‘Our focus is on getting funding for Duhallow projects’ says Moynihan
AS far as Fianna Fáil councillor Bernard Moynihan is concerned, there’s no indication from the party members that they’re drifting from the party despite whatever misgivings some members may have about going into coalition with Fine Gael and the Green Party.
“The result of the Programme for Government vote for Fianna Fáil in Cork North West was 78% in favour – that tells its own story,” he pointed out.
“Members that are calling me are doing so to emphasise that now that the party is back in power we must redouble our efforts to get investment into local projects – Fianna Fáil hasn’t been in power since 2011.”
He listed a number of projects in Duhallow for which he and other Fianna Fáil councillors will be fighting for funds for in the term of the newly minted administration.
“Ballymaquirke Cross, the Kanturk ring road, Kanturk National School and a footpath from Kanturk Castle to Jacko’s Cross as well as the new community centre in Knocknagree will be our focus now,” said the Kiskeam councillor.
Speaking in advance of Wednesday’s announcement of the allocation of junior ministers, Cllr Moynihan echoed his brother, Michael Moynihan TD, who told The Corkman last week that the former chief whip of FF was unlikely to get a ministerial role. “He can’t give him one given the numbers,” said Cllr Moynihan. “There’s only seven to allocate.”
The furore over the lack of a senior ministry for the western seaboard from Limerick to Donegal as well as the South East and the concentration of three ministers in Cork South Central is likely to lead to a majority of FF junior ministries coming from the areas least represented in Cabinet posts.
As to the claim by Aontú’s Becky Kealy that the party led by solitary TD Peadar Tóibin was attracting members from FF, he dismissed the assertion: “It’s the first I’ve heard of it.”
“What Fianna Fáil members want now is to make the best of this opportunity to get investment into the area and we will be fighting for this in the council and in the Dáil, wherever we need to, to get this done.”