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The last Mayor of Fermoy, Olive Corcoran with her fellow councillors, retired councillors from the over the years, staff members and invited guests at the final meeting of Fermoy Town Council. Photo: Sandra Quinn

Local opinion continues to be divided on support for the possible return of town councils, in the aftermath of comments relating to such by Brendan Howlin TD, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, recently.

This week, The Avondhu spoke to two former town councillors to assertain their feelings about any possible U-turn by the government on the abolition of the councils.

Noel Barnes, owner of Barnes Jewellers on Patrick Street, said he would not see the benefit of re-instating town councils.

“I wouldn’t be (in favour) to be honest, the power we had was very limited. No matter what fantastic ideas you’d come up with, they’d be thrown back at you and you’d be told 'there’s no money to do that'. It was just a talking shop more than anything else."

Noel, who was in it for two years, sai he went into it 'completely blind'.

"Once a month you’d put in a motion and I’d say in the time I was there, I got two motions done. One of those was just asking to put some lights in the park near the Protestant Church. There were engineers down to look at it, there health and safety came to look at it. The bulb was gone, that was all that was wrong with it. But even to get that done was a mountain of work so I don’t see the benefit of it really.”

A former town councillor who would be in support of their return is past town mayor William Hughes, who noted the local benefits it would bring and it’s part in seeking to reduce business rates in the town.

“I would see it as being a bonus to Fermoy because the people of Fermoy at the moment have no voice and the only way to have a voice is through an urban council. On the issue of cheaper rates, it could be put forward to the council then and something might happen.

“It needs to happen for the town, because I think myself that if they don’t do something proper with the rates, I really think we’re going to have a ghost town after a few years. And so I think it’s only fair that the business community have a voice through the council, therefore.”

Would Mr Hughes dust off the election posters if it came to it? “I’d consider it,” he said. “I think that I would probably make a run for it again and hopefully be able to be of benefit to the people of the town.”

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