Those were the words of Deputy Michelle Mulherin when she addressed the members of the Ballina branch of Young Fine Gael at its recent AGM. The members, whose age range is from 15 to 30 years, were given an address on a number of local and national issues by Deputy Mulherin. In particular, she noted that the economic outlook was promising and that the future prospects for school-leavers and graduates were good. Local Fine Gael councillors John O’Hara, Eddie Staunton and Seamus Weir updated the branch members on a number of local issues.
Dep Mulherin told the members: “In the two years since the General Election, the country has moved from having a disaster-prone government, led by Fianna Fáil, to one that has been lauded around the world for the decisions it is making. I am in regular contact with leaders from industry at home and abroad and I get frequent updates from the management of multinational companies based here in Mayo. Two clear messages are coming from them: Firstly, that the Government is making the right decisions and secondly, this is being noticed in boardrooms worldwide. When corporations decide where investments are to be made, they want to be sure that they locate their facilities in countries that have a stable government, where there is a well-educated workforce with a strong work ethic. They want this against a backdrop of strong leadership, quick decision-making and business-friendly policies. Ireland offers all this.”
Dep Mulherin encouraged and reassured the young people present who are contending with unemployment and at times overwhelming negativity and challenges, to persevere in their endeavours and in particular, their education where they can. “You never know what opportunities are around the corner if you persevere in life. Solid progress is being made by our Government towards economic sovereignty and a better future for all our citizens. The problems we are dealing with were not created overnight and will not be resolved overnight. It is important at this time to focus on the positives. For example, areas such as food and drink, computer software, tourism, and renewable energy, to name but a few, are growing and there will be opportunities in these and in the many other areas that the Government has identified as strategically important to our economy.
“I commend you all for your active interest and participation in our democracy through Young Fine Gael. We should always remember the freedoms and opportunities we have as citizens in a republic founded on democracy. This is not the case in many countries nor for many people in the world and we should never take it for granted and it is only as good as what we as a society invest in it.”
The officer committee positions were filled as follows: Shane Lynott was re-elected chairperson; Orlaigh Burke as vice-chairperson; Paul Nallon as secretary; Bridget Lynch as assistant secretary; Tara Timlin as treasurer; Joe Walsh as assistant treasurer, and Ross Barrett as PRO.
Anyone interested in Young Fine Gael and the world of politics can get further information on 096 77596.
