Kildare Cllr frustrated over alleged lack of speaking time at meeting
A councillor sounded visibly annoyed over what he alleged was a lack of speaking time at a recent Kildare County Council (KCC) meeting.
Fine Gael Cllr Ivan Keatley made the claim at the latest Athy Municipal District (MD) meeting, which took place on Monday, September 21 last.
Cllr Keatley appeared at this meeting by virtual means.
Just before the meeting came to an end at approximately 11am, Cllr Keatley, who first appeared at the meeting at around the halfway point (approximately 10.30am), expressed his frustration to the Mayor of the MD, Labour Party Cllr Mark Leigh.
He said that he was unhappy with KCC’s response to one of his motions and one of his questions, which fell due to his absence at the time (the item was heard prior to Cllr Keatley’s attendance at around 10.30am).
Both items concerned roads and transport matters.
When it was revealed to him by Mayor Leigh that matters relating to KCC’s Roads and Transport Section were completed before he joined, and that the area engineer and roads engineer had left the meeting, Cllr Keatley said that this was ‘not good enough’ and alleged that this was ‘unfair’ to him.
Cllr Keatley also said that he was especially frustrated as one of the items has allegedly ‘been on the [MD’s] works programme for the last four years’, and criticised KCC’s responses as being ‘not adequate’ enough.
In addition, Cllr Keatley took aim at Mayor Leigh, and accused him of letting someone speak on a question for four minutes, and he explained his view that he wanted more time to speak about his items.
Following this, Mayor Leigh told Cllr Keatley that the MD’s manager, Alan Dunney, who was also present at the meeting, would follow up with answers to Cllr Keatley’s items, and then the meeting came to an end.
When asked by the Leinster Leader for comment about the tense conversation between himself and Cllr Keatley, Mayor Leigh responded: “During the meeting, if a councillor is not present for their motions or questions, they fall until the next meeting if they wish to put them in again.
“Out of courtesy, I explained this to Cllr Keatley and asked was he happy with the responses received.”
Mayor Leigh continued: “I was accused by Cllr Keatley of letting someone speak on a question for four minutes, but you wouldn't get speaking time on a question so that never happened, although I do allow Cllrs a minute maybe for a follow up question.
“I understand Cllr Keatley's frustration, and I believe he had some technical issues, but at the end of the day it's up to members to be present if they want their motions heard.”
He also reiterated that the MD’s manager ‘has agreed to seek answers to Cllr Keatley's motions’.
Cllr Keatley was also asked by the Leader for his views on the matter.
However, he did not respond in time for publication.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.