‘Clerical error’ registers candidate in wrong ward

A LOCAL election candidate was left devastated last night after it emerged that she has been registered to stand for election in the wrong area.

Independent Cork city councillor Annette Spillane, who has held a seat in the city’s north-east ward since 2004, has been mistakenly registered to contest the June 5 election in the neighbouring north-central ward.

The blunder was described last night as a “clerical error”. It is understood there is no official appeals process.

Ms Spillane said she was devastated by the discovery and furious. However, she denied she was responsible for filling in the nomination papers incorrectly.

“I registered as a candidate at 12.30pm on May 9, but only found out yesterday about this mistake,” she said. “I have been canvassing the north-east intensively for the last five weeks. Why would I write down north-central on the nomination papers?”

With just over two weeks to go to polling day, her campaign is in limbo, as city officials begin exploring the legal options open to her.

Ms Spillane is hoping to discuss the situation with city manager Joe Gavin this morning.

Veteran councillors Máirín Quill and Dino Cregan, who both stepped down last night after 30 years in politics, made formal appeals to city management on Ms Spillane’s behalf.

“This seems to be a very rough and tough situation to be found in at this juncture,” Ms Quill said.

“My ward colleague has worked very hard in the Cork north-east ward for the last five years. All her election literature has been published and printed for that ward.

“People can murder a child and there is an appeals process open to them.

“It is very harsh that there is no court of appeal to which this worthy candidate can go.

“Whatever needs to be done to rectify this error must be done.”

Mr Cregan said he can understand how the mistake could arise.

Details of a candidate’s Dáil constituency must be included on their nomination paper, he said. This could have occurred in Ms Spillane’s case, raising questions about the design and layout of the nomination forms, he added.

If the mistake cannot be rectified, and if Ms Spillane decides to contest the election in north-central, it will throw the race for seats in north-east wide open, and turn the race in north-central into a dogfight.

Boundary changes have reduced the north-east ward from a five-to a four-seater.

Ms Quill’s retirement had given the ward’s remaining four candidates enough breathing space to hold their seats.

Ms Spillane’s possible removal from this ward would throw the race wide open.

However, her addition to the race for the five seats in the north central ward means a sitting councillor could lose a seat.

Meanwhile, tributes were paid by all parties last night to councillors Quill and Cregan who attended their last council meeting.

Fine Gael Councillor Jim Corr said: “They can both walk out confident that they made a serious contribution to the life of the city.”

Fianna Fáil Councillor Damien Wallace thanked them both for their service to the city at both local and national level.

“You can both leave this chamber knowing that you’ve done this city some service,” he said.