Fine Gael expressing tears of concern for rural Ireland is a sure sign of a General Election

Fine Gael expressing tears of concern for rural Ireland is a sure sign of a General Election – Paul Lawless, Aontú

Paul Lawless, Aontú's Claremorris Representative has said that statements made in the Mayo News by Fine Gael General Election candidate Alan Dillon last week are “indicative of an early election”.

Mr Lawless said:

“When Fine Gael start fawning pity for rural Ireland and making promises all of a sudden, it normally means there is an election on the cards. Last week their General Election candidate for Mayo made calls for a ‘campaign’ to encourage emigrants to return home to live and work in Mayo. Unfortunately, it isn’t that easy. The reason why many of our young people are abroad is because it is not possible for them to live and work in Mayo, due to the lack of jobs and investment in our region, on the part of our Fine Gael government. People are leaving Mayo because there’s little opportunity for them here.

“Mr Dillon has also claimed that now is the ‘optimal’ time to bring people home. Tragically, many people seeking to come home are worried about whether the boom-bust politics of the government will see this country slip into another recession. Not to mention a housing shortage, a creaking healthcare system with over one million people on waiting lists, 1.124 million Irish citizens to be precise. And an underfunded rural school transport system which has left many school children in Mayo scrambling to find a way to School this September.

"As for Mr Dillon’s calls for an ‘overall strategy’ to encourage our emigrants to come home, I think he should be directing his concerns towards getting his Dublin-based leadership to start to look outside the M50 when it comes to jobs, investment and infrastructure. Fine Gael have been in power since 2011, why is it only now that they are expressing concern for rural Ireland?”

The Irish political system is radically broken

In Ireland the vast majority of elected representatives put a finger in the air to check which way the political wind is blowing. They have one eye on their leaders – seeking brownie points – and another eye keeping their seat safe. If elected reps shut up and do as they’re told, they are promoted; if they stand up for what they believe in, they are demoted. No wonder we have the political class we have. No wonder one point one billion euro is being buried in a hole under the National Children’s Hospital and that Stormont is in stalemate.

Throughout Ireland, many people are now afraid to say what they feel, many are afraid to respectfully engage on a range of different topics. Many feel there is a new censorship and a new political correctness in Ireland, that opposition to the establishment is being deleted.

Respectful opposition is not the enemy. Respectful opposition is a critical element of a functional democracy. Aontú will have the backbone to stand up, without fear, for you.