The new faces of local democracy: Sinn Féin councillor and school principal reflects on first year in politics
“I was unprepared for feeling shame and embarrassment at being a councillor,” a Sinn Féin councillor for Meath has said.
During last year’s local elections, school principal Maria White, who now represents the Bettystown/Laytown district, was elected for the first time.
“Shame when I read about corruption by some councillors and embarrassment that we may all be perceived to be incompetent,” Cllr White continued.
“A lot of social media comments tar all councillors with the same brush, and I totally get it. However, nothing could be further from the truth and it is as frustrating for honest, hardworking councillors as it is for the public when stories of yet more corruption in the political realm emerge.”
Since being elected, Cllr White said balancing the role of a councillor and a school principal has been a challenge.
“Juggling working full-time, looking after myself, my family and my relationships and being a councillor is a challenge, but I have had to work on becoming less sensitive to comments or digs by other political representatives without becoming desensitised,” she said.
“It has been challenging for me to see first-hand the way some women in politics treat other women in politics. It is very disappointing and something I was unprepared for.”
For Cllr White, politics was never part of a grand career plan. She was already active in her community long before she considered running for office.
“I was already very involved in my community and felt I might be able to achieve more on local issues as a councillor,” she said.
“I have a greater understanding now of how politics permeates basically every aspect of our lives, and so with that knowledge I wanted to see if I could have a greater impact as an elected representative.”
“I also realised politics needs good hardworking people, who do not come from political backgrounds, who have real life experience and are open to listening to all voices, especially those who are or feel excluded from the political arena, so I had a good talk with myself and decided I would put myself forward to do this.”
Cllr White was the only Sinn Féin candidate to be elected to the Laytown/Bettystown area. She received 1,059 first preference votes.
She said one of the reasons why she joined politics was to represent the community and not speak for them.
“It was about representing the community in general. Not speaking for the community, but ensuring the real needs and wishes of the community are the driving force going forward rather than decisions being made by council members that may be well-intentioned but sometimes ill-advised.”
Cllr White added, “As a school leader I understand the importance of developing the leadership capacity of others, and this I believe we should strive to do in our communities also.”
“I come from a working-class background, a class not often represented at the decision-making table in politics. I am so proud of my roots; I was not handpicked, I am not from a political dynasty. I understand what it is like to feel voiceless, to feel alienated from systems and structures set up to maintain the status quo. These experiences mean I am unwavering in my commitment to empower people and communities.”
“Inclusion to me is about everyone, all backgrounds, all religions and none, all abilities, all ages, feeling like they belong in society, that they have a voice, and they are listened to. It is about listening to people in a non-judgemental way. I understand influential people have their voices heard already in the political sphere, so I must ensure those who do not have that influence have their concerns and issues raised and addressed.”
Looking ahead, Cllr White said a community centre is “essential” for the rapid population growth in the area.
“This is something I will continue to push for with the development of Laytown Park,” she said.
“Road safety is an issue that comes up over and over again. Pedestrian crossings and traffic calming measures are required throughout the district, and I will continue to put forward motions in this regard.”
“We also need an increase in affordable housing across the entire country. The housing crisis is having a devastating impact on all of our society at this stage, and affordable housing needs to be prioritised.”
“As I have been doing, I will continue to ensure flood risk and coastal erosion measures are implemented and will push for greater support for the conservation of the SAC along the coast.”
When asked about her assessment of Meath County Council’s effectiveness, she said:
“Firstly, it is not my job to defend Meath County Council; that is not what I was elected to do. I manage an organisation, so I understand the culture of an organisation is a key factor in how effective it is.”
“There is a particular culture in council, as in every organisation, and having observed it for over a year now I see there are definite areas for improvement, both with the council itself and how councillors engage with council.”
“There is a perception that those councillors who do not challenge, question, or hold council to account as much as others may receive more preferential treatment in ways. While there are highly effective individuals at all levels in the organisation, I believe the organisation as a whole has work to do in increasing its effectiveness in getting things done.”
Recently, Cllr White was part of the production of a booklet on setting up a residents’ association, a resource for communities as a result of one of her motions, she said.
“I also had a motion passed on setting up a taskforce on homelessness, and whilst I am proud of that, I am disappointed with the pace in relation to action on this.”
“I have been working with multiple residents’ associations in relation to issues dealing with council regarding the enforcement of planning conditions on developers… I am blown away with the amount of volunteerism in this area. People are so generous with their time and energy.”
As for the future, she doesn’t see herself as a career politician.
“I am not a career politician, and it still surprises me that I am doing this and that I actually ran in a general election… I will continue doing what I am doing until I feel I am no longer doing a good job… When it is time to hang up my boots, hopefully I will come to that awareness myself before the public boot me out,” she said.