Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin may do deal in Limerick

Fianna Fáil, the biggest group on the new 40 member Limerick City and County Council may do a deal with Sinn Féin to take control of the new authority, it has emerged.

At a meeting yesterday, the 13 Fianna Fáil members decided to keep their options open on an agreement with Sinn Féin and another small group.

The make-up of the new council is: Fianna Fáil, 13; Fine Gael, 12; Sinn Féin, 6; Labour, 3; Anti-Austerity Alliance, 3; and Independents, 3.

The Fianna Fáil group named Michael Collins as group leader, James Collins as deputy leader, and Shane Clifford as secretary.

Fianna Fáil councillor James Collins said: “At our meeting we decided we would meet with any other group who wishes to talk to us.”

It had been expected that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael would come an arrangement to share the chair of the new 40 member council.

However, the Fianna Fáil group have decided to consider other permutations open to them, including a deal with the Sinn Féin and one other of the smaller three-member groups which would give that combination 22 votes.

It had been indicated that the new 40-member council would meet once every two months and the three metropolitan districts and three municipal districts on a more regular basis.

However, Mr Collins said the 40-member council will meet as often as it is deemed necessary.

The three metropolitan areas groups representing Newcastle West, Adare- Rathkeale and Cappamore-Kilmallock will meet individually and appointed their own chairs.

The three metropolitan groups, Limerick City North, Limerick City East, and Limerick City West, will meet as one group.

When the new 40-member council meets for the first time on June 6 at University of Limerick Concert Hall, it will elect a leader with the title ‘Cathaoirleach’ and a deputy leader, ‘Leas Cathaoirleach’.

However, the new council may replace these titles with the titles ‘Mayor of Limerick City and County Council’ and ‘Deputy Mayor of Limerick City and County Council’.

The metropolitan group may name its new chairperson as Mayor of Limerick. However, this will not carry the trappings of office or power it had up to abolition of Limerick City Council.