Parties fear poll ban on anti-immigrant councillors will lead to mass defections
Local politicians could ‘play race card’ and run as Independents if party sanctions are enforced
FIANNA Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin have refused to say if they will block councillors who publicly oppose their immigration policies from contesting next year’s local elections.
It comes amid growing concern within the parties that clamping down on outspoken councillors could result in widespread defections. Sources warned sanctioned councillors could opt to contest the elections as Independent candidates and play ‘the race card’ to boost their chances of retaining their council seats.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin was told he will face internal dissent if he sanctions two councillors who supported protesters who formed a blockade outside the Ross Lake House Hotel in Galway, which was due to house asylum seekers before it was set ablaze last weekend.
However, the Tánaiste said that councillors Séamus Walsh and Noel
Thomas would face a ‘rigorous’ disciplinary process.
The party refused to say what sanctions they could face, or if councillors who refuse to toe the party line on immigration will be removed from the party ticket for the local elections next June.
In response to queries from the Irish Mail on Sunday, a spokesman said: ‘We will not be providing commentary or any further statement’ and would not ‘pre-empt’ an investigation by the party’s internal rules and procedures committee.
It referred to an earlier statement in which it stated: ‘We do not accept any equivocation in respect of any criminal acts and do not accept attempts or suggestions being made to equate migration with increased criminality. Comments made to that effect by any public representative are wrong and unacceptable.’
Fine Gael and Sinn Féin also refused to say if they would sanction or remove councillors or election candidates who publicly oppose their leadership’s position on immigration. Despite Mr Martin’s comments, Fianna Fáil sources this weekend said ‘the reality is it is unlikely the councillors [Walsh and Thomas] will face serious sanctions’. One source told the MoS: ‘They may get a gentle rap on the knuckles but this is a very complex issue; due process and natural rights arise. It could take some time.’
The Fianna Fáil leader was also warned he will be have to ‘tread very carefully’ on the issue. A party figure said: ‘If he makes martyrs out of them they’ll end up topping the poll. A lot of councillors are watching all of this very carefully. A lot of seats are in danger. Fellows are wondering might they have a better chance coming back on an Independent Fianna Fáil ticket.’
One Cabinet source told the MoS: ‘Currently up to 10% of the voters are ready to vote for the far right if a candidate becomes available. There might even soon be more.’
‘They may get a gentle rap on the knuckles’
Another senior Government source added: ‘The issue of what are we going to do about all the refugees is becoming an issue at the middle-class Sunday dinner table.
This is a tinderbox. So long as the centre can show it is doing something, it can be contained. But if it is not, there is one European seat per constituency available.
‘The issue that won’t go away is, where do you put them?’
Concern is growing in Cabinet about the potential of ‘Peter Casey-style’ candidates playing the ‘race
card’ ahead of the local and European elections.
In 2018, presidential candidate Casey jumped from 2% in the polls to capture 23.3% of the vote, behind Michael D Higgins, after he made a series of controversial comments about Travellers.
The following year, Galway West Independent TD Noel Grealish sparked a furore when he claimed in the Dáil that immigrants were sending vast sums of money out of the country. In the 2020 general election, Mr Grealish – whose seat was believed to be marginal – was elected in second place.
A senior Government source warned: ‘Casey was a bottle of smoke, but he captured a mood. The same could happen again with far better-funded candidates.’
Mr Casey this week announced he intends to run for President again in 2025 and called for a temporary ban on all immigration.
Meanwhile, unease is spreading among Fine Gael rural council candidates over the allocation of resources to Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers. Although the Government recently announced welfare cuts for newly arrived Ukrainians, who will also have to
‘A lot of councillors are watching this carefully’
find their own accommodation after 90 days, a senior Fine Gael figure said: ‘We are all getting it in the ear from councillors. They are the worst ones for complaining about losing votes because [they claim] all the houses are going to refugees.’
One Fine Gael councillor told the MoS: ‘There were seven houses built recently in my ward and IPAS came in and snaffled the lot. How do I defend this?’
Within Sinn Féin too, sources said several of the party’s sitting councillors may decide to contest the elections as Independents.
One source said: ‘A number of the old breed are musing publicly about their future. They like their council seats, but they know they are out of favour with Mary Lou and the professors, barristers, human rights activists and all that mob.’