Edition Bobbett2. Speeches and statements by Elizabeth F. Bobbett

1955 Ashford, County Council Elections

Source: Wicklow People, 04.06.1955

Miss Bobbett said the object of that meeting was to awaken interest in the necessity for having representatives of the farmers and ratepayers on the councils, and to stress the difficulty there was in securing such representation, for the dice was loaded against them. They had a great many people today with votes who were not ratepayers and they had well-organised political parties supporting their own candidates. If they wanted to have their own representatives on the Council they would have to do a lot between now and the election day on June 30th, and would have to stir up an interest amongst their neighbours. She gratefully acknowledged the nice things said of her as to her ability on upholding their cause. For twenty years she had been serving the farmers of the county and of Ireland. Big or small, she was out for a fair deal for all farmers, and for the man in the cottage or in business.

Referring to criticism which was levelled against the councillors about roads, she paid tribute to the manner in which the County Manager co-operated with them and met them in all matters, but it was only roads about which councillors could do anything in order to keep down the rates. The position was all the more difficult because at almost every meeting they had deputations asking for better roads, for water and sewerage systems, for lighting and other things. The County Engineer had devised a scheme by which to ensure that no farmer would be more than half a mile from a well-surfaced road, and the engineering staff had done a great amount of work on roads within the past few years. If everybody’s bit of road had not yet been [[?]], but it was because of the difficulty they had in dealing with grants received as the Department laid down certain conditions, for the spending of the grants. Instead of legislating for 16-foot wide county roads, she had carried her point at the General Council of County Councils with which the Minister was in sympathy to cut red tape regulations in spending of this money on county roads. They would all agree that what they wanted was to get a good surface on the county roads rather than make them 16f foot wide. Emphasising that she was an independent candidate, she regretted the introduction of so much politics into local government affairs, but at the same time pointed out that Wicklow County Council gave co-operation and attention to affairs, irrespective of party. They often found members voting in direct opposition to their party. A lot of expenditure had been handed down to them under the Health Act and she feared it was going to be one of their biggest headaches in the future. Housing was another. That problem had been largely straightened out now, but unfortunately it was impossible to have houses erected that could be let at rents which could be paid by the agricultural worker, and, therefore, the houses had to be subsidised from rates. For her part she had hardly missed a meeting of the Council for the five years she was a member. Instead of holding public meetings she asked them to concentrate on canvassing and the issuing of effective advertisements. She asked them that night to set up a working committee for the area. If elected, and no matter what party was in power, she assured them she would continue to fight for what was right.