Council CEO denies misleading Mayor of Limerick at special housing meeting
A SPECIAL meeting of the local authority, which was re-arranged following a legal challenge by a councillor, has heard accusations that Mayor Frances Foley was "thrown under the bus" at the original meeting.
That meeting, which was due to take place on April 5, was to discuss bringing a motion to government to possibly extend the (then) eviction ban.
However, the motion was not debated and the meeting did not take place, as envisaged.
During the re-arranged meeting this Monday morning, several councillors expressed their belief that Mayor Francis Foley was mistreated and "thrown under the bus" during the first meeting.
It was previously suggested that the council had "blatantly disregarded" standing orders by refusing to hear the emergency motion.
Speaking at this Monday's meeting, Cllr Eddie Ryan, accused council executives, including Chief Executive Dr Pat Daly, of misleading the Mayor.
He stated that the Mayor was let down by those "sitting to the left and right" and accused Fianna Fáil of simply seconding everything Fine Gael wanted. Cllr Ryan expressed his support for the Mayor, acknowledging that he believed the Mayor was "misled."
In response to Cllr Ryan's remarks, Dr Daly interrupted another councillor's opportunity to speak and requested that Cllr Ryan withdraw his comment. He said he considered the accusation that the Mayor was misled as a "disgraceful comment," asserting that the standing orders were adhered to in the meeting.
Cllr Ryan defended his statement by highlighting that the motion was not allowed to be read into the record before the amendment was taken. He directly addressed Mr Daly, stating that it was he who had directed the Mayor.
Mayor Francis Foley then intervened, firmly denying that he was misled by Mr Daly and others.
Councillor John Sheahan later spoke about the events, adding that there is a "worrying precedent" in relation to parties who go to senior counsels to "see what way democracy can be challenged in local authority chambers."
He reiterated his belief that the Mayor was "thrown under the bus," expressing disappointment as he regarded the Mayor as an excellent figure in the role.
Cllr Sharon Benson, who initiated the legal challenge, later spoke on the issue saying: "It was Fine Gael and (Cllr) John Sheahan that threw you under that bus, and I think they owe you an apology."
While the meeting was marked by contentious exchanges regarding the internal dynamics of the council, the pressing matter of the housing crisis was discussed extensively.
It was revealed that the number of people experiencing homelessness reached an all-time high, with 12,259 individuals, including 3,594 children, living in emergency accommodation in April.