This article is from page 36 of the 2007-06-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 36 JPG
THE closure of a west Clare school left the local electorate without a lo- cal polling station for last month’s General Election.
Leitrim National School provided a polling booth for the locality dur- ing the 2004 Local and European Elections, but for last month’s Gen- eral Election the people living in town lands around Leitrim had to travel to Kilmihil and Cree.
Clare county councillor Christy Curtin (Ind) is aggrieved that the council were not informed of the
change of venue for these electors.
CUE Gitta ec Desmmcninceet:ICccmmser-beumr-l on proximately 130 of the Leitrim electorate had their voting rights in Cree, with the remaining 113 voting in Kilmihil.
The members of Clare County Council adopted a polling scheme, which sets out polling places for each Electoral Division in the coun- ty in June 2006. Leitrim was in- cluded on this list.
However the returning officer has the right to change a polling station if there are any difficulties with the station.
Cllr Curtain accepts this, but feels the council who adopt the “polling scheme” should be informed of such Ost berxone
‘“T reserve the right to be informed if not consulted in the first instance of any change to the polling scheme adopted in 2006. Leitrim National School was not used as a polling place at the recent General Election with the result that voters were dis- patched to Kilmihil National School and Cree National School.
“T would suggest that an additional polling booth should have been available at each of these polling
stations for the convenience of these displaced voters. The democratic process in any part of Clare must be sustained and buttressed with all the necessary facilities,’ said Cllr Grae-sb
A spokesperson from the office of the returning officer said that Lei- trim National School was not used as a polling station for three rea- sons.
Firstly the building is no longer being used as a primary school, sec- ondly it is in the process of being sold, and thirdly it has no electric- ity, she said.