Councillors are getting hot under the collar as local election day nears
THE local elections are a month away but the squabbling at Wexford County Council has already begun.
At the recent monthly meeting of the local authority, Cllr Robbie Ireton complained to officialdom that the presiding officer now has to get a postal vote costing €10. He said in the past they could vote at their polling booth.
‘I had a person in a wheelchair who was charged €15 to get a doctor to sign it and an old lady on a zimmerframe who had to pay €10 to sign it. I find it extraordinary in this day and age. It’s supposed to be a free vote and there is nothing free. They could be denied a vote.’
Cllr Joe Sullivan’s gripe involved the submission of supplementary votes having come acropper posting in a bundle of seven forms for constituents.
‘I handed in seven forms last week and I got a call from the director of services (Eddie Taaffe) telling me they had to be handed in individually. I have an office in Gorey and people come in to me If I put them into one envelope I really don’t think I am breaking the law. There is no legislative basis other than a gross over-interpretation of bulk. What is bulk? Is it two or 100?’
Declaring that he was quite annoyed by the red tape, he asked Eddie Taaffe for a response.
Cllr Michael Sheehan questioned having the boxes opened at County Hall, prior to being moved to St Joseph’s count centre, saying it will invite too many questions. ‘People will claim votes have gone missing.’
Council spokesperson David Minogue said: ‘We have three papers in the box: the Referendum, the European elections and the Local elections. The County Registrar Ms Garahy is in charge on Friday and she is deciding on the opening of the boxes.
‘We had discussions with county secretary Pat Collins and I can assure councillors the transfer of votes will be done by garda or Army escort. we will transfer the votes for the European elections to Cork. It’s completely protected and there are no concerns. I can assure you it will be done well. There may be a further opportunity to tally again in St Joseph’s. The papers will remain within their polling box area.’
Cllr Sheehan said a situation could arise where one vote is separating two candidates on the verge of elimination, suggesting that a paper could end up on the floor or missing. ‘In that case it would be totally within their entitlement to call for a recount. We are putting ourselves out there to be a hazard. There are far too many opportunities for things to go wrong.’
Mr Minogue simplified the process, saying: ‘ There will be a certain amount of ballot papers that will leave County Hall that will then arrive in the same numbers at St Joseph’s. There will be no papers on the floor, we are better than that.’
Chairman cllr Keith Doyle said he had attended seven counts in his lifetime, adding that if a vote is missing ‘no one goes anywhere until it’s found’.
Cllr Ger Carthy said the executive cannot guarantee that a vote won’t go missing. He said in 2014 the count began at 9 a.m. and there wasn’t a result until midnight. ‘we may stay at home the first day!’
Cllr Willie Fitzharris said St Joseph’s can’t accommodate the votes of two elections and a referendum.
Cllr Malcolm Byrne said he has every confidence in the gardaí and army personnel to convey the votes safely between County Hall and St Joseph’s count centre less than a kilometre away. ‘While some people are worried, I am even more worried as they have to go all the way to Cork (with the European votes).’
Mr Taaffe said all supplementary vote application forms need to be submitted individually, as per regulations. He said the Regulations Authority sets out in its rules that no bulk forms can be accepted.
Cllr O’Sullivan said Mr Taaffe was interpreting the rules to suit himself, a claim the director of services fully rejected.
Chairman Cllr Doyle banged his gavel as Cllr Sullivan got audibly incensed over the matter.
Cllr Doyle said: ‘ This is the third time I have used the gavel. The only times are when you are talking about your own job. You don’t put ten summonses in one envelope either!’
Cllr Sullivan said it’s an 80-mile roud trip if he has to deliver the forms for his consituents. ‘
‘Get them to post them,’ one councillor said.
Cllr Lisa McDonald asked why councillors were debating the elections when an order outlining the boundary areas for the county’s municipal districts has not even been signed yet.
She said following a recent special meeting held at County Hall, councillors moved to have the original four electoral areas restored.
‘Some people don’t even know where they are running in. The people deserve to know too.’
Councillors expressed their ire at how the Boundary Commission split the county into six districts ( Wexford, Gorey, Enniscorthy, New Ross, Rosslare and Kilmuckridge), with no recourse to returning to four districts.
Mr Taaffe said the order was signed: ‘ The statutory instrument has been signed establishing six areas.’
Cllr McDonald called for a report on why the councillors were – at the eleventh hour – trying to resolve the boundary. ‘It (the meeting) cost taxpayers’ money,’ she said.
‘It didn’t! It cost me a tank of diesel,’ Cllr Anthony Donohoe said.
THERE WILL BE NO PAPERS [LOST] ON THE FLOOR. WE ARE BETTER THAN THAT DAVID MINOGUE, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, WEXFORD CO COUNCIL