By Conor Sharkey
SINN Fein has failed to find five members willing to take their seats on Strabane District Policing Partnership (DPP).
The revelation that only councillor's Ivan Barr, Claire McGill and Brian McMahon would take their places on the policing body came at a meeting of Strabane District Council on Tuesday.
On October 30, leader of the Sinn Fein council bloc Gerard Foley confidently announced that his party would be taking all five seats the party was entitled to under the d'Hondt system.
However their decision to keep the name of their five candidates under wraps until the absolute final deadline of December 4 had led to speculation that party support for the DPP was not as strong as originally envisioned.
In last week's Strabane Chronicle, we revealed that the party had only two nominees. It seems that MLA Claire McGill stepped in at the last minute.
Despite a last gasp meeting aimed at convincing other members to take the remaining two seats, speculation proved correct and it was left to councillor Brian McMahon to announce that only veteran councillor Ivan Barr, MLA Claire McGill and himself would be taking their seats when the policing body reconvenes next year.
He told a stunned council chamber: "I am disappointed that we were not able to fill the other seats, but my fellow party members are my friends and my collegues. This in no way diminishes our commitment to policing structures."
The two seats left vacant by Sinn Fein's dramatic u-turn will now be filled by DUP councillors John Donnell and Allan Bresland. This leaves three Sinn Fein, three DUP, one UPP and SDLP representative on Strabane DPP. Independent members will be elected following interviews to be held early in the new year.
Following Tuesday's meeting, it was left to Councillor and Council Chairman Gerard Foley to explain why he had failed to convince party members to take their seats.
In a brief interview with the Strabane Chronicle immediately afterwards, Mr Foley said it had been the individual choice of each councillor if they wanted to sit on the DPP.
He added that initially they thought they would be able to put five members forward, however that was no longer the case.
Asked why he had not lead by example and taken one of the seats himself, Mr Foley again reiterated that it had been his personal choice. Commenting on whether he was afraid of a backlash from his constituents in his native Clady, Mr Foley said, "I was not afraid of any repercussions."
Denying there was dischord within the ranks of Strabane Sinn Fein following the failure to fill the quota, Mr Foley added: "We are still eight councillors working towards the betterment of Strabane."
Commenting on the obvious party split over the policing issue, MP Pat Doherty said he too was disheartened by the outcome.
"Obviously there is disappointment that our party grouping on Strabane Council did not reach agreement on its full compliment of nominees to the District Policing Partnership at this time.
"Sinn Féin is fully committed to engaging with all of the policing structures.
"I am confident that right across the north we will continue to provide constructive leadership in ensuring accountable policing that serves people in the communities we represent," Mr Doherty said.
Brian McMahon said he too was disappointed and said it had been a difficult issue for his colleagues.
But he is adamant that there is no split in the council grouping and each councillor respected the other's decision, and would continue to have a harmonious working relationship.
He said tomorrow is a new day and he will be getting on with the job in hand.
"It's disappointing and awkward but tomorrow we will be getting on with the job and it won't affect the relationship of the Sinn Fein group."
He said members still had issues with policing, and whilst they may have been unhappy with the general situation it was not a 'walking away issue' for them.
