Shock as Sinn Féin councillor submits his letter of resignation

Thomas Lyons

Cavan political circles have been left shocked after the youngest County Council representative today announced his resignation. Sinn Féin's Eugene Greenan submitted his letter of resignation to the chief executive of Cavan County Council, Tommy Ryan after just 37 months as an elected representative.

In his statement he outlines his achievements in the last three and a half years, however he does not identify the reason for surrendering his council seat. Cllr Greenan's resignation comes into effect on Friday, June 30. He was elected to represent the Cavan – Belturbet Municipal District in the 2014 local election.

However he has left the option of representing the people of Cavan open: “My name may reappear on a ballot sheet again in the future.”

In his statement the elected representative spoke of his frustration with aspect of his time on the council: “I proposed a financial plan to allow for the reduction of the LPT [Local Property Tax] in the County and was voted down on each occasion,” but does not state his exact reason for his decision.

He added: “I am so thankful to each and every person who voted for me and everyone else who have supported me over the subsequent years. It was a tremendous honour to serve the people of Cavan - Belturbet and I feel that I have accomplished a lot during my three years.”

He also acknowledged the support of his party members: “I would also like to thank my fellow councillors and especially my three Sinn Féin colleagues.”

Cllr Greenan says that his decision is not without regret: “At the age of 30, it is difficult to know what the future holds for me politically. I will miss calling the Council and Government Ministers to account on important matters and I will miss the sense of satisfaction from helping a constituent who finds themselves in difficulty.”