MUNICIPAL DISTRICT SUBMISSIONS RAISE IRE OF COUNCILLORS

THERE were heated exchanges between councillors and council management during Monday’s meeting of Kerry County Council over proposals to amend the way councillors submit motions on issues in Municipal Districts (MDs).

The proposal – supported by members of the Corporate Policy Group, which includes several councillors – suggested that a notice of motion submitted from one MD, but referring to a location in another MD, should only be allowed by way of a ‘joint motion’. This means that councillors who wish to raise at full council meeting an issue referring to a MD other than their own would first need the agreement of councillors in that second MD.

The issue is of significance when it comes to electoral boundaries as some councillors are elected to MDs that geographically incorporate parts of other MDs. At Monday’s meeting, some councillors considered this an ‘erosion’ of their power as elected representatives, but management argued that the proposal would, in fact, strengthen the primacy of the MD.

Cllr Johnny Healy-Rae was the first to oppose, labelling it “a heap of bureaucracy” and adding that councillors should have the right to raise any issue they see fit. He called for an amendment so that “any relevant issue” could be raised by elected representatives. Several other concerns were raised by councillors, with Cathaoirleach Niall Kelleher doing his best to control proceedings while also being involved in some heated exchanges with Cllr Healy-Rae.

Meanwhile, Cllr Brendan Cronin said the proposal was “a subtle way of restricting what we want to bring up in the chamber”.

“No council official should have the authority over an elected member. We can’t be dictated to like this. Some parishes are split between different municipal areas. I’ve often tried to come in here and raise issues but can’t because of this. This restrictiveness has to be removed, and let’s lift this veil of control,” he added.

Cllr Pa Daly said the power of councillors to make decisions had already been restricted by central government, adding: “This is a further attempt to reduce debate in the chamber”.

Cllr Niall Kelleher proposed the amendment be brought back to the Corporate Policy Group for further discussion, while Cllr Norma Moriarty and Cllr Norma Foley both put forward proposals. The latter’s proposal went to vote asking that provision be made to allow a councillor raise an issue at full council meeting only after he or she was dissatisfied it had not been dealt with at MD level.

Kerry County Council CEO Moira Murrell said that everyone was trying to ensure that the council worked as best it could. She added the proposal was about keeping the powers within the municipal districts and there is little point in discussing issues affecting MDs at full council level without those issues first having been discussed at MD level.

“We can all appreciate that what we don’t want in here is a whole lot of notice of motions that really should be decided, and a decision made, by the authority with power at municipal district level,” she said. “We can’t bypass the MD and in some way alter the balance of power between the MD and full council”. Following lengthy debate, Cllr Healy-Rae’s proposal was defeated and Cllr Norma Foley’s was passed by a vote among councillors