THE monthly meeting of Donegal County Council has been adjourned following the suspension of Cllr Frank McBrearty.
The meeting, which was held at Aura Leisure Centre today, was adjourned a total of seven times and will reconvene next Monday February 7 at 1.30pm.
The adjournment followed a recorded vote which saw Councillor Frank McBrearty suspended from all Council activities for one month due to ‘continuous and persistent disruption’ caused throughout the meeting.
The meeting failed to progress through item one of the 37 item agenda.
The disruption began after Cllr McBrearty clashed with several council members and Cathaoirleach Jack Murray during a discussion on allegations of corruption within the Council meeting which were made at a meeting in November.
The meeting was adjourned three times before Councillors voted to have Cllr McBrearty removed from the meeting but he refused to leave and questioned the legalities of the vote.
Councillors voted by 32 votes to one to ask Cllr McBrearty to withdraw from the meeting but he refused to leave and Cllr Jack Murray, referred to steps under standing orders and eventually called a vote for a ten per cent pay reduction of Cllr McBrearty’s remuneration and expenses. This vote also passed.
Despite this, Cllr McBrearty continued his refusal to leave and said ‘I’m not leaving this meeting’ adding ‘ you have no power to put me out of this building.’
Cllr McBrearty said he would ’cause a constitutional crisis’ and said the actions were a breach of his rights.
The Cathaoirleach warned Cllr McBrearty that the next process would be to suspend him from all council meetings for a period of at least one month but not exceeding three months.
Cllr Murray said it was ‘an extremely serious situation’ and the last thing he wanted to do. He opted to have Cllr McBrearty suspended for the ‘minimum period’ of one month.
Members voted to have the councillor suspended from all council meetings for a month and the meeting was adjourned for the seventh time until next Monday.
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