asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will cause inquiries to be made as to whether the chairman of the Birr Urban Council has given notice to resign from his position owing to the failure of the county manager to attend meetings of the council and also because the county manager and town clerk recently ordered a special meeting of the council without previous consultation with the chairman or members; and whether he has had such procedure under examination in the light of the provisions of the County Management Act.
Ceisteanna.—Questions. Oral Answers. - Birr Urban Council.
My Department obtained to-day from the town clerk of Birr a copy of the letter in which the chairman of the urban district council tendered his resignation as chairman and member of the council. The reason given in the letter for resignation is inability to devote sufficient time to the business of the council.
It has been further ascertained that the urban council at their meeting on the 3rd December, 1944, desired the attendance of the county manager at the monthly meeting to be held on Tuesday, 2nd January, 1945, to discuss a claim in respect of engineering fees. On the 23rd December the manager informed the town clerk that he would be unable to be present at the meeting on the 2nd January but that he would attend in Birr on Friday the 5th January. The town clerk in sending out the agenda for the monthly meeting of the council to be held on the 2nd January sent out at the same time an agenda to each member of the council requesting him to attend a special meeting to be held on the 5th January at 7 p.m. in connection with the payment of engineering fees at which the county manager would be present. The chairman of the council should have been previously notified of the proposed special meeting, but as the urban council held their monthly meeting on the 2nd January they had an opportunity of deciding whether they would meet again on the 5th January. The matters discussed at the informal meeting on the 5th January will come up for further consideration at the next monthly meeting of the council. I am notifying the county manager that he should make arrangements to attend the meetings of the Birr Urban Council.