Paul Murphy: Council chamber will greatly miss ‘can do’ Damien
Whenever I get the opportunity I advise young councillors about their careers in local politics. Unless they are very ambitious and aspire to a further career jump to national politics, I tell them to serve a couple of terms (if they’re lucky) and then get out. “Go before the electorate dumps you because the blow to your self-esteem and pride will be enormous if they decide to dump you!” is my mantra.
In a long career spanning 60 years I’ve seen it happen. Public representatives sometimes feel they are riding high in the polls and then on election count night the electorate delivers the fatal blow – out you go! Nothing personal. We feel you no longer fit the bill so we’ll give our vote to the other fellow/woman. Really, you don’t want to be standing there at the count centre ruefully recalling the words of the aspiring but unsuccessful politician Dick Tuck “The people have spoken, the b******s”. You may be near to tears at the prospect of all your hard work going down the drain and having to face the neighbours the next day, knowing that some of them may have wielded the stiletto. At least Tuck had the sense of humour to see it coming and as the votes piled up against him he quipped “Wait till the dead votes comes in”.
No doubt there will be people on various tickets for the first time at the local elections next year who will feel “I can do that. I’ll have a go”. Who am I to put them off but they should know what’s ahead of them – this is no game for shy wallflowers. The role of a councillor has changed dramatically over the last decade or two. There was a time when councillors were unpaid for the drudgery of fighting an election campaign, getting themselves elected and then meeting head-on with the grinding day-to-day work of grappling with local government red tape and systems, and balancing that with the needs of the constituents.
Electorate
These days cllrs are paid (€21,600 in 2021 going up to €26,296 last year (taxable) also with an annual allowance and municipal district allowance and expenses (vouched). They would probably regard themselves as professionals/semi-professionals. And they know they face an increasingly demanding electorate. If there are Teflon Terrys or Tessies among the ranks of Meath Co Council who think they can swan through their term of office doing the minimal amount of work, then they will be fooling themselves. I only see the tip of the councillor iceberg covering 11 public meetings a year. Behind the scenes councillors are paddling like hell at municipal meetings, holding clinics for constituents, attending outside bodies where they hold positions, lobbying council officials and sometimes national State and semi-State organisations, going to community functions, keeping up a profile in the media and looking after families in the background.
It would be unfair to compare the late Cllr Damien O’Reilly with any one of the other 39 councillors on Meath Co Council - they all have their own style. However, he stood out as a distinctive force on the council and showed promise as a future Dail deputy. One could only stand back in awe at his achievements and work rate – primarily as councillor, assistant to a Senator in Seanad Eireann, chairperson Louth Meath Education and Training Board, cathaoirleach Ratoath Municipal District, studied for a degree in Business Studies, then a Masters in Strategy and Innovation, studied for and gained a Masters in Engineering, and after all that recently signed up for a course in planning law and was a vital part of a young family.
He wasn’t afraid to say the unpopular thing when he felt it necessary. Where others would fear to tread he wasn’t afraid to call out the tiny anti-social element making life hell for their social housing neighbours. Just this month he said: “these tenants cause havoc and destroy neighbours’ homes and property from their unacceptable behaviour”. And he was also pushing to get people to avail of grants to refurbish and restore derelict houses. A can do person in so many respects.