Redress Party and Independents open talks over forming council pact

By Kate Heaney and Diarmaid Doherty

NOW that the electorate have chosen their 37 Donegal County Councillors the negotiations have already started to decide which party members or independents get which roles in advance of next Friday’s first full council meeting.

Talks have taken place between some independents and the 100% Redress Party with a view to forming what could potentially be the largest grouping on the council.

In a brief statement, Independent Councillor Michael McBride said: “The 100% Redress Party have formed a working group with a number of independent county councillors prior to the resumption of council business not later than Friday June 21.

“The door is always open for other independents to join and a full list of members will issue in due course.”

It’s thought the talks between the various party representatives will continue over the weekend and right up to next week’s first meeting. There has been a suggestion that the first council meeting may be brought forward to next Thursday to avoid a clash with the opening day of the Donegal Rally on Friday, June 21.

There are ten new incoming councillors who will learn quickly about the pacts made among members to secure mayoral and deputy mayoral positions and when.

Then there are the chairing roles of the Strategic Policy Committees which last for the five year tenure. Members are also appointed to the Regional Health Forum and the representative bodies of the Local Authorities Members Association (LAMA) and Association of Irish local Government (AILG).

All of this will be new to Cllrs Ali Farren, Joy Beard, Denis McGee and Tomás Seán Devine of the 100% Redress Party. It will also be a learning curve for the new Independent Cllrs Jimmy Brogan, Martin Scanlon and Declan Meehan. Newcomers Cllrs Manus Boyle Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil’s Fionán Bradley will have their party colleagues to guide them.

Incoming Cllr Ali Farren told the Donegal News yesterday that they are there to serve the interest primarily of the owners of defective concrete homes.

“Part of the negotiation will be to do our best to get onto certain committees which serve our aims and our aim is to deliver, not to play politics,” he said.

“We are not daunted by the prospect of serving on council as what has happened to us has been daunting.

“We know that council is a slow moving vehicle in which to get change. We are four individual affected home owners and we know it is a massive issue in Donegal. We are willing to work with members provided that it benefits the people we represent.

“I have not been officially told yet by anyone in council when the first meeting happens.

“You cannot win a gold medal in your first race but we will be in training for it,” he said.

Sinn Féin’s director of the recent elections, Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn said yesterday they will engage with all of the new councillors and come to arrangements that are fair for everyone.

“What we have had since 2009 has been inclusive power sharing in everyone’s best interest compared with 2009 when I was elected and we

got nothing.

“The Redress Party members will be a part of those negotiations and get a fair place at the table and committee decisions. I am looking forward to working with them at local and national level and negotiations will take place before Friday week,” he added.

Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh told this paper yesterday that he would assume there “would be horse trading” between now and June 21. The negotiations are usually conducted by two members from each party and independents.

“There are five or six SPC Chair positions and there is an extra payment for those as there is for mayors,” he explained.

Attempts to contact Fianna Fáil on the issue of pacts in the new council were unsuccessful.

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