Give the newbies a hand up? Not likely

IT’S a tough gig, winning a seat on Sli go County Council. Once the initial euphoria dies off, a phone book, AU SB Sligo key, a diary and a few mars bars are thrust into your hands and off you trot to serve the needs of the great and the good citizens of S li go for the next five years.

Now a handbook for new councillors would be a good idea wouldn’t it? Fine Gael Councillor Sinead Maguire thought so.

She’d read in Michelle Obama’s autobiography that even she got training to become the wife of the President of the United States.

Becoming Cllr Sinead Maguire was not quite as easy. She was handed a list of phone numbers and sent to a training forum that, frankly, left her as baffled coming out as she was going in.

A handbook needn’t cost the earth – just a few sheets of A4, outlining their role, responsibilities and resources, whether they’re paid or unpaid to die of boredom on never-ending committee meetings. That kind of thing. ‘Sligo County Council for Dummies’.

It’d be a bestseller. If more people knew just how awful the Council could be, it might encourage more to run for it. She’d even staple them together herself. Why not “give the newbies a hand up?”

The members looked around aghast. Give the newbies a hand up? Sinn Féin’s Chris MacManus was the first to point out that it’s been custom and practice for party, er, ‘colleagues’ to help their newbies.

“We don’t all have a father in politics,” snapped Maguire, which backfired immediately.

“I was going to support her but got a kick in the ankles. I have motions later so she’ ll be getting a kick back,” fumed MacManus.

Sticking the boot in, Thomas Healy said he was lucky to actually have helpful colleagues and scolded her for waiting five years to bring it up. She was highlighting it now for the newbies, Maguire hit back. Her proposal was “perfectly timed”.

Let the AILG (Association of Irish Local Government) write it up, said Seamus Kilgannon. They have a wonderful website and all the material is up online, agreed Declan Bree. They also run fantastic courses in How To Be A Councillor.

There was no succour from the only other female councillor in the room.

You won’t find Rosaleen O’Grady’s political nous between the pages of a handbook let me tell you. It takes decades of work “on the ground” to find your way. Besides, the staff of the Council have enough to do without having to outline how to fob off a councillor. Paul Taylor agreed that in his first few months he didn’t have a clue what he was at either. It’s hard to know your SPC from your LCDC but perhaps they could start the handbook and give themselves say, a year to finish it?

Did she mean a booklet for candidates before or after the elections, wondered Chief Executive Ciarán Hayes, with the cautious tones of a parent negotiating a Paw Patrol deal. Having lectured on this very important subject for Certificate and Diploma courses (who knew?) it’s not something that could be dealt with in just one day. No, no, no. The cut and thrust of local politics would not make for pretty reading.

One by one they slammed down her idea. Even her own party colleagues, loyal to the last.

To themselves. Dara Mulvey pointed out that there was indeed a huge learning curve for ‘green’ newbies while Hubert Keaney said it was up to the newbies to find out what they were letting themselves in for.

Help came from unlikely quarters - Independent Councillor Michael Clarke wanted not one, but two booklets published.

The AILG and the Executive have two very different perspectives. What you can and can’t do.

Hang on, said Taylor. Had anybody actually asked the AILG if they’d do this and how much it might cost?

Maybe they should ask them first?

Not totally convinced, Maguire reluctantly agreed to ask them.

The members relaxed. With any luck, they won’t even get an acknowledgement until long after the elections.

Local politics 101: It’s a long road.