Concern for Limerick mayor John Moran as he falls ill five hours into seven-hour meeting

MAYOR of Limerick John Moran left a fractious seven-hour council meeting early, complaining of feeling unwell this Tuesday evening.

Councillors had gathered at County Hall in Dooradoyle at 4pm to thrash out the corporate plan.

This is a roadmap for a five-year period setting out what the council aims to achieve, how it will do it, and the values guiding its work.

Like all local authorities across the country, Limerick City and County Council is legally compelled to put this in place.

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The blueprint was meant to be adopted by December 2024.

But disagreements between Mayor Moran and councillors have delayed its passage by more than 12 months.

Until this week, Limerick stood alone as the only authority in the country yet to establish the plan, which is aimed at providing accountability to the public.

But like a number of other meetings in this council term, this one was dominated by rows between councillors and the mayor.

The session was adjourned on a number of occasions to facilitate behind-closed doors talks amid high tension. 

Proceedings went on late into Tuesday night to decide what should appear in the blueprint.

At around 9.30pm, Mayor Moran, it’s understood left County Hall of his own accord, saying he felt ill.

Despite this, councillors reconvened at 10.45pm and passed the plan in the absence of the first citizen.

Fine Gael council leader John Sheahan proposed the strategy, describing it as “a robust corporate plan”.

“I want to reiterate that I hope the mayor is ok. I don’t know if he is online at the moment,” he said.

Fianna Fail’s leader on the local authority Michael Collins formally seconded it.

He asked if anyone had heard from Mayor Moran.

“Is he OK? Has anybody heard any update on his health,” he said.

Priomh-comhairleoir Cllr Catherine Slattery added: “I’d like to send my best wishes to the mayor. As you all know, he took ill today and had to leave the chamber. We hope he feels better soon.”

Just as the council were about to vote the plan through, Independent Ireland councillor John O’Donoghue suggested perhaps it should be deferred until the directly elected mayor had a chance to view it.

“We have been here all day, but he has been very central to this. Unfortunately, the gentleman is not well at the moment. He has had to take to his bed for whatever reason I am not privy to. To be fair to him, he is the leader of this council, and it should be viewed by him before we pass it,” he said, with his call backed by Cllr Maria Donoghue, Independent.

Cllr Sheahan acknowledged the situation is “unfortunate”, but said himself and other members had taken on board the changes Mayor Moran had suggested to the plan.

“What we are now down to here is semantics with words. I don’t see any reason we need to delay it any more,” he said.

“I guarantee you I don’t think there is anything in that corporate plan that is detrimental to the power of the mayor, to the mayoral programme, to the director general’s operating officer and account office. It safeguards all 41 elected members in this chamber,” added the Fine Gael councillor.

Cllr Bridie Collins, Fianna Fail said: “We are the only council in Ireland which does not have a corporate plan. We have failed so far in our remit.”

Independent councillor Eddie Ryan said: “We are toying with words here. I don’t think we will be wronging the mayor in any way shape or form if this document is passed.”

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A vote took place on whether to pass the corporate plan.

Twenty-six councillors voted in favour - all the Fine Gael and Fianna Fail members present, alongside Labour duo Joe Leddin and Padraigh Reale, plus Independents Frankie Daly and Eddie Ryan.

Eight members voted against - Aontu’s Sarah Beasley, Sean Hartigan of the Green Party, Independent Ireland councillors Tommy Hartigan and John O’Donoghue, alongside cllrs Maria Donoghue, Ursula Gavan, Jerome Scanlan and Brigid Teefy, all of whom sit as Independents.