O'Brien urges South Mayo voters to elect a local TD
Cllr Patsy O'Brien is hoping to take a seat in Dáil Éireann.
Independent Cllr Patsy O’Brien has said the South Mayo area has a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity to elect a local TD in next Friday's general election.
Referring to the fact that Claremorris has not had a TD's office since the late John O'Mahony left the constituency eight years ago, Cllr O'Brien said he believed the time had come to "put South Mayo back on the political map".
“It’s 1927 since South Mayo had a TD. That’s nearly a hundred years, and it’s been eight years since there was a TD’s office in Claremorris,” Cllr O’Brien stated. “Next Friday, the voters of South Mayo have a chance to put that right, and they should take full advantage of it. There have been TD’s offices in Ballina, Castlebar, and Westport for as long as anyone can remember, and now there is an opportunity to put Claremorris and South Mayo back on the political map.”
Cllr O'Brien is running as an Independent candidate, having topped the poll in Claremorris Municipal District in last June's local elections. He believes Independent TDs will have "a big role" to play in the formation of the new government.
“If you are to believe commentators and opinion polls, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael look likely to lead the next government,” Cllr O’Brien said. “But Independents will have a big part to play in the next Dáil. Both the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have made it clear that if returned to power, they won’t engage with Sinn Féin or a collection of the left. Neither Fianna Fáil nor Fine Gael has any appetite to return to government with the Greens, and it seems unlikely Aontú will have the numbers, and anyway, Micheál Martin has ruled out going into government with them. So, by process of elimination, if nothing else, Independents are the only realistic option to complete the make-up of the government.
"But we won’t be going in to make up the numbers. An Independent TD will be able to make a real difference to the people who elect her or him. Independents will be in a strong negotiating position. This may very well be a once in a generation opportunity.”
Cllr O’Brien said he is seeking to bring his local political success to the national stage.
“I’m asking for the support of the people of Mayo so that we can work together to bring about the common-sense changes this county needs. As an Independent, I will put the needs of the people first and work hard to represent every community in this constituency,” Cllr O’Brien said.
