COUNCIL PROFILE: MAYO:WHEN AN apparition was reported recently on the gable wall of a vacant Ballina house, the word in Mayo was that local election fever had definitely taken a turn for the worse . . . as in, no general appetite for politicians at all.
Such was the apathy encountered on doorsteps last month that one candidate wondered whether he should hold a rally outside the aforementioned north Mayo dwelling.
However, the full impact of the Government’s income and health levies, reflected in recent payslips, is expected to energise the reluctant voter.
Unemployment, particularly in Ballina, and fear of same in other parts of the county is an issue, along with concerns about health and education cutbacks. There is also the “elephant” in the seomra – the Corrib gas project, which has caused such deep rifts that few canvassers dare mention the issue.
Given that Mayo is the party leader’s home turf, Fine Gael has aspirations. It hopes to secure a majority on the council for the first time since 1979 – although the party had it in all but name last time round, due to the support of Independent councillor Johnny Mee.
However, Mee is one of four established councillors who have opted not to stand this time. Fianna Fáil’s Frank Chambers is also retiring, and voicing disillusionment with new boundary divisions which have incorporated his native Newport into the Belmullet electoral area.
The informed view is that Fine Gael could take an additional three seats to make a total of 18 out of 31. The decision by former Fine Gael member Frank Durcan to run for both the county council and Castlebar town council after a break of some years has added spice to the contest in the county “capital”.
Durcan, now regarded as a thorn in Enda Kenny’s side, was a member of Mayo County Council in the 1980s and latterly Castlebar town council until 2004; he is standing on an anti-corruption ticket and has also been critical of the level of expenses claimed by councillors.
Michael Ring, Fine Gael TD, is working hard for the party in the Westport area, and it is said that only Labour or Sinn Féin will stop the drive to secure three of four seats. In Ballina, Fianna Fáil’s Annie May Reape has topped the poll twice, but Fine Gael’s Michelle Mulherin, who secured more than 5,000 votes in the last general election, is taking her on.
In Belmullet, Fianna Fáil’s Tim Quinn is not using posters but Sinn Féin’s Therese Ruane, co-opted to Castlebar town council, appears to have no shortage of ladder climbers for her publicity campaign.
The Green Party has one candidate for Westport town council. Former Green Party member Andy Wilson is running as an Independent and has been very critical of his party’s apparent U-turn over Corrib.
How the parties stand
(Outgoing)
FF12
FG15
Lab1
SF1
Others2
