Politicians oppose Louth move into Meath

The senior Dail deputy in Meath, Damien English (Fine Gael, Meath West), is urging the public of the county to oppose the extension of Drogheda into county Meath. 

In a letter to the Meath Chronicle, he says: 'I am urging all Meath people with an interest in the commercial, civic and social life of Co Meath to oppose the extension of Drogheda into the boundary of Co Meath.  Many reasons for opposition have been offered.  Much of the language has been emotive. However I want to deal in hard facts.'

Deputy English, who is Minister for Education and Skills, says he has three simple reasons for opposing this measure, and he asks interested Meath Chronicle readers to think about them and share them with the Boundary Review Committee chaired by Jack Keyes.

Firstly, such a move would negatively effect our rates base, which is already low in Meath. We have had a huge surge in Meath's population over the last 15 years, but many of these people work in Dublin, meaning our commercial rates base is below what we need to offer the best quality services to those living locally. We now have a Meath County Economic Plan to help target and reverse these trends.  But a boundary change would work against this Economic Plan.

Secondly, if a precedent is set with Drogheda, Fingal County Council may begin to eye up parts of South Meath, including Clonee, where Facebook have decided to locate.  We must work to make Facebook and South Meath a magnet for more high tech investment with its easy access to Dublin, as per our County's Economic Plan. Any weakening of our boundary weakens our image for investment. Facebook will be in Meath after a hard fight. Its jobs are Meath jobs and its commercial rates must remain for the betterment of the people of Clonee and Meath.

Thirdly, no one is trying to suggest development across Counties is easy.  Towns that share or cross a boundary present challenges but also opportunities. There are other mechanisms that should be looked at.  For instance more shared service delivery, more regular consultative meetings between local Councillors, a more structured dialogue between Municipal Chairs and local Managers and stronger Regional Authorities etc.  The work on the Boyne Valley Greenway, Boyne Valley Food Series, Boyne Valley Food Hub and Boyne Valley Tourism shows that this constructive cross County approach can deliver.

Fianna Fail Cllr Damien O'Reilly is  also calling on all Meath residents to make submissions to www.droghedaboundaryreview.ie to protect Meath from a Louth County Council annexation of east Meath. As the proposal stands, Drogheda Environs will be annexed by Louth County Council, changing the county border lines which have stood in place since 1541 when Westmeath became a independent county, he says.

Cllr O'Reilly commented: ''East Meath is central to the Economic Development Strategy of Meath 2014-2022 document recently published by Meath County Council along with Navan and the Clonee/Dunboyne corridor for attracting inward investment and FDI. If county Meath ceded East Meath to Louth County Council the county will lose millions in rates and property tax which will affect the lives of the remaining residents as ultimately less revenue will lead to less services and possible increased rates for the remaining businesses to match the short fall''.

As bad as ceding east Meath to Louth would be, the consequences and precedent will be very damning for the remaining segment of county Meath.

Cllr O'Reilly envisions that Fingal County, which is running out of land as they have already built housing developments and industrial parks right up to the Meath border will look to annex Clonee, Dunboyne and Ashbourne into Dublin 15 and if this dangerous Louth County Council precedent is set - Kildare will look to annex Kilcloon, Mulhussey, rural Kilcock and possibly Enfield'.

''I'm calling on all residents of county Meath to stand together to protect our county as we know it today. Our economic futures and already invested infrastructure, history and heritage is at risk if we begin with any level of territory lost to Louth'', concluded Cllr O'Reilly.

The deadline for submission is 5pm on Friday, 22nd January.

By hard copy to: Drogheda Boundary Review Secretariat, Louth County Council, Civic Offices, Fair Street, Drogheda, County Louth, A92 P440.

By e-mail to: submissions@droghedaboundaryreview.ie

Online: via the submissions page  http://www.droghedaboundaryreview.ie/