De Burca calls on Labour Party to make public statement on planning irregularities on Wicklow County Council

The Green Party councillor made her call following a meeting on Monday of Wicklow County Council at which Councillor Nicky Kelly of the Labour Party called her "a liar and a scumbag". Councillor de Burca has expressed her disappointment that the Labour Party Chairman of the council, Cllr John Byrne, did not intervene and seek an apology from Councillor Kelly. "In fact, I was very unhappy with the way that the meeting was chaired yesterday" says de Burca. "The Labour Party chairman ruled two of my motions out of order, although I had followed the corect procedures. He appeared determined to allow me to speak as little as possible".

At Monday's council meeting, the Green Party councillor repeatedly asked Cllr Nicky Kelly whether he had asked a Labour Party colleague,to put forward a rezoning motion for him for a proposed medical centre at Newcastle. "A recent Sunday Business article stated that Cllr Kelly had admitted, in a taped interview, to asking a colleague to put forward a rezoning motion for him" says de Burca. "I asked him to clarify this matter yesterday several times but he just attacked me instead". She expressed her concern at the fact that Cllr Kelly had supported all seventeen of the last-minute rezonings proposed at the council meeeting on Monday 12^th and also noted the active role played by Labour Party activist and planning consultant, Mr Pat O'Connor, in lobbying to have some of these rezoning motions passed.

Councillor de Burca expressed her disappointment that Labour councillor, Conal Kavanagh, voted against her motion at last Monday's meeting to have an Emergency Debate on the planning irregularities surrounding the Draft County Development Plan. "The people of Wicklow had been listening to stories circulating in the media during the month of August about rezoning decisions made at the council meeting on July 12^th" she says. "I felt that the council had a responsibility to debate and clarify these issues as a matter of urgency. Fortunately, although Cllr Kavanagh did not agree with me, a majority of councillors voted to support my motion to have the emergency debate".

The Green Party councillor also put forward a motion at Monday's meeting to have the matter of the legality of the Draft County Development Plan referred to the Minister for the Environment to establish an independent investigation into the making of the Draft Plan to date. "Again, a Labour Party councillor, Anne Ferrris, intervened and called on the Chairperson to rule this motion out of order because of a time consideration" says de Burca. "I really have to question why so many members of the Labour Party acted in this way. I would have expected support from them on this issue, but clearly this was not forthcoming".

Councillor de Burca is now calling on the Labour Party TD, Liz M^cManus, to make a public statement on its position in relation to the planning irregularities surrounding the County Development Plan process that have been highlighted in the local and national media recently. "The people of Wicklow have a right to know where the Labour Party stands on these issues" says de Burca. "To date, the lack of public comment by a senior Wicklow politician such as Deputy M^cManus is very noticeable"

For further information please contact:
Deirdre de Burca on 086-806 1450; email: deburca@wicklowgreens.org