Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge there are good things happening in Clonmel and we have had great ambassadors, such as the late Frank Patterson and Mick Dell. Clonmel men are known all over the world. However, the town lost its borough council under Fine Gael. It lost Kickham Barracks, which was a major blow. It lost the mental health services at St. Michael's psychiatric unit. The biggest loss of all was the move of the power base from Clonmel to Nenagh. There have been great investments and I do not begrudge the people of Nenagh but we lost completely as a result of the amalgamation. The county manager was even appointed before the legislation was passed, which is dubious in itself. The power base has shifted and all the investment is in Nenagh. The parking charges in Nenagh are low and the irony is that the money collected in Clonmel goes into north Tipperary. The people of Clonmel have had enough and want fair play. Many fine public officials retired at the time because of the takeover, and it was a takeover. I helped Councillor Niall Dennehy to take a High Court challenge to that abolition but he had no support from any political party or from elsewhere. He is still fighting the battle over the discrepancies that were there, how the power shifted and how the north Tipperary county manager was appointed before the legislation was passed. There are serious questions.

I have asked the housing committee to examine it. We need fair play. It is fine play to me. Clonmel needs fair play and we are not getting it.

See this speech in context