Senator Sharon Keogan has taken to social media to blast councillors in the Laytown/Bettystown municipal district over comments made at a recent meeting which were highlighted in a local newspaper.
The comments arose from a motion forwarded by Fianna Fáil’s Wayne Harding seeking a review of the community scheme which sees incinerator plant Indaver distribute money annually to local groups.
Under planning restrictions imposed on Indaver when they were granted permission for a waste disposal facility in Duleek the company gives money to the local community for every tonne that is accepted into the facility.
This money is in the form of a levy paid by Indaver to Meath County Council
A committee of eight, including two councillors, currently Geraldine Keogan, the Senator’s sister and Stephen McKee, oversees the distribution of funds.
During the debate Harding stated, ‘ It shouldn’t have come to this, it is council administered and it is not Indaver’s money and how we let it become Indaver’s money is absolutely disgraceful.’
This remark seems to have upset the Senator whose rant on Facebook in which she accuses councillors of not paying attention to their emails is published below and includes a correction inserted after the original post
She said, ‘A very heated debate arose in the chamber last week in Duleek regarding the Indaver Carranstown Fund.
‘The incinerator is in Duleek and it is only right that the area of interest, groups connected to our area are supported. The committee is made up of 2 County Councillors from our area, 2 local residents, 2 from Indaver and 2 county council officials from the community section. It is run very efficiently,transparently and professionally. Cllr Stephen McKee and Cllr Geradine Keogan are both on this committee.
‘The remaining councillors claimed they didn’t get invited to the awards night, however if they were paying attention to their emails they would have found their invite.
‘No media was present for the debate but luckily all the complaining councillors were able to relay their comments onto a journalist who is connected to one councillor. Funny thing, Cllr Geraldine wasn’t contacted for a comment! ****Correction it has been clarified by MC that media were online*****
‘This is a repeat of something similar that happened when Cllr McKee and I were members of the board. I get the jealousy that exists among councillors not in the area that don’t have any say on the distribution of this fund, but they need to grow up and stop playing petty politics.
‘Any review of the terms of reference on this fund would open the doors for all community funds to be reviewed within the county.
Indaver are a good neighbour and citizen of our community and for councillors to highlight any suggestion of impropriety surrounding this fund, it is nothing short of disgraceful.’
