Sinn Féin’s Noel Campbell will not disappear off the political landscape in Mayo despite the fact he’s not allowed to run again in next year’s local elections. Current legislation disbars civil servants who hold a position higher than a clerical officer from running for public office. Campbell, who is employed by the Department of Arts Sports and Tourism, is employed at a higher grade. “It’s a pity and I’m snookered so to speak. I can’t see the government making an exception for me on this one, so I’m consigned to the fact that I will not be running again next year,” Campbell told the Mayo Advertiser this week.
Campbell was also unsure if he could still see out his term on the council and he and the party would be looking into this. “Even that’s debatable if I can hold on to my seat until June. We’re looking into it, if I can I fully intend to hold on to it until the end of the term. The co-option alternative is there, but I would rather not do that, because nearly 500 people put their faith in me and I want to do what I can for them. But then again the seat is not mine, it’s the party’s and I will have to go with what they want me to do. We are having our convention in late January and will announce a candidate to run for the seat then, they will have six months to make a name for themselves from then on.”
Sinn Féin had ambitious plans for next year’s local elections and Campbell’s inability to run will have dented those ambitions, the councillor explained. “Well, we had hoped to hold on to all the town councillors we have at the minute and maybe add on a couple more. In the county all things were pointing towards me running in the Castlebar area and looking for at least one if not two more making it to that chamber, along with Gerry Murray. If we did manage that and with both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael being so evenly balanced, the balance of power could have rested with us.”
Even with the setback Campbell will still have a hands-on involvement in the political scene in the county. “I will probably take on the role of director of elections once again for the county next year and will be doing my best for the party to get our message across. But you never know how things will pan out in the future and by the time the next election comes around, I may not even be still in this job and I’ll still only be 35 and willing to put myself forward for election.”
