Longford councillor criticises lack of detail in annual plan
Longford County Council's proposed Annual Service Delivery Plan came in for criticism for its lack of detail when it was approved at the first council meeting of 2023.
The Annual Service Delivery Plan 2023 sets out the service delivery objectives and performance standards intended to be achieved in the coming year by the local authority. Targets in the plan include economic and social development, environmental protection, and the overall plan for services to be delivered by the council.
Council Chief Executive, Paddy Mahon, commended his staff efforts in compiling the document.
“A lot of work was put in over a short space of time to ensure we had this plan in place,” he said, “it outlines over 200 objectives across the different areas that the council oversees. It outlines the ambitions of the council for the coming year.”
Cllr Seamus Butler proposed the motion, but expressed reservations about its lack of detail. “When you are doing a business plan of any sort you have to have figures. Most of the figures in this are just page numbers. There are no specific targets here.”
Cllr Butler continued, “All the objectives make statements, but they don't put a figure on it. How many houses are we going to build, how many voids are going to be turned around? What are the targets? That's what I want to know.”
Seconding the motion, Cllr Colm Murray (FG) acknowledged the work of the Executive in compiling the plan. “There was a lot of work to get it done for this meeting. Some of the inclusions are aspirational, but you have to have aspirations.”
The document was adopted at the January meeting.