Row over 'control' as Laois Cathaoirleach elected as chair of Portlaoise Municipal District
Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil councillors elect Cllr Barry Walsh as chair, stirring hot words from independent colleagues who want the same opportunity.
A Laois Fine Gael councillor now has the rare privilege of being both chair of a Municipal District, and of Laois County Council at the same time.
Cllr Barry Walsh has been elected at AGM of Portlaoise Municipal District this June, to serve for the next year as district chair, for the second time in his four year political career. He received a shiny new chain of office from Cllr John Joe Fennelly.
He is about to hand over the chain of Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council later in June, after a busy year in the high profile role.
While wishing him well, the three members of Portlaoise MD who are the minority, had critical words as they again failed to overturn the four strong FF/FG majority, with Fianna Fáil Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald elected as vice-chair.
Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley, had been proposed by Cllr Tommy Mulligan for the position, supported by Cllr Marie Tuohy but was outvoted by Cllrs Fitzgerald, Walsh, Fennelly and Paddy Buggy.
“Congratulations to John Joe for the year you’ve done and congratulations to Barry. The three of us might never see our names up as past cathaoirleachs, but It’s important to remember that nobody in the chamber feels that it’s their god given right to it, nor that it’s our god given right to be excluded. That’s how it feels.
“I’d love to see at some point the D’Hondt system, where it would be a rotation. I’ve never seen it since I was elected in 2011 but I never give up hope,” she said.
“It’s about being able to say to the public that the whole seven of us has the right to put our name forward to the high office of cathaoirleach of the municipal district,” Cllr Dwane Stanley said.
Cllr Tommy Mulligan accused his colleagues of wanting control.
“Barry, I congratulate you on a personal level, but I just don’t enjoy the way you do politics. I really though that getting elected we get to work as a team, I didn’t expect all the gamesmanship. I really don’t agree with this control at all costs. There is a fairer way to do it and I know you know that. This is a choice. I would not do to ye what you’re doing to myself, Marie and Caroline, because I respect ye. Ye have shown zero respect to us,” Cllr Mulligan said.
Cllr Fitzgerald replied to him that “this is politics”.
“Aird asked you if you wanted to come in as a technical person like Ollie Clooney,” she said.
Non party Cllr Ollie Clooney has just been elected as Cathaoirleach of the Mountmellick Borris-in-Ossory MD, in return for voting with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil on many matters.
“ You need a group to come together to pass a budget, they have to be of the same mind. Of course we have respect. But politics is about numbers, it’s not like an ordinary committee. I think you are fantastic public representatives,” she said.
“I don’t believe for one minute this is about budgets. It’s about control. It’s a choice. It works in other parts of the country,” Cllr Mulligan said, adding that it works in Northern Ireland.
“It doesn’t work in the 26 counties,” Cllr Fitzgerald said.
Outgoing chair Cllr Fennelly thanked Laois County Council staff, and wished Cllr Walsh the best of luck.
Director of Services Simon Walton praised Cllr Fennelly for his “positivity and efficiency” in the role.
Cllr Walsh thanked his colleagues for voting for him again.
“To Tommy, it’s just the way it is, it’s not about respect, I take issue with that. It’s part of the system,” he said.
“It’s nothing personal,” Cllr Dwane Stanley told him.
She proposed Cllr Marie Tuohy as vice chair, while Cllr Fennelly proposed Cllr Fitzgerald, who again won the seat by four votes to three.
The district’s meetings now end for a summer break, with their next meeting in September.