Balance of power on Council to be decided
Discussions over power-sharing arrangements are taking place between councillors.
Behind-the-scenes meetings will dictate who holds the balance of power on Mayo County Council for the next five years.
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael each saw 10 of their candidates elected in the recent Local Elections. There were seven Independents elected and one each from Independent Ireland, Sinn Féin and Aontú.
Given their equal numbers, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael may agree to link up and leave the Independents looking in from the outside.
Independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne feels this is a possible scenario but says the Independent grouping will be open to discussions with both parties. The Independents met up last Thursday night to discuss their options ahead of next Friday’s meeting of the new-look County Council.
“We are available to talk to any side, and in the past, we had an agreement with Fianna Fáil over the last 10 years. I have experience of doing a deal with Fine Gael in the town council,” said Cllr Kilcoyne.
He said the seven Independents and Independent Ireland’s Chris Maxwell were invited to a meeting to discuss their options.
“That was to see what they wanted to do. Do they want to stay outside or do they want to have talks with the two sides and see what they’re offering,” said Cllr Kilcoyne.
He suspects Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will seek to cut a deal between themselves.
“It could well end up with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil together but that’s not what the people voted for. The Independents should be involved with one party or the other,” said Cllr Kilcoyne.
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been having discussions about a potential pact and met last Tuesday. Fine Gael may want that deal to happen more than Fianna Fáil but some within Fianna Fáil are thought to have had enough with the decade-long arrangement brokered with the Independents.
“I understand that there are some strong views on the Fianna Fáil side saying that they don’t want to work with the Independents again and that they have had 10 years of it,” said a Fine Gael source.
Some in Fine Gael believe a deal with Fianna Fáil offers “greater stability" than linking up with the Independent grouping but both parties will listen to proposals from the Independents.
Any pact will have to be in place before Friday’s first meeting of the new council.
