Threats made against Claremorris councillor over N17 junction closures

LOCAL politicians have condemned threats made against a Claremorris-based county councillor over the proposed closure of a junction on the N17.

Cllr Richard Finn said he was ‘threatened’ by a constituent that he would lose votes if he voted to close a junction at L55512 at Boherduff, known locally as the Bog Road.

Speaking at the monthly meeting of Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District, Cllr Finn said that threats were not going to affect him.

The municipal district approved the closure of seven junctions on the N17 on foot of recommendations from Mayo County Council - but not the L55512.

Conrad Harley, Senior Executive Engineer with Mayo County Council, said the preferred option was to extinguish the right of way at the L55512 and remove the junction from the N17. The other option proposed was to reduce the junction to facilitate traffic coming from the Ballindine side only. No traffic would be allowed out of the junction in either scenario.

The nine-member Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District opposed the closure of this junction due to the potential impact on traffic and business in the town.

Cllr Finn said he opposed the closure of the junction due to the volume of traffic it would create.

The Independent councillor then addressed ‘threats’ he received over the proposal to close the junction, saying: “There comes a day that you have to take a stance and you are either a public representative or you are a coward. And I am not going to give into threats, I am not going to give into innuendo as to what people would do to you or how it would affect your chances of re-election and everything else.”

Condemnation

Cllr Damien Ryan, Cathaoirleach of Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District, strongly condemned the threats made against Cllr Finn, as did other public representatives.

The Fianna Fáil councillor said local representatives were making decisions regarding road safety ‘within a vacuum’ without road accident statistics, which they could not access due to GDPR.

“That being said, I think everyone around this table is trying to make decisions in the interests of safety, and safety is paramount,” said Cllr Ryan. “And I think, in fairness to Cllr Finn, he is trying to make a decision as well on the best interests of the people he represents … I have no time whatsoever for idle threats or for trying to ambush public representatives. There is no place in democracy for that.

“There would be no need for an increase in security allowances [for politicians] were it not for some of the nonsense that we’ve had to put up with.”