Divisions over housing grant allocations
Wednesday March 17 2010
DROGHEDA Corporation was to get a housing grant allocation of £441,000 for the year but the news that it was to come out of the proceeds of the sales of local authority houses caused sharp divisions at a recent meeting.
The sizable allocation of money would allow for a start to be made on 20 houses at the St Laurence's Park housing estate at Moneymore and the provision of a residential caravan park for travelling people.
But while there was a warm welcome for the money from Fianna Fáil members, opposition councillors condemned it as little more than a stopgap which would do little to solve the town's housing crisis, which saw 200 applicants on the housing list.
When it was disclosed that the money would come from the sales proceeds of local authority houses Cllr Pat Carr asked if the country was not in the act of 'selling the silver'.
Ald Jimmy Mulroy however welcomed the cash grant and described the sale of local authority houses as 'another innovative idea of the government' which gave people the opportunity to own their homes.
Remarks by Drogheda Deputy Michael Bell on a TV programme that he was in favour of the Irish Cement quarry at Donore had drawn sharp criticism from some sources.
Deputy Bell has said during a BBC Northern Ireland 'Spotlight' programme on the quarry controversy that there were 4,000 people unemployed in Drogheda and district and that in looking for a compromise between jobs and the environment he would be strongly in favour of the quarry.
A 20-year-old Drogheda girl had become the first female to qualify as a boxing coach and judge in the country.
Despite the prestigious accolade Deirdre Gogarty was not satisfied and wanted a crack at a world boxing title for women when it comes into existence.
Ms Gogarty had just travelled to London under the guidance of her coach, ex-British light welterweight champion Pat McCormack, in a bid to search out a challenger but could not find takers for what would be Ireland's first Queensbury rules female boxing contest.
