You could set your clock by it.
It’s that time of year again in Laois County Council when the various chairperson’s roles are voted upon.
And just as night follows day, it’s when those left on the outside will hit out at being excluded.
The overall chairperson (Cathaoirleach) for the full council is the prestigious one, one that comes with the ceremonial chain, a multitude of invites to official events and of course an allowance of close to €20,000 on top of the councillor’s wage which is around €30,000.
But there’s also the chair of the three districts, one that has an allowance of about €6,000 and involves overseeing the monthly meetings. It wouldn’t be the most strenuous of gigs even if all concerned can get a bit too excited from time to time.
At today’s AGM of the Portlaoise Municipal District, Fianna Fáil councillor John Joe Fennelly was elected as chairman, replacing Paddy Buggy of Fine Gael whose term was up. Buggy was then elected as vice-chair.
Cllr Fennelly got the votes of his party colleague Catherine Fitzgerald as well as that of Paddy Buggy, Fine Gael’s Barry Walsh and, of course, himself.
The outcome was a foregone conclusion of course as the members of the technical group – comprising Labour’s Marie Tuohy and Independents Tommy Mulligan and Caroline Dwane-Stanley – had just three members. Caroline Dwane-Stanley was their chosen one.
Barring something utterly bizarre happening, it was always going to be a 4-3 result in favour of Fennelly.
And he was duly elected and duly replaced Cllr Buggy in the chairman’s seat.
The swap had barely taken place when it all kicked off, just as we expected it would.
Cllr Mulligan was first in, though he did make sure to complement Cllr Buggy on his spell in the chair (which was rather brief as he only took the reigns following his co-option to the council in place of Willie Aird who is now above in the Dáil).
“You were a natural in the chair,” said Cllr Mulligan. “You were very fair and respectable and you’re a very good public representative.”
But. But. But.
“But it doesn’t sit right with me. I totally disagree with your pact of excluding us. Nobody here is any better or any worse than anybody else.”
Tommy went on to say that his grouping have 40% of the seats and so should get 40% of the positions as they come up.
“You told me it was a democracy,” he said referencing Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald ahead of a debate he knew was going to happen.
“It’s the furthest thing from a democracy … we’re all adults here. We have joint motions, we work together but there is no fairness here. Our side are shown zero respect.”
Cllr Mulligan said that he had friends in Labour, Sinn Fein, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.
Cllr Fitzgerald replied saying she didn’t want to get into a “tit for tat”, though that is sort of exactly what happened.
“You were asked to join our group and you didn’t,” hit back Catherine. “This is politics. This is the result of the Local Elections.
“I sat in the position you were in and Brian Stanley (when he was a councillor) was elected chairman and I didn’t create a big fuss about it. I accepted it.
“We didn’t have the numbers. We were on the sidelines. We’re not 10 years of age here. This is what happens after an election.
“I’ve great respect for you and Caroline and Marie but that’s how the cookie crumbles. That’s life.”
Catherine then said that the discussion was getting away from the main thing at hand, which was to congratulate John Joe who she said “has spent his lifetime working for his area” and “will be a fantastic chairman”.
John Joe didn’t get too excited about the whole thing at all, joking with Cllr Buggy that he wanted to get a lend of his stopwatch in order to run the meetings efficiently.
Caroline Dwane-Stanley then waded into the discussion, saying they should learn a lesson from Aisling Moran and the Graiguecullen-Portarlington district which has begun sharing out some of the jobs.
“There’s no majority there,” retorted Catherine. Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael have three, the same as the technical group.
For additional context, this exact same row occurred there too on numerous and the afore-mentioned Aisling Moran even actually voted against herself on one occasion while she was still in the Fine Gael fold.
“Things don’t have to be like this,” argued Caroline.
Catherine still wasn’t having it. “I was sitting where you were sitting and I didn’t get a look in.”
Director of Services Simon Walton tried to ease the tension by coming in to praise Paddy Buggy for his “manner and efficiency”. Nice sentiment and all but they weren’t finished yet.
Cllr Marie Tuohy hadn’t had her say.
“Just because it was done onto you,” she told Cllr Fitzgerald, “doesn’t mean it should be done onto others.”
Catherine didn’t disagree this time.
And with that they agreed the schedule of meetings for the next 12 months and headed for lunch.
No doubt we’ll have the exact same row again in 2026.
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