New Minister vows to be voice for the west

Galway’s new so-called ‘super junior’ Minister, Hildegarde Naughton has vowed to be a strong voice at the Cabinet table, standing up for the West of Ireland – and advocating for the Galway City Ring Road and a new hospital.

One of Fine Gael’s key negotiators in the Programme for Government talks, the incoming Minister of State attending Cabinet with responsibility for International and Road Transport and Logistics said she fought hard to ensure the West’s interests were reflected in the final document agreed with Fianna Fáil and Green Party.

And she said she would use her influence as Minister to ensure the Government delivered for the West – including the controversial bypass, and progressing a new elective hospital in Galway.

“I will have a strong voice for the West, but also as someone who sits at Cabinet you have to speak for the whole of the country,” said Minister Naughton, a Fine Gael TD in Galway West since 2016.

She dismissed criticism that the new Cabinet was lopsided against the West, and despite not being a senior minister with a vote at Cabinet, vowed to use her voice to deliver for the region.

“There are no votes taken at Cabinet, decisions are made through consensus. But look at the Programme for Government, and I was part of those negotiations, and worked very hard to ensure the West was represented in that, with a new elective hospital for Galway, for the West and North West,” she said.

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