The Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s Regeneration and Community Committee, Councillor Victor Warrington, has been criticised for refusing to allow discussion on matters which were noted on the agenda as “for information”.

Councillor Warrington said directorate reports were for consideration and if members had concerns with aspects of these, they should be raised with the relevant director.

However, Sinn Fein’s Councillor Thomas O’Reilly interjected, saying: “Last year, we brought this issue around reports for noting.

“I clarified this with the Chief Executive that reports [were] coming labelled ‘For Information Only’. There was agreement [that] if required, there would be an opportunity to ask questions.”

‘Clarification’

He proposed “further clarification from the Chief Executive to the ability of Chairs to rule that nobody can speak on these things – it is not within Standing Orders”.

The Chair replied: “With respect, I haven’t ruled that anybody can’t speak on them.

“I’m saying members go back afterwards to the relevant directors for any updates or information they may want.”

Councillor O’Reilly retorted: “With respect, the point I’m making here is, do we come to council meetings to have open and transparent verification, as well as questioning matters, not [having them] done behind the scenes [instead]?

“I’ve made this point on a number of occasions. I have checked this with the Chief Executive before I raised this.”

He continued: “There is certainly, at the very least, ambiguity to the correct procedures. We are all subject to the Standing Orders of our own council.

“If we want to deviate from them, we need to change them. We can’t have them and not abide by them.”

While accepting a proposal had been made, the Chair stressed: “I’m not going to open this up.”

Seconding, Independent Councillor Donal O’Cofaigh said he and others have made the same point in the past, and added: “I’m glad to hear it made again.

He continued: “The basic idea of democracy, or at least representative democracy, is a degree of openness and accountability over as much as is conceivably possible of the functions of government, to allow people to have confidence in their representatives’ decisions, or disagree with them, and to at least know what they stand for.

“Then they know who they are voting for in the next election.

“I’m very happy to second this proposal, and we need clarification to see how all decisions, as far as possible, can be fully accountable in the public domain with Press present.”

The Chair announced he “resented” the comment of the Council not acting as a democracy, and felt questions around reports being raised directly with directors worked well in the past.

Councillor Adam Gannon SDLP pointed to a section within Standing Orders which states “with any proposal, members are allowed an interaction of no more than three minutes”.

‘Agree’

He said: “I appreciate the need to get through business, and we quite often have discussions that are circular and will not lead to any results for our constituents. But I agree with the previous two councillors.”

The Chair told members he was moving on with business, but confirmed he was content to have the matter looked at again.