A claim by Fine Gael’s Owen Bannigan that the Dept of Agriculture office in Ballybay was to close on December 15 generated a heated debate at Monday’s meeting of Monaghan Co Council.
Seamus Coyle of Fianna Fáil said he had contacted Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith during the meeting and the Minister said there was no truth to the rumour and had reiterated his previous guarantees regarding the future of the facility.
Colr Bannigan held firm to the veracity of his revelation, and angry and often high-volume exchanges rang around the meeting …