Dublin city councillors again decline to replace councillor

Dublin city councillors have again voted against the appointment of a new councillor nominated to replace Independent Anthony Flynn who died last August.

Councillors on Monday night voted by 27 to 23, with 10 abstentions, against co-opting Geraldine Molloy, a north inner-city community activist, nominated by Independent councillors.

Mr Flynn, the former chief executive of Inner City Helping Homeless (ICHH), had been under investigation by gardaí in relation to two alleged sexual assaults at the time of his death. Subsequently, a number of other people have also claimed they had been sexually assaulted by him.

Last October, Independent councillors intended to nominate Ms Molloy, a long-time volunteer with the charity, to fill the seat, but deferred amid uncertainty surrounding the future of the organisation. ICHH had the previous week applied to the High Court for the appointment of an inspector to investigate the affairs of the charity and report on its operations and future.

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The High Court subsequently granted a petition from the Charities Regulator for the winding up of the operating company of ICHH. The charity ceased operations in the middle of November.

In March Independent Cllr Christy Burke nominated Ms Molloy, but the vote was defeated. On Monday he proposed her again.

Most Independent councillors and Sinn Féin councillors supported the nomination. The Green Party, Fianna Fáil, Social Democrats and Independent Cllrs Mannix Flynn and John Lyons voted against it. Most Fine Gael councillors abstained, while Labour councillors were split — voting for, against, and abstaining.

Mr Burke said leaving the north inner city without adequate representation was “a great shame and a great insult to the people”.