Veteran Fine Gael councillor Senator Joe Doyle was elected Lord Mayor of Dublin last night when Fianna Fail threw the support of its 19 council members behind him.
Senator Doyle (62) defeated Labour's Cllr Paddy Bourke by 30 votes to 22 after the Fianna Fail nominee, Cllr Ita Green, withdrew. A group of Independents and the smaller parties, which includes Mr Tony Gregory, accused Fianna Fail of reneging on a voting pact made two years ago under which one of them would have become Lord Mayor.
However, Mr Gregory voted for Cllr Doyle, as did the sole council members of Sinn Fein and the Progressive Democrats. Along with Fianna Fail's 19 and Fine Gael's six members, Senator Doyle was also supported by Mr Sean Dublin Bay Loftus and Mrs Carmencita Hederman.
Senator Doyle could be the last Lord Mayor elected by his fellow councillors if the Minister for the Environment proceeds with plans to allow the general electorate to vote for the office. Twice elected to the Dail in Dublin South East, he has been a senator since 1992. He has been a member of the city council since 1979.
On taking the chain of office shortly after 8 p.m. last night, he said that becoming a member of the council was the "most moving moment of my life". Watching his first mayoral election in 1979, he added: "I always hoped my day would come." His first formal announcement was that Cllr Green would be his deputy.
The defeated candidate, Cllr Bourke, said the new Lord Mayor deserved the post on his long record of service. "The mould in Irish politics has been broken. It's quite extraordinary that a Fianna Fail councillor should stand down in favour of a Fine Gael councillor."
There had been speculation that Fianna Fail would support Mr Gregory for the position, as one of the group of Independents whose pact with Fianna Fail ensured the election of the outgoing Lord Mayor, Cllr John Stafford, and of Community councillor Mr Brendan Lynch, who was elected in 1996.
Following a protracted meeting with the Independents on Sunday, however, Fianna Fail effectively shifted its support to the Fine Gael candidate. After her formal nomination, Cllr Green withdrew, saying it was clear "the sums don't add up".
On of the Independents, Mr Vincent Ballyfermot Jackson, asked for the suspension of standing orders to allow him to explain why the group had not nominated a candidate. He noted "with much regret that Fianna Fail reneged on an agreement made two years ago". After noisy exchanges, he was refused leave to raise the matter before the vote.
Mr Jackson voted for Cllr Bourke, as did the former Lord Mayor, Cllr Lynch, along with Labour, Democratic Left, the Workers' Party and the Greens.
Explaining why he had not voted for a left-wing candidate, Mr Gregory said that, as chairman of the housing committee 15 years ago, the new Lord Mayor "was far more principled than many so-called left-wingers", especially in standing up to those who opposed the erection of corporation housing in suburban residential areas.
