Anger as councillors removed from Progressive Alliance

He added: “Sinn Féin’s objective through the SDZ process was to ensure that the diverse needs of the Communities in Lucan and Clondalkin would be met.

“This means providing an adequate supply of social and affordable housing, improving transport and public transport infrastructure, ensuring adequate supply of green space and community facilities and working with other agencies to deliver jobs and quality public services.

Unfortunately Cllrs Gogarty, O’Connell, O’Toole and O’Donovan set their face against this balanced approach and used the process to limit the delivery of much needed social and affordable housing.

They have breached the trust of their Progressive Alliance colleagues and moved away from our agreed agenda”.

On Tuesday in response to The Echo, Cllrs Gogarty, O’Toole, O’Connell and O’Donovan all released statements on the issue.

Cllr Gogarty told The Echo that there was no notice given, no discussion or right of reply on the decision to remove him and his colleagues from the Progressive Alliance.

He said: “One day after Mary Lou McDonald took over, Sinn Fein have again shown they have neither the ability or temperament to work constructively with fellow elected colleagues unless they fall in line 100 per cent with their views.

“To clarify: There were no discussions in the Progressive Alliance about policies relating to the SDZ.

“This is because, just like a development plan, it is left up to each individual member to make up their own mind whether to support, co-sponsor or oppose a motion.

“There was no collective attempt to restrict social housing as each of the Independents have differing views on the matter and in this respect we ultimately supported a motion that would leave each application to be decided on a case by case basis when it came to a Part 8 decision on Clonburris housing applications from the Council.”

Councillor O’Connell told The Echo that he was “totally shocked” at Sinn Fein’s announcement on Monday.

He added: “There was no prior warning no communication no discussion. Not something I would have expected from an Alliance to which I had been loyal.  

“Yes, the making of the Clonburris SDZ threw up some big differences between members of the Alliance on how and what could be achieved as was to be expected.  

“There was some acrimonious exchanges although I did not engage even though there were a few things said about me that were not true. I am not going to engage in mudslinging now either”.

He added: “So my twin priorities were to get the best possible deal for future residents of Clonburris and for the surrounding communities. The plan as agreed will not achieve either.”

Cllr O’Toole accused Sinn Fein of attempting to use “bully boy tactics for political gains and making statements to the media without first discussing their concerns or issues they may have had.”

She added: “ As an Independent Community Councillor I have been engaging with a large number of Lucan residents and resident groups to allow me to represent their views through various motions on the SDZ development plan.

“My views on the delivery of housing and infrastructure are somewhat different to Sinn Fein, however as an agreed approach to housing was never discussed within the Progressive Alliance, there is no basis to contend that I have moved away from the Progressive Alliance Agreement.”  

Cllr O’Donovan told The Echo that she could not agree with “Sinn Fein’s regressive housing policy of building over 2,000 social houses with no facilities or amenities for people living there”.

She added: “I have never voted against social housing and I make no apology for voting how I did in the Clonburris SDZ process.  

“I stand over my political ideology of learning from the mistakes of the past.  

“I wish the Progressive Alliance members all the very best in the future, but I really hope they stop making regressive housing decisions – for the sake of this great County and the people living in it. They deserve better than that”.