Sinn Féin stand ground in bid for council committee positions

Sinn Féin councillors made it known that they weren’t merely going to be left on the sidelines in the make-up of the new council for the next five years when challenging for roles across various committees and forums at the recent local authority AGM.

More than 70 positions required filling across 19 separate bodies, from Strategic Policy Committees (SPCs) to seats on the Cavan-Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB), the Joint Policing Committee to the Association of Irish Local Government (AILG) and the Age Friendly Alliance.

Much like the posts for Cathaoirleach, the nominations for those to serve as chairs on the five SPCs were decided before last Friday’s meeting took place.

The five-year posts to lead committees on Climate and Biodiversity Action, and Environment; Cultural Development, Irish Language, and Sport SPC; Economic Development, Enterprise, and Planning; Housing, Social Inclusion, and Corporate Services; and finally Transportation, Infrastructure, and Emergency Service, were divvied out three in favour of Fine Gael and two to Fianna Fáil. The nominees for each party were Winston Bennett, Val Smith and Trevor Smith (FG), and Clifford Kelly and Philip Brady (FF). They were each proposed in respective groupings by Fianna Fáil’s John Paul Feeley and T. Smith (FG), seconded by Áine Smith (FF).

Countering their proposals however was Sinn Féin’s Noel Connell who nominated Damien Brady, himself, and Siofán Conaty, a move seconded by Cllr Conaty.

After a 10-minute adjournment, two proposals were put to the council, with Cllrs Bennett, V. Smith, T. Smith, Kelly, and Brady, elected to chair the SPCs by 17 votes to three, with Aontú’s Sarah O’Reilly abstaining.

Cllr Conaty was nominated for one of three seats on the Cavan Local Community Development Committee on which Cllrs Kelly, V. Smith and T.P. O’Reilly claimed positions after voting ended.

There were no objections when Cllrs Fay, Áine Smith, Kelly, Carmel Brady, Niamh Brady, T. Smith, and Sinn Féin’s Damien Brady were appointed to serve on the CMETB.

Cllrs Feeley, Á Smith and Bennett were appointed to the HSE Regional Health Forum, despite a challenge from Cllr Connell; Aontú’s Cllr O’Reilly was elected to represent the council on Irish Public Bodies Mutual Insurances Ltd; and Á Smith and Independent Ireland’s S.P. O’Reilly were nominated onto the Northern and Western Regional Assembly despite the challenge of Cllr Connell.

Thirteen members were elected onto the JPC. They include Cllrs Feeley, Brady, Kelly, Walsh and Niall Smith for Fianna Fáil; T. Smith, T.P. O’Reilly, N. Brady, C. Brady for Fine Gael, Cllrs Connell and Conaty for Sinn Féin; Independent Ireland’s O’Reilly; and the non party Cllr Fay.

Cllrs Feeley, T. Smith, O’Reilly (II), and Brady (SF) got onto the Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee; and Cllrs Brady (FF) and C Brady (FG) on to the Audit Committee.

Cllrs Fay, N. Smith, Walsh, D. Brady (SF) and N Brady (FG) were appointed onto the Cavan Local Sports Partnership Board, of which 40% must be female, after II’s O’Reilly suggested that the number of positions be expanded from four to five. It was not the first time this would happen.

Cllrs Walsh, S O’Reilly (Aon) and Bennett were appointed onto the Management Board of the Irish Central Border Area Network (ICBAN), with Cllr Connell missing out by vote; and Cllrs B. Brady, Bennett and C. Brady were nominated as delegates to the Association of Irish Local Government (AILG) annual conference and Standing Policy Council.

Cllr Kelly from Kingscourt was the sole person nominated for the only position for the council on the Local Authority Member’s Association (LAMA); and N. Smith and C. Brady appointed to the Age Friendly Alliance.

More than the advertised number of members were nominated to three positions on the Local Monitoring Committee (Rural Water); to the County Cavan Heritage Forum (4); and to the North East Regional Drugs Task Force (1).

They included Cllrs P. Brady, Bennett, T.P. O’Reilly and D. Brady (SF) to rural water; Á Smith, Kelly, Fay, SP O’Reilly (II), Conaty, and T. Smith to heritage; and C. Brady and Connell to the drugs taskforce committee where it was pointed out that other councils had more than one representative.

Cllrs N. Smith, P. Brady, T. Smith, Bennett, and Connell were all appointed to the council’s own Tenders Opening Committee; and Cllrs Kelly, Walsh, N. Smith, V. Smith, and T. Smith nominated for the Cavan Peace Partnership committee.

A decision on who to nominate from the council to the Cavan and Monaghan Drug and Alcohol Service was deferred to a later date.