Doorstep issues in election campaign

IN what has been a generally lacklustre general election campaign in West Kerry, some of the very few issues to make the breakthrough into the public arena have been an objection to canvassers coming uninvited into people’s houses and a protest against any plan to cull seals on the Blasket islands.

On the campaign trail, election candidates have been hearing people’s concerns about inadequate healthcare and childcare facilities in West Kerry, the shortage of housing locally, concerns about the future viability of agriculture and the rising cost of doing business in an area where tourism is the cornerstone of the economy.

However, these issues have been discussed on a one-to-one level on the doorsteps throughout the election campaign and it was only this week that a number of issues emerged into the public arena. One of these involved a complaint to Gardaí following claims that a 16-yearold girl was frightened when a canvasser walked into her family home uninvited.

Kate Shelley told The Kerryman that her daughter was listening to music in their home in Ballyferriter and didn’t hear local man and former councillor Breandán Mac Gearailt when he “walked into our house uninvited” on Saturday evening.

“My daughter doesn’t know him… she was startled and told him to get out,” she said.

Kate said she went straight home after her daughter “called me in tears” and she confronted Breandán as he called to neighbouring houses canvassing for Fianna Fáil election candidate Norma Moriarty. “I followed him screaming at the top of my voice: ‘don’t go into the houses’,” she said.

Kate subsequently made a complaint to Gardaí, and on Monday Dingle Gardaí confirmed to The Kerryman that “a statement of complaint was taken and will be fully investigated”.

“All I want them to do is recognise that it’s wrong to come into a house uninvited… It’s not about a particular party or a particular person – I want all politicians to be respectful of people’s boundaries,” said Kate.

Breandán said the doorbell didn’t seem to be working when he called to the house and he called out ‘is there anybody home’ as he opened the door and stepped inside. He said the girl then appeared and told him get out.

“It only lasted for a matter of seconds… it was unfortunate… I hope they’re all OK now,” he said.

Norma Moriarty described what happened in Ballyferriter as “an unfortunate series of events”, adding that she had offered to drive back from Killarney to meet the family after Kate rang her to complain.

“Canvassing is very important in elections. It’s crucial to meet people and talk about issues but there’s no perfect science to this,” she said. “Sometimes you might disturb people and sometimes we call to doors at an inopportune time but you always try to be respectful and courteous,” she said.

Meanwhile, seals were at the top of the political agenda on Saturday afternoon when independent general election candidate and deputy leader of the Party for Animal Welfare Ted Cronin staged a protest at Dingle pier against a seal cull on the Blasket islands.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service has consistently ruled out any prospect of culling the colony of 1,600 protected grey seals on the Blaskets, but Ted Cronin said he felt the demonstration was justified because some politicians support fishermen’s demands for a seal cull and because of the threat of fishermen ‘ taking matters into their own hands’.

As Ted and up to 15 supporters displayed posters supporting the rights of seals, local fishermen staged a counter demonstration and vigorous discussion ensued between both sides.

The fishermen argue the grey seals are depriving them of a livelihood because they clean out the catch from their nets, making fishing in the vicinity of the Blaskets virtually impossible. Fishermen also say the seal colony is unsustainable because they consume at least 10 tonnes of fish a day, which is more than the surrounding waters can provide and “shortly they’ll be eating their own young” if something isn’t done to curb their growing numbers.

However, Ted, who is from Rathmore and lives in Tralee, believes that the seal population should be allowed to grow without hindrance. “I don’t agree with any so-called management of the seal population,” he said. It isn’t a cull; I call it murder.”

“Seals eat fish. The sea belongs to the seal. We all have to adapt to changes,” he said, adding: “I think there shouldn’t be any fishing and eventually there won’t be. In 20 years time people won’t be eating fish or meat… people are beginning to wake up to the suffering behind the meat we eat.”