'Disgraceful' vote row rocks Sligo Labour Party

sligo | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Monday February 28, 2005 14:19 by Allen - LP

Yet another internal Labour Party row is looming in Sligo following criticism by Mayor, Ald. Declan Bree of his party colleagues over their failure to support Sligo Borough Council's Traveller Accommodation Programme.

Claiming that there was a particular onus on Labour and socialist councillors to support such programmes, Mayor Bree confirmed to the local media that he intends to bring to the attention of the Party's National Executive the fact that his Borough Council colleagues, Veronica Cawley and Jim McGarry voted against the adoption of the plan. He termed their vote against the Accommodation Programme as "disgraceful".

A special meeting of the Labour Party's Sligo/Leitrim constituency Executive was convened last week-end to consider the implications of the vote, and although the Mayor declined to comment on the meeting, he did confirm that the matter would be raised at the National Executive meeting in three weeks time.

"The Borough Council has a statutory and moreso a moral obligation to provide accommodation as far as is reasonable and practicable for Travellers living within the borough, and there is a particular onus on Labour and socialist councillors to ensure that such programmes are delivered", Mayor Bree said.

Claiming that this was the first time a Traveller Accommodation Programme had been voted down by any council, Clr. Bree said the decision effectively penalised local Traveller families and would force them to continue to live in intolerable and unacceptable conditions.

The proposals contained in the Programme aimed to provide basic accommodation for a number of local Traveller families who had been living in the Borough for decades.

"The disgraceful decision to vote down the Accommodation Programme compels these families to continue living in appalling and intolerable conditions.

"How can anyone who claims to share the values of the Labour movement, or how can anyone with an ounce of compassion, tolerate such a situation", he asked.