This article is from page 1 of the 2014-06-03 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 1 JPG
TALKS to decide who will serve as Mayor of Clare during the next five years were deadlocked last night as Fine Gael and the Independents battled it out for their share of the spoils, with Fianna Fáil as the largest party guaranteed the council chair for two years.
Under a power-share agreement drawn up in 2004 and adhered to ever since, each political grouping within the council takes on the role of mayor and chair of Clare County Council.
The number of years any particular group has the hot seat is relative to the number of members it has in the council chamber.
For the last 10 years this has broken down into a system that allowed Fine Gael the chair for two years, Fianna Fáil for two more and Independents and others one year.
Following last weekend’s local election, the so-called Technical Group – made up of Independents and Sinn Féin’s Mike McKee – have eight seats, the same number as Fine Gael. The Technical Group now argues that it has as much right as Fine Gael to the chair of the council for two of the five years ahead.
As Fianna Fáil has 12 of the 28 county council seats, under this agreement it is expected to hold the mayorship for two years.
The only decision to be made is whom will it nominate to the role.
Sources close to the party say that there are elements within it pushing to put newcomer Clare Colleran Molloy into the chair within the next two years, just in time for the General Election.
Many believe that the new councillor and barrister would be the ideal candidate for the party during the national election. However, there are a number of returning Fianna Fáil councillors who also feel they are entitled to the role given their number of years service and experience.
The first meeting of the newly elected Clare County Council takes place this Friday at 3pm.