Mayor of Galway Mike Cubbard is to serve a second consecutive term after cracks appeared in the ruling rainbow pact
Under the pact it should have been Noel Larkin, but he proposed Mike Cubbard at the AGM in Leisureland
According to the pact involving 6 Independents, 2 Green Party councillors and one representative each from the Social Democrats and Labour, Independent councillor Noel Larkin was due to take on the Mayoral chain for the next term
The first spanner in the works came with the announcement of an online petition created over concerns about Councillor Larkin's policies on the Traveller community, on foreign nationals and on social housing
People Before Profit, who organised the petition, also organised today's protest outside the meeting venue of Leisureland in Salthill, ahead of the 4pm start
As well as PBP, representatives of the Galway traveller Movement, Galway Anti Racism Network and Amach LGBT took part
Earlier in the week after the petition went live, Fianna Fail councillor Mike Crowe floated the idea that Mike Cubbard remain on as Mayor for the next year, given the fragmented nature of this year's term
It was viewed by some as an attempt to dissemble the rainbow pact and usher in a new ruling pact comprised of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Independent councillors
It seemed to lose traction when councillor Larkin said he has sufficient support from the ruling pact but this afternoon pact member Owen Hanley stated that its future is for the other members to decide
Then at the AGM Mayor Cubbard was elected for a second consecutive term, proposed by Cllr Larkin
Independent Cllr Colette Connolly has been elected Deputy Mayor
Mayor Cubbard said the matter was discussed with him just hours before the meeting, and after consulting with his family, friends and his employer he agreed to the nomination, and was delighted and honoured to be elected again
In a statement issued to FYI Galway Cllr Larkin said "I had the full support of the pact and it was my decision to propose Councillor Mike Cubbard for a second term as Mayor. To be honest it's something we had been discussing for some time. I have some other things to consider. I have my own business and we're doing our best to recover from the challenges that Covid-19 has created. So really it wasn't the best time for me to become Mayor and the door is always open to me becoming Mayor in the future."
When asked whether the events of this week had any bearing on his decision Councillor Larkin said "Absolutely not, I know there was protest here today but I want to state again that I am absolutely not a rascist. I do my best for the city. That's why I got into politics, even though I started quite late. I got in politics to help people and I'm going to continue to do my best for Galway city."
