THE MEATH county manager will tomorrow be asked questions about claims that cheques made out to the council for planning services were never cashed.
This issue comes amid growing concern about the council’s finances. The question to county manager Tom Dowling has been put by newly elected Fine Gael councillor Sirena Campbell.
She wants to know whether he or any of the council officials “are aware of any occasion or occasions in the past five years when payments by cheque for planning fees or services fees, related to planning and made out to this council from persons or companies involved in planning applications have remained uncashed for any considerable period of time”.
It is alleged the amounts could run to over €2 million.
Cllr Campbell has also asked Mr Dowling to assure the council that he is willing to have the matter investigated if he has not already done so.
The pressure on the council to answer questions about its finances is growing as, like all local authorities, it is suffering from a significant drop in planning applications and subsequent development levies.
The manager will also be asked by former council chairman and Fianna Fáil councillor Nick Killian about outstanding levies for the last eight years.
Mr Killian wants “up-to-date and accurate accounts” of money owed by developers and construction companies since 2001.
Last month, Independent councillor Brian Fitzgerald walked out of the council meeting in protest at what he says is the way information has to be “dragged out”.
He said that by June this year the council had collected only €6 million of an anticipated €29 million in revenue. This is on top of “the council carrying a deficit of €10 million” in recent years.
In July, he was told a special meeting would be held to update councillors on the financial situation, but this has still not taken place.