A Social Democrats Councillor has resigned his position on Kildare County Council – citing the “unsustainable” and “unmanageable” demands of the role.
Cllr Peter Melrose, who was first elected to the Maynooth electoral area in 2024, said proposed local Government reform measures will not bring the improvements needed to help councillors.
He is the third Social Democrats councillor in Kildare to resign their seat or quit the party since the last local elections.
Naas Cllr Bill Clear left the party in 2024 after losing at the party’s Kildare North selection convention for the General Election, where he subsequently ran as an Independent.
In 2025, he joined Independent Ireland.
Kildare Cllr Pat Balfe quit the party in February – only to join the Labour Party earlier this month.
In a post on Instagram, Mr. Melrose said: “Representing the people of Kildare has been an honour and a privilege. However, over time, the volume of work and the ever-increasing demands placed on local representatives have grown to an unsustainable level.”
“Balancing the caseload, late evenings and weekend meetings, and council commitments and deadlines with my professional life as a primary school teacher, and family life as a husband and father, has become an unmanageable challenge,” he said.
“The role of a local councillor has evolved significantly, and fundamental, systemic reforms are needed to make local democracy work better for communities.
“Councillors need greater decision-making powers, more oversight on executive actions and a remuneration that reflects the fulltime nature of the role,” he said.
Adding: “Current proposed local Government reform measures will not bring the improvements that are desperately needed. I hope that meaningful changes can be made to support future local representatives”, said the first-time councillor.
He said he was proud to be part of “the SocDems team in Kildare North” and that he would continue to support Maynooth and Kildare in every way he could.
Kildare North is historically important for the Social Democrats – having been the constituency of party co-founder Catherine Murphy.
Aidan Farrelly represents the party as TD for Kildare North while it might be well positioned to challenge for a seat in the adjoining Kildare South at the next General Election.
The party is now the fourth largest party on Kildare County Council behind Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Labour Party.
It will co-opt someone to fill Mr Melrose’s place in the coming weeks.
Mr Melrose is the second Cllr to resign their position in Kildare in the last twelve months following the departure of Fine Gael’s Lumi Panaite Fahey last November, also citing work commitments.