Candidate accused of 'selling negative image of Kells"

A major political row has erupted in Kells between local town council cathaoirleach, Cllr Brian Collins, and Fine Gael local election candidate, John Callaghan. Cllr Collins accused Mr Callaghan of a willingness to wreck good works and sell a negative image of Kells for the sake of publicity. Cllr Collins asked a number of questions on how Mr Callaghan was going to act on various issues the Fine Gael candidate had raised in recent statements about problems with dereliction, unemployment and the lack of a viable town centre. Mr Callaghan said he would be delighted to answer all Cllr Collins"s questions in detail, but said each point needed answering in meaningful depth and he would do so shortly. Cllr Collins criticised recent remarks made by Mr Callaghan on the allotments scheme for Kells and said pronouncements by Mr Callaghan on costings and details were not accurate and had not been approved by the council. Cllr Collins also hit out at comments by the FG candidate that one of his priorities was ensuring that the rates collected in the business park should go to the town and not the county council. Cllr Collins agreed that this should be the case but it would require a boundary change which is currently under review and asked how did Mr Callaghan intend to make it happen any quicker. He also hit out at Mr Callaghan"s claim that the lack of a viable town centre and sports facilities were problems facing the town, pointing out that the Backlands and Frontlands projects were in the hands of private consortia and asked how could Mr Callaghan advance them. 'Mr Callaghan speaks of the extensive dereliction in the town, a matter the current council has spoken about extensively and we are pursuing this through the Derelict Sites Act. Can Mr Callaghan make a quasi-judicial process with timeframes set down in law work faster?' Cllr Collins asked. 'Mr Callaghan intends to tackle the problems of limited employment opportunities in the town. Can he please answer how he intends to do that from the town council chamber?' The Labour Party councillor said that, for two years, the lengthy process of putting together the Kells Town Plan kept councillors and officials working late into the night and well into the morning. 'Fourteen councillors, including Mr Callaghan"s Fine Gael colleagues, battled it out to produce a plan that, in the main, we were satisfied with and could stand over. Mr Callaghan"s response is to rubbish it and reject the views of everyone involved in the process. How does he intend to produce a different plan without the support and respect of other councillors?' Cllr Collins asked.