This article is from page 16 of the 2011-09-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
CLAIMS by a former Fianna Fáil councillor about alleged Fine Gael interference in the selection of Clare Vocational Education Committee’s (VEC) representative on the Standing Council of the Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA) have been rejected by the committee chairman.
Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) was responding to comments made by former Mayor of Clare, Flan Garvey, at the September meeting of Clare VEC.
Mr Garvey claimed that he had been told by a Fianna Fáil councillor “not to bother” seeking the nomination to the IVEA standing council, as it was a “Fine Gael seat”.
Mr Garvey, who formerly served as Clare VEC’s representative to the IVEA, said he was disappointed to hear about this alleged arrangement. He said the seat was not the property of Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael.
Earlier this year committee member, Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) was chosen to replace then Fine Gael councillor Tony Mulcahy as Clare VEC’s representative to the IVEA. The vacancy was created when Mr Mulcahy was elected to the Seanad. Cllr Brennan told last Thursday’s meeting that the decision to select Cllr Keating had been made by Clare VEC and not by any political party. He rejected Mr Garvey’s claims about political interference in the work of the committee. Responding to Mr Garvey’s claims about a political deal, Cllr Brennan said that he had served on Clare County Council since 1985 and was well aware of how political parties acted. “That’s democracy, that’s they way it goes,” he added. Cllr Brennan said apparent arguments between political parties should be dealt with by parties and were not the business of Clare VEC.