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WHEN THE VOTERS in the Longford-Westmeath constituency go to the polls this Friday, they will not only decide who represents them on the council and in Europe.
They will also be picking their fourth Dáil representative in a by-election that was called just weeks ago, following the death of Fine Gael TD Nicky McFadden in March 2014. The short time-frame means that the election campaign has been dominated by the national news cycle with issues like jobs, water charges and the economy topping the agenda.
But what are the local issues for these voters and which potential TD is aiming to solve them?
Fine Gael: Gabrielle McFadden (Nicky McFadden’s sister)
Fianna Fáil: Aengus O’Rourke
Sinn Féin: Paul Hogan
Labour Party: Denis Leonard
Independents/Others:
- John McNamara
- Donal Jackson
- Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran
- Brian Fagan
- James Morgan
Population: 116,802
Electorate size: 85,918.
Turnout in the 2011 general election: 67.7 per cent.
Sitting TDS:
- Labour Party’s Willie Penrose
- Fine Gael’s James Bannon
- Fianna Fáil’s Robert Troy
Obviously, the common issues that matter to voters all across the country, like unemployment, emigration, water charges and the general state of the economy, are on the minds of the constituents of Longford and Westmeath.
The 4th Western Brigade
However local media said one of the biggest topics of contention for the people of Westmeath is the decision to close the Custume Barracks. In June 2012, it was announced that the 4th Western Brigade, which was headquartered in Athlone would be abolished, though the 1,000 jobs would be retained elsewhere.
At the time, the Westmeath Independent reported outrage from local politicians who said the move would still mean job losses in the area and would hurt the local economy. Micheál Martin even pledged to restore the 4th Western Brigade once his party gets back into power recently.
Columb Barracks in Mullingar were also closed during the term of this government and these decisions were discussed at length in a candidate debate on local radio station Shannonside.
John McNamara, who is running as an independent candidate, told TheJournal.ie that as a retired army officer, this has been a big part of his campaign.
“I’ve been talking to the guys and there’s a lot of emotion there,” he said. “So I have to be vocal for them because they don’t have a voice.”
Businesses, garda stations and windfarms
A reduction in the number of IDA site visits in Westmeath has also been raised by opposition candidates, according to the Deputy Editor of the Independent, Karen Downey.
Fianna Fáil’s Aengus O’Rourke told TheJournal.ie that as a business owner himself in Athlone, he knows first-hand the pressures that small firms in the area are dealing with on a daily basis.
“I have seen the power of businesses working together, pulling together and promoting together – rather than SME’s trying to individually find their own way a new emphasis and support structure around promoting cooperation,” he said.
Rodney Farry, who is a journalist at the Westmeath Examiner, said that the north of the county has seen a lot of talk about wind farms.
“Lots of candidates are getting asked about that, especially in certain areas that are earmarked for development,” he said.
Local media also said people in Westmeath are concerned about diminished garda numbers in the area – though this is a something that is being seen all across the country, particularly in rural areas.
There’s only one Longford candidate – that’s the problem
In Longford, the main issue for voters is the geography of the election itself, according to News Editor at the Longford Leader, Alan Walsh.
With six of the candidates based in Athlone, one in Mullingar and just one in Longford, voters in that county are feeling underrepresented.
“People were annoyed, with Fianna Fáil in particular, that there were candidates here prepared to put their names forward but the parties decided to go with a one candidate strategy,” Walsh said. People in the county have now started referring to the election as the ‘Athlone By-Election’.
For the 85,000 plus voters in this constituency, there are now five days to decide who they think will sort out these local issues for them and who will best represent them on the national issues in the Dáil.
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Good start, now have the religious orders pay compensation.
@FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: by liquidating all their assets. All of them!
If the Pope is genuinely sorry he would order dioceses across the world to stop dragging their feet and stonewalling and fighting compensation cases. Very little has changed in the Catholic hierarchy in the last few decades except that they’ve gotten better at P. R.
@Gerry McCaughey: 100% if they cared so much the vaults of gold would be emptied in restitution. Words have no meaning. Action is needed.
@Gerry McCaughey: he isn’t genuinely sorry
@Gerry McCaughey: I could be wrong but I think he has asked for that but is getting stop at ever turn,same here in Ireland with bishop Martin, could be wrong but think they genuinely want change.
Unbelievably corrupt organisation.
Where was the Canadian Government? It abandoned the indigenous people and their rights as a colonial power. The State has much to apologise for as well.
@feargal de cantuin: this article is about the catholic church’s role. The state have apologized and have started reparations. Will possibly never be enough but the Pope had to make an apology on behalf on the festering moral cesspit that was his church in the 20th century and before.
Unreal what happened to the indigenous people. Very like tuam.
What a terrible read. Centuries of abuse the article says and they still want to accept the popes self-invitation to visit and repeat his hollow apologies. They should should be refusing to host him, demanding more financial compensation and questioning in what other territories is the Catholic Church committing similar crimes today?
“I ask for God’s forgiveness for the deplorable conduct of these members of the Catholic Church,” – Gods representative on earth asking God for forgiveness for the actions of hundreds of Gods followers!, ya couldn’t make it up.
No apologies are enough anymore. I know religion is a comfort to many people. The Catholic church is no longer part of that. They are inexcusable.
@Daftbit Jelly: If you go back to the first organised societies, especially to Sumeria 5000 years ago, it’s easy to see how what we think of as religion came about. It wasn’t until about 1700 years ago that the Romans weaponised mono-theism. Religion may be a comfort, the same way that a fix of heroin is to an addict, but look at the destruction both bring with them.
I’m indigenous Canadian, an adoptee from the era of the Sixties Scoop, another method of taking chuldren from their families and stripping them of their language, culture and heritage. Also supported by this church. I also have family members directly impacted by the abuse that went on in the schools. I’m not sure what to make of this apology. It doesn’t give back the silenced languages. It doesn’t revive dead customs and traditions. It doesn’t restore the lost history and knowledge. The apology doesn’t heal the trauma and pain of surviving this abuse. Or the grief for those who didn’t. It does nothing to staunch the epidemic of suicide amongst indigenous youth. For an apology to be sincere, it must involve action. Otherwise its just words. Meaningless words at that.
An apology,makes everything all better
@David Nolan: Nobody said that but even in our country you see people want apology,let’s take responsibility first and then we can take punishment.
@David Nolan: what should he do?
He apologised to people in Ireland as well but the church here still refuses to pay the agreed monies to the state for the redress paid out so apologies like that are meaningless.
have your say