Bizarre Row ??????????????

Wednesday April 29 2009

A BIZARRE ROW over membership of an animal welfare organisation has erupted between Town Council election rivals Colin Webb and Ger Walsh.

Independent candidate Walsh, who received just 20 votes in the last election, lists 'Member of the NWSPCA Gorey' as part of the calling card he is currently handing out as he bids for a better showing this time round. Fine Gael's Councillor Webb, who also serves as Chairman of the NWSPCA, says this is a complete falsehood and that Walsh is not, nor has he ever been, a member of the society.

'The North Wexford Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals would like to make it clear that Mr. Walsh is not a member or never has been a member of their Society. The animal welfare organisation has written to Mr. Walsh asking him to withdraw his current canvas card and anyone who has received the cards should be informed that the Society has absolutely no connection to this person,' he said in a statement issued on Friday.

Walsh angrily countered however that he was a member of the society in 2005, 2006 and 2007, and said he could produce copies of cheques written to the society for membership fees. 'I was a member and regularly went to meetings,' he claimed.

He accepted however that he is not currently amember of the society, but insisted that listing 'member of NWSPCA Gorey' on his card should not be taken to mean that he is. 'I was a member in the past, and that's what it means,' he said by way of explanation.

Asked then if other listings on the card, such as 'member of RNLI Dublin' and 'member of Focus Ireland Dublin', might also only refer to past rather than current involvement, he replied 'I contribute to the RNLI and to Focus Ireland, but I'm not an active member.'

Cllr Webb contends he has never been an active member of the NWSPCA either. 'If he says he wrote cheques for membership, then I can say we never got them and we certainly didn't cash them or lodge them,' he said.

He added that the society had sent a letter to Walsh that morning, asking him to withdraw his current canvas card.