Hauliers president on FG ticket for the generalelection
IRISH Road Haulage Association president Verona Murphy will join Mimisters Paul Kehoe and Michael D’Arcy on the Fine Gael ticket for the next general election.
The Ramsgrange woman will complete the trio of Wexford FG candidates after getting the nod from the Fine Gael Executive Council.
The move had been rumoured for some time and Ms Murphy, the Managing Director of DruMur Transport Ltd, was delighted with the official announcement.
‘I’m delighted to say I’m standing as a candidate for Fine Gael at the next General Election in the Wexford Constituency,’ she said.
‘I have been very involved in Brexit and, as President of the IRHA, have advised the different stakeholders with the needs of the road haulage sector and the regeneration of Rosslare Europort. I feel that my input from this sector can be even more beneficial to all involved if I combine my practical knowledge within a political sphere.’
Ms Murphy’s has really cut her teeth as a public speaker through her presidential role with the IRHA and it has served to boost her profile on a national and even European scale. She is now vowing to make the development of Rosslare Europort a key issue going forward.
‘Having made the IRHA a household name and ensured all their key interests were well represented and highlighted, I will do the same for Rosslare Europort,’ she said.
‘I want to continue to ensure Rosslare Europort receives the requisite funding and commercial support to service Ireland’s import & export traffic - both to the UK & direct to mainland Europe. This facility is extremely important in terms of trade and tourism and future growth.’
‘I am also a passionate advocate about the future prosperity of rural Ireland,’ she added. ‘More must be done to support improved infrastructure across Ireland to allow more young people remain, work and raise families in their home-places. Everything possible must be done to prevent marginalised communities.’
While Ms Murphy’s addition to the Fine Gael ticket is certainly an interesting one, it isn’t clear if everyone in the party is sharing in the enthusiasm. For Ministers Kehoe and D’Arcy, it could mean a decrease in votes coming from South Wexford. The pair took the fourth and fifth seats last time out, with Minister Kehoe only just seeing off a challenge from Sinn Féin’s Johnny Mythen.
However, Ms Murphy’s presence on the ballot paper is certain to make things more interesting whenever a general election does eventually come around.