“New Cathaoirleach of Rosslare District Should Donate Allowance to Local Charities” – Cllr Codd.
Aontú Councillor Jim Codd has urged the newly elected Cathaoirleach of Rosslare district council to donate the €6,000 allowance, that comes with the job, to local charities in Wexford.
Speaking after today’s meeting, Cllr Codd said;
“When I was first elected to the council I was canvassed by both factions to exclude the other but I didn’t do so, because I wanted to see equal representation for all of the constituents in this LEA. We have five councillors for Rosslare, and five terms for Cathaoirleach. What happened today was that Cllr Moore got elected for the second time, after Cllr McDonald proposed it. I don’t care for perks or titles or chains. Indeed as a teacher I find it hard when students call me ‘sir’. My issue is not that I have been excluded – it is that my supporters and those who voted for me will now not be represented in the position of Chair, while everyone else has been represented”.
Cllr Codd continued: “There is a job of work to be done. Prior to this vote I pledged that if elected to the position I would donate the allowance which comes with it to the Saint Vincent De’Paul and the group Wexford People Helping People. Claire Malone and her group are doing fantastic work and helping the most vulnerable in this area. I would ask the successful candidate to donate the allowance. Things are very bad at present – we know today from new figures that the number of homeless people in emergency accommodation is at an all time high of 12,259 across the country. Rosslare is the only council district in Wexford without a dedicated housing officer, and we have 367 people on the housing waiting list in this area”.
“There will be many Fianna Fáil supporters disappointed with how cosy their councillors have become with Fine Gael. We, the councillors for Rosslare, have a democratic mandate to represent all those who voted in the last local election – today it was decided that my voters would be excluded from the Chair. Power-hungry Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael politicians have pulled up the draw bridge behind them. I don’t understand why they felt the need to exclude me – perhaps I was too vocal about the roads? Or too critical of the housing situation? Maybe I was too enthusiastic in my defence of farmers and fishermen. I may not have been elected to the position of Cathaoirleach today, but I will still continue to work tirelessly for the people of Wexford”, concluded Cllr Codd.
