FG and Labour set to increase share of vote

COUNCIL PROFILE: CARLOWCARLOW PROVIDED Fianna Fáil with some of its best results in the 2004 local elections, but a repeat performance looks unlikely.

Fine Gael and Labour, with a combined 11 seats, control the 21-member county council, and both are confident about increasing their share of votes and seats on June 5th.

A big unknown, for all parties, is how the county’s new residents will vote. Since the local elections in 2004, hundreds of new households have been established by young families and other house-buyers who moved from Dublin in search of affordable homes.

Among hotter local issues are river Barrow flood relief works and inadequate parking facilities for rail commuters. But all parties agree that national issues, especially unemployment, predominate. The number on the Live Register in Co Carlow has almost doubled from 3,271 in April last year to almost 5,800 last month.

Fianna Fáil’s controversial new selection procedure – whereby candidates were interviewed by a committee appointed by Dublin headquarters – has resulted in candidates who failed to get the nod running as Independents. Casualties include David O’Brien, who was co-opted on to the council following the death of Enda Nolan. Mr O’Brien, a “life-long member” who believes Fianna Fáil has “lost its way”, is standing as an Independent in the Bagenalstown area.

Some of Fianna Fáil’s own candidates are distancing themselves from recent Budget announcements. Sitting councillors Arthur McDonald (Bagenalstown) and Jennifer Murnane-O’Connor (Carlow East) are among those who have criticised plans to cut child welfare payments.

Fine Gael sources say the party will win “two or three seats from Fianna Fáil”. New names to watch include Patrick Deering (Tullow), a Rathvilly dairy farmer and chairman of the GAA county board, who hopes to replace his father Michael, retiring after 42 years as a councillor. Fergal Browne, a former Fine Gael senator, is hoping to return to public life by taking a seat in Carlow East.

Labour, which is also predicting gains, is running Caroline Townsend in Carlow East. She is the daughter of veteran councillor Jim Townsend, who was a candidate in the last general election and is expected to retain his seat in Bagenalstown.

The Green Party will be very keen to hold on to its only seat. Alan Price was co-opted on to the council for Borris following Mary White’s election to the Dáil.

Carlow had one Progressive Democrats councillor, Walter Lacey (Carlow West), who will run as an Independent.

There have been some boundary changes to Carlow’s five county council electoral areas since the 2004 local elections.

The Bagenalstown area has lost a seat and goes down to four from five, Borris goes up to four from three and Carlow East goes up to four from three. There is no change in Carlow West, which retains five seats, while the Tullow area drops a seat to four from five.

Voters will also be electing members to town councils in Carlow and Bagenalstown. Each has nine members. FG and Labour should retain, and increase, their majority on Carlow Town Council, while the FF majority on Bagenalstown Town Council looks vulnerable.

CARLOW: 21 seats

HOW THE PARTIES STAND (Outgoing)

FF -  8

FG - 7

Lab - 4

GP - 1

Others - 1