Naughten: ‘People want strong local reps’

It took poll-topper Denis Naughten five elections and a third different constituency to win the vote of the people as an independent.

And it was all the more sweet for him as a result, admitted the former Fine Gael TD, who polled 2,515 first preference votes over the quota in this newly formed Roscommon-Galway constituency.

“People are sick and tired of being taken for granted – that this is a Fianna Fáil house, that is a Fine Gael house – young and old people want a change, they want strong individual TDs who are going to fight for their area,” he insisted, minutes after his election.

“Whichever TD comes out, we will work together on a non-partisan basis for the betterment of the constituency rather than the age old practice of criticising each other. We cannot deliver for this constituency if we bicker among ourselves.”

Deputy Naughten said he was particularly heartened at the phenomenal vote he won from the Galway side of the electorate, having won election previously in Roscommon-Longford and Roscommon-Leitrim.

“I didn’t want to be seen as a Roscommon candidate. The people of East Galway felt abandoned in this constituency. I’ve always reiterated whoever’s elected represented both parts of the constituency, after all Ballinasloe is the economic driver of the region and we have an awful lot in common in terms of pressure on our health services and the need to shore up Portiuncla Hospital and improve the ambulance service.”

A TD since 1997, Deputy Naughten declared himself willing to talk to anyone to do business as part of the next government and said he was ruling no party out.

After fellow independent is elected – on the second or possibly third count – he said it was too close to call for the third seat.

“My vote came from everywhere – some of it from the traditional Fianna Fáil heartland, some of it the Fine Gael heartland, so it will scatter back there.