*Cllr Mary Howard (FG). Photograph: John O’Neill.
CALLS to have a vote seeking commitments for the Ennis transport plan were denied at a fiery meeting of the Ennis Municipal District leading to accusations of bringing the local authority into disrepute.
In what was her first sitting in the hot seat as Mayor of the Ennis MD, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) came under fire from her colleagues for not allowing a vote and had to plead with a packed public gallery from engaging in debate during Tuesday’s meeting.
Four of the thirteen motions tabled were in relation to the draft Ennis local transport plan. It was a proposal from Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) demanding removal “of any plans to reduce two lane access/exit from existing roundabouts and to retain current existing free flowing roundabouts, and existing two way traffic flows on the circulation route” which led to the call for a vote.
His ask put more simply was to keep the Mill Rd as is and not have a one-way system along with maintaining the current arrangement at the roundabout between Ennis Hospital and McDonald’s on the Gort Rd. The circulation route included Carmody Street, Mill Road, Clare Rd, Clonroad, Lifford Road and Highfield Park.
Senior executive engineer, Eamon O’Dea stated “significant analysis” was required to respond to the motion” and that “it would not be appropriate to respond to the notice of motion until all the public submissions are received” by the revised closing date of Friday (July 11th).
Considerable concerns from the public led to the motion, Cllr O’Callaghan told the meeting. “We have spoken at length on Mill Rd, the proposed reconfiguration of traffic flow will reduce capacity and increase congestion”. He remined the top table, “The Council’s online portal crashed due to the high volume of feedback from the public”.
Seconding the proposal, Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) commented, “We need to stop putting the cart before the horse, there will be a day in years to come when people are using one line for walking, cycling and maybe even flying with a flying car. We can do a pedestrian crossing without reducing car usage, there’s a feeling out there that there is an anti-car push”.
Such proposals can be implemented in cities like Cork, Limerick or Dublin “with big bridges” but not Ennis, Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua (FF) argued.“We’re growing for the future but put the money in a ring-round around the town, there’s a road to nowhere to go from Gort Rd to the Tulla Rd, put the money into that and leave the small roads alone”. She added, “I’m sure this plan won’t be for 100 years, it could be for five to ten so come back to them, they’re looking to be safe right now, they’re not looking to be safe in 40 years time. When you see emails from residents living in the areas for 40 years saying it doesn’t make sense then it is our job to listen to them as councillors and the Executive and get strict with the crowd in Dublin to say it might work for another area but not us”.
Traffic is getting worse in Ennis, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) warned, “every road is bottle neck, I’d love to see a double lane system all around the town particularly at Maid of Erin, it would alleviate a lot of the problems, traffic to Shiels’ roundabout is total bottleneck, we have to do something about the traffic system”.
Speaking in support of the motion, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) admitted he had “serious concerns about the situation of taking away two-way traffic on Mill Rd, somebody spoke about anti-car agenda, I cycle, I’m an avid cyclist out the country, there’s a big difference to cycling to clear my head as opposed to cycling in the town, they need to be protected also, the minority do deserve a voice as well, it can be frightening, I do cycle through town, to be on a bike when traffic is passing very close to you it can be very scary. We are a democratic nation, people have the right to choice and if they want to cycle they deserve to do so safely, we need a consensus, our people deserve to be able to cycle to school, hurling, football or rugby training”.
“I want to say very little,” remarked Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF). She reminded the public they would be listened to by all councillors, “it isn’t just one or two councillors listening”. She referred to comments by Cllr Baker Bashua, “we still have to look into the future for a little more than five years, I got on my bike for a while a few years ago but I felt very unsafe”. She stated, “Nobody is anti-car, of course we need cars, this whole process, putting out a draft local transport plan is why all the people are in the gallery, it is democracy in action. If we don’t put out plans everything remains static”.
Senior engineer, Seán Lenihan said he was “delighted” to see a packed public gallery but added, “it didn’t need to come to this, we opened the public consultation for six weeks, it was advertised on Clare FM, I sat with Eamon in Civic Room in Drumbiggle for a week and very little people engaged, maybe that is our fault about the message going out”. These comments irked those in the gallery with their reactions both visible and audible,
Lenihan told Cllr O’Callaghan the online system didn’t crashed and rather it was turned off by the Council. “The system didn’t crash, it was turned off inadvertently at midnight on the wrong day, the last day of submission was open for paper submissions, it didn’t crash, it was turned off”.
Responding, Cllr O’Callaghan stated, “The portal went down whatever it did, at first the request to extend it was rejected”. He said it was time to “stop and draw a line” before then requesting a vote on his motion.
“We cannot take a vote on the motion,” the Mayor stated. Cllr Guilfoyle referred to Section 34 of Standing Orders in the Local Governmetn Act.
“This is democracy,” O’Callaghan added and Lenihan asked what they were voting on. “We’re here for a vote on the motion, I am asking for a vote to be taken,” O’Callaghan said.
Director of Service, Carmel Kirby said the motion had been responded to and that it was not in line with standing orders to take a vote on the motion. “Incorrect. Section 34, the motion shall be put to a vote subject to right of reply. It has been proposed and seconded,” Cllr Guilfoyle replied.
Interjecting from the public gallery, business man Michael Barry said, “take the vote, listen to the people”. Director Kirby thanked the people in the gallery for their views but reminded them, “ye don’t have a right to speak” prompting Barry to reply, “We have a right”.
Councillors cannot vote on a draft, Kirby stated. “This is a draft from a process, there’s nothing to vote on. This is going through a process, I’m hopeful when we get to process we can have a plan that everyone or most people are satisfied with, wouldn’t be in order to have a vote on a plan that isn’t finalised”.
Mayor Howard added, “We cannot finalise it because it is out for public consultation. Every voice needs to be heard”.
“This is the motion, it has been presented to the floor and seconded. I am calling for a vote,” Cllr O’Callaghan responded. He was reminded by the Mayor that consultation is ongoing, “It cannot be done under our rules”. Speaking from the gallery the Mayor was told by Barry “you’re in breach of the section 34”.
Clarification was sought by Cllr Guilfoyle, “Section 34 says we can if proposed or seconded, there’s no rule to stop the vote,” he flagged. Cllr O’Callaghan added, “I support the motion, I’m asking colleagues to vote on the motion”.
“Vote” came the cry from several members of the public gallery.
Cllr O’Callaghan was then told by Cllr Howard, “You’re being disorderly, I’m in this job 17 years, we have rules”. Cllr O’Callaghan then asked, “Are you in support of stopping what has been proposed? Yes or no”. There was no answer provided by the Mayor with Cllr Guilfoyle informing the meeting, “I vote in favour of motion number nine”. Cllr Howard asked him, “How can you vote on something which has there to consider and he said he voted on the sentiment of the motion.
Attempting to bring order to the meeting, Cllr Howard said, “With respect, I’m chairing the meeting and disallowing the vote. We have nothing in front of us to vote on”.
“I want clarity from a higher authority, you’re bringing meeting into disrepute by not allowing a vote,” Cllr Guilfoyle stated.
Cllr Baker Bashua told the Mayor, “you should have let a vote on it”. She added, “I know my colleague from the union will be on point so ye better be on point”.
Not allowing the vote was disappointing and “very disrespectful to the people of Ennis. People have to be number one priority,” said Cllr O’Callaghan.
