A major division among members of Sligo County Council has broken out into the open following yesterday's budget meeting of the local authority.
The current row has its roots in the Pact that was formed between Fianna Fail and left-wing councillors after the local elections.
That Pact, or agreement, gave its members the majority on the council, despite Fine Gael having the largest number of councillors returned.
But at yesterday's council meeting, it was clear some members of that Pact would not side with their Fianna Fail colleagues in the Pact and support the proposed budget for the coming year.
In the end, Fianna Fail councillors, Independent Joe Queenan and Independent Michael Clarke supported the budget.
But Fine Gael councillors, as well as Independent Alliance Councillor Marie Casserly, Independent Socialist Declan Bree, Sinn Fein and People Before Profit councillors voted against the budget.
Fine Gael and Cllr Casserly say it was the responsibility of the Pact to pass a budget.
They point out that under the Pact, various council positions have been shared out . . . but it appears there's a free vote when it comes to the budget.
Cllr Clarke, who is not a member of the Pact, accused Fine Gael, which voted against the budget, of 'not wearing the county jersey', simply because they were not part of the Pact and consequently did not benefit from it.
He outlined what he sees as the background to what happened with the budget yesterday.
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He then described what happened when it came to voting on the budget yesterday.
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But Fine Gael Councillor Thomas Walsh says that when other members formed a Pact, it was their responsibility to pass a budget.
He says it's now primarily a question for Fianna Fail to answer as to why it went into a Pact with councillors who will not support the budget.
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Councillors will meet to discuss the budget again next Monday evening.
