Disgraced Unionist politician Iris Robinson may have said “I am so, so sorry,” following the recent revelations about her teenage lover and alleged soliciting of funds, but Pádraig Conneely will not be following her lead.
The Galway City Council’s director of services for transportation and infrastructure Ciarán Hayes recently demanded a public apology from the outspoken Fine Gael councillor over remarks he made at a city council meeting in November.
In a letter to Cllr Conneely, Mr Hayes said he would be “withdrawing Transport & Infrastructure services to you until such time as the matter is resolved.”
However this week Cllr Conneely said “‘I’m so so sorry’ says Iris Robinson, but there will be no ‘Sorry’ word from Pádraig Conneely”, and he refused to bow to demands to give the public apology at Monday’s city council meeting.
In order to resolve the situation, there were meetings between the city manager Joe MacGrath, The Mayor of Galway Cllr Declan McDonnell, and FG Cllr Brian Walsh in order to find a formula of words that would resolve the situation.
In the end Cllr Conneely told the meeting that he “withdrew the comments and remarks that were of a personal nature” but at no stage offered the public apology Mr Hayes was looking for.
Nonetheless the city manger accepted the withdrawal of the offensive remarks and the full services of the Transport & Infrastructure department were restored to Cllr Conneely
