Members of the Council’s ruling pact have been accused of ‘wasting community groups’ time’ in a row over the divvying up of half-a-million euro in grants.

A simmering dispute on the Council’s newly formed Grants Committee spilled into the Chamber at Monday’s meeting of the local authority where a number of councillors hit out at the pact for its ‘unfair’ treatment of the process.

Cllr Eddie Hoare (FG) said the supposedly democratic process had done “a disservice” to the public, public representatives, community groups and business organisations.

“I’m not disagreeing with allocating funding to any of the groups that got it but I would hope that next year, the process is more open and transparent,” he said.

In previous years, grants allocated under the themes of community action, inclusion, regeneration, development and environment – amounting to €565,000 this year – were meted out at the annual budget meeting in November, based solely on the desires of the ruling pact.

Chief Executive Leonard Cleary proposed last year that a Grants Committee be established, whereby the grants would be publicly advertised; applications assessed on their merit; and grants given out based on scoring.

However, several members of the committee suggested on Monday that the old system had held sway on the committee, with those outside the pact barely getting a look in.

Cllr Alan Curran (Soc Dem) said the terms of reference of the committee had not been adhered to, noting that they had set out a commitment to transparency, discussion and suggested that the committee should, “as far as possible, act by consensus”.

“Some members, I feel, were excluded from the process,” he said.

Pictured left: Cllr Alan Curran:  ‘Some members, I feel, were excluded from the process.’ Right: Cllr Eddie Hoare: suggestions were ignored.