Councillor objects to Fianna Fail member escorting patients to vote

An independent Co Meath councillor made an official objection to the presence at a Trim polling station of a Fianna Fail cumann member who was escorting elderly patients to vote in the urban district council elections.

Cllr Phil Cantwell objected to the presence of a voluntary worker at St Joseph's, a county-run State infirmary for the elderly, at the polling station.

The polling station was in a ward in the hospital building.

He said that the man, a member of a Fianna Fail cumann, was escorting elderly patients whom he did not know, to vote. "Some of the patients at St Joseph's are very elderly people and do not even know their own names."

Mr Cantwell said it was "very disconcerting to see this happening" given that another member of the cumann, an employee at the hospital, was a sitting Fianna Fail councillor seeking re-election. It raised the question about whether such elderly individuals should be voting at all.

Fianna Fail head office said it was unaware of the dispute and declined to comment.

The county registrar, Ms Maire Teehan, said that an objection had been made against a person who was bringing wheelchair-bound patients to the polling station. The person escorting the patients worked on a voluntary basis at the hospital three days a week, she said.

The returning officer at the station, a retired Garda sergeant, dealt with the matter and the individual concerned agreed not to attend at the hospital for the remainder of the day.

Ms Teehan said that Cllr Cantwell had also raised the issue with her and she had spoken to the hospital volunteer who gave his side of the story.

He was a member of the local Fianna Fail cumann and agreed that in the circumstances he would not attend at the hospital for the remainder of the day.

Residents of the hospital are on the special voters' list. It has been a long-running practice to have a polling station at the hospital for elections to facilitate patients.