to KCLR Live from 10am for reaction from tonight’s meeting in South Kilkenny.
