Padraig Faulkner does not propose to be a candidate

MR. Padraig Faulkner, T.D. (pictured) officially informed the Louth Constituency Comhairle Dail Ceanntair on Friday night that he did not propose to be a candidate for the Dail at the next general election.

He stated that he had informed Mr. Haughey of his decision in January last. Mr. Faulkner expressed his deep appreciation of the loyal support of the people of county Louth since he was first elected to Dail Eireann in 1957

Scrupulously straight and honest and a man who would be missed by the underprivileged people of the town, was how Drogheda Fianna Fail councillor Aly Farrell described the retiring T.D.

He said they first met during the 1954 Louth by-election when Coir. Farrell was 15 and since then had worked together in a total of eight general election campaigns in the county.

Coir. Farrell said when Deputy Faulkner was first elected in 1957 Drogheda was still suffering from the postwar depression and one of his first priorities was in chanelling money from government to complete the Marian Park housing scheme.

The housing situation locally, however, was still bad but between the former minister and the late Larry Walsh TD they ensured that the Ballsgrove scheme went off smoothly.

Coir. Farrell said Padraig Faulkner helped in a big way to industralise Drogheda and in the early sixties.