Last night Tuesday 12th May, in the Paddocks in Clonee, Iggys campaign got a huge boost in both morale and practical advice from one of Irelands most experienced and affective Independent public representatives in recent times namely Mr. Finian McGrath TD.
The public meeting was organized by Iggy and his team and invitations were sent to both residents and prospective candidates of Mulhuddart/Clonee.
Iggy gave a brief outline of how he had come to seek to be elected to Fingal County Council; ‘having arrived in Tyrrelstown (TT) some years before I involved myself in a local initiative to establish a soccer team and this was the catalyst to me seeing first hand the deficit in basic and fundemental local amenities and infrastructure, which brought me into contact with others who were endeavouring to fill the gap, such as the Tyrrelstown Residents Association and which indirectly led to me becoming more and more involved with initiatives to provide constructive outlets for the youth of TT, as well as community based initiatives such as Business Watch/Garda Forum and so on and it was as a consequence of my involvement locally that I was encouraged to consider standing in the then upcoming local elections, this I ultimately did and so far I have only encountered goodwill and support from the wider Mulhuddart Community, visiting so far almost 8000 homes throughout the electoral ward. I chose what many have told me is the most difficult way of seeking election by standing as an Independent but I answer that I believe I must put my constituents uppermost in my considerations and Party Politics does not allow for this in reality’.
Finian then introduced himself recounting; ‘I began my involvement in politics at local level almost 30yrs ago while teaching in Dublin’s inner city and I had the privilege to work with a man named Tony Gregory, who like me saw that there was a need for communities to have their voice heard at local and national government and that this could be done more affectively by way of dedicated community based and supported Independent Candidates, who would be in a position to put constituents priorities uppermost and not be swayed by Party Policy/Allegiance. The key to being successful as an Independent is maintaining the trust and support of the local community and community groups. If enough Independent representatives are elected they in themselves can and have in the recent past, hold the balance of power at both local and national government, so any one who derides the effectiveness of an Independent need only look at the record of Tony Gregory or myself and see the truth of what an Independent voice can achieve. This viewpoint is reinforced by the fact that there were 92 Independent local councilors in the outgoing councils throughout Ireland.’'
It was worth noting that both have entered the ‘public’ arena by a very similar route and see similar strengths in being Independent.
The meeting was well attended by residents who came to with open minds and a willingness to engage with both Iggy and Finian; the meeting started at 19.45 and finished at 21.30 with a very lively question and answer session where everyone was allowed voice an opinion and this was evidenced by the questions they sought answers to, the following are just a sample of some of the many questions/queries contributed on the night;
Resident: What plans do you (Iggy) have to tackle the deficit in class places?
Iggy: Whether elected or not it is my intention to continue my efforts to have the funding released by Fingal County Council (FCC) so as adequate provision of schools are built and thereby class places are provided. Money I might add which according to my enquiries is there but not being used for some unknown reason.
Finian: I would like to add that in my capacity as TD, I am only too willing to assist Iggy getting answers on this issue and I commit to raising this and other issues Iggy may have at Dail level.
Resident: You (Iggy) mention in your leaflet Affordable Child Care Support, what does that mean?
Iggy: At present many of the newer communities in Mulhuddart have little or no local resource/community centers and it would be my intention to prioritize the establishing of these as has been done in other Mulhuddart communities such as Blakestown/Fortlawn/Mulhuddart and so on and as part of these centers there would be provision for crèche/day care for pre-school with qualified staff which would be of great support to families and parents whether they are working or upskilling themselves through reeducation.
Resident: What is your (Iggy) intention to deal with anti-social behavior?
Iggy: I emphasize in my policy leaflets Community Facilities and Extended Garda Services and it is my opinion that early intervention and prevention programmes are vital for any hope of diverting in particular young people away from anti-social tendencies but that this is not achievable if we as a community do not have either the facilities or activities to attract young people to in the first place and added to this we need the ongoing and committed involvement of the Local Gardai as well as maintaining and improving the visibility of Gardai to act as a deterrent and also as importantly as a reassurance to residents.
Finian: I would back up everything Iggy has said as being needed to tackle anti-social behavior but would add that this is an issue which affects all our communities both new and well established and will tell you that if we can achieve what I saw in London where Police who are rostered for 8 hour shifts are on the ground in the community for 6 out of the 8 hours then I believe that this would go a long way to curtailing anti-social behavior and crime itself within our communities.
Iggy: I take on board what Finian has said and I intend to take this issue which is in essence a Garda Management one to the Garda Forum of which I am a member I would like to add that Local business’ can and have a role to play on this issue and it is for them to involve their business’ in initiatives like Business Watch which can and do play and effective role in anti-social issues in their communities after all it is in their commercial interest to have a safe environment for their customers.
Resident: While we are talking about Gardai can I ask (Iggy & Finian) why is there such a delay in Garda response to calls I and others have made? Sometimes up to 3 or 4 hours? Iggy: There should not be such a delay and if you wish I can enquire as to why this was so if you provide me with the details. At many Garda meetings and forums I and others have been consistently reassured that such delays are not acceptable to Garda Management either and they have in all fairness when given details of such occurrences made contact with the residents concerned and where required carry out follow up enquiries most times to the satisfaction of the residents concerned.
Finian: Again I would agree with Iggy and would also commit that if this is an ongoing failing within your community I will take this issue up with the Minister for Justice on your behalf.
Resident: There was an article recently (Metro Eireann) in which it was cited that you (Iggy) had contradicted the Fine Gael Candidates claims that he (FG) would get passports for those immigrants who voted for him, is that what he said and if so what are your (Iggy & Finian) views on this?
Iggy: I stand by what I said in that article as I was at an event to hear him (FG Candidate Adeola Ogunsina) say it and I go further in saying that it is a low form of false political promises which preys on a vulnerable section of our community by raising false expectations and I not only raised this in the media but also wrote to Fine Gael headquarters by way of Mr. Enda Kenny seeking an explanation. I am still awaiting a reply. He (FG Candidate Adeola Ogunsina) also I might add confirmed my assertion of the event and what he had said to the editor of Metro Eireann when queried on my claims.
Finian: To be honest this is the first time I have heard of this and I haven’t as yet read the article, I can however point out that there is a process that all must follow to attain citizenship and this is not at the discretion of any individual or elected representative to circumvent.
The night was brought to a close by Iggy who thanked all and by a very warm and sincere applause by all for Mr. Finian McGrath taking the time to attend and his willingness to be so forthcoming in his answers and support for the concerns raised and it is of note that before the meeting closed Finian wished to draw alls attention to a particular part of Iggys policy leaflet going so far as to quote directly from the leaflet;
“My vision is a system that meets the peoples aspirations, needs and yearnings…yet going further to reward societal trust and endeavor. My mission is to pursue and insist on people-centered policies and actions in this visibly multicultural and integrating Mulhuddart Constituency”. This I (Finian) believe should be our National Policy Vision for Ireland.
This heartfelt and sincere statement by Finian received an enthusiastic applause from those present and was a fitting tribute to Iggy and his team and finished the meeting on a very positive and invigorating note.
