Keogan apologises for any offence caused by post calling for discussion on mircochipping kids with special needs
Independent Meath East general election candidate Sharon Keogan has apologised for any offence caused by a post she put up on social media last year asking if children with special needs who have poor ability to communicate should be microchipped with GPS?
The post which was uploaded to the Duleek councillor's facebook channel last August was resurrected last night and has caused a wave of controversy forcing her to issue a statement on the matter claiming the post had been edited and taken out of context.
Cllr Keogan said that the post which was accompanied by a picture of tragic teenager Nora Quoirin who went missing whille on holiday in Malaysia and whose body was found in the jungle some days later - was posted to "open a dialogue to a wider audience in light of what had happened to Nora."
"In August 2019, a father of a child with special needs who is non verbal, contacted me to ask if I would post a topic for discussion on my facebook page. He was distraught following the disappearance of Nora Quoirin, as his child goes missing regularly. He asked if I would open a dialogue to a wider audience in light of what had happened to Nora. He asked if I would post the following question on my page "should children with special needs who have poor ability to communicate be microchipped with GPS?"
"Unfortunately, this week an edited version of the post from 6 months ago emerged and was shared on social media. The post was taken out of context.
"I understand this is a very sensitive subject and I am sorry if the post has caused offence. My intention was to support a member of the community who asked for my help. I have supported this family and their child since he was 3 years of age. I would never do anything to intentionally offend. Anyone who knows me and my work knows that I work hard for the community and will always give a voice to people who ask me to.
Cllr Keogan is running as an Independent candidate in Meath East on the back of her success in last May's local elections where historically she won two seats, one in Laytown Bettystown and the other in Ashbourne.
The post Cllr Keogan claims she posted last August.
The post Cllr Keogan says was edited and taken out of context
Ms Keogan sought to defend the post in an interview with Michael Reade on LMFM on Wednesday morning.
She said: “I basically have used my position to verbalise the distraught father who basically wanted the issue discussed in a public forum and use me as a vessel to do that and I am sorry if that has offended people.
"It certainly wasn’t my intention to ever ever set out to offend people.”