"It's a joke!" That's how Cllr Frank O'Flynn expressed his disappointment when the housing directorate at Cork County Council failed to provide replies to two of his motions at the recent Fermoy Municipal District meeting.
The Fianna Fáil councillor had asked that Cork County Council would indicate the commencement date for the much needed housing development at (a) Crann Ard Estate, Pike Road, Fermoy and (b) Respond development at Duntaheen Road, Fermoy.
Cllr O’Flynn had also put the motion forward for the Northern Committee meeting at which the Housing Director would be present but he was told that the motion would have to be brought to Fermoy MD instead as it dealt specifically with two Fermoy housing developments.
However, Cllr Noel McCarthy had a motion looking for an update on those same housing developments and it was accepted and replied to by the housing director Maurice Manning at the Northern Committee meeting.
Cllr Frank O’Flynn was very annoyed and disappointed that his motion was referred back to Fermoy MD and yet he was given no reply at that meeting which occurred a day after the Northern Committee meeting where a reply was given to Cllr Noel McCarthy.
Cllr O’Flynn had a second unanswered motion asking “that Cork County Council give an update and outline the plan and timeframe for the proposed development on the site of the old fire brigade station in Fermoy."
The item was again referred to the Housing Directorate but no reply was given in time for the Fermoy MD meeting.
“It’s a joke! Councillors put down motions and get no reply,” said Cllr O’Flynn.
“I think the issues relating to housing, considering the headquarters for housing in North Cork is in Mallow, should be allowed to be put forward at the Northern Committee meeting,” he stressed.
Municipal officer Pauline Moriarty explained that she, SEO Mary Hayes or senior engineer Brendan O’Gorman, cannot answer any questions in relation to housing and that is why they have to refer them back to the housing directorate.
Mr O’Gorman also highlighted that the turnaround time between when the housing directorate get the motions and when the Fermoy MD meeting takes place is only a matter of days, so if the housing staff were out of the office for example, it may mean they do not get a chance to return a reply in time for the Fermoy MD meeting.
“I’ll inform them of your frustration,” Ms Moriarty told Cllr O’Flynn.
