17 September 1998 Edition
SF member becomes Vice-President of AMAI
A Sinn Féin councillor who was recently excluded from key committees on his council by other parties has this week become the Munster Vice-President of the Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland. Cionnaith O Súilleabháin described the result as ``a success for the politics of inclusion''.
Last week An Phoblacht reported how rival parties on Clonakilty UDC combined to keep O Súilleabháin from taking his rightful place on one or both new Municipal Policy Committees. This week the Sinn Féin councillor has been representing his local authority at the AMAI annual conference in Wexford and he won the nomination of the Independents and Small Parties group to become one of four vice-presidents of the AMAI. The group represents independent and small-party councillors throughout the 26 Counties and this year had the nomination of the vice-president for Munster.
Also at the AMAI conference delegates unanimously backed a motion from Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín O Caoláin representing Monaghan UDC. The motion commits the AMAI to ``actively encourage the Irish government to announce special measures to aid development and reconstruction of border towns in the six Southern border counties, thereby harnessing the hope and expectation of the Good Friday document''. The resolution was seconded by the chair of Monaghan UDC Patsy Treanor (Fianna Fáil), incoming President of AMAI.
Stating that the government now has ``the healthiest bank balance in its history'' Deputy O Caoláin said there has been ``no commitment for new programmes for the border region''. The proposal was ``a practical measure to improve towns along the border from Dundalk to Letterkenny. 76 years of partition have stunted the economic development of these towns''. Praising commmunity efforts which have ended the ``Cinderella status'' of border towns the TD said local endeavour was not enough and government aid was needed.
Last week An Phoblacht reported how rival parties on Clonakilty UDC combined to keep O Súilleabháin from taking his rightful place on one or both new Municipal Policy Committees. This week the Sinn Féin councillor has been representing his local authority at the AMAI annual conference in Wexford and he won the nomination of the Independents and Small Parties group to become one of four vice-presidents of the AMAI. The group represents independent and small-party councillors throughout the 26 Counties and this year had the nomination of the vice-president for Munster.
Also at the AMAI conference delegates unanimously backed a motion from Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín O Caoláin representing Monaghan UDC. The motion commits the AMAI to ``actively encourage the Irish government to announce special measures to aid development and reconstruction of border towns in the six Southern border counties, thereby harnessing the hope and expectation of the Good Friday document''. The resolution was seconded by the chair of Monaghan UDC Patsy Treanor (Fianna Fáil), incoming President of AMAI.
Stating that the government now has ``the healthiest bank balance in its history'' Deputy O Caoláin said there has been ``no commitment for new programmes for the border region''. The proposal was ``a practical measure to improve towns along the border from Dundalk to Letterkenny. 76 years of partition have stunted the economic development of these towns''. Praising commmunity efforts which have ended the ``Cinderella status'' of border towns the TD said local endeavour was not enough and government aid was needed.