NAAS, 22 March 2002: OPINION by Donal Corcoran. At last a welcome development in reporting Naas UDC Meetings - the highlighting of bullying and insulting tactics by some councillors. This is not new but has been going on at Naas UDC meetings from my experience since 1974, but it was rarely reported by the local papers. KNN has consistently, without fear or favour, reported such behaviour and this has encouraged the local papers to do likewise.
I was at the receiving end of unreported heckling and abusive remarks and on one occasion a councillor threatened to throw me out the window of the Council Chamber. On some of these occasions I had the support of councillors like the late Michael Merrins. What worries me about the abuse that Councillor Glennon had to endure is that there is no indication from any of the reports that I have read in KNN and in the Leinster Leader that any of the other councillors came to her aid or walked out with her as a gesture of disgust at what happened. It is not good enough to remain quiet while this abuse was going on and to condemn it afterwards.
Another worrying aspect of the abuse hurled at Councillor Glennon is that some of the remarks were openly sexist. That must stop now.
I call on all councillors to publicly state where they stand on the abuse of this particular elected representative, and what stand they took during the UDC Meeting while she was being abused. Elected representatives cannot allow any of their fellow councillors to be treated in such a manner. Silence on the night signifies at least toleration of what was happening. You were not elected to abuse or to support the abuse of other elected representatives.
ED NOTE: Cllr Anthony Egan followed Cllr Glennon out of the Chamber and eventually drove her home. Cllr Pat McCarthy consistently supported Cllr Glennon and condemned the behaviour. Cllr Charlie Byrne remonstrated with Cllrs Conway and Moore and afterwards condemned the scenes as the worst he had ever seen since he joined the Council. Cllr Pat O'Reilly was absent. A full 'blow by blow' report can be read in this week's Kildare Nationalist.
©2002knn