‘Inflammatory’ comment row erupts at Moyle District Council

Cllr McKillop said she had concerns about the criteria used in the Council’s Community Infrastructure Fund which seemed to exclude certain groups. She added that the groups which benefitted seem to come from “one side of the community”.

The remarks were described as “inflammatory” by Independent councillor Padraig McShane who said it was “ridiculous” to make such a comment without backing it up with facts and evidence.

Cllr Cara McShane (Sinn Fein) also went on the offensive saying Cllr McKillop’s “woolly comments are wearing thin” and she accused the TUV councillor of wanting to grab “column inches” in the press.

But Cllr McKillop hit back saying she wouldn’t apologise for trying to safeguard funding.

She said: “I really just want to make sure that the bar isn’t set high. That is the point I have been trying to make.”

Cllr McKillop said she would not apologise for representing her constituents.

Council official Esther Mulholland said the purpose of the Infrastructure Fund this year in Moyle is to improve tourism infrastructure and said councillors have been as inclusive as they could be.

The Ulster Unionist Chairperson of the Council, Cllr Sandra Hunter, said the Council tries to be inclusive and Cllr Joan Baird (Ulster Unionist) said that she wasn’t approaching the subject from a one-sided point of view but said perhaps the bar is set to high in the criteria which excludes some small groups and less well developed schemes.

Cllr Baird said she wants to see innovation in communities and Ms Mulholland said that every year the Council renews the grants criteria.