THE opposition by the Fianna Fail spokeswoman on health, Ms Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, to a residential treatment facility for alcoholic women in Galway has come under renewed criticism, following confirmation that she lodged her objections on Dail Eireann-headed notepaper.
Ms Geoghegan-Quinn had stressed that her objections were made in a private capacity in a letter to Galway Corporation and not as Fianna Fail spokeswoman on health. She lives near the proposed facility in Barna.
The Green Party, however, yesterday accused Ms Geoghegan-Quinn of using her position as a TD to influence the decision-making process on the centre - it has been granted planning permission subject to a two-year review; a decision which nearby residents appealed to An Bord Pleanala.
The Green Party's Galway secretary, Mr Pat Fitzpatrick, noted that Ms Geoghegan-Quinn said she was acting in a private capacity in objecting to the Horizon House development. "Why then was her objection submitted to Galway Corporation on Dail Eireann-headed paper?" he asked.
Ms Geoghegan-Quinn said of the notepaper: It's the only note-paper I have. I make no apology about that."
She had outlined in detail, she added, the reasons why she objected to the centre and in what capacity she had done so. "I wrote about the matter to the corporation in a private capacity. The residents' association made the appeal on behalf of all residents in the area, following a survey carried out diligently."
Earlier this week, Ms Geoghegan-Quinn rejected claims; that she objected to the project simply because it was planned for her own neighbourhood. She pointed to Fianna Fail policy that there must be local acceptance of such centres before locating them in a residential area.
In her objection lodged with the corporation in January, Ms Geoghegan-Quinn said there was "great concern in the area among local residents that such a centre would be proposed in a densely-populated area". She claimed the plans were unsatisfactory on maintenance and other medical issues.
Mr Fitzpatrick said: "We consider Ms Geoghegan-Quinn and other residents objections unfounded. Paranoia and scaremongering have been whipped up which is unjustified. The root cause is a false fear, where people are concerned with the value of their properties."
Ms Geoghegan-Quinn, he claimed, "as a woman, a teacher, a former minister and Fianna Fail spokesperson on health", was aware of the need for such.
"As a politician who is keen on leadership and who has expressed a desire to be the first woman Taoiseach, she has shown little leadership in bringing the value of this development to Galway."