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.