Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour, Sinn Féin, Greens, or Independent? Does it matter?
What does it mean to be independent? Is it an advantage or a disadvantage?
Well solely on financial terms it must be a disadvantage, even before one puts his/her name on the ballot paper it costs money and for some candidates quite substantial money … posters, newspaper notices and flyers, not to mention time off work to do the canvass and if one is self employed that is even a bigger burden. If the candidate is a member of a political party, the party pays.
But is it worth it to put ‘People before Party’ as one independent candidate says on his election literature.
Yes this writer thinks it is and I’ll tell you why.
As an independent councillor (or TD or Senator ) independence means the freedom to assess each issue as it arises and make a decision based on the facts before you and not vote as dictated by the party headquarters or the party whip.
There have been many examples in the past both in national and local politics where independents put people first.
One of the most famous and most successful of the independents was the late Tony Gregory. He was a man who never lost sight of his roots and the welfare of ‘his people’ was always foremost on his mind. I won’t go into all he achieved in his political career as it has already been well documented.
Remember Deputy Tom Fox in Roscommon, he saved the Roscommon General Hospital, the following election he lost his seat to Fianna Fáil, and today Roscommon General Hospital is a glorified nursing home.
Remember the late Jim Kemmy, he brought down the Fine Gael/Labour Government over tax on childrens’ clothes.
Closer to home independent TD Dr Gerry Cowley was one of the most able politicians in this part of the country and if the electorate of Mayo had made the right choice at the last election, then I feel Mayo General Hospital would have got a fairer hearing and our cancer services might not have been snatched away to a ‘centre of excellence’ in another county, but that is history and what’s done is done. Let’s hope the people of Mayo will make wiser choices in the elections facing them on June 5 and not hand their future over to political parties.
In Mayo there are several independent candidates declared for the County Council elections and each of them is worthy of serious consideration. In the Castlebar electoral area there are two declared independent candidates so far, Michael Kilcoyne, a sitting town councillor with a national profile as the consumer champion and recognised expert in employment law. Kilcoyne has the reputation of being a workaholic and 24 hour a day politician and believes in getting the job done. Not unlike the aforementioned Tony Gregory, Kilcoyne always has the welfare of ‘his people’ foremost on his mind and while his determination may irk some people this man doesn’t mind making political enemies if it means achieving what he believes ‘his people’ are entitled to.
The other candidate in the Castlebar area is well known auctioneer Frank Durcan, an experienced politician who parted ways with Fine Gael many years ago and returns to politics after a five year absence. He too is fiercely independent and has been known to upset officials with his unrelenting criticism of them and the ‘system’.
So remember when you go to vote if the candidate has Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour, Sinn Fein or Green after their name he/she has signed the party pledge to always vote in accordance with party policy and this means we, the people, come second. A candidate who has non party after his/her name is just that … not a member of any party, so WE come first. So I know how I’ll be voting on June 5, I’ll vote for those who put the people first. “Democracy is a very fragile flower, guard it and guard it well”.
