Cork City Council meeting held in private due to disruption

Members of the public were locked out of City Hall in Cork on Monday night after councillors voted to hold their bi-monthly meeting in private.

Water charge protestors forced the abandonment of a meeting of the city council in Cork last month. Around 20 protestors pushed their way past security personnel and into the council chamber not long after the meeting began.

They were cheered by a further 50 protestors in the public gallery. This followed on from the abandonment of the previous meeting following disruption by protestors.

Security guards were on duty at last night's meeting. Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Mary Shields asked city councillors to vote in favour of holding the meeting behind closed doors with a media presence.

Council chief executive Ann Doherty said she wants council meetings to be held in public. However, she stressed she is responsible for the safety of people who attend meetings and work onsite.

“We need to develop a system to manage attendance in a safe way. “We are on the road to that, but we’re not there yet.”

Cllr Chris O'Leary of Sinn Fein said he didn't want to lock the doors either but health and safety issues had to be factored in.

“None of us knows who or when is going to come through those doors and they could take an extreme view and throw something,” he said. “I don’t agree with the closure but it’s a health and safety issue now.”

Cllr Ted Tynan of the Workers Party described the move as a "disgrace" and an "over reaction."

Councillors finally voted 20 for, eight against, with one abstention, to lock the doors.

Over the next fortnight councillors will aim to figure out new public access arrangements for the next full council meeting.