Plans set to limit freedom of city award

MOVES are under way to reduce the number of times the freedom of Cork city is awarded, in an effort to protect its integrity.

There are also plans to introduce strict new selection procedures to eliminate possible embarrassment to proposed recipients.

City councillors are set to hold talks over the coming weeks to hammer out an agreed approach to selecting the recipient. It could see the award being conferred just twice in a council’s five-year term.

The freedom of the city is the gift of the council but it is normally awarded to somebody chosen by the lord mayor of the day.

But Cllr Mick Finn (Ind) has raised concerns about how the issue is being handled.

He said dishing it out every year has diminished its integrity and suggested that it should be awarded “more sparingly”.

He proposed a motion that would see the honour being handed out just twice in a council’s lifetime.

Several councillors agreed and accused some recent lords mayor of “losing the run of themselves” in recent years.

Others accused council members of not adhering to procedures around the selection of the recipient.

“There is nothing wrong with giving it out annually, because we don’t have an honours system,” said Cllr Sean Martin (FF).

“But the council has left itself down. The procedures are adequate if the lord mayor of the day goes through them.”

Cllr Michael Ahern (Lab) said strict guidelines and procedures are needed around the selection process to avoid “embarrassing problems associated with it”.

Usually the name of the chosen candidate is discussed in committee first and agreed before a decision is taken to proceed — to ensure there is unanimous council support.

But Cllr John Kelleher (Lab), who chose not to confer a freedom award during his term as lord mayor, said the name of the intended recipient has often been leaked to the press even before the person had been informed. This has also led to splits in the council.

Cllr Thomas Gould (SF) said guidelines would ensure the award is not used as a “political tool”.

“It has to be proper recognition for someone who has done something for the city, and it requires councillors to have the utmost integrity when dealing with this process,” he said.

Former Cork hurling star Seán Óg Ó hÁilpín was made a freeman of Cork last month.