‘Only the Mayor is entitled to speak for Council’

AT a recent meeting of Wexford District Council, Independent member David Hynes accused his former Labour colleague George Lawlor of claiming credit for everything except the building of the twin churches.

He was further disgruntled at the latest meeting, by Cllr. Lawlor’s appearance on South East Radio that morning, talking about the new Crescent Quay refurbishment plan which was to be unveiled that afternoon at the meeting by Director of Services Eddie Taaffe and Senior Executive Engineer in the Special Projects Team Sean Meyler. Cllr. Lawlor was not present as he was attending a funeral.

Surely the Mayor is the person who should announce these projects instead of someone else taking credit for it, suggested Cllr. Hynes. He said all the councillors were behind the project and he pointed out that it was actually Chief Executive Tom Enright who came up with the Crescent and quayfront plan in the first place. Mayor of Wexford, Cllr. Jim Moore said he would go along with that.

‘We have seen this creeping in’, said Cllr. Hynes, adding again that such announcements should be the function of the Mayor.

Cllr. Ger Carthy said the quay project was a combined effort supported by all the councillors.

‘Maybe it’s something the Protocol Committee should look at’, said the Mayor.

Director of Services Tony Larkin said the Mayor is entitled to speak for the Council while other members speak for themselves, not the Council. Only the Mayor and the executive can speak for the local authority.

‘Only the Mayor and the Director can speak corporately for the Council’, he said.

Later, during a motion presented by Cllr. Hynes on public lighting problems around the town, the proposer accepted that lights in Waterloo Road which were out for several weeks, had recently been re-connected.

‘Cllr. Lawlor was responsible for that’, quipped Cllr. Carthy with a cheeky smile.