Funding for new Moneymore base on Ged’s wish list
IF you needed any more proof of the fickle nature of politics, look no further than Drogheda’s Labour TD Ged Nash.
A veteran of Irish politics at just 44, he went from being a super-junior Minister in 2014 to losing his seat in 2016, and after biding his time as a Senator since then, is now eyeing up the leadership of his party after his return to the Dail.
“Moving office isn’t quite as big a deal this time, as it’s just changing the nameplate on the door,” he says with a laugh.
“But seriously, I am grateful to be once again a TD for Louth, and I have made no secret in the past of my ambitions to one day lead the party, and I am consulting with supporters and giving it serious consideration.”
That said, he insists that his priorities will always remain that of the people of Drogheda and East Meath.
“I am still young, and I fought to get back in the Dail to work for the people who voted for me but we are entering very choppy waters, and the Dail is more fragmented than when Ieft in February of 2016 and they are more uncertain times.”
Uncertain indeed, because as we speak, there are no definite plans for who will Govern the country.
“Labour was a small party entering into the election, and we are still a small party, so will need sharp elbows to identify our priorities,” he adds.
“My message is consistent though, and that is standing for those who work hard for a living and I respect the huge vote Sinn Fein received, but with that comes huge responsibility, and to me their sums just don’t add up.”
Deputy Nash maintains he never dropped the ball while in the Seanad on pushing for his town, and will continue to prioritise the issues in his hometown.
“I had published a 20 point plan two weeks before the election, and I stand by them - Drogheda has zero IDA land, and needs a purpose-built park near to the Northern Cross Route to attract investment and I have contacted the Dept of Justice to put meat on the bones of a multi-agency response to the drugs feud in the town, which is not just a policing issue,” he says.
“It must include education services, Tusla and local groups, and to get funding for a state of the art community centre for Moneymore - it is unforgivable that basic stuff like CCTV there has fallen between stools, and CCTV is the least they deserve.”
On the vital need for social housing in the town, Deputy Nash is quick to point out that any developments completed to date were funded by €2bn of money given to Alan Kelly from Brendan Howlin in 2016.
We shall see if the leadership falls to a local lad whether he can repeat that funding and commitment.