*Cllr Ann Norton and Cllr Paul Murphy. Photograph: John O’Neill
HAVING HAD THE DECIDING say to proceed with a €1m temporary car park in Ennis, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) has said he did not feel pressured into making backing Council management despite being called out by the Mayor of the Ennis MD for discussions prior to the vote.
Tuesday’s meeting of the Ennis Municipal District was delayed for fourteen minutes as senior officials in the local authority, Chief Operating Officer of Ennis 2040 DAC, Kevin Corrigan held a lengthy conversation with Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF), Cllr Mary Howard (FG) and Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) outside the Council Chamber.
Both Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) and Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) were seated inside the Chamber as these discussions took place.
An in-camera meeting held prior to the Ennis MD meeting ensured the media had to wait outside until the monthly meeting was ready to commence. As The Clare Echo was the only media outlet to attend the meeting in-person, the last-minute discussions would have went unnoticed in most quarters.
Indeed an attempt was made by the Mayor, Cllr Colleran Molloy to delay the meeting further so that the outside discussion could continue but she was informed by Council officials that standing orders prohibited her from adjourning for a fifteen minute period twice.
As sitting members on the board of Ennis 2040 DAC, it was expected that Cllr Colleran Molloy and Cllr Howard would back the proposal of Council management to dispose of the lands and proceed with the €1m interim car park on Francis St. That Cllr Flynn and Cllr O’Callaghan were not involved in the deliberations indicated they had their minds made up while both Cllr Norton and Cllr Pat Daly (FF) were attending the meeting remotely and their voting intentions were not quite clear.
It then transpired that the casting vote rested with Cllr Murphy. He revealed to The Clare Echo that he only made up his mind during the meeting as to what side he would go with. “I gave due consideration to the side put forward by Cllr Flynn, Cllr O’Callaghan and Cllr Daly but I chose to support the development strategy of the Ennis 2040 Board. Cllr Howard and Cllr Colleran Molloy are current members of the Board, Cllr Flynn was previously on it and they would be more familiar with what was going on”.
Cllr Murphy said he was “happy to support” the proposal after speaking with Corrigan. He did not feel pressured into siding with management. “I could have called for a postponement, I’m a big boy and I’m not afraid of making tough calls, I believe in doing what is good for the common good, I am not looking towards an election next year”.
“I was going into with an open mind, I knew some of my colleagues were against it, I always give due consideration, I would have been leaning towards the way I voted initially. I only fully made up my mind on the day. I’m happy with the decision I made, I don’t do it to court publicity, I do it what I think is right,” the Clarecastle native told The Clare Echo.
