Metro councillor steps down from Limerick policing group
A METROPOLITAN councillor has resigned her seat on a committee which aims to foster greater co-operation between the gardai and local politicians.
Sarah Kiely, a Fine Gael councillor for City East, has stepped down from the Joint Policing Committee (JPC) as she feels at present, it’s not a good use of her time.
The JPC has sub-committees especially for the rural electoral areas of Cappamore/Kilmallock, Newcastle West and Adare/Rathkeale.
But, in the city, there is no dedicated forum for councillors, with only an overall JPC shared with members from the rural areas.
And Cllr Kiely wants to see that changed.
“We are listening to stuff from different areas which is not relevant. It eats into time when we should be raising our issues. There needs to be one particularly for the city. I don’t want to be listening to something which happens in Abbeyfeale,” she said.
“We have the population density in the city. We also have the most amount of councillors in the city,” the councillor pointed out.
Cllr Kiely stressed there is no issue with An Garda Síochána or its efforts during the local JPCs - her complaint is over the structure.
With just over 12 months to go until the local election, she’s acknowledged the matter will likely not be resolved in this council term.
But she hopes that when the next group of councillors meet, the problem will have been rectified.