Green Party’s Steven Matthews and Erika Doyle, Steven’s wife and his General Election 2020 campaign manager

This morning.

Via Independent.ie:

Wicklow TD Steven Matthews was forced to give up his council seat after he was elected to the Dáil.

But now his wife, Erika Doyle, has been co-opted to replace him on Wicklow County Council…

“The Green Party is a fully democratic party,” she said, before adding: “People are not appointed because of who they know and I wasn’t appointed.

I was selected, I was nominated and a full process was gone through and the Green Party members in Wicklow believe I am capable to represent them.”

‘I was transparently selected’: Green TD’s council seat is taken by his wife (Independent.ie)

Journalist Erika Doyle To Replace Green Party’s Steven Matthews On Wicklow County Council (Wicklow Now)

Pic via Wicklow People

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19 thoughts on “Take My Wife

  1. ReproBertie

    Absolutely. Who could resist that €17,060 salary? Then there’s the €5,000 vouched expenses and the between €2,286 and €2,667 un-vouched expenses? And all they have to do for this just under €25K is be at the electorates beck and call 24/7.

    Looking forward to seeing the same scrutiny applied to all those co-opted to councils.

    1. Brother Barnabas

      24/7? it’s part time at best

      and let’s wait to see who his parliamentary assistant is… wouldn’t be a complete shocker to discover it’s her

        1. ReproBertie

          I don’t have the figures to say that most do but I know many do. Having a full time job doesn’t stop people contacting councillors at all hours of the day and night.

        2. newjustin

          Anyone actively in the job market can’t really consider being a councillor….or can’t tell prospective employers that they are. So you don’t get many young people – apart from those who can afford it or are gambling on being a big timer in the Dáil.

          So you get mature people in secure self employment doing it on the side.

          1. Brother Barnabas

            not just secure self employment ?

            my cursory research over course of c. 40 seconds indicates that a lot of them are school teachers

        3. V

          Repro is right
          a good Co Councillor doesn’t get a minute’s peace, and eff all gratitude for the work or the results they achieve for every bit of patch in their Council Ward area.
          And those that do get re-elected handily enough have earned every one of those votes I promise ye.

          I personally wouldn’t have the patience for it, and that’s saying something since I do an average 25 hours a week for the Cooperative / CU moment, which could be combined over whole weekends, that get sandwiched between one weeks work and the next.
          Like I haven’t had a Saturday off since the New Year, with pretty much no thanks.

          So its not about the money for an honest grafter / activist tbh

  2. Madam X

    What’s wrong with giving the wife a leg up ? A reward for her hard work getting him elected. Sure FF would be proud of them when he props up Martin. God forbid. Political opportunists par excellence . Ah maybe political whores better description

    1. Rob_G

      He won a seat in the Dáil – when a councillor is elected to the Dáil. their council seat goes to replacement of their party’s choosing.

  3. Spaghetti Hoop

    What if he was elected based on his experience and education? In this case planning, environment, transport and local government. She’s a journo. I don’t think this it right at all to confer your appointment to your spouse who didn’t run for the nomination. I thought we were trying to stamp out nepotism.

    1. ReproBertie

      Every councillor elected to the Dáil is replaced by someone co-opted by the party. If this went through the full process and was approved by the party then how is it nepotism?

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