Donegal County Council proceedings have been delayed this morning following heated scenes in the council chamber.
The meeting was adjourned over issues among Independent councillors over Strategic Policy Committee memberships.
Cllr Frank McBrearty raised an issue over claims that he and Cllr Michael Cholm Mac Giolla Easpuig were excluded from positions on the Housing & Corporate SPC.
Cllr McBrearty demanded that Cathaoirleach Nicholas Crossan should publish negotiations on committee memberships.
“If you didn’t negotiate the deal that you said you negotiated then I can’t support you any longer as Chairman of this council,” Cllr McBrearty told Cllr Crossan.
The Point of Order came as elected members sought to confirm membership of the Strategic Policy Committees for the period 2019-2024.
Cllr Crossan told Cllr McBrearty that all Independents were invited to apply for SPC positions, but Cllr Mac Giolla Easpuig replied to say that he was no longer a member of the Independent grouping and Cllr McBrearty did not reply at all. The positions, Cllr Crossan said, were divvied out on first and second preference.
However, Cllr McBrearty’s response led to an adjournment of the council meeting as the Independents met in private to discuss the issue.
The meeting was resumed after 11.30am.
