A war of words, as it so often does, broke out among Councillors in the Chamber of Laois County Council yesterday.
What appeared to be a fairly simple process to nominate members to go onto a newly formed committee turned into a slagging match.
The issue at hand was Item 10 on the agenda where Councillors were asked to nominate seven members to go on the newly formed Local Safety Community Partnership.
This is the group that will finally replace the Joint Policing Committee which hasn’t convened in almost 18 months.
This was a forum for the Laois County Council, An Garda Síochána, Elected Representatives, and Community and Voluntary Sector to discuss local crime and public safety issues, aiming to develop greater consultation and cooperation.
While the JPC had 13 Councillors, the Local Safety Community Partnership will have seven.
At yesterday’s monthly meeting of Laois County Council, each of the three groups were asked to nominate two people.
Firstly, it was agreed that Independent Councillor Ollie Clooney would go on the committee.
Fianna Fail selected Catherine Fitzgerald and Paddy Bracken while Fine Gael put forward Conor Bergin and John King.
The technical group, made up of Independents and Labour’s Marie Tuohy, selected Ben Brennan and Caroline Dwane-Stanley.
But following this, Independent Councillor Aisling Moran took aim at her former party colleagues in Fine Gael.
Their decision to select Conor Bergin and John King, along with Ollie Clooney and Paddy Bracken’s inclusion, meant that the Borris-In-Ossory/Mountmellick area would have four of the seven spots.
The Graiguecullen-Portarlington area had just one in Ben Brennan and furthermore, Cllr Moran said that there was now a gender imbalance.
She called on Fine Gael to change their decision and select Vivienne Phelan instead of Cllr Bergin or Cllr King.
She said that this would mean three women sat on the committee and that the Graiguecullen-Portarlington area had two representatives.
Angry exchanged occurred then with Cathoirleach Barry Walsh trying to call order.
He told Cllr Moran that this was a matter for Fine Gael and that the issues of area representation and gender balance were recommendations for setting up the committee, not requirements.
He said: “You can only sit on this committee for three years anyway so even if Cllr Phelan went on it now alongside Cllr Fitzgerald and Dwane-Stanely, the gender imbalance would occur the next time as the only other available female Councillors is yourself and Cllr Tuohy.”
Speaking for herself, Cllr Phelan said she was very happy with the decision that had been made.
She said: “I am very happy for Cllr Bergin and Cllr King to go on the committee.
“I don’t want to be selected for anything just because I am a woman.”
The jibes continued then as Fianna Fail’s Paddy Bracken hit out at Cllr Moran’s previous membership of Fine Gael.
He said: “Maybe you should rejoin Fine Gael and that would solve all the problems.”
Cllr Moran replied to him: “You are more Fine Gael than me. The big Fine Gael head on you.”
Calls rang across the chamber for Cllr Moran to withdraw that comment with Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald labeling it a ‘personal remark’.
Cllr Ollie Clooney then offered to withdraw his name for the committee in order to keep the peace but this was rejected.
After a bit more argy-bargy, the meeting carried on and the seven Councillors outlined above will take their seats when the Local Safety Community Partnership eventually meets.
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