A proposal for County Councillors to meet in person, to discuss the highly important and controversial county development plan, was rejected after it was implied that they couldn’t be trusted to stick to Covid19 guidelines and meet safely in person.

The proposal to meet in person was brought forward by County Council Chairman Ger Carty who argued that the issues surrounding the County Development plan were so serious as to warrant a proper physical meeting of the council. He suggested that such a meeting could be held in the National Opera House.

As reported in the People Newspapers, County Manager Tom Enright is reported to have opposed the idea because “it would be possible to socially distance during the meeting, but it doesn’t allow for side meetings, people gathering together at breaks and bunching up at exits”.

This view would appear to cast doubts on the Councillors’ ability to behave in accordance with Covid19 regulations. 

Either way, the decision on whether to meet or not is decided by the Councillors themselves and it is very disappointing that they chose not to do so.

The hot topic for discussion regarding the County Development plan is the issue of planning guidelines and densities. 

The National planning authority have asked Wexford County Council to amend their plan, by insisting on planning policy that would render it practically impossible for people to obtain planning permission in certain rural areas of Co.Wexford. These amendments, if agreed to by Councillors would threaten the very survival of rural communities.

It is simply astonishing that Councillors did not decide that this issue was important enough to warrant an immediate physical meeting.

A number of those against the idea said it would be sending out the wrong message to meet given the current restrictions.

Alternatively, concerned members of the public may feel it sends out the wrong message that Councillors were not willing to meet physically to discuss such an important issue. 

There is no doubt that physical meetings are superior to virtual meetings, particularly when dealing with matters that require detailed scrutiny and debate. 

The current restrictions argument is easily refuted. 

For example, a number of the current County Councillors are teachers, who spend their working days with upwards of 30 pupils, in rooms significantly smaller than the county council meeting rooms. If teachers and students can spend upwards of 6 hours PER DAY five days per week in those conditions, then surely our County Councillors could do it for just 1 day. 

It is absurd to argue that it is somehow unsafe for 34 councillors and a few officials to meet in a room the size of the National Opera House. In fact there wouldn’t really be a need for the Opera House at all. Anyone who has ever been in the Wexford County Council building in Carricklawn would be familiar with the massive open hall space which that building has. More than suitable to host a socially distanced county council meeting. 

If students and teachers can be together in a classroom, or if the Dail and Seanad can still meet in person, then there is simply no excuse for Wexford County Council deciding not to meet in person. 

One of the Councillors who reportedly spoke against having a physical meeting was Councillor Jim Codd of Aontú. His objection is particularly surprising for two reasons. Firstly Cllr Codd is a teacher, who is already meeting people indoors in a socially distanced way each day. The second reason is that his party, Aontú, on Tuesday called on the Dáil to return to full schedule because in the words of their leader Peadar Tóibín “People are entitled to representation. A functioning democracy is more important now than ever.”

Deputy Toibín is of course absolutely correct on this issue. In times of crisis it is crucial that government continues to function fully both at local and national government. Judging by Cllr Codd’s objections, it appears that not all Aontú representatives are of the same view. 

If County Councillors decide to amend the County Development plan based on what the planning authorities want, then rural Wexford as we know it will be under severe threat.

For more details on the story pick up a copy of this week’s People Newspaper.