Limerick councillors seek legal advice over boardroom appointments

COUNCILLORS are to seek legal advice after Mayor John Moran told them they would have to apply to be on the boards of firms linked to the local authority.

In previous council terms, members selected three or four of their own number to serve on boards like Limerick 2030, a designated activity company which is the council’s development arm.

However, Mayor Moran said from now on, in order to fall in line with “best corporate practice”, he is seeking expressions of interest from councillors who wished to serve.

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The suggestion that he is the one who will decide who serves on the boards sparked anger from council members.

Cllr John Sheahan pointed out that Limerick Council is the sole shareholder on these companies - which puts elected representatives in prime position to sit on these boards.

“I think the public consulted us on June 7 (local election day) and gave each and every one of us an equal mandate,” he said.

However, Limerick Live understands that Mayor Moran is the sole shareholder of Limerick Twenty Thirty.

Social Democrats councillor Shane Hickey-O’Mara was asked to withdraw a comment where he suggested that in some instances - away from the local authority arena - he sees people sitting on the boards for their own benefit.

Sinn Fein’s Sharon Benson harked back to previous comments from the mayor focused around equality.

“This is neither democratic nor equal,” she added.

Mayor Moran said: “We need to be cognisant of company law”.

Legal advice will now be sought on who decides who can go on the boards.