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Heated exchanges in Council
chamber
20.01.10
THERE were heated
exchanges in the County House on Monday when more
than ten members of Donegal County Council expressed
no confidence in Mayor, Cllr Brendan Byrne.
It was the first meeting of the local authority
since the controversial meeting last month when Cllr
Byrne allowed the budget for 2010 to be adopted in
the absence of 19 councillors.
However, Donegal County Council solicitors confirmed
that Cllr Byrne acted legally when he allowed the
budget to be adopted because a quorum of councillors
were present for the vote.
Monday's monthly meeting was adjourned five times,
including one adjournment for “disorderly conduct”. Fianna Fáil councillors defended Cllr Byrne's
actions while other parties including Sinn Féin said
they were stunned at Fianna Fáil's continuing
defence of the controversial vote. |
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After the meeting, Cllr
Pádraig MacLochlainn said Sinn Féin was now content
that the majority of councillors on Donegal County
Council had publicly and formally "registered their
disgust and condemnation" of the actions of the ten
Fianna Fáil councillors. |
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"Now it is time to move
on with normal council business," he said,
reiterating his party's recommendations for future
business.
These include an agreement that in all future budget
meetings, following presentations from the County
Manager and senior council officials, a spokesperson
from every political grouping would outline their
initial response to the draft budget including their
own proposals. The Sinn Féin proposals also state
that following the traditional adjournment for
lunch, all 29 elected members would then convene a
meeting aimed at arriving at "an inclusive and
consensus-based approach to the budget”.
“We have had a very positive response to our
proposals from all councillors with the exception of
Fianna Fáil. However, we are hopeful that they will
eventually see the merits of our arguments and learn
from the mistakes of the (December) budget meeting.
Our focus in the time ahead is to achieve a council
based on mutual respect and maximum consensus," said
Cllr MacLochlainn. |
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