‘Time we stop sending celebrities to represent us in Europe’ – Blaney

“I want our border counties from Louth across to Monaghan, Cavan, Leitrim and Donegal to be given greater attention, higher priority in the EU.”

These were the sentiments expressed by Fianna Fáil Senator Niall Blaney who was in Cavan last Thursday to set out his stall as he vies for an EU Parliament seat in the Midlands Northwest Constituency where 27 candidates will contest the EU Elections on June 7.

Senator Blaney told the party faithful gathered at the Hotel Kilmore where former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern also spoke that the border counties have had 10 years of “poor or no representation in the EU” with “MEPs who did not have our best interests at heart”.

He says that, if elected, he will right the wrongs.

“It’s time we stop sending celebrities to represent us in Europe and instead send politicians who know what they’re talking about and are most familiar with the needs of the constituency, and the delivery of large-scale infrastructural projects,” continued Sen Blaney. “The truth is we’re lagging behind and need EU intervention that focuses on delivery of Objective One Status for our region. That means we get the delivery of road and rail services in line with the rest of the country. If elected, I will be the voice to ensure that happens.”

He then pointed to the peace process and the importance of building on that from an EU perspective.

“I’m the only candidate who works the Peace Process in our border counties in this European Election. Our five border counties sit alongside the five border counties in the north. The six counties of Northern Ireland no longer have representation at the EU level even though they are in the Single Market.

“That’s ten border counties plus one, which, when added to the ten other counties in the Midlands-North West constituency, mean we have a marketplace of 21 counties in the entire northern half of the island of Ireland,” he added.

“Since Brexit, cross-border trade has mushroomed to almost €12bn. North-South is worth €7.5bn; and South-North stands at €4.2bn. I believe we can do much better and I want an EU-based plan that focuses on turbo-charging trade on the island.

“There’s no doubting the fact that the Brexit Fund was helpful, but there’s now a need for a new Fund to continue the work. Our disadvantages are numerous, which means we must have official recognition and commitment to provide a level playing field. And, we have a steep hill to climb.”

'World is changing' - Ahern

Meanwhile, Mr Ahern, who played a key role in the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement, pointed to how the “world is changing” and Ireland’s role within the EU in respect of that. EU enlargement, he added, will be a huge issue over the next five years and “our new MEPS will have to deal with how all that is managed”.

“The European Parliament, all the time, takes on more significance and power,” he continued. “I don’t know why it is that celebs get selected - maybe they’re better known and get more profile - and in this campaign that is a real worry that I have. With so many counties involved, it’s a bit crackers in my view to have 27 candidates for five positions across 15 countries. But that is the way the cookie crumbles and we have to manage it.”

The former Taoiseach went on then to highlight the border counties and the importance of future investment in the region including funds from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

“We need people in Europe who are able to feed into the political system and who are able to understand the system because we have far too few MEPs as it is,” Mr Ahern added.

“I hold the view that these European Elections provide a huge opportunity for the border region. I have travelled the roads, closed roads, hotels with no investment and the towns with no investment because of The Troubles for 30 years. But now, things are different; we have moved on from that, from Brexit, and there will be tweeks in that over the next few years.

“For the border region with the status that the Northern counties can have now, we really are in a strong position for huge investment and opportunities, provided we use our European position, which we have been doing. We need to make sure that we get good resources into our farming sector, small farming in particular, and into our towns through the various schemes that are there. With 27 candidates now running, it is vitally important that people vote for every single candidate. Number one to 27 and don’t leave the ballot paper down until you vote because the transfers will happen from 12 to 17. I do think that the transfers are hugely important.”