All-female ticket ready for battle

All-female ticket ready for battle


Westport
Michael Duffy


THERE were only three females elected to Mayo County Council in 2004 but the Fianna Fáil organisation in Westport are confident that number will increase to at least four come June.
Although they won’t be admitting it publicly, Michelle Mulherin and Anna Mae Reape are close to ‘dead certs’ in Ballina while Margaret Adams also looks safe in Westport.
She will be doing all she can to insure her running mate in the Westport Electoral Area, Louisburgh native, Caroline Navin, manages to retain the seat vacated by the retiring Frank Chambers.
Mrs Navin, who is married to husband Kieran and is a mother of two, is new to the political game, but is proud of the fact that Fianna Fáil HQ have gone with one of the few all female tickets in the country.
“We have to get more women involved in politics and the best way to go this done is to start at a local level. I am delighted to have someone of Margaret’s experience running with me, she has built up a huge amount of knowledge about the local political scene in her three terms on the council,” said Mrs Navin, whose parents James Martin and Sal O’Malley, from Feenone in Louisburgh, have always been strong Fianna Fáil supporters.
There has always been a traditional strong Fianna Fáil vote in Louisburgh thanks to the service of Caroline’s cousin, Martin Joe O’Toole, and she is confident that this vote can form the basis for a strong campaign.
“Martin Joe was on the council for four decades and Peter Sweeney also served a term before narrowly missing out last time so I know there are votes there to be got.”
Despite last week’s tough budget, Caroline has said that people have been welcoming on the canvass so far.
“We all know these are hugely difficult time and I know that only too well as I am the mother of a young family. But people do realise that local councillors are not responsible for decision taken at national level, we can only do our best with local issues and try and lobby our Government representatives to the best of our ability. People are expecting Fianna Fáil councillors to get a lot of hassle on the doorsteps but the reality is Fianna Fáil are still in Government and our councillors, if elected, will be able to approach the Ministers who are in power and try and influence policy,” added Mrs Navin, who lists housing for the elderly, local road maintenance and creation of a strong local industry in Louisburgh as some of her main priorities.