Labour election candidate Cllr. Jimmy Harte has laughed off suggestions that Fianna Fail can reduce the expected hurricane of abuse at Donegal doorsteps to a mere gentle breeze.
The comments were made by Tanaiste Mary Coughlan at the party’s North East convention at the Mount Errigal Hotel last night.
Harte said the Tanaiste was deluded if she thought people would quickly forget all the damage that Fianna Fail have done in recent years.
“The only response those comments warrant is that they are clearly full of wind,” he said.
And he said her claims that Fianna Fail have worked hard for the people of Donegal and Ireland are laughable.
“However I am appalled at the continuing arrogance of Tanaiste Mary Coughlan who said at last night’s convention that Fianna Fail ‘had to remind people of all the work they had done’.
“Let me remind her of the work they have done: up to four hundred thousand unemployed, thousands more jobs facing job losses the export of our educated and skilled children ,on-going uncertainty with respect to job stability, wages and taxation which are likely to act against any rebound in consumption and spending, a banking crisis and the continued depressed level of both consumption and investment through an absence of affordable credit,” he fumed.
However he did extend best wishes to Niall Blaney following his announcement not to run in the general election and said it does not necessarily mean an end to the representation of Donegal by the Blaney family.
“I wish to extend my best wishes to Niall Blaney following his decision not to contest the forthcoming election.
“ I know Deputy Blaney extremely well and like myself, he comes from a family with a strong tradition of public service. I wish him well and am sure this does not signal an end to the Blaney name in local representative politics,” he said.
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