A COUNCILLOR FROM Meath has been helping grit the roads around his county – going against the advice of the local authority.
Doing this, Fine Gael’s Paddy Meade has been advised by the local authority that he is liable for claims arising in areas he has been involved in gritting.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Meade defended his actions, saying:
I can’t find anyone to claim responsibility for the roads being blocked. Too often in politics nobody takes responisbility. If it takes me being liable, it is a cost I am willing to take.
The councillor has been taking the grit from a council depot in Navan. While he has not undertaken to grit the roads himself, he has provided grit to those who need it.
Meade said he had taken the action as the local council were short staffed and unable to deliver grit to all the parts of the county that needed it. He noted one incident where a local farmer had taken it upon himself to grit a section on the N2.
It is thought that Meade may contest Meath East in the next general election. On whether he thought the action would benefit his election chances, Meade said:
The people of Meath of course support this. I will receive bad press for doing this though. This is by no means good publicity for me – it is something that I am doing for the people of Meath.
Meade is one of 23 councillors who are receiving special training from Fine Gael with a view to some of them being selected to run in the next general election. Meade is considered a contender in Meath East where the party currently has two sitting TDs.
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