Louth councillors walk out over rainbow crossing

Councillors walked out of Monday's monthly council meeting in protest over what they deemed as the Chief Executives refusal to fully answer questions regarding the installation of a rainbow crossing and coloured letterings as part of a series of Pride initiatives in the county.

Sinn Fein Councillor Joanna Byrne queried Joan Martin on her request for a rainbow crossing to be installed in Drogheda as part of a series of Pride initiatives as well as what she said was a “U- turn” on life sized rainbow letters for Drogheda and Dundalk that she claimed the council had given a commitment to in advance of Pride.

“I think it’s very clear in my emails and correspondence with the Executive last week my annoyance over this, and it has to be said Chief Executive your handling of this whole situation, and when I say your handling I mean you specifically you Chief Executive, is nothing short of deplorable”, she said.

She alleged that the Chief Executive “undermined” one of her own directors who she claimed gave a commitment to install a rainbow crossing in Drogheda.

She further alleged that the Chief Executive undermined her own word to provide rainbow letters and that “”that leads to you undermining my word to the people that I represent which leads to a lack of trust between the Executive and councillors in this room.”

In response the Chief Executive Joan Martin said: “I think councillor if you’re going to attack me in public you might as well get your facts right before you do it.

“You were at the Corporate Policy Group (CPG) when I made a proposal and other councillors were also present and I did not get agreement at the Corporate Policy Group to my proposal.

“That's why it didn’t go ahead, councillor, and in relation to rainbow stripes at crossings I was clear from the very start that any pedestrian crossings in the county were going to be compliant with the guidelines for the installation of pedestrian crossings at the time.

“And that’s where I stand and I have nothing further to add to that.

“Whether you consider my behaviour deplorable or anything else I don’t have an issue with anything I did.

“We will install zebra crossings and any other infrastructure in accordance with rules and guidelines and I cannot go ahead with something if I cannot get agreement at the Corporate Policy Group over it, and I couldn't.”

She concluded:

“The fact that you decided to publicly announce something that hadn’t been agreed at the Corporate Policy Group councillor is a matter for yourself.”

Cllr Byrne responded by claiming that the Chief Executives comments were “an out and out lie.”

She further stated that agreement was made at a CPG she wasn’t there at, at this point Cathaoirleach Conor Keelan attempted to interject but Cllr Byrne asked to “be indulged in this for a second because the Chief Executive has made an accusation against me that that I’m speaking incorrectly.”

A testy exchange insured with the Chief Executive stating: “Councillor you made an accusation against me, I was at the meeting and I’m very clear about what happened.”

Cllr Byrne stated that she had had conversations with the Chief Executive as to where to install the rainbow crossings stating:

“I don’t know whether you’re choosing to forget this,” and it was going ahead until Cllr Jim Tenanty asked for one for Ardee “and that’s when you got tetchy.

“But I did not come away from that meeting thinking that you had pulled this.

She then asked:

“Was there initiations made to a company prior to that meeting to install these or to source these and was it pulled after that meeting or were you never going to get them, that’s what I want to know today?”

Cathoarlach Keelan again interjected to urge Cllr Byrne to be careful with the use of the word “lie.”

The Chief Executive insisted that she had “not lied to the council,” to which Cllr Byrne responded “You have.”

The Chief Executive continued:

“Councillor I am very clear that at the Corporate Policy Group I said I was not proceeding and my staff that were there will defend me on it.

“The Corporate Policy Group would not agree because I would not agree to put another one [rainbow crossing] in Ardee.”

Councillor Maria Doyle queried why the decision was up to the Corporate Policy Group, while Cllr Maeve Yore queried what was the proposal at the CPG.

“I really have nothing further to say on this and I will stand over my position on it. I was offering a compromise which was turned down because I wouldn’t agree to put one in Ardee,” the Chief Executive said.

The exchange again got heated.

“Who turned it down?” asked Cllr Byrne

Replying the Chief Executive said, “There was a long argument.”

“There wasn’t, I wasn’t at that meeting but the following…”

“Then how can you tell me what happened, if you weren't at the meeting councillor?”, the Chief Executive asked.

“You gave the update at the following meeting and there was a two minute conversation because Cllr Tenanty asked for one in Ardee and exactly what you done was you threw your hands up in the air and said if Ardee is going to demand everything Drogheda and Dundalk get I’ll put nothing in nowhere.

"But you never said I’m making a U-turn,” Cllr Byrne stated.

“Well what did ‘I’ll put nothing in nowhere' mean then?” replied the Chief Executive.

“But you do tend to throw these tantrums quite often, Chief Executive and nothing comes from them,” said Cllr Byrne.

“I really don’t intend here to be attacked in public by the councillor, I’d asked her to stop please”,Ms Martin said.

Cllr Byrne again came back:

“I’m not attacking you and I’m not stopping till I get an answer, I asked a question were initiations made before that meeting to procure these signs and when was the decision made to reverse that, and if I have to I’ll FOI every office in this building Chief Executive and don’t think I won’t.”

The chair again warned councillors about shouting out to the top table and not speaking through him stating:

“The Chief Executive has indicated that she does not want to speak further on this item,” and that “a number of strong comments had been made” and that it would be worthwhile getting the minutes of the meeting in contention.

“I don’t want to have this meeting held over by one particular issue, that there was a lot to get through,” he then proposed the meeting should go on.

There was disquiet among the councillors on this.

Cllr Byrne reiterated that she had asked legitimate questions and respectfully requested that her questions be answered

Cllr Marianne Butler read out the statutory remit of the CPG saying:

“I would argue that the decision should have been made by the full Council as it is the rule of CPG to refer it back to the full Council for decision.”

Cllr Kevin Meenan agreed with Marianne Butler that any decisions should have come back to the Council as was usual practice and stated that Cllr Byrne had legitimate questions that should be answered because if not “council reports in the media would now state that questions were raised but not answered and that does not reflect well on this body because people will comb through this and say what is the point?”

Cllr Byrne again outlined that she brought the initial motion to the Drogheda Municipal District meeting and was told that the council wasn’t considering it.

She then said she presented representations from a number of different councils in Ireland showing how they installed rainbow crossings while still keeping within safety regulations.

She then said the council said that at the April meeting a public commitment was given that the council would meet her halfway and look to install one in Drogheda.

“Somewhere down the line the Chief Executive overruled her director and somewhere over the line these letters were offered as a resolution which was brought to my attention at the May CPG when I queried what they were for, [I was told] it was a compromise for the crossings and we had a conversation on where they would be installed and the Chief Executive suggested St Laurence’s Gate and I suggested Millmount might be better as the cultural quarter of the town.”

“When I sought an update to this a couple of weeks ago, first of all it took a week to get a response which is not only disrespectful but lacking in manners and I was told with a one line response that nothing was agreed.

Maria Doyle then asked the directors:

“Is that correct from the directors that we have no action now on any of the crossings?”

Met with silence and an apparent unwillingness to further answer questions on the matter from the directors and Chief Executive Cllr Maeve Yore commented: “It’s supposed to be about communication and cooperation in this chamber.”

Cllr Byrne again commented:

“To be sitting there and not responding at this stage is disrespectful to the LGBT community because it was them who brought the request to both myself and Councillor Doyle, it’s deplorable.”

Cllr Kevin Meenan requested a point of order stating, “It’s pointless being here if we’re not getting answers we should just knock it on the head now, I would imagine we should be walking out at this stage to be honest with you.”

There was another period of silence before Cllr Meenan then proposed a walkout seconded by Joanna Byrne at which point all councillors left the chamber leaving the meeting abandoned.

Speaking after the meeting Cllr Byrne said:

“Nobody likes to see a meeting disrupted in this way, I myself had further business to raise at later stages of the meeting but this is solely down to the actions of the CE.

“The CE blatantly refused to answer my queries in relation to the Council’s reluctance to support the LGBTQ Community and her complete disregard and unwillingness to communicate caused this issue.

“Every councillor present walked out today in frustration, that to me sends a clear message that the Chief Executive has damaged any credibility she may have held.

Councillors spoke to the Democrat Outside the chamber
Cllr Meenan who proposed the walkout said:

“We were getting no answers on anything and were being met with stony silence. I've been on the council for over twenty years and I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen that before from the top table..

Independent Councillor Paddy McQuillan expressed his frustration saying: “It was disrespectful of the Chief Executive to refuse to answer questions put to her, even if we don’t like the answers we get and they don't like the questions we ask, it's a democratic forum and that’s how it works.”