Council withdraws services from controversial councillor

Date Published: 17-Jan-2011

BY ENDA CUNNINGHAM

The entire workforce of Galway City Council has been instructed by officials to withdraw all services to outspoken city councillor Padraig Conneely, the Sentinel has learned.

However, Cllr Conneely rejected the claims made, and has made an official complaint to City Manager Joe O’Neill in relation to comments made to him at the same meeting.

Officials blamed Cllr Conneely’s “ongoing gratuitously offensive behaviour towards staff generally” and public comments which he directed at Ciarán Hayes, the Director of Services for Transportation and Infrastructure.

The withdrawal could mean that 38 active submissions on the City Development Plan will have to be ignored if Council meetings on Friday and next Monday are abandoned.

A spokesperson for the Council confirmed to the Sentinel that all services to Cllr Conneely had been withdrawn and his behaviour was considered as an “abuse of staff and in breach of the Dignity at Work policy”.

The councillor said he has “absolutely no intention” of apologising for comments he made at a meeting of the City Council last week, where he said ‘Comical Ali’ would be proud of the information being provided by the local authority on the latest water crisis.

The refusal to co-operate could lead to important City Development Plan meetings on Friday and next Monday being abandoned if the Directors of Services refuse to answer questions from Cllr Conneely.

If this happens, councillors will be unable to discuss 38 new submissions made on the Plan – which must be passed by January 28 – and the most recent draft, from last December, will be implemented.

The Council spokesperson refused to speculate on what may happen at the meetings.

Read more in this week’s Connacht Sentinel