Dublin: A candidate for every need?

By Amy Bracken.

A recent report by RTÉ which asked the outgoing Dublin MEPs to list their 3 most important achievements to date shows a startling contrast of interest between them, which poses the question: with so many needs and interests being covered, will the 3 Dublin seats be filled by current MEPs?

Deputy Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald was keen to emphasise her work in social interests. “That’s my job-to champion the rights, the aspirations and the needs of the people of Dublin”. Ms McDonald described her active role in the parliament, the constituency and the area of advancing the future of Europe ‘primarily through the Lisbon Treaty’, but also through the introduction of interest groups to Brussels.

Ms McDonald was also spoke of her activity in the job sector and in issues regarding corporate law, as well as the issue of homelessness in Dublin: “to my view [homelessness] is a very critical issue because of course it represents the sharpest end of poverty”. Despite criticism regarding attendance, Ms McDonald seems confident and pleased with her achievements, which are notably focused in the social bracket.

Some of the candidates showed a greater interest in monetary matters. At the top of his list Fianna Fáil candidate Eoin Ryan was keen to emphasise his achievements in funding for small businesses in his constituency, in which he highlights the fact that 400,000 people are employed by small companies. “What we’ve been trying to do is to get more money-we’ve got €350 million already-through the European Investment Bank down to small businesses in Ireland and in Dublin,” says Ryan. Mr Ryan also states an increase in research and development as being at the forefront of his achievements, as well as investments in education, “Europe is going to be very much part of our recovery”. Mr Ryan describes himself as a pro-European candidate and expressed his belief that a pro-European stance in parliament is necessary for Ireland’s recovery from the economic slowdown.

However not all candidates listed their top 3 achievements from the same bracket. Labour MEP Prionsias De Rossa spoke of his activeness in the initiation of the chemical regulation REACH, as well as a climate change programme and consumer protection initiatives. Additionally, he said: “I have had other reports on work-related matters which I believe to be important”.

In contrast to Eoin Ryan’s Europe-centred approach, the first thing mentioned by Fine Gael’s Gay Mitchell as one of his top achievements regards the world outside of Europe. “When I first went to the parliament, I asked to join the Development Committee because 11 million children die every year in the developing world-that’s 30,000 a day.” Mr Mitchell also talked of his work in parliament’s only law regarding the developing world, and proudly mentioned his work for an emergency food plan: “I was asked also to be the author of the one billion euro emergency food aid facility”. Setting his world development achievements aside, Mr Mitchell spoke of his work on the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee. “I had important amendments carried to what’s called the covered assets regulation which ensures jobs remain in the IFSC in Dublin”.

With Dublin set to lose a seat in the European Parliament, it is possible that the current diversity and collective interest cover of the candidates will not be as acute following the elections. The burning question is: Which of the aforementioned achievements are most important to the electorate, and will such achievements suffice to have the candidates re-elected?

The interviews can be viewed at www.rte.ie/news/elections.