A war of words erupted this afternoon when it emerged that Cllr John Moran is to serve a second consecutive term as chairman of the Portarlington/Graiguecullen Municipal District
At the municipal district’s AGM, Cllrs Aidan Mullins and Ben Brennan voiced their disapproval that the Fine Gael man would be elected again.
Cllr Tom Mulhall proposed that Cllr Moran remain as chair for another year while Cllr Aidan Mullins went for Cllr Brennan.
Cllr Brennan said: “I won’t get a seconder for me anyway because Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have a deal done.”
Cllr Mullins said: “I’m just finding it very difficult to understand this because the other two parties have had the chair for the last four years.
“So rather than give it to Ben, they are going to let someone take it for a second year. And now that is nothing personal against Cllr Moran.
“It is the politics of exclusion when we are supposed to be part of a team here. I think it is embarrassing for all involved and I think it demeans the Municipal District.
“It also tells the public that there is nothing new here, it is still the politics of the past. I think it would have been a nice gesture to let someone else have it rather than someone take it twice here – like has happened in other Municipals.
“So I just want to express my total disappointment and I think it shows a lack of respect to all the others here. I think it is bad form.”
Cllr Fleming said that the decision was being made along the lines of the supply and confidence agreement between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.
He said: “The reality is politics is politics. The government is formed on alliances and every other council is Ireland is based on alliances.
“Various different parties make up these alliances. That is the reality of politics and democracy and how it works. It is nothing personal.”
Cllr Brennan said: “I was approached by three people from Fianna Fail when I got elected in 2014 and was asked not to make any decision until I spoke to them.
“But they had the decency or the manners to come back and tell me that they had sold out to Fine Gael. Not one of them.
“I didn’t get the chance to say yes or no. It is not very nice to be asked to do something and then not to hear anything back. It was disrespectful.”
A vote ensued and Cllr King defeated Cllr Ben Brennan by 4 votes to 2, with himself, Cllrs Tom Mulhall (FG) and Paschal McEvoy (FF), and Padraig Fleming (FF) voting in his favour with the Brennan and Cllr Aidan Mullins voting for Brennan.
A vote for the vice-chair followed along identical lines with Cllr Mulhall defeating Cllr Brennan.
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