During the launch in the Castlecourt Hotel last Friday of the three Westport area Fine Gael candidates running for the county election, Michael Ring TD told those present that it would not be long before Mayo has a taoiseach and perhaps a job for himself along the way.
Deputy Ring said that the message for the forthcoming county council elections is “very simple” in that Fine Gael is going for three seats with sitting councillors Austin Francis O’Malley, John O’Malley, and town councillor Peter Flynn contending. Dep Ring said that with the three candidates intending to win all three seats, it would be a stepping stone in the right direction for winning the next General Election.
A very irate Cllr Austin O’Malley lambasted the lack of money from the Government for water schemes in the area, with many homes served by substandard water supplies, and also criticised health cutbacks and the two tiered system for those who “have a medical card or those with money in their pockets”. Cllr O’Malley said that unlike Fianna Fáil politicians he does not make unattainable promises about what he will achieve but will try his best to deliver, and stands over his previous record.
Carrowholly based John O’Malley criticised the way that farmers are being treated by the Government and the “worst Minister for Agriculture” in the history of the State, with problems prevalent in the dairy and lamb sectors and in relation to farmers’ grants. Cllr O’Malley also condemned the greed of large supermarkets which make large profits on the backs of producers. The councillor also asked whether the Minister for the Environment, Heritage, and Local Government, John Gormley, was “a lunatic or dictator,” and said that the County Development Plan was not the plan of the councillors but it was Minister Gormley who was “calling the shots”.
Cllr O’Malley also denounced the millions of euro which has been culled from the roads fund in the past eight weeks, with the council now having to redo its roadworks programme, which showed the “work of a mismanaged government”.
Cllr Flynn, living in Westport town, said that his priorities would be for Mayo County Council to address the disastrous figures on the live register and attract new business to the county, through highlighting the county’s positive attributes such as the young, educated, workforce, IWAK, and the extending ESB and gas infrastructure. Cllr Flynn also noted that the tourism industry in the county needs to be maintained and expanded and can be broadened through the continuation of creating Mayo as the walking capital of Ireland. The councillor said that he would seek out the improvement of community and recreation facilities in Mayo and also push for broadband and to make the N5 Westport to Castlebar a priority.
Commenting on Dara Calleary’s ministerial promotion, Dep Ring said that it was a disgrace that there had been no minister from Mayo for 10 to 15 years, but said that there was no doubt that Mayo will have a taoiseach in the near future. Dep Ring added that there may be an element out there that do not want a Taoiseach from the west but Fine Gael is ready and able to lead the country.
