Gerald launches election campaign
O’DONOGHUE AIMING TO BE FIRST RENUA CANDIDATE TO SECURE SEAT AT WEXFORD COUNTY COUNCIL
ENNISCORTHY man, Gerald O’Donoghue has officially launched his local election campaign as he sets about winning a seat on Wexford County Council for Renua.
The launch took place in the Riverside Park Hotel and was attended by Renua party leader, John Leahy.
He was introduced by Mr O’Donoghue’s campaign manager, William Houlihan, and proceeded to outline the main policies of the party - which he said is referred to as the six pillars: Taxpayer first; Entrepreneurship; Nation State; Pro-life; Law and Order, and Cohesive Society.
Mr Leahy also focussed atten- tion on Wexford specific issues such as ongoing neglect of Rosslare Europort and the lack of a ‘meaningful third level campus’ with degree courses in science, technology, and engineering.
Mr O’Donoghue also gave an address and outlined the main points of his manifesto which will include lack of mental health services in Co Wexford, lack of third level opportunities, job creation, IDA neglect and neglect of Rosslare Europort.
Mr O’Donoghue said Enniscorthy town suffered as a result of the closure of St Senan’s Hospital as well as the wider county.
‘Patients and families now must travel outside the county to access mental health services,’ he said.
‘This is not acceptable consid- ering that Co. Wexford has one of the highest rates of suicide in the country,’ he added.
Mr O’Donoghue also placed an emphasis on the need for adequate job creation in the county: ‘The county misses out on the economic benefit of student spend; it results in a brain drain which is reflected in Wexford having one of the lowest demographic figures countrywide for 20 to 45-year-olds and it results in low rates of IDA job investment.’
‘There was an opportunity to use the St. Senan’s facility for a third level campus but this did not receive enough support from the county council or from the political representatives,’ said Mr O’Donoghue.
‘It was a real missed opportu- nity for Enniscorthy.’
He promised that if elected his priority for job creation will be to ‘overturn official Government/ IDA policy that Wexford is not a priority’ and that Waterford is the gateway for job creation in the southeast.
‘With the onset of Brexit and potential problems with the use of the British land bridge to Europe it is unbelievable that the Government has not invested in Rosslare due to it being the closest Irish port to Europe,’ he said.