Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Jobs and Enterprise Dara Calleary has accused the Government of engaging in an arrogant and highly misleading campaign on pylons. The Ballina based Dáil deputy said this week: “The comments from the Taoiseach and the Minister Pat Rabbitte this week show just out of touch this Government has become. It clearly demonstrates that the Government has absolutely no intention of taking on board the genuine concerns of communities and intends to just press ahead with the large scale construction of overhead lines regardless of any objections.”
The second term Dáil Deputy went on to hit out at his constituency colleague, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, saying: “The Taoiseach’s outrageous linking of emigration to this debate is nothing more than scaremongering. We have seen the Taoiseach employ this kind of misleading scare tactics before, in an attempt to bully people into supporting other government campaigns. It is an insult to democracy and to the intelligence of the Irish people. And in this case, it’s a shameful insult to job seekers.”
He also took on comments made by Mayo native and Minister for Communications and Energy, Pat Rabbitte, saying: “Now the Minister with responsibility for energy supply Pat Rabbitte has taken to the airwaves to dismiss and belittle the communities that have genuine concerns about the construction of pylons on their doorsteps. In a characteristic display of arrogance, he attempted to push his own agenda by undermining these communities and describing their concerns as nothing more than a ‘whim’ and ‘some passing fashion’. Deputy Calleary concluded by saying: “This attitude from Taoiseach and Minister Rabbitte clearly demonstrates that senior Government has no intention of listening to communities and to their own party members about the health, economic, and social consequences of these overhead power lines. How can people have any trust in an objective ‘public consultation’ process?”
