Lord Mayor of Cork City Cllr Chris O’Leary has issued a strong rebuke to his counterpart in the county, Cllr John Paul O’Shea, over his call for dialogue over the proposed merger of Cork city and county councils.
Cllr O’Shea (Independent) wrote to Cllr O’Leary asking him and Cork City Council not to go down the route of a legal challenge to the proposed merger but to instead look at how both local authorities might work together in a spirit of co-operation to see how they might implement a merger plan.
Unitary authority
But early this morning, Cork City Council voted by 29-0 to direct Cork City chief executive, Ann Doherty, to initiate a legal challenge to a recommendation by the Cork Local Government Review Committee that Cork City and County Councils be merged into a single unitary authority.
Speaking after the motion was passed, Cllr O’Leary pointed out that Cork City Council had held three public meetings at which the issue of the merger was discussed, which contrasted strongly with the situation at Cork County Hall where the county council still has to hold a public meeting on the issue.
“I received the letter today from the Mayor of the County, Cllr John Paul O’Shea, asking us to hold back on legal action - I say ‘Fair dues to him’ but I would ask him when did they have a public meeting about this? They haven’t,” said Cllr O’Leary, a member of Sinn Féin.
‘No public debate’
“They have had two weeks with this proposal floating about since it was published on September 8th, and Cork County Council have had no public debate on this matter - so I would ask the Mayor at this stage, is there dissent in the county at the moment?
“Do they not have a unified council on this as we have here in Cork city - I think that’s the case, so the Mayor should sort out his house before advising me what to do in the city. It’s disingenuous of him to ask me to do something when he has failed to see democracy work in his own chamber.”
Cllr O’Leary’s Sinn Féin colleague on Cork County Council, Cllr Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, confirmed to The Irish Times that the nine members of the party on the county council were opposed to the merger proposal and favoured the retention of two separate local authorities.
Dismay expressed
Cllr O’Shea’s plea for dialogue came just a day after Cork County chief executive Tim Lucey argued for a merger and expressed dismay at the opposition of some in Cork city to the proposal, which he said was damaging the ability of Cork to attract foreign investment.
But Independent Cllr Mick Finn on Cork City Council expressed his surprise at the position being adopted by Mr Lucey, who served as Cork City manager from 2010 until 2014 when he left to become Cork County Council chief executive.
“I find it highly ironic to say the least to hear Tim Lucey arguing for a merger - I can remember when he was city manager coming in here less than two years ago and presenting us with maps that he had prepared for an extended city authority,” said Cllr Finn.
Meanwhile, members of Cork City Council unanimously backed a motion from Fine Gael Cllr Laura McGonigle expressing thanks and support for Cork City chief executive Ann Doherty for the manner in which she has presented the city’s case and kept councillors briefed during the review process.
