Search
07 Sept 2025
Search
07 Sept 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Ian McGarvey retired from his council seat handing it over to Pauric McGarvey at the Letterkenny Municipal District Council Meeting on Tuesday last where. Photo Clive Wasson
Retired County Councillor Ian McGarvey has expressed frustration at the diminished input of councillors.
The 92-year-old officially stepped away from political life on Monday when he sat as a member of the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District for the final time.
The veteran politician from Ramelton retired after serving 18 years as a councillor having been first elected in the Milford area in 2004.
Since then, the Letterkenny and Milford areas have merged and the Letterkenny Town Council is no more, following its abolition in 2014.
“I always thought that restrictions as a community worker were bad enough, but it's worse as a councillor,” he reflected this week.
“I also feel as if the people we are talking to are restricted. People providing a service are restricted. There has been a removal of authority.
“It is regrettable that the Government never considers properly rural areas, especially a county like Donegal.”
Among the issues tabled at his final meeting on Monday included a motion calling for Donegal County Council to retain delivery of water and wastewater services. Irish Water is now be the sole water authority in the county and will have full control by June.
This and the possible relocation of the call centre for the NoWDOC service to a central hub were the cause of angst for the outgoing Councillor McGarvey.
He said: “The authority of members is being continuously taken away.
“Everything is done very willy nilly, people end up phoning a central call centre and don't get a return call.
“The people in Government don't take into consideration what is happening to their people. The removal of the Health Board system was another example and we're in the middle of a housing crisis, but they're selling land to buy trees.”
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
