Bree Case Takes Place This Wednesday 21st

sligo | rights, freedoms and repression | press release

Tuesday September 20, 2005 19:35

by TM

The Special Complaints Committee established by the Labour Party to consider the complaint against the former Mayor of Sligo, Councillor Declan Bree, will meet in the Labour Party Head Office, 17, Ely Place, Dublin 2, on this Wednesday afternoon, 21st September commencing at 3.30.p.m. Declan Bree and others from Sligo will be attending the hearing.

The complaint which was lodged by Peigin Doyle of the Sligo/Leitrim Labour Party, relates to comments made by the then Mayor Declan Bree, following a decision by seven members of Sligo Borough Council (including two Labour members) to vote down Sligo’s Traveller Accommodation Programme in February.

In an interview with the “Sligo Champion” on the 23rd February, Bree said, “The disgraceful decision to vote down the Programme compels these (traveller) families to continue living in appalling and intolerable conditions.” “How can anyone who claims to share the values of the Labour movement, or how can anyone with an ounce of compassion tolerate such a situation.”

At a Labour Party meeting in Sligo at the end of February a motion was adopted calling on Councillor Bree to apologise to the other two Labour Councillors for the comments he had made in the “Sligo Champion”. Bree refused to apologise.

In an interview with the “Sligo Champion” two weeks ago Bree said that he had no intention of apologising or withdrawing his remarks.

"I think the people of Sligo will know that hell will freeze over before I renege on my principles," Bree said.

The Labour Party Head Office Phone number is: 01-6784700
The Labour Party Head Office email address is: head_office@labour.ie