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Midlands-North-West European election candidate Peter Casey has heavily criticised last night’s ‘shambolic’ political debate on RTE’s Upfront show.
He described the programme as a ‘heated and chaotic discussion’ that failed to properly address the most pressing issues facing rural Ireland today.
The former Dragons’ Den panellist also expressed his disappointment in independent candidate Saoirse McHugh for resorting to ‘childish behaviour’.
“Ming Flanagan was, as usual, obnoxious and insulting, constantly interrupting and talking over everyone. Katie Hannon lost control of the debate,” he added.
Casey found it amusing to watch the two Greens struggle to explain what they could offer Ireland.
“At least the official Green Party candidate seemed to know why she was standing! McHugh, on the other hand, could not explain why she was standing and what she would contribute if elected,” he said.
Regarding the live debate itself, Casey stated, the show was a failure and a waste of time because it did not focus on the two most pressing issues concerning the people in Midlands North West: job creation in rural Ireland and the immigration crisis.
“RTE made a mistake by having eight candidates on the show and attempting to discuss almost half a dozen topics, only giving each candidate six minutes. Under such conditions, it is impossible to have a meaningful debate,” he said.
The show, he added, should have focused on the immediate concerns closer to home and not the genocide in the Middle East.
“While it is a tragedy, the people in rural Ireland are not directly impacted by the bloodshed in Palestine – as terrible and tragic as it is, it does not keep them awake at night. What keeps them awake at night is the thought that there won’t be a job in their own community for their child when they graduate from school and university.
“Why wasn’t job creation in Midlands North West the number one subject of the night? How do we attract 5,000 tradesmen to rebuild 10,000 Mica homes? How do we attract the right qualified people to Ireland? How do we stop illegal migrants from coming into Ireland? How would they address the tent crisis, which is in Dublin but will be in Midlands North West shortly? The illegal migrants will realize the beaches are nicer than canals.”
Casey also pointed out that 80% of corporation taxes are paid by American multinationals, who can easily leave due to changes in the US tax code. He questioned why the asylum seekers crisis was not taken more seriously on the show.
“While illegal immigration may not be the biggest concern for rural Ireland at the moment, there is going to be a tsunami of asylum seekers in the Midlands-North-West as a result of the recent Belfast High Court decision not to deport illegal immigrants to Rwanda,” he added.
“These illegal immigrants will be leaving mainland Britain in large numbers to go to Northern Ireland and then head south. Yes, one or two important issues like soil erosion were mentioned, but overall, it was a sideshow with some of the candidates only interested in wasting time on one-upmanship nonsense.”
Casey has already facilitated companies opening in rural Ireland and believes that bringing jobs to Midlands-North-West is more important than discussing soil erosion.
He emphasised, “Our children are leaving Ireland in droves as they feel they will never be able to buy a house or even get a job. They do not feel they have a future. We need to introduce incentives to encourage our young people to come back home to Ireland. If elected, I will work hard to ensure that incentives are put in place to help make this happen.
“As a businessman, I believe that the most important role of a Member of European Parliament is to help bring employment into the area and to stop jobs from leaving the country. In Ireland, 80% of the corporation taxes are paid by American Multinationals. We need to be passionate and active about protecting this critical source of revenue and job creation in Ireland.
“I have been instrumental in bringing large Multinationals to Ireland, and if elected to represent you, I will work hard to make sure that the large multinational employers in the area know that they are welcome in Ireland and that they can rely on me to help them further expand their Irish-based businesses into Europe. Attracting more jobs and preventing jobs from leaving rural Ireland will be my mission if elected.
“As a strong independent voice, I do not have to follow political party lines. I am encouraging people to vote Independent and to Vote Peter Casey No.1. I will make a difference if elected in the Midlands North West Constituency in June.”
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