Galway West
Fine Gael sets out its stall
Fine Gael’s three-strong ticket for Galway West/South Mayo formally lodged their papers this week – and promised to deliver for the west.
And as Senator Hildegarde Naughton, John O’Mahony TD and Sean Kyne TD were handing in their papers, Constituency Chairman and Director of Elections, Enda Howley claimed that the party was ‘in a strong position to retain two seats’.
“For Fine Gael to accomplish the challenge of retaining our two seats we will require very strong transfers between each of the candidates, in what will be a highly competitive race both internally between our three candidates and across all parties,” he said, speaking at the official media launch.
“Unemployment in Galway has fallen over 24% since 2012, and we must build on that trend over the coming years, so we have the resources to invest in better public services and improve everyone’s quality of life.
“The challenge of securing the recovery here in Galway is contingent on a stable government and a strong Dail representation within any new administration. We must continue to attract more high quality job announcements and increased investment in the City and County which will spread the recovery to all sectors of society.
“If we jeopardise the recovery and job creation, then we will rapidly return to the crisis where we again lose control of our nations finances. Other parties will outline vast amounts of spending promises, but hardly any can show the evidence of how that spending can be sustained,” he added.
After the media launch, each of the candidates were formally nominated in Galway Court House with the Galway West & South Mayo Returning Officer Marian Chambers Higgins.
With half of the boxes in Galway City West tallied, the state of play in the six-seater is:
Donal Lyons (Ind) 23%
Pauline O’Reilly (Greens) 14.75%
Niall McNelis (Lab) 11.89%
John Connolly (FF) 9.86%
Pearce Flannery (FG) 9.48%
Peter Keane (FF) 7.3%
John Crowley (Soc Dems) 6.3%
Clodagh Higgins (FG) 5.9%
Salthill and Taylor’s Hill boxes being tallied now
There is a tired old cliché about people singing from ‘the same hymn sheet’ – but despite their diverse political backgrounds, it could certainly be applied in the case of Galway city’s two new TDs.
Because Fine Gael’s Deputy Hildegarde Naughten and independent TD Catherine Connolly hold common ground when it comes to a lot of issues relating to Galway city.
For example, in the aftermath of the general election they both agreed that University Hospital Galway should be moved to a greenfield site at Merlin Park. They also articulated this view on the first day of the new Dail last week.
And, separately, they were both in favour of the provision of dedicated bus lanes throughout Galway city with the acceptance that there will be no outer bypass for at least another decade. Deputy Connolly believes that the current proposal is simply “a cul-de-sac” and should never have been progressed.
Left-leaning Independent TD Catherine Connolly and right-leaning Fine Gael TD, Hildegarde Naughton, both believe UHG is at saturation point and are committed to the development of a new public hospital at the larger, more accessible site east of the city.
This, along with the promotion of public transport initiatives to help end traffic chaos in the city, is one of the common policy objectives the two new women TDs share.
They are only the second and third women TDs ever in Galway West, following in the footsteps of former Fianna Fáil minister, Máire Geoghegan Quinn.
Pressure is mounting on Galway West TD Noel Grealish to join Fianna Fail as the party attempts to be part of the next government.
The Fianna Fail organisation in the constituency are now convinced that Grealish may provide the party with the answer to winning a second seat in Galway West. And the organisation are disappointed that veteran TD Eamon O Cuiv has not delivered a second seat in the last two general elections. If Fianna Fail assume power, it is very unlikely that the Cornamona man will have a place at the front bench.
The party organisation in Galway West are now anxious that Grealish becomes part of their fabric and particularly as he is a proven vote-winner.
Grealish is part of an unofficial grouping in the Dail who are currently engaged with the two major parties with a view to forming a minority government.
The fact that the Carnmore man has been a TD since 2002, it is likely that he could be part of the front bench in the next government if he agrees to become part of the support that Fianna Fail require.
It was revealed last week that he had been approached by Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin to join up but he was not to be drawn on the issue.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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