Watch co-opting in your local council

[simonj]

To all - keep an eye on your local councils.
Lets see how many FG or Labour family members are appointed to council seats

In my area we have Galway City East cllr Derek Nolan

I'd watch what happens in Kerry with Arthur Springs seat in Tralee
Also, the Michael Healy Rae seat on Kerry coco

[Baron von Biffo]

Some journo on RTE radio last week said that Gilmore has vetoed co-opting family members to replace their temporary TDs.

[simonj]

I believe Lab. HQ sent out a message saying such moves were not welcome, however with the move to join FG in Government some allowances might have had to be made.
Sadly, Kerry seems to be very dynastic in its return of reps like the Springs, Healy Raes, McElistrums and the co-opting of T Ferris onto the council when daddy got elected.
Also, MEP's like Alan Kelly in Tipp North and Joe Higgins who were elected to the dail, they nominate replacements
Like I said, its worth watching for

[simonj]

Well, according to journal.ie Jackie Healy Rae may take on Michael's seat in Kerry, thats a father standing in

[Ah Well]

Useful Thread Simon and we can use it for people to report as to who gets co-opted onto Council seats.....

The full list of Councillors whose seats are vacant for co-opting is contained here for convenience http://www.politicalworld.org/showpost.php?p=126117&postcount=1

Bear in mind that co-opting onto two seats may occur for some Councillors - where they had held both County Council and Town Council Seats

And yes, Labour seem to be discouraging nepotism when it comes to family securing Council seats. A move in the right direction and to be welcomed. However, it still doesn't detract from the argument that anyone co-opted onto a Council Seat does not have a proper mandate as they were not elected to that position by the Electoral Area voters they are now representing. But of course legislation would require to be changed for that position to be altered if ever.

[simonj]

Excellent link for that post - many thanks.

Ann Phelan (LAB) - Carlow/Kilkenny
Kilkenny County Council (Thomastown)

Pat Deering (FG) - Carlow/Kilkenny
Carlow County Council (Tullow)

Sean Conlan (FG) - Cavan/Monaghan
Ballybay Town Council, Co. Monaghan

Heather Humphreys (FG) - Cavan/Monaghan
Monaghan County Council (Clones)

Tom Barry (FG) - Cork East
Cork County Council (Mallow)

Sandra McLellan (SF) - Cork East
Cork County Council (Midleton)
&
Youghal Town Council, Co. Cork

Jonathan O’Brien (SF) - Cork North Central
Cork City Council (Cork North West)

Dara Murphy (FG) - Cork North Central
Cork City Council (Cork North East)

Jim Daly (FG) – Cork South West
Cork County Council (Skibbereen)

Noel Harrington (FG) – Cork South West
Cork County Council (Bantry)

Padraig MacLochlainn (SF) – Donegal North East
Donegal County Council (Inishowen)
&
Buncrana Town Council, Co. Donegal

Charlie McConalogue (FF) – Donegal North East
Donegal County Council (Inishowen)

Thomas Pringle (IND) – Donegal South West
Donegal County Council (Donegal)
Pringle replacement: 31 year old teacher John Campbell, Glenties, Deputy Pringle’s Director of Elections.

Robert Dowds (LAB) – Dublin Mid-West
South Dublin County Council (Clondalkin)

Derek Keating (FG) – Dublin Mid-West
South Dublin County Council (Lucan)

Clare Daly (SP) – Dublin North
Fingal County Council (Swords)

Alan Farrell (FG) – Dublin North
Fingal County Council (Howth/Malahide)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (LAB) – Dublin North Central
Dublin City Council (Clontarf)

Sean Kenny (LAB) – Dublin North East
Dublin City Council (Donaghmede)

Dessie Ellis (SF) – Dublin North West
Dublin City Council (Ballymun/Finglas)

John Lyons (LAB) – Dublin North West
Dublin City Council (Ballymun/Finglas)

Michael Conaghan (LAB) – Dublin South Central
Dublin City Council (Ballyfermot/Drimnagh)

Eric Byrne (LAB) – Dublin South Central
Dublin City Council (Crumlin/Kimmage)

Joan Collins (PBP) – Dublin South Central
Dublin City Council (Crumlin/Kimmage)

Eoghan Murphy (FG) – Dublin South East
Dublin City Council (Pembroke/Rathmines)

Kevin Humphreys (LAB) – Dublin South East
Dublin City Council (South East Inner City)

Sean Crowe (SF) – Dublin South West
South Dublin County Council (Tallaght Central)

Eamonn Maloney (LAB) – Dublin South West
South Dublin County Council (Tallaght South)

Mary Mitchell O’Connor (FG) – Dun Laoghaire
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (Dun Laoghaire)

Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP) – Dun Laoghaire
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (Dun Laoghaire)

Paul Connaughton (FG) – Galway East
Galway County Council (Ballinasloe)

Colm Keaveney (LAB) – Galway East
Galway County Council (Tuam)

Derek Nolan (LAB) – Galway West
Galway City Council (Galway East)

Brian Walsh (FG) – Galway West
Galway City Council (Galway East)

Sean Kyne (FG) – Galway West
Galway County Council (Conamara)

Arthur Spring (LAB) – Kerry North/West Limerick
Kerry County Council (Tralee)
&
Tralee Town Council, Co. Kerry

Brendan Griffin (FG) – Kerry South
Kerry County Council (Dingle)

Tom Fleming (IND) – Kerry South
Kerry County Council (Killarney)

Michael Healy Rae (IND) – Kerry South
Kerry County Council (Killorglin)

Catherine Murphy (IND) – Kildare North
Kildare County Council (Celbridge)

Anthony Lawlor (FG) – Kildare North
Kildare County Council (Naas)

Martin Heydon (FG) – Kildare South
Kildare County Council (Athy)

Barry Cowen (FF) – Laois/Offaly
Offaly County Council (Tullamore)

Brian Stanley (SF) – Laois/Offaly
Laois County Council (Portlaoise)
&
Portlaoise Town Council, Co. Laois

Patrick O’Donovan (FG) – Limerick
Limerick County Council (Newcastle)

Robert Troy (FF) – Longford/Westmeath
Westmeath County Council (Mullingar West)

Gerald Nash (LAB) – Louth
Louth County Council (Drogheda East)
&
Drogheda Borough Council, Co. Louth

Michelle Mulherin (FG) – Mayo
Mayo County Council (Ballina)
&
Ballina Town Council, Co. Mayo

Regina Doherty (FG) – Meath East
Meath County Council (Dunshaughlin)

Peadar Tóibín (SF) – Meath West
Navan Town Council, Co. Meath

Ray Butler (FG) – Meath West
Meath County Council (Trim)
&
Trim Town Council, Co. Meath

Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan (IND) – Roscommon/South Leitrim
Roscommon County Council (Castlerea)

Tony McLoughlin (FG) – Sligo/North Leitrim
Sligo County Council (Sligo Strandhill)
&
Sligo Borough Council

Michael Colreavy (SF) – Sligo/North Leitrim
Leitrim County Council (Manorhamilton)

Seamus Healy (WUAG) – Tipperary South
Tipperary South Riding County Council (Clonmel)
&
Clonmel Borough Council

Ciara Conway (LAB) – Waterford
Dungarvan Town Council, Co. Waterford

John Halligan (IND) – Waterford
Waterford City Council (Waterford South)

Simon Harris (FG) – Wicklow
Wicklow County Council (Greystones)
&
Greystones Town Council, Co. Wicklow

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

I was just going through the McCarthy Snip Nua reports to see which of the quangos I need to mark up as scheduled for demolition/merger and came across this on page 149 of the McCarthy report on discussing savings to be made from abolishing the Senate:

'There is an arguable case that the first criterion is not satisfied [checks and balances on Dail Eireann); and as regards the second criterion, the vast majority of the electorate in Seanad elections are local government councillors, generally of one or other of the three main political parties.'

and thats from an official government report; http://www.finance.irlgov.ie/documents/pressreleases/2009/bl100vol2.pdf

[mutley]

I never realised that people weren't elected to local councils :confused:

[C. Flower]

I never realised that people weren't elected to local councils :confused:

There are, periodically, but there are powers to co-opt when someone resigns or dies in between.

[Dr. FIVE]

In fairness Cap'n there were many proposals in McCarthy that don't make sense...many.

[Baron von Biffo]

I never realised that people weren't elected to local councils :confused:

Casual vacancies are filled by co-opting someone rather than by-election or a substitute system. There's also a gentleman's agreement that the party that held the seat that became vacant get to say who is co-opted.

[mutley]

Casual vacancies are filled by co-opting someone rather than by-election or a substitute system. There's also a gentleman's agreement that the party that held the seat that became vacant get to say who is co-opted.

Oh, thats why SF and others get their knickers in a twist, when someone resigns from the party but keeps their seat.

I had assumed wrongly that there were never any elections to local councils, and ws a bit shocked by that, glad I was wrong about that :)

[Baron von Biffo]

Oh, thats why SF and others get their knickers in a twist, when someone resigns from the party but keeps their seat.

I had assumed wrongly that there were never any elections to local councils, and ws a bit shocked by that, glad I was wrong about that :)

All the parties view seats as their own. You can take this democracy business too far you know.

[Ah Well]

A Mick Nugent is being nominated to take the Seat of Jonathan O'Brien Sinn Féin TD on Cork City Council, which will be before next Monday's Council Meeting for approval. Nugent is chair of the Cork Comhairle Ceanntair of Sinn Féin and worked as Jonathan O’Brien’s campaign manager in his successful general election campaign and selected unanimously as the party’s choice for co-option at a convention of members from the city’s Northside earlier this week http://corkpolitics.ie/wp/?p=7329

I assume this is the self same Michael Nugent who unsuccessfully ran for election for Sinn Féin in the Local Elections 1999 (Cork City Council - Cork North East Ward) http://electionsireland.org/result.cfm?election=1999L&cons=453

[simonj]

Any updates?

[Ah Well]

Nice to see nepotism alive and well in political Ireland

Johnny Healy-Rae, 26, was one of four new members co-opted to Kerry County Council, in Tralee, to replace four former members recently elected to Dáil Eireann.

Proposed by his father, Danny (Ind), Johnny fills the seat formerly held by his uncle, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, in the Killorglin Electoral Area.

[I]The Fine Gael seat for Dingle Electoral Area, formerly held by Brendan Griffin TD, was filled by his first cousin, Matt Griffin.

Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/kfeyidsnauau/rss2/#ixzz1HLIIgg8C

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

In fairness Cap'n there were many proposals in McCarthy that don't make sense...many.

Then again the McCarthy report was roundly ignored by all including the government which commissioned it so no problem there.

[whydontwe]

Keep it simple...from the bottom to the top...even after the lies told by the new govt...all...literally all, politics is as corrupt as bedamned in this kip...any one who denies this is a fool or 'blind' or connected!!

[C. Flower]

From lostexpectation on twitter -


i see clare daly td has been replaced by eugene coppinger councillor ruth coppingers brother in swords fingal counci

[2wheels]

Eoin Flanagan was copted to Yaughal Town council for Sandra McCleland Eoin who has spina bifida is a very hard worker for disability groups and is a former Olympic competitor.

Michelle Hennessy has been copted to the Cork County council, Michelle is a yaughal town councillor.....

I'm surprised they didn't co-opt a cllr from Midleton or Cobh to the county council.

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

Coppinger is Socialist party or Socialist Independent is she? Michelle Hennessy being a Sinn Fein councillor from a quick search...

[Andrew_t]

As a matter of morbid interest - when do you co-opt?

To replace resigned/deceased councillors? To the next regular election or pending a by-election?

Do you co-opt extra members - and if so can they vote?

[Baron von Biffo]

As a matter of morbid interest - when do you co-opt?

To replace resigned/deceased councillors? To the next regular election or pending a by-election?

Do you co-opt extra members - and if so can they vote?

Co-option is the method used to fill 'casual vacancies', that is vacancies that arise between elections. It's used instead of by-elections.

Co-option can't be used to increase the number of councillors.

[Andrew_t]

Thanks for this. Do you always co-opt from the party which held the vacant seat or does the majority party take the opportunity to increase its majority?

[Baron von Biffo]

Thanks for this. Do you always co-opt from the party which held the vacant seat or does the majority party take the opportunity to increase its majority?

A 'gentleman's agreement' is in place that sees the party that held the vacant seat choosing who will be co-opted to fill it. It has no legal standing and I'm sure there must be instances where it wasn't honoured but I can't think of any off hand.

I don't know what happens where a seat was held by an independent.

[Andrew_t]

Presumably you have by-elections to the Dail when a Member dies or resigns - and I suppose that it has to be by first-past-the-post?

[Andrew_t]

Forget my last post because

(1) I have seen the thread about delay in holding by-elections and some litigation which it led to - which must have become moot when the last Dail was dissolved; and

(2) From the depths of my memory I have dredged up a line in Behan, I think from The Quare Fellow, where one prisoner says of another that "there were three by-elections and a suicide over him"!

[Andrew_t]

Sorry to bang on about this but I am interested now.

Local councils were introduced in Ireland by pre-Independence legislation, as they were in GB, but here we have never had co-option: if there is a vacancy there is a by-election. So either the Acts passed at Westminster were different on this point or you have deliberately introduced co-option since Independence.

Can anyone spare a moment to tell me which - and if the latter why? To save the cost of a by-election or for some other reason?

[antiestablishmentarian]

Coppinger is Socialist party or Socialist Independent is she?

SP.