Gormley must explain conference snub
Issued : Thursday 9 September, 2010
Statement by Ciarán Lynch TD
The failure of Environment Minister John Gormley to turn up to the Annual Conference of the Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland today, is a regrettable snub.
AMAI represents hundreds of members of city, borough and town councils from around the country, and as such is entitled to be treated as key stakeholder in any debate around the reshaping of our local government system.
It is my understanding that the Minister accepted an invitation from the AMAI to address this event, only to pull out at the eleventh hour.
Unfortunately this is not the first time he has pulled a stunt like this and when it comes to snubbing AMAI, he is a bit of a serial offender. In fact, since he became Minister in 2007, he has NEVER addressed an AMAI conference, an unprecedented situation for any Environment Minister.
Minister Gormley owes the Association who will be celebrating their centenary in three years time, not just an apology, but also a full explanation as to why he failed to attend their annual conference.
