Decision to replace Anthony Flynn on city council deferred

The selection of a new Dublin city councillor to replace Independent councillor Anthony Flynn who died in August has been deferred by councillors.

Mr Flynn, the former chief executive of Inner City Helping Homeless (ICHH), had been had been under investigation by gardaí in relation to two alleged sexual assaults at the time of his death. In recent weeks, another two men claimed they had also been sexually assaulted by him.

A group of Independent councillors had planned to nominate Geraldine Molloy, a long-time volunteer with the charity, to fill the seat at the council's monthly meeting.

However, councillors on Monday unanimously agreed to defer the decision to fill the seat with no new date agreed to reconsider the selection of a new councillor.

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It is understood senior council officials had advised councillors not to go ahead with the vote. The seat could remain vacant until the next local elections in 2024.

ICHH last 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.

The Dublin Region Homeless Executive, which is led by the city council, has called for ICHH to be wound up “as quickly as possible” with any services to be taken over by other providers.

In the normal course of events where a member of a political party vacates a council seat, that party has the right to nominate a replacement. Independent councillors can nominate a successor and are asked to submit a nomination to council officials to be held in confidence, in the event of their death. It is understood Mr Flynn had made no nomination despite being asked by officials to do so.

In recent days, Independent group leader Cieran Perry told councillors Ms Molloy would be nominated to fill the vacant seat, in accordance with the wishes of the Flynn family.

ICHH was established in 2013 by Mr Flynn and other volunteers, to provide outreach services to homeless people in Dublin city.