This article is from page 6 of the 2006-07-10 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
Kilrush’s newly appointed mayor received a baptism of fire on his first evening in the chair.
The first town council meeting chaired by new mayor Stephen O’Gorman (FF) on Thursday last went out of control, as councillors argued among themselves about the traffic management plan, which was not even on the agenda.
At a debate on changing standing orders, Councillor Tom Prendeville (FF) proposed that the monthly meeting be changed from 7pm to 4pm on the second Thursday of every month.
Cllr Marian McMahon-Jones (FG) said the time was not convenient for her and proposed that the meeting be rescheduled for 9am.
The Fine Gael councillor said she felt the time discriminated against her as she would not be able to attend and this was non-democratic. She asked that the councillors reach a consensus on the time. Cllr Prendeville told the councillor however, “when you put your name on a ballot paper you have to be available. It is not non-democratic. We went through a sham with you and Deirdre (Cllr Culligan, Ind) on traffic bylaws. You and Deirdre couldn’t recollect voting to bring parking from 50c to €1.
“When you earn your consensus spurs you will get it,” a visible angry Cllr Prendeville said.
The issue of traffic by-laws, which have already been passed by the council, filtered through the order of business debate with Cllr McMahon- Jones asking the mayor “not to allow the badgering like I received here today.”
“There is a certain document on how to treat fellow councillors. Can I suggest we read it?”
“You treated us as fools,” Cllr Prendeville retorted.
As the council moved on to discussing traffic issues for a local school, the traffic management issue continued to raise its head.
“If that proposal had been included in the by-laws would you have voted for the by-laws?” Cllr Prendeville asked Cllr McMahon Jones, when she proposed the traffic plan for the school. When it was suggested that the issue be discussed by a council subcommittee Tom Prenderville said, “Personally I would find it hard to work with you in REMS (the subcommittee) again Marian.”
Other councillors asked that the meeting stay on course, but the heated debate continued. Cllr Liam O’ Looney (FF) asked the mayor to be stronger with some of the speakers.