This article is from page 3 of the 2007-05-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
THE smaller parties continue to keep the faith that they will be in the final shake-up when it comes to announcing Clare’s four TDs for the 30th Dail.
With the Green Party’s Brian Meaney tipped by many to be one of the contenders for the coveted “fourth seat”, the Barefield na- tive says that if “all of the positive feedback we’ve been getting trans- lated into first-preference votes, I’d have two quotas”.
“T think Clare people will recog- nise that I’m a safe pair of hands,” he said. Meaney feels the Green agenda is an idea whose time has fey nner
“The economic realities have en- sured there is a move towards the Green agenda. You only have to look at the cost of fuel. People see this and are seeing that the Green agenda makes economic sense.”
Labour candidate Pascal Fitzger- ald is also staying positive.
“IT am going out to win a Seat. People won’t make up their mind
until the day of the election,” he Said.
The Clare councillor is aware of the disadvantage of living just out- side the Clare constituency, in the Limerick east constituency, but believes this campaign will help raise his profile.
“Everyone had Bhamjee written off and we saw what happened there,” he said.
Progressive Democrat candidate, Murt Collins said on the canvass in Kilrush that he is getting “very positive feedback” on the door-
steps. “The future of the hospital and the state of the roads are is- sues that come up a lot, as does the creation of jobs in west Clare.” Collins said that it is “important to get a good vote. I’m looking for- ward to strong support on election day. A lot of people have promised me their number one or two.”
Sinn Féin’s Anna Prior has been experiencing a “very positive reac- tion’ for a new candidate, accord- ing to her spokesman. “The issues people are bringing up are the fu- ture of the hospital and healthcare
generally as well as maintaining the rural environment, provid- ing transport and services such as broadband.”
The spokesman said that the “northern situation doesn’t come up very much and when it does, people are pleased with the devel- opments there.”
In terms of party politics, the Sinn Féin candidate believes that people “are interested in who they can trust to deliver on the impor- tant issues. There is a lot of disil- lusion out there.”