Cork city Fianna Fáil councillor accuses Sinn Féin of 'political grandstanding'

Ahead of this evening's meeting of Cork City Council, a Fianna Fáil councillor has accused Sinn Féin members of “political grandstanding” and of working harder for political profile than for their constituents.

The claim is part of ongoing political fallout following last week’s emergency meeting of Cork City Council, which was proposed by Sinn Féin councillors and Independent councillor Thomas Moloney but which came to an abrupt end when councillors voted not to proceed with a debate on the lifting of the Government’s temporary ban on no-fault evictions.

At the end of March, as the deadline for the ban approached, the leader of the Sinn Féin group on Cork City Council, Cllr Mick Nugent, stated that the requirements had been met to activate a full emergency meeting of the council which was then scheduled to take place on Monday 3 April.

The agenda for that meeting stated that the council would consider matters from a special meeting of the council’s housing strategic policy committee (SPC) on 29 March.

Cllr Nugent subsequently proposed an amendment to the agenda, to put forward a motion calling on the council to write to the Minister for Housing requesting that he progress legislation to reinstate the ban immediately.

However, councillors voted by a margin of 13 to 12 not to debate the motion.

Now northside Fianna Fail councillor Tony Fitzgerald has called on Sinn Féin to explain why the party’s councillors were absent from a meeting to consider housing developments under the Government’s Housing for All plan.

“Last Monday, the Finance and Estimates committee recommended to this week’s council meeting the disposal of 15 sites and 19 units at Newton Green, Newton Heights, Boherboy Road, Lotamore, Mayfield, in addition to other disposals, to various applicants under the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme,” Cllr Fitzgerald told The Echo.

“All these properties will be made available to those under the scheme once approved by Council.

“Sinn Féin were more interested in a photo opportunity outside City Hall rather than being inside attending to important housing issues,” he claimed.

Cllr Fitzgerald added that Sinn Féin should explain why they called for a public meeting on the eviction ban, when – he said - they were fully aware that the best forum to discuss such issues would be within the SPC structure agreed by council.

“I’m calling on their TDs to attend Tuesday’s public meeting, and listen to the work to date and plans to address Cork’s housing needs by the work of Cork City Council housing department, supported by the Government, and for their councillors to endorse the plan in place,” said Cllr. Fitzgerald.

“We now know that Sinn Féin Cork engaged in political grandstanding to ensure the party profile is more important than the issues of our citizens.

“It’s obvious they are working for the party profile and not for the people and take every opportunity to try and fool the people,” he said.

“It’s time to highlight this and challenge the hypocrisy of their role in council and as an opposition to Government.”