Council may control access to meetings

New controls on access to the public gallery in Cork’s City Hall are on the cards after protesters disrupted a council meeting.

Lord Mayor John Buttimer said a Dáil-style sign-in system will be among the options discussed by party whips and city officials over the coming days.

“I will not countenance our meetings and the business of the city being bullied, intimidated or stopped,” he said. “Our wish would be to have a chamber that’s as open and transparent as possible but people who attend must respect the right of council to proceed with its business.”

He was speaking after being forced to abandon Monday night’s council meeting after a protest by anti-property and water tax campaigners.

@pjcoogan #cityhall I think we should call this protest #theseigeofcityhall😁

— Rebel37allirelands (@Rebel37) January 28, 2013

It was the second such protest in City Hall in three months by members of the Campaign Against Household and Water Tax.

Mr Buttimer said people are entitled to protest. But they cannot disrupt the proceedings of the democratically-elected members of the city council, he said.

Councillors were due to discuss proposals for Rebel Week in October which would boost the city’s economy, and discuss an extension to the life of the south docks area plan to facilitate development and regeneration.

But none of the issues were dealt with once the meeting was abandoned.

Mr Buttimer described the protest as “orchestrated and organised”.

“I’m a democrat and I believe in openness and transparency and the right of people to attend public meetings.

“But we had important city business to do on the night. The reputation that Cork has got now as a result of this has been sullied.

“I have a mandate to be on Cork City Council until June 2014.

“If any of the protesters want to put their name on a ballot paper then they are quite entitled to do so.”

Fianna Fáil Cllr Sean Martin, who initially refused to pay the €100 tax before relenting, was among several councillors who refused to leave their seats after the meeting was abandoned.

“We were not going to be bullied out of own chamber. It was a matter of principle.

“I’m an elected representative and they can think what they want about my party. But I was elected by the people of Turner’s Cross three times, and I have a right to sit in that chamber. The people that wanted me out tonight don’t have that right.”

He said the format of the council’s main meetings will have to change.