Gorey Town Council is one of eighty town councils around the country to be abolished in their present form and will be merged into ‘municipal districts’ with the change taking place around mid-2014 when the next Local Elections are due.

Minister for Environment and Local Government, Phil Hogan, T.D., brought his local goverment reform proposals before Cabinet today and announced the biggest changes since the Local Government Act came into force in January 1899.

Some members of Gorey Town Council, although aware of the changes proposed by Minister Hogan, were disappointed.

Cllr. Lorcan Allen, who represented the Town Council at the Minister’s briefing to council members before making his announcement, said he would make the Minister well aware  of his views – he is not in favour of the Minister’s actions.

Cllr. Robbie Ireton felt it was “a sad day for democracy”; Cllr. Bernard Crosbie said, “I would be very sad to see Gorey Town Council go.”

“The Minister has made a mess of everything he touches so far do he doesn’t inspire confidence,” said Cllr. Malcolm Byrne.

The Minister’s document which has to go through the Oireachtas is called ‘Putting People First.’

One of the points of interest is the fixyourstreet.ie website to offer citizens the opportunity to raise issues in their area such as illegal dumping, graffiti, road defects or drainage problems.