Tipperary row as cuts to Tidy Towns and residents' groups funding branded 'mean-spirited'

""I'm not happy with the allocations, there should be a further discussion on that and money should be moved from other sources, considering the position we're in now with the cost of cutting grass, I think it's mean-spirited," Cllr Browne said."

""A lot of this stuff was done by the council, and it's not any more. It's a tiny amount of money, €58,000 wouldn't pay for one extra council worker that we've taken out of council work schemes," he added."

""I think reducing the residents' associations significantly is a negative decision, and I know we're doing the best with the funding we've been allocated, but as councillors we can allocate further funding through this scheme," he said."

""Sometimes you need to be careful what you wish for, if we go back again, it might make a situation that has been created by yourself and not by the executive or the members here, making it worse again," Cllr Crosse said."

Independent councillor Liam Browne advocates for increased funding for community groups in the Tipperary-Cahir-Cashel Municipal District, emphasizing that these groups are performing tasks previously handled by the council. He criticizes the current budget allocations, suggesting that funds should be reallocated to support these essential services. Fellow councillor Declan Burgess supports Browne's stance, highlighting the challenges faced by residents' associations. In contrast, Fine Gael councillor John Crosse warns that revisiting funding discussions could exacerbate existing issues.

Read at Irish Independent