Ag Minister ‘insulted’ Union Hall residents

THE Minister for Agriculture has been accused of insulting the people of Union Hall who are protesting the closure of a local pier. 

Independent TD for Cork South-West Michael Collins has strongly criticised what he has called the unwillingness of Minister Charlie McConalogue to ‘come clean on the nature of the advice given by him to Cork County Council with respect to funding works for Keelbeg Pier at Union Hall.’

Deputy Collins was speaking after he raised the matter with the Minister in the Dáil.

The Independent TD said he had a letter which blatantly contradicted the Minister’s insistence that he did not receive an application for repair works from Cork County Council, despite the Council asserting that they did indeed make such an application following a recommendation from the Minister about where to send it.

‘The Minister’s position on this matter is utterly unacceptable and an insult to the people of Union Hall who desperately want to see funding provided to enable the necessary preparatory works and repairs to proceed,’ said Deputy Collins.

‘Surely he could just man up and admit that he did in fact advise Cork County Council, who, it must be said, have now been left in an invidious position because of his own selective memory.’

He appealed to Minister McConalogue to process ‘as a matter of urgency the funding application made to him by Cork County Council.’