Concerns raised over Meath Council’s ‘confusing’ presidential nomination meeting
Concerns have been raised over how a recent special meeting to nominate a presidential candidate was conducted, after confusion and technical difficulties overshadowed the proceedings and ultimately led to no candidate being endorsed.
At the meeting held last month, frustration mounted as councillors struggled to navigate unclear procedures during the hybrid session. At the end of it, millionaire entrepreneur Gareth Sheridan narrowly missed out on securing the Council’s nomination.
Navan Aontú councillor Emer Tóibín criticised the handling of the meeting, citing poor communication and technical issues from the outset.
“There was considerable confusion throughout the proceedings, to the point that several councillors were unsure what a vote on each of the three motions actually signified,” Cllr Tóibín said at the October meeting of Meath County Council.
“I myself mistakenly abstained on motion 2 as I felt completely at a loss as to how to decide in time. Thankfully, I was permitted to correct my vote.”
She added that the meeting had to be temporarily suspended so members could clarify procedural questions.
“As you recall, the meeting had to be suspended at one stage so that the whips could assemble to clarify questions. Unfortunately, other questions from councillors in the chamber remained either inadequately addressed or unanswered altogether.”
Cllr Tóibín also noted that while 16 or 17 councillors were expected to make presentations supporting various candidates, only seven actually did so.
“This is a very serious matter. Presidential endorsement votes only come around every seven or even fourteen years.”
“A dry run or mock vote wouldn’t have gone amiss,” she added.
Her concerns were echoed by fellow Aontú councillor Dave Boyne, who attended virtually and said he abstained from the final vote due to confusion.
“I myself was confused at the whole situation, and that’s why I abstained,” he said. “In terms of technical issues, I’d like this rule about having the camera on to be scrapped.”
However, Ratoath Independent councillor Nick Killian defended the rule requiring cameras to remain on during online participation, arguing that visibility ensures accountability.
“All cameras should remain on. If you’re online, you should stay online. We meet once a month, it’s an important day in our lives as councillors.”
He added: “The screen was a mess the last day. You couldn’t tell who was on or off. It wasn’t fair from the point of view of presentations.”
Council Chief Executive Kieran Kehoe acknowledged that confusion arose during the vote but maintained that the camera-on policy was necessary.
“We adjourned the meeting for a specific purpose and recognised there was confusion in the room. We’re going to insist on having cameras on because, as we move into discussions on the County Development Plan, we’ll be getting into very serious votes with serious implications for the county.”