DISGRACEFUL SCENES AT FERMOY TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
It was business as usual at the town hall after the summer break last Tuesday evening with the mayor, Cllr Michael Hanley struggling to control the September meeting of Fermoy Town Council. With the meeting scheduled to open at 6.15pm, the press were at once ejected from the council chamber while the councillors discussed ‘in committee’ matters concerning Fermoy Leisure Centre.
When the press and a delegation of elderly gentlemen from McDonagh Terrace, who were also told to arrive at 6.15pm, were allowed back in to the chamber it was gone 7pm and, with what can only be described as a black comedy, the meeting was abandoned by the mayor at 9pm with little over half the agenda dealt with.
NO TIME
When the meeting finally, after an hour and a half, began to debate the list of motions dealing with the flood relief plan for the town, disabled parking spaces and a hand rail for the famine wall at McDonagh Terrace, to name just three items on the agenda of 15, the town engineer announced that he had to leave, thus not allowing time to accept questions from the councillors.
“We have one meeting per month and it is the least that the officials can do but to stay and take part. I know that the press don’t like ‘in committee’ meetings and I don’t particularly agree with them but when we do have these meetings without the press we get a lot done. Once again when the press are present we have people playing to the gallery and wasting time,” Cllr Pa O’Driscoll said.
‘DISGRACEFUL SCENES’
Mayor Hanley closed the meeting stating his disappointment with the proceedings.
And, the mayor subsequently voiced his disapproval with the carry on at Tuesday night’s meeting, telling The Avondhu, “I am very disappointed with the conduct of my fellow councillors at this week’s Fermoy Town Council meeting. The town is in a serious crisis and the meeting was a disgrace.”
Cllr Olive Corcoran also added her concern, “There were some very important items on the agenda that were never dealt with and will now have to wait for another month before they can even be discussed. There were members of the public there on Tuesday evening and they were witness to the disgraceful scenes,” she told The Avondhu.
Published:
Friday 23rd September 9:51am
