'Not a vote of condolence': Cork county councillor comment on death of Ian Bailey clarified

A COUNCILLOR who made a statement, marking the passing of Ian Bailey, at a recent meeting of Cork County Council, has said that it would have been better if her commentary had been placed elsewhere.

Mr Bailey died on January 21 and, at the council meeting the following day, Marcia D'Alton, an Independent in the Carrigaline Municipal District, said she thought it ‘appropriate’ that the chamber would ‘remark on the passing of Ian Bailey’.

Ms D'Alton made the comments during a section of the meeting that is designated for votes of sympathy.

At last week’s meeting, Ms D'Alton said that she had been made aware of the unhappiness of council colleagues, after it was reported that the council had passed a vote of condolence for Ian Bailey.

“For clarity, I wish to state that it was my commentary, not yours, and it was not a vote of condolence,” she said.

She added: “I will say, though it seemed to be the right thing at the time, the commentary would have been better placed elsewhere in the meeting, and, whilst the essence of my commentary was to encourage society to be kind, unfortunately, the example I used was of somebody who demonstrably had not been kind.”

During the January 22 meeting, Ms D'Alton had spoken about Mr Bailey during the section of the meeting titled ‘votes of sympathy’, when councillors mention the names of those whose deaths they wish noted and to extend the sympathy of the local authority to the relatives of the deceased.

The order paper of the meeting specifically mentions three categories: Members or employees of the council, dignitaries of Church or State, or members of the old IRA and Cumann na mBan.

Traditionally, there is no actual vote and there has rarely, if ever, been an objection to the inclusion of any specific name on the list to whom the council’s sympathy is extended.

During the January 22 meeting, Frank Roche, an independent councillor in the Fermoy Municipal District, expressed his support for Ms D'Alton, but no other councillor commented on her remarks during the discussion of the agenda item.