Sinn Féin accuses other parties of ‘backroom deals’
Process of appointing chairs called into question
A LOCAL Sinn Féin councillor has, once again, complained that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have made “backroom deals” to ensure their parties take all statutory leadership roles in Cavan and Monaghan.
Monaghan Councillor Colm Carthy accused the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael members on Cavan Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB) of political fixing ahead of the election of a new chair and vice-chair for this academic year.
Last year, Sinn Féin Cavan Councillor Noel Connell accused his fellow elected members of the same machinations during the election of the cathaoirleach and leas cathaoirleach in the Ballyjamesduff Municipal District.
Cllr Connell also said independent councillors were in league with the government coalition parties in the Ballyjamesduff district.
“A deal has been done by the government parties including independents that one of their councillors will have the chair each year for five years,” Cllr Connell said at the time.
Taking up the cathaoirleach’s role in Ballyjamesduff at the time, Cllr Trevor Smith (FG) said: “My father topped the poll, and he never got the chair.”
Reluctantly taking up the vice-chair position that Noel Connell turned down, Independent Ireland Cllr Shane P. O’Reilly said: “I don’t know where Noel is coming from. There are four government councillors here, and I understand what you say that it’s democracy.”
Cllr O’Reilly also said he had resigned from all Strategic Policy Committees because “they’re all talking shops from what I can see.”
THE SYSTEM
The Cavan and Monaghan county councils use the d’Hondt mathematical system to distribute committee seats, external board appointments or executive positions proportionally among political parties based on the number of votes they received.
While a voting pact is entirely legal and standard across many local authorities, some analysts question the democratic nature of the practice. Those in favour of pre-arranged pacts argue the formal vote still legally occurs inside the council chamber and agreements made are simply political strategy, similar to forming a coalition government.
Opponents argue that “backroom deals” ignore the democratic mandates of councillors left outside the pact and that deciding roles before entering the chamber bypasses open debate regarding which candidate is genuinely most suitable or qualified. There is also the issue of transparency.
While there is no financial gain to be made from serving as either chair or vice-chair of CMETB in Colm Carthy’s words “there is a chain of office to be had”.
“I can only guess it is to do with self-promotion,” he continued. “It would be politically advantageous, in the promotion of CMETB for example, to be seen at the opening of a school. It increases the profile of an individual, it gives the person in the chairperson’s role more political visibility.”
But there is significant remuneration for heading up an SPC or taking the chair or vice-chair role in local MDs and county councils.
Councillors Colm Carthy (SF), Sean Gilliland (FG), Raymond Aughey (FF) and Richard Truell (FG) each received €6,000 for chairing SPCs in Monaghan County Council in 2025. That was on top of their councillors’ salaries of €31.180.75 each, all of which is subject to tax. In addition, tax-free expenses for allowable items such as mileage can be claimed.
Cllr Richard Truell was the highest grossing councillor in that year as he also received a cathaoirleach / leas cathoirleach payment of €5,033.17 for chairing the Clones-Ballybay MD.
Cllr PJ O’Hanlon received €13,793.68 as cathaoirleach of Monaghan County Council in 2025 and the leas cathaoirleach, Cllr Paul Gibbons received €12,299.96 in the same period.
In Cavan in 2025, Cllr John Paul Feely (FF), Cllr Phillip Brady (FF), Cllr Trevor Smith (FG) and Cllr Val Smith (FG) each qualified for €6,125 before statutory reductions for being chair of a SPC.
John Paul Feely (FF) was also entitled to a €10,411.19 cathaoirleach/leas cathaoirleach allowance as he chaired Cavan County Council in 2025-26; while his predecessor TP O’Reilly (FG) was awarded €10,292.43 for the role.
Cllr Niamh Brady (FF) received €3,354.91 as Chair of Cavan-Belturbet MD and Shane P. O’Reilly (II) was paid €2,589.26 for performing the vice-chair role at Ballyjamesduff MD that Noel Connell turned down.
Niall Smith (FF) received €2,093.14 as leas cathaoirleach of the county council and Siofán Conaty (SF) received €1,759.13 for leading Bailieborough-Cootehill MD from February to June 2025.
The SPC, cathoirleach, leas cathaoirleach, and MD payments are on top of councillors’ salaries of €32,104.93, travel and subsistence allowance, local representation allowance and petty cash allowance.
ROTATION
When CMETB met last week (September 29) to elect two members to the chair and vice-chair roles, Cllr Carthy nominated his Sinn Féin colleague Damien Brady. Cllr Carthy said he nominated Cllr Brady “in respect of rotating” but also added: “Unfortunately, deals were done in backrooms.”
Cavan Councillor Áine Smith nominated her Fianna Fáil colleague Clifford Kelly for the role of chair. Fine Gael Councillor Carmel Brady seconded the nomination.
The outgoing chair, Aprilanna Barker, is a non-political appointment to the Board. After Cllr Carthy nominated his Sinn Féin colleague and Cllr Sinead Flynn seconded his proposal, Ms Barker called a vote. The anonymous vote result saw Cllr Kelly elected chair by 14 votes to four.
When it came to electing a vice-chair, Fine Gael Monaghan County Concillor Aiden Campbell was appointed, uncontested.
Sinn Féin has also formed political alliances to secure leadership roles like, in 2014, when the party joined with the Labour Party, the Green Party, and various left-wing independents to successfully secure the Dublin mayoral chain and deputy positions, rotating them among the pact's members.
There are seven Cavan County Councillors and five from Monaghan who sit on the 21-member Cavan Monaghan ETB. Apart from Aprilanna Barker who was elected chairperson last year as a non-political candidate from the business sector, the chair and vice-chair roles have mostly been divvied out between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael members since the last local elections in May 2024.
In those elections, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil each won six seats and Sinn Féin three in Cavan. Of the 18 seats in Monaghan County Council Sinn Féin won eight, Fine Gael six and Fianna Fáil three in 2024.
CMETB Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson
2026-2027
Chair: Cllr Clifford Kelly (FF)
Deputy Chair: Cllr Aiden Campbell (FG)
2025–2026
Chair: Aprilanna Barker (Independent, non-political)
Deputy Chair: Cllr. Damien Brady (Sinn Féin)
2024–2025
Chair: Cllr. David Maxwell (Fine Gael)/ Cllr. Carmel Brady (Fine Gael) (outgoing noted in late 2025)
2023–2024
Chair: Cllr. P.J. O’Hanlon (FFl) Deputy Chair: Cllr. Clifford Kelly (FF)
Cavan County Council
Rotating Chair on a d’Hondt basis
2024 local election results: Fine Gael x 6 seats, Fianna Fáil x 6 , Sinn Féin x 3, Aontú x 1, Independent Ireland x 1, Independent x 1.
2026–2027
Cathaoirleach: Cllr Carmel Brady (Fine Gael)
Leas Cathaoirleach: Cllr Niall Smith (Fianna Fáil)
2025–2026
Cathaoirleach: Cllr John Paul Feeley (Fianna Fáil)
Leas Cathaoirleach: Cllr Winston Bennett (Fine Gael)
2024–2025
Cathaoirleach: Cllr TP O’Reilly (Fine Gael)
Leas Cathaoirleach: Cllr Niall Smith (Fianna Fáil)
2023–2024
Cathaoirleach: Cllr Philip Brady (Fianna Fáil)
Leas Cathaoirleach: Cllr Carmel Brady (Fine Gael)
Monaghan County Council
Rotating chair on a d’Hondt basis
2024 local election results: Sinn Féin x 8 seats, Fine Gael x 6, Fianna Fáil x 3, Independent (Non-Party) x 1
2026–2027
Cathaoirleach: Cllr Aidan Campbell (Fine Gael)
Leas Cathaoirleach: Cllr Noel Keelan (Sinn Féin)
2025–2026
Cathaoirleach: Cllr PJ O’Hanlon (Fianna Fáil)
Leas Chathaoirleach: Cllr Richard Truell (Fine Gael)
2024–2025
Cathaoirleach: Cllr Cathy Bennett (Sinn Féin)
Leas Cathaoirleach:Cllr Peter Conlon (Fine Gael)
2023–2024
Cathaoirleach: Cllr David Maxwell (Fine Gael)
Leas Cathaoirleach: Cllr Pat Treanor (Sinn Féin)