Newer councillors gang up on Long over 'jumping the gun' allegations
Wednesday March 03 2010
CLLR. EAMONN LONG was in the firing line this week following his claims that a fellow councillor was breaking a strict embargo by informing housing applicants that they had been successful.
The allegations were made to the Wicklow People at the beginning of February, with Cllr. Long (pictured) pointing the finger of blame in the direction of the five most recently-elected council members.
According to Cllr. Long another councillor was falsely telling people before an embargo deadline that they were the reason the applicant's housing application had been successful.
At Monday's monthly Town Council meeting Cllr. Malcolm Earls set the ball rolling by demanding Cllr. Long reveal the identity of the councillor he was making the allegations against.
'It's one of five councillors. That's what people think. You have a public duty to name that person. It's not me so who is it?' Cllr. Long declined to reveal the name. A clearly angered Cllr. Sean Smullen said he was 'disgusted' by the manner in which the allegations were made.
'You have cast a cloud over my name. I can categorically state that it wasn't me, yet you have indirectly accused me.'
He made a demand that Cllr. Long tell everyone present at the meeting that he, Cllr. Smullen, wasn't responsible.
Cllr. Long wouldn't do so, but did say 'I think you have made it perfectly clear tonight that it wasn't you.'
Cllr. Pat Kavanagh felt Cllr. Long had 'cast dispersions on all of us' by stating something that was based on hearsay.
'We shouldn't have to go down the table and say 'it wasn't me,' which it wasn't by the way.'
Cllr. Mervyn Morrison was
'very aggrieved' by the allegations and felt now there were probably people wondering 'was it Mervyn Morrison?' He added, 'It certainly wasn't me. Myself, Cllr. Earls, Cllr. Smullen and Cllr. Kavanagh have already said it wasn't us , but if there is a councillor breaking the rules are they willing to say so?' His question was met with deafening silence. Cllr. Gail Dunne, the only recently elected member not to speak so far, praised the staff and workers responsible for housing allocations. He had difficulty with the claims that an applicant had been told two weeks in advance of the deadline that they would be housed.
'As far as I am aware the decision isn't even made that early,' he said.
