MAYOR of Limerick John Moran is failing to comply with his obligation to ensure adequate oversight in the principles of local governance.
So claimed Fine Gael councillor Dan McSweeney during a special online meeting to dispose of land and car parking spaces at Opera Square.
Cllr McSweeney reminded Director General of Limerick City and County Council, Dr Pat Daly, that he had recently replied to an auditor’s report, ensuring councillors that adequate oversight, monitoring, and reporting arrangements are in place with Limerick Twenty Thirty – “a board that we have no oversight on”.
The City West representative made it very clear to management that this would be the last time he would support any proposal involving alleged serious governance issues with Limerick Twenty Thirty, a subsidiary of the Council.
“We all know there is a serious issue around governance and not having elected members sitting on the boards of these DACs, because Mayor, you refused to put elected members on the DACs. You disagree with the code of governance,” Cllr McSweeney claimed.
He went on to point out to Dr Daly that the Code of Good Governance, published by the Department of Local Government in July 2024, stresses the importance of delivering priorities, achieving objectives, and behaving in the ways that are consistent with legal regulatory government policy applications.
“I might ask, Dr Daly, how are you proposing to ensure adequate oversight when the Mayor fails to apply the Code of Good Governance?” he inquired.
In response, Dr Daly explained that the Council has a query with the Department of Local Government around the role of local councillors on development boards. He also revealed that the local authority is setting up a shareholder unit that will look at investments in all their subsidiary companies.
“Hopefully we will have an answer definitively from government around Council participation. That would then have to be discussed with the shareholder, which is the Mayor,” Dr Daly commented.
Cllr McSweeney said he was extremely disappointed with the response, telling the Director General that “it is not your place to put elected members on the board, and it is the Mayor who is failing to comply with his obligation”.
“He doesn’t like the guidance and that’s the bottom line.”