'Long hours and short notice for meetings' - Limerick councillors hit back at attendance criticism
PEOPLE in precarious, low paid work could find it difficult to be a councillor due to the amount of time required to be taken off.
That’s the view of Limerick’s only Social Democrats councillor Elisa O’Donovan, who says because of the need to take time off, often at short notice, for meetings, it might rule many people out of the role.
“The reality is most employers would not want an elected representative working for them who has to take considerable leave during working hours. It means that those in precarious or low paid work or in full-time education wouldn’t be able to be councillors,” she warned.
It comes as she was named among four local representatives to be warned by the local authority as to their attendance at meetings. Cllr O’Donovan, employed full-time as a speech and language therapist, was informed by the council that her allowances could be cut as her attendance rate had fallen below 80%.
In her case, she attended 59% of meetings, while three other local councillors, Emmett O’Brien (58% attendance), Kevin Sheahan (74%) and Michael Collins (63%) were also warned as to their attendance, with the news first being revealed by the Irish Independent newspaper.
But councillor O’Donovan (pictured below) pointed out that while she has attended “almost all” the metropolitan and full council meetings, it’s a continuous challenge to attend policy committee meetings, especially where she does not sit as a member.
At this month’s metropolitan meeting, held this Monday, Cllr O’Donovan saw two items she wished to discuss referred to committees that she is not a member of – meaning she’ll have to take further time off work which she had not planned for if she wants to talk on them.
These meetings take place on a quarterly basis – on top of regular council meetings – and are designed to set policy for the local authority. Their recommendations then go for approval to the full council.
“I think we have to face facts that being a councillor is not a part-time job any more, yet it has a part-time wage,” she said.
Up until two years ago, a councillor earned a basic salary of €16,000 a year. This has since gone up to €25,000 per annum.
Councillor O’Donovan says the local authority has made “absolutely zero effort” to schedule meetings for members who have a full-time job, meaning she has to book annual leave to attend meetings.
She pointed out that in Cork and Dublin, evening meetings were taking place, but there is “no indication” this will ever be the case in Limerick.
“In my view, the meetings are scheduled to accommodate council staff rather than councillors. If we truly want to have more women, and people from more diverse backgrounds involved in politics then this will have to change. It is not tenable for people who work in low wage jobs to miss a significant number of work days to attend meetings. The same applies to people who work in healthcare, which is already seriously short-staffed, as I do,” she added.
Former mayor Michael Collins, whose attendance measured 63% was off work for four months due to suffering from illness over the space of 12 months.
While he was not able to attend meetings in-person due to this, he did attend two meetings virtually – including from his hospital bed.
He told Limerick Live he was “annoyed" at the initial national story, saying: “My record of attendance over 18 years has been impeccable. I was off because I was sick and I missed three meetings. But because it’s over half a year, it’s pulled me below the average figure. By year-end, I think I’ll be well above average.”
Councillor Emmett O’Brien, who had the lowest attendance at 58%, also raised concerns at the need to attend committee meetings.
He said he makes “every effort” to attend as many “relevant meetings.”
Councillor Sheehan has been contacted for comment.