Council Engaged in a Deliberate Campaign of Misinformation – O’Leary

Council Engaged in a Deliberate Campaign of Misinformation – O’Leary

Sinn Féin councillor Chris O’Leary tonight accused council officials of a deliberate campaign of misinformation over the controversial €300,000 revamp of the Lord Mayor’s chambers. He was responding to the council’s statement which claimed members had voted to approve the expenditure.

Cllr O’Leary said:

“Today’s statement by Cork City Council, which claims the elected members voted to endorse the expenditure of €300,000 on the Lord Mayor’s suite at City Hall, is completely untrue. The measure in question was never voted upon, as minutes of the relevant council meeting clearly record.”

“At the council’s meeting on 13th June 2011 the City Manager presented council with a report titled “Update on Capital Expenditure Programme”. One item in this report – alongside an announcement that funds for housing maintenance were to be cut by €700,000 – was the statement that €250,000 had been set aside for improvements to City Hall.”

“I attempted to query the report, only to be ruled out of order on a number of occasions when I sought to have it put to a vote. The meeting was subsequently adjourned for a brief period. No vote was taken on the report, which was simply “noted” by the council. This is clearly recorded in the minutes of the meeting, under item 4, which can be accessed publicly on the council’s website. See http://www.corkcity.ie/services/corporateaffairs/minutesofordinarymeetings/Min.s%20Council%20Meeting%20130611.pdf���

“Since then the expenditure in question has increased to €300,000 – again without any consultation with or vote in the council – and it has transpired that the bulk of the money is to be spent on the Lord Mayor’s suite in the building. Tens of thousands are to be spent on carpets and interior designers for the Mayor and Lady Mayoress, while council tenants have to put up with rising damp and rotting windows.”

“The statement from City Hall is a case of gross and deliberate misinformation. It is bad enough that council officials would sanction an abuse of public money on this scale; it is even worse that they would put out untrue statements in the media in an attempt to justify it.”

For further information or comment contact Cllr Chris O’Leary @ 087-2794307