Tipperary council budget meeting collapses amid chaos over adjournment – ‘It’s an absolute disgrace’
A crunch budget meeting of Tipperary County Council has collapsed without agreement after hours of tense exchanges and a disputed adjournment.
The annual budget meeting got under way in Nenagh at 10am on Friday, November 28, but by 4pm, councillors couldn’t agree on a course of action.
Proposed in the budget was a 5pc increase in commercial rates in order for the local authority to continue to fund their services.
Following a proposal from Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Smith to accept the budget, subject to a number of conditions, Fine Gael councillors proposed an adjournment for 10 minutes to discuss whether to adopt the budget or not.
Among Cllr Smith’s conditions were that the discount under the Rates Payment Incentive Scheme (RPIS) – which gives commercial rates payers a 6pc discount if they pay their rates bill by June – increase to 7pc, and that Tipperary County Council engage in a publicity campaign to ensure that as many rate payers as possible know about the scheme so they can avail of it.
Cllr Smith also proposed that €50,000 of the council’s discretionary funds go towards funding for roads across all five municipal districts to continue to keep the roads at a decent standard.
He also proposed that €100,000 go towards a community lighting scheme, which would be implemented to support community centres and burial grounds.
After Cllr Smith’s proposal, Fine Gael councillors requested a 10 minute adjournment to discuss whether to support the budget or not. This adjournment was granted by Tipperary County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr John Carroll.
But the adjournment stretched well beyond the agreed 10 minutes, lasting over half an hour.
Councillors attending the meeting online took issue with this, particularly Sinn Féin councillor David Dunne, who said that the meeting was then in breach of standing orders as the adjournment went on too long.
Standing orders set out the rules for how council meetings are conducted.
Cllr Dunne then called for the meeting to be adjourned until next Friday as councillors attending virtually weren’t aware of what they were voting on.
"This meeting is in breach of standing orders, you can’t just walk off the pitch on your own without consulting anybody, it’s an absolute disgrace,” Cllr Dunne hit out.
Agreeing, independent councillor Liam Browne said that the councillors attending via Zoom didn’t know what went on during the recess.
Cllr Dunne said that the Government parties were worried that they didn’t have the numbers to pass the budget.
"If they had the numbers, they’d pass the budget, they’re just afraid they haven’t got the numbers, let’s be open and frank about it,” Cllr Dunne hit out.
Once the meeting recommenced Cllr Dunne proposed that the meeting be adjourned until next Friday, until a new budget document was circulated to councillors.
"We don’t know what’s going on or what’s being negotiated in the background, this is totally unprecedented, and I think it breaks standing orders,” he said.
The motion was seconded by Cllr Michael Smith, who said that councillors should go and reflect on the matters discussed.
"It’s been a long meeting and I think it’s time that we all went and reflected, this is challenging for us as councillors,” he said.