New constituency office officially opened in Mayo town

Minister for Finance Pascal Donohoe was in Westport last Friday evening to perform the official opening of the new constituency office of Deputy Keira Keogh at Castlebar Street.

Minister Donohoe was in fine form, and why wouldn’t he? The reception was warm and the party faithful are still basking in the reflection of Michael Ring, their most popular TD and former minister who was also present.

And Deputy Keogh had every reason to be in good form as she safely led her following across the busy road to the nearby Plaza Hotel, where the speeches were washed down with prosecco or tea for the teetotallers.

Cllr Donna Sheridan was MC for the event and proved very capable. She introduced the speakers, Minister for State, Alan Dillon, MEP Maria Walsh and local hero, Michael Ring. Pascal Donohoe complimented Deputy Keogh on the impression she has made since entering Leinster House, and said the opening of the office was further demonstration of how politics works in Ireland. It was, he said, a place where people could meet their local TD, and he encouraged them to do so.

Deputy Keogh thanked Minister Donohoe for the support he had given her since she was elected 271 days previously.

It was interesting, but hardly unexpected, that Deputy Keogh, in listing the towns and villages whose inhabitants and voters the office was aimed at, omitted any area to the east of Westport. It would be bad form, of course, to invite constituents from Castlebar, considering her colleague, “The captain of the Local Team,” as she referred to him, Minister Dillon, has a base there, and was in the room.

There was safety too in Minister Donohue’s responses to question put to him by The Western People, on the cost of living, housing and the Occupied Territories Bill.

“What we want to do in the budget, is bring forward measures that can help with the cost of living that would be permanent and that we can continue to afford in the time ahead,” he remarked.

“I know that while inflation has come down, the cost of living is still very high. The fact that prices are increasing at a lower speed doesn’t change the fact that prices are still rising,” he added.”