The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
‘This is not how a mayor of a tourist town should be treated’
OUTGOING Mayor of Killarney Cllr Gleeson has been strongly critical of the lack of respect for the Mayoral chain and has criticised the organisers of the St Patrick’s Day parade for their lack of courtesy to the position.
“Neither I or my wife were invited to the parade nor asked about the advisability of cancelling it. This is not how a mayor should be treated in a pre-eminent tourist town like Killarney,” Cllr Gleeson said in his recent days.
“I want to acknowledge Rathmore for their courtesy.”
Cllr Gleeson said Killarney, in its role as the county’s leading tourist town, should be shown more respect, and their Mayor should play an important role in that regard.
“Tourism is our business, and welcoming is a huge part of that yet, as a Municipal District we can’t set out a book of condolences without permission from Tralee,” he told Councillors and the Media in his speech at the Annual General Meeting to mark the end of his 12-month term.
“As a pre-eminent tourist town, we need to examine how we, in a prime tourist town, handle our business and our public relations and how we are allowed to do our business.
“The Municipal District is a special place for not [only] us but for many parts of the world... We need the authority and finance to be the leaders, and the present system is leading to failure,” said Cllr Gleeson.
Since the formation of the municipal districts under the local Government reforms brought in by a Fine Gael-led goverment in 2014, the title of Mayor is no longer given to Killarney, and instead the head of Killarney Municipal District is a chairman or Cathaoirleach. However, the title is still referred to as Mayor colloquially. In the reforms, towns were subsumed into new geographical areas called Municipal Districts overseen by a chairman, and were left without some of the powers they once had, including the raising and spending of revenue in their local area.
“They have stripped us of the right to use the term Mayor and our own budget, and they have diminished our place as a result. An area that sends tens of millions to central exchequer deserves a degree of authority and respect... My plea must be heard... we need the economic and political wherewithal and freedom to do what is best.
“To be focused, dedicated and committed, we need to have the authority to do it, and that message must be conveyed to the new Government,” he added.
The seven elected councillors praised Cllr Gleeson for carrying out the role with respect. Several expressed disappointment at this treatment and supported his plea for more authority for Killarney.
Independent Cllr Donal Grady said it was ‘unfortunate’ the role was not respected as it should be. Labour Cllr Marie
Moloney also expressed disappointment at Cllr Gleeson’s treatment.
“I am sorry for your treatment on St Patrick’s Day, it is very disappointing,” she said.
Cllr Niall ‘Botty’ O’Callaghan said that it ‘sickens’ him that the position of Mayor is not respected as it should be.
“We as councillors are being forgotten about. They [councillors] had more power in town councils than we do now... The power and the role of a councillor, you hit the nail on the head. We have no budget and influence in that regard. I agree 100 per cent with your sentiments.”
Cllr Maura Healy Rae also expressed support: “Our power is being diminished bit by bit.”
Though an electoral pact in place for the position of Chairman, Cllr Healy-Rae made a plea for one of the three independent councillors – which include herself, Cllr Grady and Cllr ‘Botty’ O’Callaghan – to be allowed to serve the last year.
“We should take the political game out of it. I see no reason why any of the other three councillors shouldn’t serve in that final year,” she said. Cllr Niall Botty O’Callaghan was proposed by Cllr Grady for the chairman position and seconded by Cllr Healy-Rae. Cllr Brendan Cronin, as part of the electoral pact, was nominated by Cllr Michael Gleeson and Cllr Niall Kelleher (FF). Cllr Cronin was voted in by four votes to three, as was predicted given the pact.