Tuesday 12 November 2013

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael circle the wagons to protect the Wicklow County Manager

Wicklow Sinn Féin councillor John Brady has expressed disappointment that the motion of no confidence that he had tabled in the Wicklow County Manager Eddie Sheehy was rejected at yesterday’s special sitting of Wicklow County Council. The meeting was held to discuss the sentencing of the council on charges relating to the deaths of Bray fire fighters Brian Murray and Mark O’Shaughnessy.

Speaking after the meeting Councillor Brady said “Unfortunately it was proven yesterday that the majority of councillors in Wicklow have no backbones. I had tabled a motion of no confidence in the Wicklow County Manager Eddie Sheehy following the sentencing of Wicklow County Council in relation to the deaths of Bray fire fighters Brian Murray and Mark O’Shaughnessy. Under both the Local Government Act 2001 and the Fire Services Act 1981 the County Manager is ultimately responsible for the fire service”.

“Brian and Mark died under his watch and it’s us the tax payer that gets the slap on the wrist. The motion of no confidence was an attempt to install some level of accountability. Unfortunately the motion in the person with ultimate responsibility lost 14 votes to 7, the chairman abstained and 2 councillors never showed up”.

Cllr Brady continued “The old boys club of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil circled their wagons around the manager Eddie Sheehy to protect him. I put forward very strong reasons based on existing legislation which is contained in the Local Government Act 2001 and the Fire Services Act 1981 why the council should have no confidence in him. However not one of the fourteen councillors who voted to support him could give a single reason why they have any confidence in him”.

Brady concluded “This is pothole politics at its best. The fourteen councillors that voted confidence in Eddie Sheehy only have the interests of him at heart, not the families of Brian and Mark or indeed the people of Wicklow all of whom have no confidence in him”

The motion was proposed by Councillor John Brady and seconded by Councillor Tom Fortune

"The members of Wicklow County Council no longer have confidence in the ability of the County Manager Mr Eddie Sheehy to administrate effective local government in County Wicklow".

Those that supported the motion: John Brady, John Snell, Barry Nevin, Tom Fortune, Tommy Cullen, Irene Winters, Nicky Kelly. 

The councillors that voted against the motion: John Ryan, Mick Glynn, Christopher Fox, Pat Vance, Derek Mitchell, Sylvester Bourke, Vincent Blake, Grainne McLoughlin, Pat Casey, Pat Doran,Edward Timmins, Jim Ruttle, Pat Fitzgerald, George Jones

Conal Kavanagh and John Byrne were absent and Jimmy O'Shaughnessy abstained.

No comments:

Post a Comment