The Fine Gael councillor who resigned his position as Mayor of Naas after announcing his refusal to represent black Africans is facing calls to quit as a councillor.
Explaining why Cllr Darren Scully’s departure as mayor was “insufficient” in righting the wrongs his racist remarks have caused, Emeka Ezeani of Ceemex and Co Solicitors told Metro Éireann: “He should also resign as a councillor because he is in receipt of public funds as either salary or allowance.”
Cllr Scully, in an e-mail to 4fm last week, said he found most Africans here to be “very demanding” and “very quick to play the race card if you disagreed with their point of view”.
He repeated his racist remarks when he was challenged on Kfm’s Kildare Today following his initial comment.
“I have been met with bad manners,” he said. “I have also been played the race card: ‘Oh, you help white people but not black people.’”
He added: “I made a conscious decision earlier this year that I, myself, personally, was not going to take representations from black Africans. I will pass them on to other councillors.”
Ezeani said Cllr Scully has grossly failed in this situation. “The Constitution and laws of the Republic of Ireland frowns at discrimination on racial grounds,” he said. “He must have taken oath of office and that that oath would have been affirmative to the fact that he would discharge his duty as a councillor, treat all people equally and uphold the Constitution of the Republic of Ireland.”
Ezeani added people of African descent would have no representation if Cllr Scully remains as councillor.
“Fine Gael should ask [Cllr Scully] to do the honourable thing and resign,” he said. “The longer he stays as councillor, the more damage he does to the party. The controversy will not rest until he goes.”
Meanwhile, it emerged at press time that Cllr Scully, who works as a structural engineer with a private firm, has been suspended from his job until a disciplinary inquiry is completed.
The married father of two told the Sunday Independent last week that his livelihood was at stake.
