"Ardee deserves better" - Councillor disappointed at omission from Living Cities Initiative

Dolores Minogue, Fine Gael councillor for Ardee has expressed her dissapointemnt at Ardee's ommision from the Living Cities Initiative.

It comes after Tánaiste Simon Harris confirmed the initiative, which encourages people to live in cities through a tax incentive, will be expanded to include Dundalk and Drogheda. 

Speaking after December's monthly meeting of Louth County Council, Cllr Minogue said she was "deeply dissapointed to learn Ardee was not included."

Cllr Minogue said "fair and balanced regional development cannot be achieved if towns like ours are consistently excluded from initiatives". 

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She said Ardee faces many of the same challenges as towns that have been included in the initiative, including "housing pressure, traffic congestion, strain on services and the need for long-term planning". 

"Excluding Ardee ignores the realities and risks leaving the town behind at a time when strategic is most needed," she said. 

"Decisions like this reinforce a sense that towns outside the main urban centres are overlooked, despite meeting many of the criteria for inclusion." she said. 

Cllr Minogue called on decision-makers to "revisit" its decision and "engage meaningfully with the people of Ardee."

Louth County Council said it is "happy to put Ardee forward" for the living cities intiative.