'Lowest point since my election': Limerick Mayor John Moran calls out some councillors for being 'hostile'

Moran says hostility and procedural tactics undermined debate as corporate plan passed after he left meeting unwell

John Moran took ill during a council meeting last Tuesday. File picture

Limerick's directly elected Mayor John Mayor has launched a broadside at a number of councillors, accusing them of being “hostile” towards him.

“I've always said that change has been really hard for a lot of people. Ultimately I want to deliver on the mandate I have,” Mr Moran told the Irish Examiner on Tuesday.

On Monday, he released a statement on his own website, sharing details of what happened at a seven-hour-long meeting last week, during which he took ill.

Councillors had gathered to finalise the corporate plan, a strategic framework detailing what the local authority aims to achieve over a five-year period. Due to be adopted in December 2024, the blueprint was delayed for 12 months due to disagreements in the council chambers.

Despite his absence, the corporate plan was passed - even though some councillors suggested the meeting should resume once the mayor had a chance to view the plan. Mr Moran called the meeting “one of the lowest points since my election”. 

He has now said council meetings should be recorded and made available to the public.

“If anything, I would say that will help to establish faith back again in the system. Because if I'm wrong, it'll be recorded and people can see it. If I think I'm being treated fairly or unfairly, it's ultimately transparency in government.

I think if we have more transparency in government, less conversations away from the public eye, ultimately is what should be happening in a democratic society and it rebuilds confidence in democracy.

In the statement, Mr Moran described how a small minority of councillors from two “ruling” parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, have “consistently opposed almost every significant initiative” he has brought forward — and how a "strategy" was openly discussed on how to make his role "unbearable".

He also referred to claims of a “culture of fear” inside the council, pointing out the “difference between robust debate and personal hostility”. “When disagreement becomes dismissive or mocking — when serious health concerns are reduced to trivial language and not accommodated — it diminishes the very institution itself,” he wrote.

He emphasised the majority of the councillors in City Hall are “working really well and deliver for their own areas”.

Mr Moran said he has not heard from any of the two parties mentioned in the statement, but would “welcome conversation” with leaders of all parties.

“I suppose the genie is out of the box. I've been struggling with the fact that a lot of things that have been happening, the uncertainty about the legislation, about whose power I'm being blamed for, things I have no ability to control.” 

He had left last week’s meeting after undergoing cardiac tests earlier that day. Asked how he was now doing, he said: “I'm fine, it’s strange to say it, but actually I think that the fact that this debate is in the open is somewhat reassuring. It's easier to deal with stress in some respects.

“The only way to deal with that was to remove myself from the pressured environment and I had thought that people would have been respectful of that and just deferred the conversations to the following day,” he said.

Local councillors from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were contacted by the Irish Examiner. A statement on behalf of Fine Gael said: 

“Recent debate around the Corporate Plan reflects the reality of a shared democratic system within Limerick City and County Council. The Mayor and councillors alike hold mandates from the people of Limerick, and robust discussion is part of responsible governance.

“While we may not always agree on process or priorities, our collective focus must remain on delivering practical results for our communities. We remain committed to constructive engagement with Mayor John Moran and all colleagues to ensure the new system works effectively for everyone.”