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FINE GAEL HAS produced a detailed video giving local election candidates and canvassers a helpful guide to conducting a successful canvass as the local and European elections loom on 23 May.
The seven-minute video was produced by the party’s in-house digital media department and includes some of its TDs and local election candidates as well as some of its Dublin-based local representatives who act as ordinary voters on the doorsteps.
Details of the video emerged in the Irish Times this morning. It was produced some months ago and was handed out as a DVD to candidates at regional training days as well as sent in the post as part of an ‘election pack’.
TheJournal.ie has obtained a copy of the full video which features Cork South Central TD Jerry Buttimer and Cobh town councillor and former pop star Sinead Sheppard (below) as narrators. Some edited highlights can be viewed in the above video.
In the video, the helpful duo press home that Fine Gael’s “positive message” should be sold “hard on the doorsteps”.
“Canvassers are the frontline in the struggle to win votes,” Buttimer says. “Successful canvassing is a skill we must learn to develop.”
Candidates are advised to ensure they dress comfortably but smartly, Buttimer (below) noting that “your appearance will make an immediate impression”.
Candidates are also told to canvass between 7 and 9pm – “generally a good time” – and avoid times when people are most likely not to be at home or watching big events on TV.
Sheppard cautions that it is “easy to recognise a disorganised canvass” and candidates are urged to carry a pen and notebook, a copy of the electoral register, supplementary register forms and their own literature.
Once they’ve knocked on the door – and they should do so only once according to the video – candidates are advised by Buttimer to “be chatty but get down to business quickly”.
The video details how there are three types of voter that canvassers will meet on the doorstep – the ‘supporter’, the ‘non-supporter’ and the ‘undecided’. Fine Gael candidates play the three types of voter in the instructional video.
Rathmines/Rathgar candidate Samantha Long plays the ‘supporter’, Rathfarnham-based councillor Anne-Marie Dermody plays the ‘non-supporter’ while Blackrock candidate Maurice Dockrell plays the ‘undecided’ voter.
Sheppard warns that canvassers should not be “trapped by spoilers – supporters of other parties” and says that non supporters “will keep you for long periods just to waste your time”.
“There is no substitute for the human touch, it is better than any ad campaign or poster,” she concludes.
Councillor Neale Richmond, who features in the video (above), admits that while the video is “cringy” it is a “useful and practical” guide.
“Especially for candidates who are new to politics,” he added.
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@Anthony Edward Healy: Trevor Deely is still considered relevant after double the amount of time missing, and in general unsolved missing persons cases do tend to be seen as relevant on anniversaries. The rag papers still pull leads out from their backsides year after year like it was Mark Hennessy or Graham Dwyer or some other person around the area at the time. She shouldn’t be here, but that doesn’t mean we can’t spread awareness around to help.
@Anthony Edward Healy: absolutely worst comment ive read in a long time Anthony. So a family looking for a missing person even after 10 years is not relevant in you’re eyes. And buck of with the funeral thing as well. I was at my own mother’s funeral Last March in these circumstances. Life goes on covid or no covid .
Just lit a candle for Ersa, it’s in the window and it will shine bright in hope
one of the strangest cases ever…..
Living a nightmare..we could only imagine what her family are going through….very sad…
@Anthony Edward Healy: after what length of time does someone’s disappearance be one irrelevant?
Anthony healy.. come back to me when one of ur daughters or son goes missing… and see what ur attitude is then.. people like u are s@um
@Anthony Edward Healy: I’d kind of agree but I think thay what’s important here is the sister’s efforts to keep the story relevant.
@Anthony Edward Healy: God forbid, if it was a member of your family, would you be saying it’s not a relevant story. Would you not be looking for answers? Would you not want it on the papers, in the news & on platforms like this? I’m very sure you would! What a ridiculous statement to make.
@Anthony Edward Healy: come back to me when one of ur daughter’s or son goes missing.. see what ur attitude is then.. people like u make make me $$$
@Anthony Edward Healy: we all know about covid and the problems familys have with funerals etc. But for you to question raising this issue 10 years on is very cold. To put it simply if it was your family member missing how would you feel.
This is a very sad and horrible situation and my heart goes out to this family. I can only imagine the pain of not knowing, but this whole Covid situation has all plans turned upside down. Its not a time for travelling or mingling with others even if it is to them essential travel. We all have our essential reasons for doing things. Perhaps Bray residents might be able to post these around Bray on her behalf and raise awareness on this occasion.
@Lydia McLoughlin: it’s in the article, the sister didn’t travel because of Covid and locals put up posters.
@Anthony Edward Healy: ur s@um
@Anthony Edward Healy: I hope you know by now that there is something seriously wrong with your attitude. You expected a backlash so you know it’s not ok but i doubt you know what so you seriously need to take a look at yourself, actually scrap that, it’s looking at yourself too much that is your problem. Just know you made a horrible statement, take it back.
Staying in Uk
Harrowing to go through this and very hard to believe she would do that just before the arrival of her mother for a month. Thinking of you at this time.
@Pat O’Brien: when people make up their minds about doing something logic goes out the window. Suicides and mental illness can be very bizarre. No warning sometimes.
It’s very tragic also that her body was never recovered but at this stage won’t be either. Burial at sea isn’t the worst
@Tom Ripley: burial at sea, if that’s the case, has been horrific for the family.
@Anthony Edward Healy: I was gona call ye a pri*k, but then I changed my mind.
I hope someone comes forward with new information. There doesn’t seem to be much hope that she’s still alive but her family need to know what happened to her. To bear the questions of what happened to a loved one plus the grief of their absence is unimaginable.
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