Fianna Fáil councillors were left isolated at Monday’s city council meeting when even their pact colleagues deserted them to support a motion condemning the Government’s handling of the economy.
Independent councillor Catherine Connolly proposed a motion of no confidence in the Fianna Fail/Green Party/Independent Government, condemning it for “the drastic consequences which the cuts in local authority funding are having on the provisions of services/housing at local level”.
The motion also condemned the Government for “failing to hold those responsible for the current economic crisis to account” and for “demanding that those who are not in any way responsible” should “shoulder the burden while at the same time overseeing transfer of wealth to bail out banks and developers”.
The motion also called on the Galway City Council to endorse a public construction programme as “an alternative/viable and sustainable way of dealing with the economic crisis”.
Of the 14 councillors present at the meeting, only the three Fianna Fáil councillors voted against the motion.
The vote was also interesting for the fact that it attracted support from Independent councillors Terry O’Flaherty and Donal Lyons. The motion was implicitly critical of Galway West TD Noel Grealish and Health Minister Mary Harney, who both support the Government, and who are both former PD colleagues of councillors O’Flaherty and Donal Lyons.
