Peadar Tóibín has served as the leader of Aontú since 2019 and has been a TD for Westmeath since 2011. He used to be the Chair of the Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

Too much power is concentrating in Brussels and not enough in the national states. EU cooperation is good in terms of the economy and certain issues such as climate that are difficult to tackle at the nation state level, but there is a massive push in Brussels and among many of the establishments parties here for more and more power to be outsourced to the EU.

This is affecting everything from immigration, to farming, to the proposed EU army, to hate speech, to regional development. Our ability to fund the construction of housing is in part controlled by the EU. In practical terms the EU is also taking over far more of our foreign policy. We had the incredible situation where EU Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen running around the globe and distorting Irish foreign policy in Israel.

The political establishment here have always wanted to be the best boy in the EU class and have in many cases implemented EU policy far more earnestly and enthusiastically than needs be. Aontú believes in self-determination. We are not looking to leave the EU, but we want more power devolved back to the national capitals.

Aontú is currently in discussions with a group within the European Parliament. We hope to announce the outcome of these discussions soon. We want to ensure that our objectives of self-determination, economic justice, human rights, protection of life, Irish sovereignty, Irish neutrality, Irish Unity and democratic freedoms are central to our discussions.

I am running to platform the bread-and-butter issues being faced by people in the election campaign. I am running to hold the political establishment to account. I am a campaigner. I stand up for what I believe in. I believe that the day a TD’s objective is to keep their seat rather than serve the people is the day that a TD is no longer fit for the job.

I fought the political establishment during the recent Referendums. We fought for carers, people with disabilities and families and won. I founded the National Hospital Campaign to fight for a stronger health Service. I stood with farmers at the factory gates during the beef protests and defended farmers in the High Court who were threatened with injunctions.

I tabled the Equitable Beef Price Bill which seeks to put a floor under the price of Agricultural produce at the cost of production. Along with others I founded the Save Navan Hospital Campaign which has kept Navan A&E open. As Chair of the Meath on Track Campaign he is campaigning to increase the provision of rail services in the region.

I am the founder of the Safer Meath campaign and I have highlighted the shocking increase in crime and anti-social behaviour in our country. If elected as MEP replicate these campaigns across the region.