Vote results in Cork council's 'mean-spirited' refusal to send well wishes to Eamon Ryan
Carrigaline councillor Jack White of Fine Gael described Minister Ryan (pictured) as a 'politician of huge conviction and courage'. File picture: Evan Treacy/PA
In what one councillor described as a "mean-spirited" move, members of Cork County Council took the rare if not unprecedented step of denying their ‘well wishes’ to the departing Green Party leader, Eamon Ryan, following a roll call vote at the authority’s first meeting after its AGM on Monday.
The proposal from Fianna Fáil councillor and former Mayor, Gillian Coughlan, prompted a debate in which the leader of one of the three Government parties was criticised by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael councillors as well as elected members from Independent Ireland and non-party councillor Finbarr Harrington.
The Bandon-Kinsale Municipal District councillor’s proposal, which referred to the minister’s role as Green Party leader specifically while acknowledging his position as one of the line ministers for local authorities, met with strong opposition.
“Minister Eamon Ryan is one of our line ministers and he has announced his resignation as leader of the Green Party,” said the councillor. “He did come to visit us here in County Hall and it might be just a nice gesture to write to him to acknowledge his resignation.”
The Carrigaline councillor Jack White, Fine Gael, seconded the proposal, describing Minister Ryan as a "politician of huge conviction and courage". “He was an exceptional minister and history will look very kindly on him in the fullness of time,” said Mr White.
His party colleague, Midleton-based Michael Hegarty, said he would normally not comment but said that on this occasion he would express his total opposition to the proposal.
“He has absolutely destroyed parts of Cork County, he has refused the N25 from Carrigtwohill to Midleton, he has withdrawn the money, this is the third year in succession.
“We’ve a flagship site down there which the IDA have indicated their hands are tied to try and encourage foreign direct investment into because of the roads.
“I’m amazed that my colleagues would suggest that we write to him to compliment or congratulate him — I’m certainly, and I’m putting it on the record here, totally opposed to it.”
Sheila O’Callaghan, the Fianna Fáil councillor elected in Cobh, said the funding of the N25 was an issue for her too as the County Development Plan had been predicated on support for the upgrade of that road. “Here we are, halfway through the County Development Plan and no funding has been allocated,” she said.
Independent Ireland councillor, Danny Collins, accused Minister Ryan of "decimating rural Ireland". “I know he said he met with us but we wanted to meet him for extra funding for roads and it was the junior minister we got to meet afterwards,” said the Bantry-based councillor.
North Cork councillor, Liam Madden, said the councillors representing Mallow had similar difficulties with the Green Party leader.
“We had the same problem in Mallow with regard to the Mallow Relief Road — basically he has refused to meet us as well and the funding he’s given would hardly pay for the paperwork.”
The Fianna Fáil leader, Seamus McGrath, attempted to intervene by suggesting that ‘well wishes’ would be sent to the Green Party leader but Michael Hegarty insisted on a vote.
Former Green Party councillor, Liam Quaide, now with the Social Democrats, described the refusal to give the departing politician the council’s good wishes as "mean-spirited".
“Any minister will have a mixed record, according to different points of view,” he said.
“It’s mean-spirited and and very much at odds with the decorum of this chamber to withdraw a vote of congratulations or expression of well wishes,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like this at Cork County Council.”
The proposal was defeated on a vote of 22 against to 12 for.
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