A round-up of other elections news in brief
Healy-Rae defends use of Dáil envelopes
Independent councillor Danny Healy-Rae has defended the use of Oireachtas envelopes in correspondence with three constituents in the Killarney electoral area, writes Anne Lucey. Mr Healy-Rae said he worked with his father, TD for Kerry South Jackie Healy-Rae, and any envelope containing a letter from him, also contained a letter from the TD.
The matter arose at a meeting of Kerry County Council, during which a row developed between independent councillor Brendan Cronin, who also represents the Killarney area, and Mr Healy-Rae.
Mr Cronin left the chamber to return some time later with three Oireachtas envelopes containing letters to three constituents signed by Danny Healy-Rae.
Mr Healy-Rae replied: “I never misused Dáil envelopes . . . There are two letters in these envelopes and one is also signed Deputy Healy Rae.”
A shouting match ensued and Mr Cronin stormed over to the press bench to present the letters and the envelopes.
Nominated to run in wrong ward
A sitting councillor on Cork City Council yesterday confirmed that she is to take legal advice to see whether she can amend her nomination papers after she inadvertently nominated herself to run in the wrong ward, writes Barry Roche.
Independent councillor Annette Spillane from Ballyvolane said she was seeking senior counsel’s advice after she failed to persuade the council to allow her run in her own electoral area of the North East ward.
“What happened was that I filled in the Dáil constituency, North Central rather than the ward constituency North East on the nomination papers. I made a mistake but now I’m not being allowed to change because the nominations have closed. I think it’s terribly unfair,” she said. “As it is, I’m looking at my political career going down the drain if I can’t get it changed.”
Ms Spillane said that she met with Cork city manager, Joe Gavin and while he was sympathetic, he referred her to returning officer Denis O’Mahony. But he told her that he had to accept her nomination as submitted to run in the North Central ward.
Asked if she would consider running in the North Central ward, Ms Spillane said that while she would be known in the area it wasn’t really an option as she was running on her record and her work as a councillor which had been on behalf of people in the North East ward.