Ex-Progressive Democrats councillor Thomas Welby is standing as an independent candidate in Galway West. Welby, who was a member of the PDs until dissolution in 2008, was first elected to Galway County Council in 2004. He was re-elected by the Connemara electoral area on the first count in the June 2009 local elections. This is Welby's second general election campaign following his unsuccessful candidacy in 2007.

Policies

• Support reform of the Health Service
• Support the construction of new school buildings in the Constituency
• To lobby for the inclusion of all farmers in the AEOS scheme
• Support the reduction of the numbers of TDs
• Indentify all empty state buildings and allow entrepreneurs to lease some at nominal rents if viable job creation proposals are identified

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