'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.
Comments (2 of 2)
Jump To Comment: 1 2McGarry wants study of Travellers' needs
Problems between the settled and Travelling communities will not be solved by using councillors as buffers between the two communities, Labour Party Councillor, Jim McGarry has stated.
Speaking in the aftermath of the decision of the Borough Council to reject all proposed new sites for Travellers accommodation, Clr. McGarry said there was a need to get to know as much as possible about the Travelling population, their lifestyle and ambitions.
"We need to know the factors which are hindering their progress and whether they would be better served living in rural or large urban areas.
"Surely, it is time for the Government to initiate a broad ranging study of the Travelling community which would also look at issues such as entitlements on the one hand and responsibilities on the other.
Policy
"Then, armed with proper information the Government should draw up a coherent set of policy measures that would make real inroads on what is a worsening national problem.
"Most importantly, the Government must learn that half baked measures are no substitute for genuine solutions," said Clr. McGarry.
He said that over 40 years ago the Government introduced measures to improve accommodation for the Travelling population.
"Apart from humane considerations it was intended to integrate Travellers with the settled community. Now, half a century later, it is reasonable to ask how well has the integration process succeeded?
"All the evidence points to the conclusion that over the past 50 years the gap between the settled and Travelling communities has actually widened.
"Here in Sligo in recent weeks, we have seen nearly an entire community strongly opposed to a Travellers' site in their neighbourhood. Yet, the community of the area is made up of reasonable people.
"If there is a lesson to be learned, it is that problems surrounding the Travelling population will not be solved by stand alone disjointed measures. it will require a lot more on the Government's part than prosecuting publicans for refusing to serve drink to Travellers.
"Neither will it be solved by using elected representatives of local authorities as buffers between the two communities. These attempts only serve to highlight just how bereft our Government is of any real understanding of the extent of the problem.
"This is a national social problem of huge dimensions and the sooner the Government realise this then the better for all concerned," said Clr. McGarry.
The decision of the two labour concillors Veronica Cawley and Jim McGarry to oppose a reasonable and modest proposal for Traveller housing in Sligo is appalling.
Fair play to Breezer for standing up to them. But I think it should teach Bree who he is really in cahoots with. Perhaps he should look now at restarting his own Sligo/Leitrim Socialist organisation or linking up with Seamus Healys new grouping or other left wing parties such as Sinn Fein and the Socialist Party.
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