Getting clarification is no walk in the National Park!
Bradley Bytes – A Sort of Political Column by Dara Bradley
It sounded like the lyrics of an Adele ballad. “Sorry Mayor, can you hear me now?”
City Council Chief Executive, Brendan McGrath, was the one trying to be heard.
Mayor of Galway, Colette Connolly (Ind) – and everyone else attending the latest Council meeting to discuss the City Development Plan – was straining to hear.
He was attending remotely, via Zoom; she was in situ in Leisureland. The rest – city councillors, management and media – attended in person and virtually.
Unlike the previous Ordinary meeting, Colette’s first as chair, this time there was no technological breakdown in communication.
But, well, there were other more traditional breakdowns in communication, not helped by the technological disadvantages of hybrid meetings. Another side-effect of Covid is the phenomenon of a two-hour meeting; not ideal when you’ve a City Development Plan to agree.
This Wednesday meeting picked up where the Monday one left off – with clarifications, not debate, on a motion from Niall Murphy (Green).
“I’m still waiting for a response from the Chief Executive,” said Niall McNelis (Lab) about a question he had asked 48 hours previously.
“I asked for him to respond,” replied Colette. With the meeting “going over two days”, fumed Niall, “we’re all over the place”. Nobody, bar him, appeared to know what he’d asked.
Ditto, seconds later during Terry O’Flaherty’s turn. “I’m not sure what your question is,” said Mayor Colette. Next. Mike Crowe (FF) said the proposal to declare Galway a National Park City was “airy fairy . . . and I say that respectfully”. Mayor Colette had “no problem” with him repeating that, but during the debate and not clarifications.
Declan McDonnell (Ind) rowed in on Zoom. “We’re entitled to ask questions!”
Eh, no you’re not, said the Mayor. “I’m cutting you off – (this is) not a debate on the motion”, she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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