Limerick city and county manager Conn Murray has accepted the criticism over the process used to appoint Pat Cox’s former special adviser as the chief executive of Limerick City of Culture 2014.
No decision has yet been made on the salary attached to the position, however reports of €170,000 a year were dismissed by Mr Murray as “absolute nonsense”.
He insisted the salary, due to be disclosed in coming weeks, would be in accordance with the pay structures of local government and “well within the Haddington Road requirements”. Controversy has shrouded the process used in the appointment of Patricia Ryan to the job as the 18-month contract was not advertised.
A native of Limerick, Ms Ryan previously worked for Mr Cox, who is chairman of Limerick City of Culture Board, when he was in the European Parliament. Ms Ryan has also worked as special adviser to Mary Harney as health minister.
Protocol ignored
Issues surrounding her appointment were raised at last night's monthly meeting of Limerick City Council where it was claimed proper protocol in the process was ignored.
Former mayor of Limerick Cllr John Gilligan asked the manager if he considered he had broken any Government or ministerial guidelines in the appointment process, “given the Government’s policy to openness and transparency and Limerick’s long-standing practice of open competition for employment in the public sector”.
Labour councillor Tom Shortt, who spent four years on the board of the Belltable Arts Centre, said Ms Ryan’s appointment has caused disquiet in the cultural community. He claimed he was aware of plenty of candidates who would have welcomed the opportunity to apply for the job.
Mr Shortt also claimed he was aware of unrest within the City of Culture Board where he said there is an “unpleasant atmosphere”.
Fine Gael councillor Jim Long, also a former mayor of Limerick, called for the appointment to be reversed as the recruitment process has “blighted the start of a wonderful year for the city”.
Mr Murray admitted the approach in appointing a chief executive for the Limerick City of Culture would have been different if he had more time.
“I accept the criticism around the process and if, quite honestly, I had been given a different approach to this, different time lines, obviously the approach would have been different,” Mr Murray said.