Council approves €50 Wicklow trip despite ‘junket’ claims from DUP
The DUP has failed in an attempt to block a Northern Ireland council trip to a history conference in Wicklow described by one councillor as ‘a junket’.
Ards and North Down Borough Council had to go to a knife-edge vote with the UUP Lord Mayor using a casting vote to back the proposal after council officers received an invitation from Wicklow County Council to attend the 36th La Touche Legacy Seminar and 11th Festival of History.
It will take place on Saturday September 19 at Greystones Golf Club, County Wicklow and costs 50 euro.
The seminar will feature presentations by Professor Frank Barry, David McCullagh of RTÉ and Stephen Collins, covering aspects of Ireland’s economic, political and social history.
The event involves subjects such as “Industry and Policy – Independent Ireland 1922–1972” and “From Crown to Harp: How the Treaty was undone, 1922-49.”
The invitation appeared to raise the hackles of the DUP at the monthly meeting of the council, held on Wednesday at Bangor Castle, after the Alliance Party proposed the council be represented by one of its members. Alliance Alderman Martin McRandal nominated party colleague, Alderman Alan McDowell, to attend, and this was seconded by SDLP Councillor Joe Boyle.
DUP Alderman Stephen McIlveen told the chamber: “I don’t think there is anything on that agenda that relates at all to the work of this council if you look at it.”
DUP Alderman Robert Adair said: “I would concur with my party colleague, I don’t see any benefit that the conference brings to this council, or our ratepayers.
“This conference has been on the go since the days of Ards Borough Council, and I know it was discussed quite often in that legacy council, where it sparked debate. It has been going on so long we should have (developed) a bit of sense.
“This is rate payers’ money at the end of the day, and we should only be going to conferences and sending councillors if it brings any benefit to the ratepayers of this council or the business of this council in general.
"From what I read is that it is just a holiday, a junket – if people want to go let them pay their own fare.”
The matter was taken to an unrecorded vote, that is a mere show of hands, where 13 elected representatives were in favour, and 13 were against, with six abstaining. With the vote tied, the Lord Mayor, UUP Councillor Craig Blaney, was given the casting vote, and he voted in favour of sending Alderman McDowell to attend.