War of Words Follows Protest

By Cliona Connolly
cliona@monaghanpost.com

A WAR of words has erupted following a protest calling for the retention of services at Monaghan General Hospital by councillors, Monaghan Hospital Alliance members and locals at a Green Party event in Carrickmacross this week.
Protestors picketed outside the Shirley Arms Hotel in Carrickmacross on Monday evening last while Minister for Food and Horticulture Trevor Sargent addressed a public meeting which was later disrupted by protestors.
Green Party Cllr Vincent P Martin has since condemned County Mayor Matt Carthy on his involvement in the protest saying he has ‘abused and compromised’ the Office of Mayor. “Cllr Carthy is free to protest whenever he likes but he is not entitled to do so under the name of all the elected members of Monaghan County Council.”
Traditionally, County Council members picket Ministers visiting the county if the Minister fails to agree to meet them. However, the Green Party insist Minister Sargent had agreed to meet with councillors at a later date.
“The Mayor’s blatant lack of consistency in his exercise of his role is amplified by the fact that when a senior Fianna Fail Minister visited the county some weeks earlier, the Mayor did not bother to invoke the picket protocol at all on that particular occasion.” Cllr Martin also told the Post that he would be tabling a motion of ‘no confidence’ in the Mayor at next month’s council meeting.
Responding, Mayor Carthy said: “Cllr Martin has some cheek to propose a vote of no confidence in me considering both he and his former party leader signed a pledge stating that they would not enter government unless services were restored to Monaghan Hospital.”
Cllr Carthy said the Green Party’s performance in government had spanned ‘a litany of broken promises’. “Cllr Martin should think twice about his own party as it is clear that they are not welcome in Co Monaghan,” he added.
Mayor Carthy said Monaghan County Council last week sought a meeting with Minister Sargent to discuss the issue of Monaghan General Hospital during his visit but were refused. Subsequently it was agreed to mount the protest.
Minster Sargent told the Post that he did not understand why the protest took place when he had agreed to meet council members at a later date and believes such protests will only put Ministers off visiting the county. “It is hard to legislate for good manners,” he added.
Cllr Martin stressed that his criticism of the Mayor is not personal but motivated in the interest of democracy and fairness to ensure that the impartial position of County Mayor remains.

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