A SCOTS council has voted to fly the Irish tricolour over a number of its civic buildings to commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising.

But it has been reported that a number of councillors in North Lanarkshire opposed to the decision are pushing for the move to be reversed, citing fears of a public backlash.

The authority has also said the decision is not binding as it is not in keeping with policy and will be required to be cleared by full council if it goes ahead.

Politicians on the Labour-run authority voted following a request from a Scots-based Irish group, understood to be Cairde na HEireann, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising.

The council’s corporate services committee was split, but voted narrowly in favour of the proposal today.

It proposed that the Irish national flag will fly over the Civic Centre in Motherwell and other council buildings in Cumbernauld and Coatbridge on April 24.

Easter 1916 is the pivotal event in modern Irish history and although a failed rebellion against British rule became the catalyst for the Irish War of Independence and creation of the Free State in 1922.

Amongst the 15 leaders of the uprising executed in Dublin was Edinburgh-born socialist James Connolly.

The committee heard that North Lanarkshire’s practice is to follow Scottish Government guidance, issued annually, on the flying of flags.

However, councillors agreed to the request despite being told that Scottish Government buildings will not be flying the Irish flag.

A spokesman said that as the move was a departure from council policy, which is based on UK and Scottish Government guidance, it now had to be approved by the full council.

A spokesman for North Lanarkshire Council said: “We received a request to fly the national flag of Ireland to commemorate the centenary of the Easter Rising.

“The Corporate Services committee decided to support this application. However, because this decision would represent a departure from current council policy the matter will have to be considered at a future meeting of the Council.”

The spokesman added that the council’s policy was based on Scottish Government and Scottish Office guidelines. The council also said it was decided in 1996 to also fly the council flag at half mast in the event of the death of a serving elected member and to fly the North Lanarkshire Council flag on each occasion on which the full Council meets.

In recent years neighbouring Glasgow has flown the red flag opf socialism, Palestinian flag, for which there was considerable backlash from the city's Jewish community, and also the flag on Norway on the country's national day.