Libertas chairman Declan Ganley has accused the Government of “betraying the Irish people” during the course of a St Patrick’s Day campaign tour through Co Mayo.
Mr Ganley, who is contesting the Ireland North-West constituency in June’s European elections highlighted what he said was the “ironic symmetry” of Brian Cowen’s trip to the European Summit in Brussels later this week, during which the Taoiseach is expected to brief EU leaders on plans for a second referendum.
“I find it deeply ironic that in the week when Irish people around the world celebrate their hard-won independence and freedom, our Taoiseach is taking a breather from his mismanagement of the Irish economy to go to Brussels and sell the Irish people to the highest bidder,” Mr Ganley said.
“In Mayo, and across the country, people are suffering. They need leadership that is committed to putting money back in their pockets, not lifting ever more out. They need a government that is committed to making Ireland as distinctive and attractive as possible economically, not a government whose highest political priority is to hand away over 60 areas of national sovereignty and further undermine our ability to be distinctive and competetive.”
Mr Ganley resumed his criticism of Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins, who he said was “out of touch and out of ideas”. “Instead of telling the Irish people what’s going on in Brussels, Jim’s priority seems to be making life more comfortable for himself. He’s become so out of touch that in a time when this region is shedding thousands of jobs a week and families are facing higher taxation, Jim Higgins thinks it’s perfectly OK to use €9.2 million of his constituent’s money to build a swimming pool for himself and his friends. In fact, Jim Higgins thinks that little facts like that about his record are ‘trivia’. If the people of the west of Ireland grant me the honour of representing them in Brussels, my record will be a very different one to that of Mr. Higgins”.
Mr Ganley’s tour of Mayo began on Achill Island and included visits to Westport where Mr Ganley met with town council chairman Martin Keane, and also included a visit to Croagh Patrick where he presented Pat Kerins of the Autism seven-day challenge with a donation towards the organisation’s fundraising efforts. Mr Ganley’s day concluded with appearances with supporters at the Castlebar and Ballina St Patrick’s Day parades, before he met a group of about 80 supporters in Ballina.
