Former Agriculture Minister seeking nomination for EU election makes Dundalk visit

Sinn Féin MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, Michelle Gildernew, was in Dundalk last week, and spoke to the Dundalk Democrat regarding her intention to seek the party nomination to be a second candidate in the Midlands Northwest constituency in the upcoming European Elections, taking place this June.

Nominations for selection opened on 19 January and closed on Monday (today). Her running mate, should she be successful, is Chris MacManus, who has already been selected as sitting MEP.

Michelle tells the Dundalk Democrat that the Midlands North West is a constituency that has “lots and lots of challenges”, but she has a firm focus on the areas she wishes to work on should she be successful.

“If selected, and I'm privileged enough to be elected, because that's what it is, it is a privilege to serve the people, I would hope to be going on the Agricultural Committee so that I can then be a strong voice for farmers, for rural families in this region.

“I understand the value and the importance of the Irish family farm, I understand the pressures farmers are under, as a former Agriculture Minister in the North.

“ I think the sustainability of the family farm, the sustainability of a farming family livelihood, is at the minute in question.”
She continued: “Farmers are being asked to do more for less support and that's not good enough.

“We want to see the new CAP deal recognising the work that farmers are doing, not just in food production but in terms of the environment and climate change and all of that.

“We recognise how important farmers are. We want to ensure that there's a future for rural communities and that they feel like they're a valued part of the economy. And that's not always the case.”

Recognising the changes that may be required in both beef and dairy farming due to the biodiversity and climate change crisis, the SF MP said that, “when I was the Agriculture and Rural Development Minister, I made sure that all sectors had my ear.

“So that was agronomy, the mushroom industry, the potato industry, it was apples and fish and right across the board. Beef and dairy I suppose are the big players, the biggest sectors on the island. But they're also vulnerable to outside pressures.

“We don't want a single identity nearly in the farming sector. The positivity of is it we can supply Irish pork, lamb, beef, dairy, potatoes, vegetables, fish right across the board.

“There are plenty of pioneering people who are looking at plant based foods, the mushroom sector in particular, but there's also people producing seeds and making juices and bringing in a new arm in the food production industry on the island of Ireland.

“We need to ensure that the supply chain is protected and secured, that farmers have the right supports and they are valued as a proper part of our economy.

"Without farmers the economy would suffer and rural communities would suffer. It's about ensuring we have a fair CAP for family farmers, a reversal of the cuts to CAP funding, that we have.

“Biodiversity needs to be enhanced, so we want to see funding for farmers, outside of CAP for biodiversity and nature restoration measures. We don't want to see the disappearance of our native flora and fauna.”

Looking to other issues, it is put to Ms Gildernew that people are not invested as much in EU politics unless relates to issues including farming, Brexit, or immigration.

She interjects, “Or like Ursula Von Der Leyen overstepping the mark”, in relation to the EU President's comments and actions to date in relation to the conflict in Gaza.

“There are people who have an influence and a say and I think her actions have been disgraceful. I am brokenhearted that 25,000 plus Palestinian people are now dead. The majority of them women and children.

“When foreign bought weapons are being brought in to kill babies, when they're going after hospitals and refugee camps. These are war crimes. And Ursula Von Der Leyen has stood over that and given Israel unequivocal support.

“That's when people get angry about the decisions that are made here in Ireland, here in Midlands North West, that have reprecussions around the globe.

“Every vote is precious and every vote is important and means something. We all have one vote, how you use that is critically important and when you see how something like that can impact negatively. I agree that sometimes it can be seen to be a wee bit far away but don't forget, we're a border constituency

“We know how hard Martina Anderson (as former Sinn Féin MEP representing Northern Ireland from 2012 to 2020) worked when she was an MEP, everybody could name her, becasue she went out there and fought to ensure that Irleand was not forgotten about in the whole Brexit debacle and the Good Friday Agreement was protected in all of its parts.

“We also were successful in securing a committment from the EU that post Irish unity, that the six counties would go back into the European Union.

“We are in a very exciting time – the next ten years will see major changes in Irish politics. We need friends who can help bring that about. We also need friends who can ensure that we have the resources we need to build a nation.

“It won't happen by accident, we have to plan for it. I'm disappointed that the parties in government have not done more to prepare for unity and have not done more to bring people with them on that journey.

“One thing Brexit has taught us is how not to do a referendum. We want to have the discussions, the debates, the consultation around how we see our future. So there's tonnes of work to be done.

“We can do that here in Ireland but we'll also be ensuring that we'll have friends and we've influenced people who can help bring about economic and social justice which is critically important.

“People in Louth recognise that the social justice in Ireland at the moment is leaving some people behind. If you're earning a decent wage and your partner is earning a decent wage and you still can't afford a house, that is not social justice. Government have invited vulture funds in, they have bought up estates and ordinary working people can't get a house.

“I was brought up in a very political home where social justice, inequality and discrimination were talked about and we knew the importance of achieving those things.

“I get that people are angry about the fact that they can't afford to but a house, I get the fact that young people are emigrating for economic reasons.

“We want to ensure that we are working with the Sinn Féin team across the island of Ireland to deliver for people in every facet of their lives.”

Elections for the European Parliament take place 6-9 June 2024.