“This was the time to change how things are done in this town” – Joanna Byrne
“This is a low point in the history of local government in our town” – Michael O’Dowd
The fallout from yesterday’s election of the new Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Drogheda continues.
Some people are outraged that the election took place remotely from the Council HQ in Dundalk while others are angered that the decision was made by a pact of councillors who for years have shared the positions of Mayor and Deputy Mayor between them.
The office of Mayor is mainly an honorary one but the pact whereby councillors divvy out the rewards devalues it because it does not take into account the achievements or even long service of the successful candidates.
Every year there is a public outcry at the manner in which the positions of Mayor and Deputy Mayor are filled, especially from Sinn Fein who see it as a case of the other Councillors ganging up to prevent them ever achieving the office.
While not wishing to detract anything from the merits, intentions or characters of the new Mayor James Byrne and Deputy Mayor Declan Power, this is not about personalities, but it is high time that some mechanism is introduced whereby the people of Drogheda can have their say in who becomes their first citizen.
Politics is a cruel bear-pit of a place to exist but there is currently a public perception that the annual elections to high office are not reflective of either the public wishes or the abilities of the candidates.
Sinn Fein Councillor Joanna Byrne was very emotional after her 7-2 defeat last evening but still managed to hold it together enough to congratulate the successful candidates and wish them well.
“This was the time to change how things were done in this town” she said. “This was the time to show the people of Drogheda that we were a team.”
“This was a time to show that equality and fairness we advocate for our constituents and that starts right here, that we treat each other with the same fairness and respect, but it seems we don’t.
“What goes on here year in year out is undemocratic and unfair, the people of Drogheda have woken up to it, it’s time you all did too.”
Shame of Mayor Election – O’Dowd
Michael O’Dowd, who is a Former Mayor of Drogheda himself, has also hit out at the election. He called out the local councillors for agreeing to have the Mayor of Drogheda elected in Dundalk.
“This is a low point in the history of local government in our town. Never before in its over 800 year history has this happened and it accurately reflects the lack of status of the largest town in the Country” he said.
It is important to realise that the setting of a meeting and its location is a function reserved for the elected representatives. The town was let down by this decision.
O’Dowd who is the Aontú representative in Louth said that he wished new Mayor James Byrne a successful term of office.
