by Alan Jacques
alan@limerickpost.ie
TO avoid confusion caused with having a Cathaoirleach of Limerick City and County Council and Mayor of the Metropolitan District, it was decided at a local authority meeting this week that it would be less confusing to have two Mayors.
A motion to consider changing the title of Cathaoirleach to Mayor of Limerick City and County was passed by 23 votes to 12 at County Hall in Dooradoyle on Monday evening using legislation from the Local Government Act, 2001.
Council chief executive Conn Murray said there had been confusion over the titles cathaoirleach and mayor since the new council was elected in May.
The contentious move to change the titles now sees current Cathaoirleach Kevin Sheahan (FF) take the title of mayor of the city and county, with Cllr Michael Sheahan (FG) mayor of the metropolitan area, and Leas-Cathaoirleach Joe Crowley as deputy mayor of city and county.
Mayor of the Metropolitan District, Michael Sheahan, claimed Chief Executive of the Council, Conn Murray, was “leading the charge” on this motion and able to put whatever policy he wanted on the agenda under the Local Government Bill.
Cllr Sheahan called for the motion to be deferred for three-months so the public could be consulted and a “measured decision” taken in the new year.
“Show leadership and deal with this properly and professionally. This is an immense, historic decision. Treat the two offices with dignity,” he pleaded.
Independent councillor for City North, John Gilligan, said the decision to abolish the mayoralty of Limerick in the first place was one of the “worst decisions ever made”.
“We had a mayor for over 800 years. The only time this was interrupted was by Oliver Cromwell. It’s an office that doesn’t hold any power but it has a huge influence on the city,” said Cllr Gilligan.
“What we have now is the worst of all worlds. No one understands. The title should be mayor of Limerick. Why make the distinction between city and county?” he asked.
Fine Gael councillor for Newcastle West, Jerome Scanlan, said the city and county, were culturally two very different places and suggested things might be “more amenable, more peaceful” if there was a mayor and leader of Limerick Council.
“We are on the hind tit out the county,” he added.
Independent councillor for Adare-Rathkeale, Emmett O’Brien, lightened the mood when he jested that if the title of leader was implemented, they would be known as “herr fuhrer” if ever in Germany.
City North councillor Michael Hourigan (FG) suggested that the Council take its time to consider the proposal.
“The mayor will open doors as leader of the Mid-West. The mayor’s office can do a lot positively for Limerick,” he said.
In an impassioned speech, Fine Gael councillor for City West, Daniel Butler, suggested that the first order of business should be to decide whether the local authority would be Limerick Council or Limerick City and County Council. He insisted that further discussions were needed.
With the new changes to the names of the roles, the title of Cathaoirleach, which has existed since 1899, has now been ushered to the annals of the history books.
Cllr Butler, whose late father Richard was elected Cathaoirleach of Limerick County Council in 2010 said he hated to see this office “devalued”.
