Workers Party councillor Ted Tynan has accused the
pact parties on Cork City Council of stifling debate and trying to silence him
and other left wing councillors and prevent them raising important issues such
as water metering and cuts in local government funding.
A motion from Cllr. Tynan, rejecting the proposed
metering of domestic water supplies and the establishment of a new company,
Irish Water, to take over the water supply system, has been referred to the
council’s Corporate Policy Group. This
committee will then debate the motion in private and Cllr. Tynan will not be
allowed to attend or speak on his own motion.
Cllr. Tynan said that the move was an attempt to gag
him and to subvert the democratic process whereby the elected city council
carries on its business in public unless it is discussing sensitive issues such
as individual citizen’s housing needs.
“The motion I submitted to the council is about the
future of the public water supply and opposes plans to impose water charges and
privatise the system. This is a very
topical issue of huge public interest and there is no reason why it should be
discussed in secret with the proposer, myself, barred from being present for
the debate”
The Workers’ Party councillor said he would be
challenging the decision at next Monday night’s meeting of the City Council and
would also be calling for the suspension of Standing Orders to have the motion
debated at the public council meeting.
