Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou makes first official visit to Sligo
NEW Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald is “acutely aware” that Sligo is not feeling an economic sense of recovery.
Speaking to The Sligo Champion on her first visit to the town as leader of the party last Friday, the Dublin Central TD said she would not be a “Dublin-centric” leader.
“I’m acutely aware that in Sligo that sense of recovery has not come to town.
“I think it is important for the Dublin system to look beyond itself and not to assume that because the figures statewide say that we’re in recovery, that employment is so huge, that that’s the case (everywhere),” she said.
She said she had “a good enough awareness” of the challenges facing Sligo and wanted to reach out to rural Ireland:
“I’m a Dubliner but I’m consistently outside the city and I move around. My mother is from Tipperary so I’m a Dubliner with very deep rural roots.
“I’m unique in political leaders in this respect - I represent an all-Ireland party. So not alone am I not Dublin-centric, I have a I have a national view on matters. I’m nine weeks in this job. Of course I have things to learn.
“I have it as my ambition to get right across the country. If I could meet every single person in Sligo that’s what I would do.
“I’m going to out and talk to people. More importantly I’m going to listen to people and politics is very much a piece of work where you are constantly learning.
“You are constantly being challenged and if you come to a day where you’re not learning something new, you should really hang up your gloves and go home,” she said.
Deputy McDonald said infrastructure for the North West such as the Western Rail Corridor was “necessary not just for this region but for the whole island.”
“Connectivity on the island, access to ports is going to be critical with Brexit looming for direct access to the continent. We need to think on a national level,” she said.
The Dublin Central TD was speaking in the local Money Advice and Budgeting Services (MABS) office on Fish Quay where she met with staff and board members.
Some of the issues pointed out to her by MABS centred around house repossession, rent and it’s affordability.
“Trying to make ends meet on very small budgets or in circumstances such as insecure work from short term contracts or zero hours- contracts.
“One of the differences here we’ve discussed is the need for housing associations to take a greater interest in this region.
“They seem to have a bigger appetite to acquire properties in the bigger urban centres. The housing associations have to be proactive,” she said.
There are not that many housing associations in Sligo. “The question is why?” said Deputy McDonald. “I found that interesting. Of course we discussed the changes in governance and structure around MABS and Citizens Information and what that’s going to mean.
The priority has to be to keep MABS here in Sligo, to protect it’s very deep community roots. I have said here to staff and board members our absolute commitment is to fight for the retention of community services which maximises public confidence.
Deputy McDonald also visited IT Sligo and attended the re-naming ceremony of Ballisodare Bridge as Martin Savage Bridge by President Michael D Higgins on Friday afternoon, something she was looking forward to “enormously.”
“I know the Savage family very, very well for a long time. We have an annual commemoration in Ashtown, West Dublin and the family come so I know Rita and Mick very well,” she said.
“I’m absolutely delighted for the family. I’m delighted for volunteer Martin Savage and his memory. I’m delighted for Ballisodare and for Sligo and fair play to Michael D Higgins for officiating.”