Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has become a “cold house” for some of the elected female independent councillors, three of its members have claimed.

As the final Council meeting of this term gets underway at Enniskillen Townhall next week, councillors Joanne Donnelly, Sorcha McAnespy and Josephine Deehan have spoken out about their “unfair and unnecessary” treatment within the Council chamber.

It follows an incident earlier this month in which Councillor McAnespy was laughed at and jeered by some of her male Council colleagues as she attempted to speak during a meeting.

All three councillors who are speaking out this week left their respective parties in recent years and as a result were removed from various Council committees. Councillor McAnespy resigned from Sinn Fein citing nepotism while Councillors Deehan and Donnelly quit the SDLP after accusing the party of “misleading voters”.

“It hasn't been easy being an independent councillor. The removal of myself and others from outside and local groups was difficult as it was a direct link to constituents and the issues people in the local area are facing,” said Councillor Donnelly.

“I do believe there can be issues in Council with how individuals behave when certain councillors are speaking in Council or requesting changes to policies. Sometimes people’s behaviour can be unacceptable, but if they are not pulled on it or challenged they believe it's not a problem,” she said.

Councillor Donnelly believes the Council has become a “cold house” for independent representatives like her.

“It's a cold house for an independent if they have left a party. I do feel that the exclusion of certain councillors is unfair and unnecessary,” she said.

Asked about the incident where her male colleagues laughed at Councillor McAnespy tried to speak, Councillor Donnelly said: “Yes I can say I have witnessed laughter in the Chamber”.

“It has not only been directed at independent councillors. This has happened before to people within parties. I believe that if certain behaviour is not corrected it's not considered an issue.

“I don't receive nearly as much disrespect as some other individuals, but then again I'm very vocal when I'm unhappy with my treatment,” she said.

Councillor Deehan said she has experienced “exclusion”, a common experience she said for her and her independent colleagues.

“We were taken off all our committees by the individual parties concerned. It didn’t matter if we had experience in certain areas or if we could contribute. We were simply dismissed from those positions.

“I was taken off the health committee. I am a lifelong GP, but no, I was taken off. I could attend but I couldn’t contribute. I used every rationale argument within my power to persuade my former party and the Council,” she said.

Councillor McAnespy claims she and others have been “punished” for “having the temerity to stand up for ourselves”.

“What I have difficulty accepting is the fact that I did not have any input into group leaders’ meetings. This is where the agenda is set. What I disagree with here is that when a male councillor departed the political party he was with, he was automatically invited to the group leaders’ meeting, however no such invitation was extended to me.

“To raise anything under Any Other Business you must first email it to the Chairman or woman, who in the last term was almost certainly a member of one of the parties who work together to ensure our voices are not heard. Therefore at their mercy as to whether or not to allow what we had to say, also giving the opportunity to prompt one of their own colleagues Councillor McAnespy believes some councillors do not “realise the impact they have on others.”

“I would be lying if I didn't admit that this has taken its toll on me personally. I feel my confidence has been knocked an despite my voice shaking and feeling anxiety rising in me when I press my button to speak, I do it anyway,” she said.