At last week’s Castlebar Town Council meeting, Sinn Féin councillor Therese Ruane put forward a motion calling for all future meetings of the council to take place in a venue with access for disabled people. The councillors voted by seven votes to two against the motion, ensuring that future meetings of Castlebar Town Council will continue to take place in a venue that is inaccessible to the people with reduced mobility. The only councillor to support the motion was Labour's Harry Barrett.
“I was shocked and very disappointed at the response of the seven councillors, who spoke about the spiritual and traditional place that Marsh House is, a venue that is not accessible,” Cllr Ruane said. “They also cited the fact that they have always been accommodating, obliging, and facilitated any groups that want to attend meetings and will continue to in the future. What people want is equality, to have the same access as everyone else.
“In Ireland, one in 10 people is living with a disability,” she added. “People have to continuously battle to uphold their basic human rights and dignity. Our councils, as public democratic bodies, should be accountable, transparent, and accessible to all. As a town council, we have an obligation to the public to uphold these principles. The fact that people with reduced mobility are excluded from Castlebar Town Council meetings is not acceptable.”
