Mayo councillor had to install CCTV due to threats
Cllr Michael Burke
A long-serving Mayo councillor had to install CCTV at his home after threats were made against him.
Acting on Garda advice, Ballinrobe-based councillor Michael Burke installed cameras at his home and availed of the security allowance available to councillors.
There is a maximum-security allowance of €10,000 that can be drawn down by county councillors with Cllr Burke receiving €9,972.11 from Mayo County Council to install a security system. His actions came after a threat was made against his home two years ago.
Cllr Burke said he received personal abuse after Ballinrobe became the centre of protests in 2024 over plans to house 50 male international protection applicants at a property in the town.
Cllr Burke said he is proud that he helped to resolve that situation but was the subject of threats to both his home and his auctioneering business in Ballinrobe.
“A fella did tell me he would burn my house. Another day he told me he would put in the windows of the shop,” the Fine Gael councillor told the .
“I can take it but I don’t like my family becoming involved,” he added.
Cllr Burke said he understands he is a person in the public eye but stated he will continue to be firm on law and order in his area.
“If anyone breaks the law, they should be subject to the full rigours of the justice system,” he commented.
Cllr Burke said he has since been contacted by other councillors who are considering similar measures.
Last year, Cllr Burke’s Fine Gael colleague Senator Mark Duffy availed of a security allowance of just over €1,000 following incidents outside his Ballina home.
Cllr Burke said he is concerned that legitimate protests now “seem to be hijacked” by outside elements with a certain agenda.
He said the current climate makes politics an “unwelcome environment” for potential new candidates.
“It’s the world we live in. They can almost say anything and don’t have to answer to anyone,” said Cllr Burke.
Cllr Burke is one of the longest serving members of Mayo County Council, having first become a member of the local authority in the 1990s.
