McGreehan to contest next general election in Louth

“Delighted” and “over the moon” was how Fianna Fail senator Erin McGreehan said she felt upon being nominated to run as the party’s Louth candidate in the next general election.

“It’s something I wanted and something I’ve dreamt of, to be comprehensively ratified by the members of Fianna Fail,” she said.

The Cooley senator was up against three local Fianna Fail councillors for the nomination, Sean Kelly, Emma Coffey and John Sheridan.

“I had strong competition. There was three very good councillors up against me and it’s great to have the endorsement now and move onto the next step.”

Explaining what the main issues would be for her when the next general election was called, Senator McGreehan said:

“My whole goal in politics is to change things at the ground level. I plan to continue working on disability [issues]. I’ve been disability spokesperson in the Seanad.

“We’ve fantastic people working in youth services in Dundalk, Drogheda and all around the county.

“There’s not enough funding, yes it has increased over the past couple of years, but a national framework has to be established with proper multi annual funding.

“For me, if we’re trying to build a community and make it stronger and make it better, we’re going to have to start investing in our youth.

“If children after school have nowhere safe, nowhere purposeful to go to… you’re not looking after your youth.

“We’re funding so many other things in so many other ways and yet we’re not looking after our young people who are in between and too old for kiddies groups and too young for Ridleys.

“Youth services and youth work is something I really want to get stuck into and it’s something I’m making a big pitch for in the Fianna Fail manifesto for the next general election.”

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Another issue the senator says she plans to work on is aquaculture and coastline protection, saying:

“Looking to see how we can improve and protect our coastlines from coastal erosion. But also what our coastline is worth to us. There’s an awful lot of fishermen and people involved in aquaculture making their living off our coastlines from Omeath down to Baltray and I want to improve their lives and improve their aquaculture.”

The senator also said she would work to improve conditions for farmers while also focussing on health and housing.