Deferral over outcome of vote

THERE was some confusion over whether there were enough councillors present in the chamber to pass a vote on changes to the Standing Orders of Wicklow County Council at last Monday’s meeting.

The proposed amendment would mean that councillors seeking to suspend standing orders so as to discuss an issue not included on the agenda for a monthly meeting would have to do so no later than noon on the day of the meeting.

Cllr Joe Behan was particularly vocal in his opposition to the proposed amendment, stating that councillors should be able to discuss matters of local and national importance, without any restrictions time-wise.

‘I don’t think we should be voting for anything that would tie our hands any further.’

However, 15 councillors weren’t present in the council chamber when the motion went to the vote and appeared to have been passed.

According to Cllr Behan, at least two thirds of the elected members had to be present for the amendment to be successful.

‘ There were a number of members not present and quite a few abstained. On that basis I don’t think the motion can be passed.’

The matter will be checked out to decide whether the vote was passed or not.

Ten councillors voted in favour of the amendment, five were against and two abstained. THERE was a clash between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail in the council chamber over filling a vacancy on the Wicklow County Council Audit Committee at last Monday’s meeting.

Fianna Fail proposed Cllr Gerry Walsh for the position which became available after former councillor Pat Casey was elected to the Dail.

Cllr Shay Cullen proposed his Fine Gael colleague Cllr Irene Winters.

Cllr Kennedy commented that the procedure normally followed by the council was that any vacancy would be filled by a member from the same party as the outgoing committee member.

However, Cllr Winters responded that she had discussed the matter with a Fianna Fail member who told her no one in the party wanted the position.

Cllr Pat Vance said the vacancy should go to a member of Fianna Fail as was tradition, adding that he wasn’t aware of whom in his party informed Cllr Winters that no one was interested in sitting on the committee.

An incredulous Cllr Winters stated: ‘Some people have a very selective memory. It was you Cllr Vance who told me no one was interested.’ Cllr Vance rejected the accusation. Cathaoirleach Pat Fitzgerald, deferred a decision on who would fill the vacancy until November’s council meeting in order to seek clarification over whether it was permissible for both councillors to sit on the committee.