Despite his closeness to Mary Hanafin, the Stroke has struck FF in recent times. In what was called a gentlemans agreement, it was arranged to 'divvy up' the chairmanship of various comittees on Galway County Council.
There are 5 Strategic Policy Committees (SPC's). The chairpersons position is worth more than 5000 Euro per annum.
FG and independents elected chairpersons to three, FF and former FF member Stroke cut a deal to secure one chairpersons position.
For continuity it is normal for a chairperson to remain in situ for 3 years, and normally forthe full 5 year term.
But the deal was they would rotate the position between them, share the spoils so to speak.
The handover over of power, but Stokes renaged on the deal.
Of course, as it seems in every public position on this Island there is no legal mechanism in place to remove a chairperson from their position, and Fahy was reported to have said that "there's nothing in writing"
"Im not in the Fianna Fail party...I did'nt go running after them , they came after me to vote.
They said I should give after a year - but I'm not giving it up now"
His reasoning was that it is Dept of Environment and Local Government guidelines that the chairperson should remain at least two and a half years.
Who knows, maybe Michael is considering joining the Green party - if they can put up with GoGo maybe Stroke might be a change for the better.
He is also miffed that in his 32 years in the Council FF have never nominated him to the positon of Mayor of County Galway.
The FF Councillors are said to be furious , but had to admit they left themselves in a position where the Stroke could shaft, and not share.
The fact that Stroke was FF for the majority of his political life, and is closley associated with the Hanafin dynasty makes one wonder how foolsh were the FF councillors to put themselves in such a position where they could get shafted.
Not just FF, but I think nearly all councilors agreed to a request by Fahy, who was serving his sentence at Castlerea Prison, to accept that his absence from meetings of the local authority was ‘due to illness and his attendance in Dublin’ even though he was in Jail for the period.
Under current legislation, a councillor is deemed to have resigned if they are absent from meetings of the local authority for a continuous period of six months.
However, there is provision in the of Local Government Act 2001 for the local authority to take into account if a councillor has been ill, or has missed meeting ‘in good faith for another reason’.
Councillors can pass a resolution allowing an absent colleague up to 18 months before the councillor is deemed to have resigned.
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