A ROW HAS erupted between councillors at a Dublin count centre after a recount was called over a difference of 12 votes.
Members of the People Before Profit (PBP) campaign for candidate Annette Mooney asked for a recount on the 10th count of the south-east inner city area of Dublin City Council.
It came after Independent candidate Mannix Flynn took the fifth and final seat in that area and was re-elected to Dublin City Council – winning the seat by a slim margin of 12 votes.
The outcome of the recount showed that four votes had been miscounted and transferred to Mooney but Flynn held on to his seat.
In a response, however, Flynn said People Before Profit had “undermined” democracy and drew attention to PBP members who were involved in a protest against Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy at the RDS count centre yesterday.
“It’s been [a] traumatic experience dealing with PBP who had no regard whatsoever for the process of democracy here,” he said.
He claimed they “undermined the count, undermined the workers in the count, and then tried to undermine what was a scientific process backed up by human hand”.
“I have no problem with openness and responsibility, and also to have re-counts, but when you behave in the manner that they behaved, it’s a betrayal of the people who actually did invest in them.
“I’m just delighted that they didn’t get in for the Dublin City Council for the south-east area because had they got in, God knows what would happen.”
Minister Eoghan Murphy arrived at the RDS count centre yesterday, where his own Dublin Bay South constituency was being counted, he was confronted by protesters.
Speaking about the protest by activists, some of whom were from PBP, Flynn said:
When they behaved like the Taliban, what they did was they came in and did an indiscriminate bombing of the count centre, it’s unheard of.
“I want to commend An Garda Síochána for not reacting to a very provocative situation, I want to thank the security people in the RDS for not responding to a very provocative situation.
“I want to thank all the councillors and all the count staff here, and all those who invested in the democratic process. There is simply no place for those individuals.”
Kieran Allen, an agent for People Before Profit said they had sought information on how election votes were transferred and redistributed but were not given it.
He also responded to Flynn’s comments that the party members were the same as the Taliban.
“All that we did was ask the election officials could they explain to us this mysterious formula by which five votes disappeared from the pile,” he said.
“I don’t think asking questions equates you to the Taliban or ISIS… [and] people have every right to protest,” he added.
“So if you are facing an eviction and you’re on the streets people have every right to be emotional and to protest against a housing minister that seems to believe that we can all cram into show boxes and have a great time,” he said.
With reporting from Nicky Ryan.
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