Council ‘failed to act on fraud claim’

THE mayor who instigated a garda investigation into alleged vote rigging during the local elections in Tipperary revealed yesterday he was only supported by one colleague when he first tried to raise the matter.

Labour’s John Kenehan said he first raised the matter at a Thurles town council meeting days after the June elections, but only got the support of Fine Gael councillor Mae Quinn.

“Other councillors had indicated to me before the meeting that they had received similar complaints but they did not support me in public when I brought it up at the meeting,” the Thurles mayor said.

Meanwhile, Tipperary North County Council yesterday rejected a suggestion that it had added people to the voting register on polling day contrary to strict regulations which state this can only be done 15 days before polling day.

Council director of corporate services Paddy Heffernan yesterday said: “These two people were erroneously included in our deletion list but they were also on our proper voting register published last February.”

He added: “We are disturbed by suggestions that we added people to the register on polling day - that is not correct.”

Mr Kenehan said that up to 300 falsified votes could have been cast.

Anyone found guilty of electoral fraud could face fines of up to €3,130 and two years in jail.