Last Thursday Westport town councillors passed a proposal to include two items under AOB after Councillor Christy Hyland condemned the council for constantly not dealing with issues being brought up under AOB.
The Fine Gael councillor’s proposal that councillors could raise as many issue they wanted under AOB was seconded by his party colleague Cllr Michael McLaughlin. However, Fianna Fáil Cllr Margaret Adams proposed that only two items per councillor should be included in AOB, which was seconded by Cllr Brendan Mulroy.
Cllr Hyland said that issues raised under AOB on Thursday’s meeting such as allotments for the town and a skate park are always raised under AOB. The councillor said: “I’m getting sick of it, if this council was working these items would be on the agenda” and issues like the allotments would be “done and dusted by now”.
Acting town manager for the meeting Martin Keating said that it was unfair to say that the council was not getting work done, as on Thursday afternoon there were meetings conducted relating to suitable sites for a skateboard park and about securing land for allotments. Mr Keating said that there is an “obligation to run the meetings with some degree of efficiency and professional manner” and by having limitless items under AOB this would not be possible.
Cllr Hyland withdrew his proposal and Cllr Adams’ proposal was passed.
