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.
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