Councillors vent frustration in the wake of walkout
In the aftermath of four councillors walking out of last month’s Kilkenny Borough Council meeting, members have asked for more frequent updates about various projects around the city and for greater consultation about what should be given priority.
Listing several projects that have been on the council’s agenda for years but still have not been completed, Cllr Betty Manning (FG) said the situation with the works on the College Road was simply “the straw that broke the camel’s back.” At issue, she said, was “who calls the shots – who decides what is to be done?”
Cllr Andrew McGuinness (FF) again made a request that members be given regular updates on the progress of initiatives they had proposed, which council officials said they would make greater efforts to do. It was pointed out, however, that many of the projects were progressing and that some were even referred to on Monday night’s agenda.
Regarding any lack of communication about the works on the College Road, Cllr Malcolm Noonan (Greens) noted that details of the plans were due to be discussed at a meeting of the Kilkenny area of the County Council, but that not enough members had turned up to make a quorum. All seven members in that electoral area are also members of the Borough Council.
Cllr Joe Malone (FF) called on Cllr Seán Ó hArgáin (Lab) to apologise for remarks made after the four members left the chamber last month, but Cllr Ó hArgáin refused to be drawn on the issue despite Cllr Malone suggesting that the Labour councillor “should be man enough” to do so.
Cllr Malone said he was “very hurt” by the suggestion that their act of walking out was political “grandstanding.”
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Weather for Kilkenny
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.