Galway West
Green candidate wants to be voice of the SMEs
The Green Party election candidate in Galway West says he can be the voice of small and medium businesses in the Dáil.
And cheesemonger Seamus Sheridan says it is “nonsense” the perception that the Greens are anti-farmers. “I am the farmers’ friend,” he insisted.
Mr Sheridan added: “I am the only one of the 19 candidates in Galway West who deals with farmers and producers from up and down this country on a daily basis. It suits the IFA to demonise the Greens but the fact is that right across Europe small farmers are voting for Greens in huge numbers. Who is the head of the small farmers’ union in the EU? It is Green MEP Jose Bove.”
Mr Sheridan says he deals with 450 small farmers and producers weekly, through his famous cheese shop and business.
A Dubliner, he arrived in Galway in 1994, and set up a stall in Galway Market 23 years ago, a business that has expanded to four shops in Galway, Dublin, Meath and Waterford, as well as a thriving export business for Sheridan’s brown bread crackers.
“Not only have I survived the recession but I’ve grown my staff from 50 to 100 people during the worst economic crisis,” he said.
He would use this business acumen in the Dáil to help build a “robust and resilient” economy into the future, he said.
“Labour is concentrating too much on the public service and Fine Gael has diverted attention towards the big multi-nationals. We do need foreign direct investment from the multi-nationals. but we cannot ignore the value of Galway’s indigenous small and medium shops and businesses,” he said.
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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