Council adapts to new socially distanced norm
LAST week’s meeting of Wexford County Council was an unusual one to say the least. With Covid-19 precautions still in place, it was quite an operation to ensure that all 34 members of the council from around the county could be in one room to discuss vital issues and elect a new Chairman. It made for a busy day as members arrived at County Hall from 9 a.m. with a view to getting as much done as possible within the day.
Firstly, in different rooms around the large building, district meetings took place and the new Chairpersons were elected, before everyone returned to the large main hall, or ‘ The Street’ as it’s known, where tables had been set out at a two-metre distances with microphones on each desk and a long spaced out top table for the Chairman and council executives.
For the most part, it worked effectively with all of the 34 councillors audible, despite the odd noisy interference at the other end of the hall. At the start of the meeting, there was a poignant moment as votes of sympathy were passed for those who had passed away since the last meeting, including the some 18 people who had lost their lives to Covid-19. All of the members were upstanding in silence, while ‘Boolavogue’ rang out from a harpist at the top of the room.
It made for an unusual sight upon Cllr Ger Carthy’s election as Chairman of Wexford County Council to see the usual handshakes disposed of in favour of the newly adapted ‘elbow-bump’ of congratulations.
The venue of July’s meeting of the council has yet to be decided, as it’s currently unclear whether it will be an option to return to the regular council chambers at the top of the building yet. Speaking of the crisis, outgoing Chairman Cllr Michael Sheehan said that everybody within the council had acquitted themselves extremely well when called upon.
‘We’ve seen a Herculean effort in recent months to keep the show on the road,’ he said. ‘I think people can be proud of their local reps and their council. We’ve emerged as a stronger community with a stronger Wexford beat. I’d also like to thank Tom (Enright) and all his team here at County Hall for their work during the crisis. We will be forever in their debt.’