Cllr appointed RIG liaison for Connaught-Ulster
Cllr O'Reilly will help vet candidates ahead of ext year's local and European elections.
Cavan County Councillor Shane P Ó Reilly has been appointed as the Rural Independent Group's liaison officer for the Connaught-Ulster area.
His role will involve identifying suitable candidates to run for the Rural Independent Group in next year's local and European elections.
Cllr Ó Reilly, who recently officially joined the Rural Independent Group (RIG) team last year, says he looks forward to engaging with other elected members and potential candidates as they prepare their team for the 2024 local elections.
“Joining the Rural Independent Group last year has allowed me to be a constructive and straightforward voice on Cavan County Council. Free from the constraints of party politics in Dublin, we represent the common people and refuse to be influenced by vested interests, corporate lobby groups, or the anti-rural agenda of the main political parties” stated the Mullagh-based representative.
He said the RIG believes in strengthening local government in Ireland to decentralise decision-making power away from Dublin and empower rural and regional communities. “That is why we aim to field more candidates in next year's local elections, and it is why the Rural group of TDs has entrusted me with the role of council candidate liaison officer in the Connaught-Ulster Euro constituency area.”
He went on to say that rural communities are facing “significant challenges” due to the government regulations and policies imposed “from either Dublin or Brussels, without proper consultation with farmers or rural residents. For instance, the government's anti-farmer, anti-meat, and anti-car stances were evident when they pushed through the Climate Action legislation, which only pays lip service to the true potential of agriculture and the role of farmers in carbon sequestration.”
He states the “relentless attack on rural communities, led by the Green Party and supported by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, is a calculated and cynical move. In response, the Rural Independent Group of TDs proposed over 100 amendments to the legislation underpinning the green agenda, aimed at protecting rural communities and farmers from the harsh impacts of emission reductions by incorporating agricultural emissions sequestration.
“Regrettably, the government rejected each proposal, despite being grounded in the latest technology and scientific research. This indicates their intention to recklessly undermine Irish agriculture and dismantle family farms.”