Public locked out of Cork City Hall for council meeting
Had to pass 5 security guards and be swiped through 2 security doors to get in to #Cork City Hall to attend tonight's #corkcc meeting.
— Eoin English (@EoinBearla) March 23, 2015
The last two city council meetings were abandoned following disruptions from protesters.
The making of the new city development plan 2015-21 was among several items on the agenda for last night.
Security was tight in and around the building ahead of the meeting, with security guards on duty and strict access arrangements in place.
Lord Mayor Cllr Mary Shields began the meeting by asking councillors to vote in favour of holding it in committee, but with the media still in attendance.
Lord Mayor insists that this is a one-off decision pending an agreement between cllrs & mngt on new public access arrangements #corkcc
— Eoin English (@EoinBearla) March 23, 2015
She said in the absence of an agreed system to manage public attendance at the full council meetings, the doors to City Hall would remain locked for the duration of the meetings.
Council chief executive Ann Doherty said she wants full council meetings to be held in public. “But I am responsible for the safety and welfare of people who come in here, and who work here.”
CEO says she wants to hold #corkcc meetings in public but NOT until a safe system for managing attendance is in place
— Eoin English (@EoinBearla) March 23, 2015
She added: “We need to develop a system to manage attendance in a safe way. We are on the road to that, but we’re not there yet.”
Most councillors expressed concern at the move to lock the doors, but accepted it had to be done for security reasons.
Cllrs expressing concern that public are being excluded while they are making a city development plan #corkcc
— Eoin English (@EoinBearla) March 23, 2015
Cllr Terry Shannon (FF) said council meetings have been held in public in the chamber for 93 years, a tradition that must continue.
However, he said locking the doors pending an agreed solution on access arrangements for council meetings was “prudent” and urged all councillors to work with city management and agree a new access system.
Councillors finally voted 20-8, with one abstention, to lock the doors. They will spend the next two weeks trying to hammer out new public access arrangements.
Cllrs vote 20 for, 8 against, 1 abstention, to hold the meeting behind locked doors, with media still in attendance #corkcc
— Eoin English (@EoinBearla) March 23, 2015
Read more of today’s news here
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