‘Attend 75% of meetings or resign’

THE leader of the largest party in Cork County Council says public representatives should resign from the job if they don’t attend at least 75% of local authority meetings.

Fine Gael leader on the council, Councillor Michael Hegarty, said councillors were not representing their constituents if they didn’t attend at least three-quarters of the council’s annual meetings.

“There should be a cut- off point, except in exceptional circumstances such as where a councillor is ill, or pregnant. If you can’t attend meetings, you can’t do the job properly and somebody else should be co-opted in your place,” Mr Hegarty said.

He made his comments after Cork County Council released attendance figures for the first six months of this year to the Irish Examiner.

At 17%, Cllr Veronica Neville (FG) has the lowest attendance record.

However, the young solicitor gave birth to a child last February and colleagues readily accept she’s had a good reason to be absent.

“I am the only woman councillor of child-bearing age. There are actually no maternity benefits for councillors and this wouldn’t exactly encourage young women to get into local politics. It is discrimination and I have written to the Minister of the Environment highlighting it,” Ms Neville said.

The second-lowest attendance record, at 22%, was that of Clonakilty-based Cllr Christopher O’Sullivan.

The Independent, who was co-opted onto the council to replace his father, Christy, was unavailable for comment yesterday.

He was co-opted in July 2007, after his father won a FF seat in the Dáil.

It is understood that he has been abroad for a considerable period of time, although did attend a council meeting last July.

Cllr Alan Coleman, leader of Fianna Fáil on the council, said he believed there was no need for 48 councillors to represent the county and the system should be overhauled.

“There are indications that Cllr Christopher O’Sullivan wants to join Fianna Fáil. We would welcome that and would be sure that he would follow the same work ethic as some of the rest of our members,” Mr Coleman said.

Four FF councillors have 100% attendance records so far this year, compared to just one from Fine Gael, which has 23 members on the local authority.

The FF men are Cllrs Frank O’Flynn, Kevin O’Keeffe, Andrias Moynihan and Dan Joe Fitzgerald.

The FG councillor is John A Collins.

FF’s lowest attendance record is held by Clonakilty-based Cllr Donal O’Rourke.

However, the reason for this is that he suffered a serious illness, but is now back in the council chamber and on the road to recovery.

FG’s second-lowest attendance figure of 50% was recorded by Cllr Pat Buckley, from Banteer.

Only one councillor held a 100% record for last year, and that was Mallow-based Labour representative, Cllr Jerry Mullaly.

For the first six months of this year he is running at 95%.