by Alan Jacques
ANTI Austerity Alliance councillor Cian Prendiville and his party were deemed a “disgrace” at County Hall this week after questioning €400 spending money to be paid to Mayor of Limerick City and County, Cllr Kevin Sheahan for an upcoming trip to London.
Cllr Prendiville asked the purpose and details of Cllr Sheahan’s four day visit to London and questioned the €400 spending money. He also called for a council committee to be set up to monitor spending on trips.
“Originally this trip came about out of your own desire. You were not invited,” the AAA councillor for City North claimed.
Cllr Sheahan, erupted and told Cllr Prendiville that he could not “deny him the right to speak” but insisted that he had already addressed his questions at Corporate Policy Group (CPG) level. He also said he had shortened his trip by one day.
Fine Gael councillor for Newcastle West, Jerome Scanlan, warned that “Limerick is damned” if Council representatives did not have the freedom to manage their own business. Fellow Fine Gael councillor Liam Galvin agreed that it was “complete craziness” and insisted that it was Cllr Sheahan’s job as first citizen to put Limerick on the map.
Fianna Fail councillor Michael Collins claimed that Cllr Prendiville was “opposed to everything put before him” at the Council.
“We are hear to deal with local issues not national ones. Get real and get into the real world,” he told the AAA councillor.
Cllr Francis Foley (FF) said he was “disgusted” with the AAA.
“I fully endorse Cllr Sheahan’s trip. The AAA are all talk of austerity but we are in the business of selling the city,” he claimed.
Cllr John Sheahan (FG) described Cllr Prendiville’s motives as “opportunistic”, while Cllr Richard O’Donoghue told the AAA politician that this latest “publicity stunt” was “disgraceful”.
“Stop playing to the media. Go do some real work,” he suggested.
Deputy Mayor Cllr Joe Crowley (FF) described the situation as “ludicrous” and a “sorry state of affairs”. While Cllr Kieran O’Hanlon (FF), quoting the late Jim Kemmy, claimed Cllr Prendiville wanted to build the walls of Limerick up again.
“The whole thing is quite ridiculous. We have a budget of €200 million and we are talking about €400. If the AAA feel that strongly about it why don’t they give up their council allowances?” he asked.
