CITY Hall officialdom is “muzzling” city councillors from raising issues of local concern. Critical of the increasing number of presentations being made at committee meetings, which take up a good deal of time, Cllr Kieran O’Hanlon was unable to have a number of problems concerning public health and safety raised at this week’s meeting of the Environmental Committee in City Hall.
“People in my area regularly draw my attention to problems – rodent infestation, street cleaning, dangerous roads, control of horses, anti-social behaviour, etc,
which they want something done about but presentations by professional people are increasingly taking up almost the entire period of time allocated to a meeting – this is not what the people who elected me want.”
In agreement, Cllr Orla McLoughlin said: “as councillors we have the responsibility to raise the people’s concerns – the average resident doesn’t, for example, have any interest in biodiversity.” (A presentation on the council’s biodiversity plan was made at Monday’s meeting).
Commenting to the Limerick Post, Cllr O’Hanlon said:.
“We have to be allowed time to raise issues or importance to the public – as an elected representative my basic duty is to air their views here in City Hall but there seems to be an agenda among the officials to muzzle us councillors. and I believe that a lot of the councillors are going along with this – but not me..
The councillor, who says that the majority of councillors want the press barred from the area meetings, contends that it is the mayor and chair of each committee that decide what issues will go on each committee agenda.
“I believe that is totally undemocratic,” he said.
“There are issues in my own area of Rhebogue – dumping of litter, cat waste on the green area, which is highly dangerous to children, dog fouling on pathways, street cleaning in Garryowen, litter being left at the Park Road Depot – all these issues should be raised at environmental meetings – but we had little or no such relevant discussion at today’s meeting.
“The councillor is a link between City Hall officials and the public, which is why I’m now calling for a fundamental change in the structure of our meetings.
“Just now, we have problems with gangs of underage drinkers in Rhebogue, we need new street lighting in there – the old light fittings were replaced but we need lighting installed at the Railway Bridge and the footpath there extended – it’s very dangerous as it is.
“We must be allowed to raise these and other matters that affect the local people.”
