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SINN FÉIN’S CANDIDATE for the European elections in Dublin, Lynn Boylan, has hit out at Fine Gael’s Brian Hayes as the race for the three-seats in the capital heats up.
Boylan, an ecologist, is hoping to capitalise on the growing support for Sinn Féin by taking a seat in the European Parliament that the party’s deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald missed out in in 2009.
“Why I am running is I am damn angry about the situation,” she told TheJournal.ie “I moved back to Dublin in 2010, I am from Tallaght originally. In terms of why I am running for the election is I think we need proper representation.
“MEPs are talking about of both sides of their mouths. They go over there, they talk the good talk here and then they disappear into Brussels and seem to just be happy to rubberstamp everything.”
A long-time member of Sinn Féin, Boylan has no legislative experience and failed to get elected in the 2007 general election or the 2009 local elections in Kerry. But she claims working for Safefood for the past six years has given her experience of dealing with food regulations.
“My background is in environmental management and food safety and a lot of regulation that comes out of Brussels refers to environmental management and food safety,” she claimed.
Hayes and Costello criticism
Hitting out at her opponent in the May 23 elections, Boylan said that Hayes, who announced he is seeking the Fine Gael nomination this week, “represents everything that is wrong with the whole economic crisis”.
“I really believe if people think Brian Hayes is going to go over and champion the cause of Dublin then they just need to look at the constituency he represents,” she said.
“He represents the area where I am from in Dublin, [where there are] huge levels of unemployment and inequality. He doesn’t even have a constituency office in his own area.”
She said she does not see Hayes “is suddenly miraculously going to appear as a knight in shining armour for Dublin”.
She also hit out at Emer Costello, Labour’s candidate and sitting MEP in the capital.
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“Take the example of Emer Costello, she talks about championing youth unemployment and yet when she was given the opportunity to vote in favour of increasing the budget on the youth guarantee she voted against it as did Fianna Fáil and as did Fine Gael,” Boylan said.
Lynn Boylan on…
People not caring about what goes on in Europe:
“I think you have to make it relevant to people. You have to be accountable but you also have to be engaging with your electorate… Almost 70 per cent of legislation that effects people every day of their lives comes out of Brussels and I think that’s the message that we have to get across to people, that it is very relevant to them.”
On what she, and Sinn Féin, can offer to Brussels:
“It is vast, it is daunting, I am not going to lie. But the thing is that there are very concrete things that you can do as an MEP such as fighting against the erosion of workers rights which is a big issue at the moment…
“… What Sinn Féin are going to offer is concrete solutions. We’re putting forward documents about creating jobs, using the European Investment Bank to help to do that, to invest in infrastructure, and we think that our proposals are very concrete. They’re not just, you know, soundbites.”
On who will be elected in Dublin:
“Honestly, I don’t know, I’d hope that… I suppose I certainly wouldn’t like to see Brian Hayes elected. I think that I’d like to see what they’re proposing first of all, I haven’t seen their manifestos from the other candidates.”
On serving a full five-year term:
“My intention is to be an MEP for Dublin for the full five years.”
On how many member states are in the EU:
“27″. (It’s 28, including Ireland)
On who is the head of the European Commission:
“Barroso”. (It is Jose Manuel Barroso)
On who is head of the European Council:
“The council, em, that would be the Greek minister at the moment, wouldn’t it? [Pause] Its not Schulz, he’s the president of the European Council. You’ve caught me.” (It’s Herman van Rompuy)
On the perception that Sinn Féin is anti-EU:
“We’re not an anti-EU party. We believe that Ireland’s place is at the heart of Europe, and in the European Union, but on an equal footing. We believe in each sovereign state having an equal standing and that MEPs and government ministers, when they go over to the European Council, they should be representative of the people who elected them and I think that that’s what’s wrong. People’s level of trust in Europe has dropped dramatically.”
Other candidates currently in the running for the European elections in Dublin include independent Nessa Childers, Mary Fitzpatrick for Fianna Fáil, Brian Hayes for Fine Gael, Emer Costello for Labour, Paul Murphy for the Socialist Party, Eamon Ryan for the Green Party, and Brid Smith for People Before Profit.
TheJournal.ie intends to speak to all European Parliament candidates in the capital and elsewhere in the country before May’s elections.
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This is the first decent bit of publicity Ms Boylan has gotten (to my knowledge) & she mentioned Tallaght twice.
Anyone else get the impression she’s actually running for the bye-election in Dublin SW & not the Euros…?
Have we any publicity from FF’s candidate Mary Fitzpatrick, whose old council seat you are going for. Bertie’s babe as she was known locally before she fell out with him over leafleting.
Will Paul Kiely of the CRC being broad on board once more to help her out and her local FF org.
For your info Cillian – I never was a voter or supporter of Ff or FG your a typical shinner that thinks if people don’t agree with SF they must be ff etc!
Well well a Sinn Fein candidate who doesn’t like talking out of both sides of the mouth , as she has been parachuted in I only suppose she hasn’t met too many of her colleagues , who can do the mouth thing and other parts of the anatomy with aplomb.
The families of the Forgotten Massacre won’t forget that FF/FG/Lab collaborated with the murderers of their relatives, as Anne Cadwallader’s excellent book showed.
Absolutely on the money with Brian Hayes failure to represent the people of Tallaght. Lynn will make an excellent candidate for Europe. I look forward to canvassing with her.
Hope none of the people have any questions for ye. Might be awkward. Looks like you guys need to do some home work on the EU based on the interview above. If you have kids in primary school you could ask them. I’m pretty sure it’s in the curriculum.
Oh she knows quite well. She knows the effects of the European driven austerity agenda and it’s effect on the people of Dublin. She knows the consequences of Frankfurts way rather than Labours way and the debt millstone around the kneck of the Irish people as a result. She is well aware of Michael Noonans spoof on retrospective bank capitalisation. She is a member of a party who told the truth on Lisbon, jobs and prosperity my arse, unemployment and generational debt. She will articulate the anger of the Irish people unlike the spineless anemic MEPS we currently have representing the 26 counties.
Brendan, she doesn’t even know the basics lad. It’s pitiful that you even try to cover it up. It Prob says more about you. Hilarious stuff lads, keep it up!
I has no idea who the president of the council, I am well aware of the austerity they are imposing however, I know we are introducing water charges after a raft of other taxes at thier behest, I know we are about to sell off many of our state companies at thier instruction. I am well aware that Michael Noonan over egged retrospective bank capitalisation. When it comes to the election I doubt people will vote based on a general knowledge quiz, they will vote based on policy. The establishment partys have failed miserably to represent Ireland’s views in Europe. Lynn will do that.
Not knowing the main people in the parliament is scandalous if running for MEP. It’s like going to an interview with Microsoft and not knowing who Bill Gates is.
Brendan, so you are canvassing for a candidate that has no idea about the basics of the European Parliament and you say that you don’t know the basics either? How is that helping your argument? Dear lord…the blind leading the blind…god old Sinn Fein…they really do pick em!
I wonder what her views are on fuel laundering at the impact it has on the environment…an ecologists point of view if you will…she have to speak out both sides of her mouth fir that one…
Just fair warning to the Readership -5 Troll Twitter Accounts “contributing” to this Blog – are perhaps the same Person !!! – someone who has under several other guises been already barred from Journal .ie
Now he is ;-
Jean Paul Valley
Jeremy Usbourne
Jordan DeCaprio
Bluemist
And Belfort !
Jean your spot on if you don’t agree with SF your a troll. It’s common knowledge to subscribers to this site that’s its SF who use multiple fake accounts!
I am not a troll. I am not those other accounts. I can’t speak for the other people but it’s pretty pathetic to blanket anyone who opposes your party as trolls. I can’t stand Sinn Féin. That’s the long and short of it.
I’m not takings sides here. Just to mention, that the native Americans had a lovely, eloquent and succinct way to describe people playing both sides against the other. To quote, ” He speaks with forked tongue “. I’ve always loved that quote and I think it still accurately describes most duplicitous politicians today.
Ask Cllr Tomas Sharkey in Faughart, Co Louth Kris. Who has challenged the fuel launderers for as long as I can remember- oh that’s SF Cllr Tomas Sharkey!
Thomas Murphy( Slab) is a good Republican…..quote from Gerry Adams…you can’t circle a square Malachy….speaking from both sides of your mouth, something SF are quite good at.
Did I read that right? This clown is running as an MEP and didn’t even know how many countries are in the EU??? And didn’t know who the President of the Council is? Greek minister?
Yep, it’s pretty laughable really. You would say that she would at least have done her homework for an interview…it does not say much about her suitability for the job.
She sounds as if she knows as much about the EU as Gerry knows about Economics! She may be right they do speak out of both side of their mouths but what end is she speaking out of? Nice to see the Journal giving SF another leg up!
If you ask me it seems to be all about candidates that are easy on the eye with SF. As with mary lou , until she had the child that time and well…we know the rest. And now this lassie…here we go again.
Jordan who has been in power for the last 90plus years ill tell yea ff/FG/labour so cop ur self on it was you boys who protected the pervs in the church and it was dear Enda and eammon who made that lady’s life a misery and who had to go out of her own country to get justice so don’t be trying to rewrite history perv lovers
To be fair “head of the European Council” isn’t as clear as it appears and momentary confusion is more than understandable …
Herman Van Rompuy is President of the “European Council” – but that in of itself isn’t equivalent to a “head of state” role – he’s rather chairman of the meetings – ‘primus inter pares’ and all that
Greece is currently head of the “Council of the European Union” sometimes called the “Coucil of Ministers” or just to help with the confusion simply the: “Council”
However neither of these institutions should be confused with the “Council of Europe” – an entirely separate international organisation with no link to the European Union.
And the membership mistake can be explained by Croatia only having joined the EU last summer – it had been 27 for 6 years – easy to leap to that answer
Such gotcha questions are redundant – Tony Blair used to spend time learning the prices of grocery products so that he’d never get caught out – showing the pointlessness of such points – such slips are no reflection on how well Lynn Boylan would deliver for the people of Dublin
Unfortunately it is a bad reflection, if you can’t master the basics then how are you supposed to represent the people in there. It’s quite an embarrassment to be honest.. People incapable of the basics should not be wasting the voters time.
Cillian what about the fact that regarding Garda Gerry McCabe who was ruthlessly murdered in the line of duty, his murderers were collected from prison by a Sinn Féin TD. As a Shinner yourself would you care to comment ?
What about the fact that your Dublin MEP candidate doesn’t know how many countries are in the EU or who the President of the Council is?
Is their a prohibition on Ferris collecting people he knew all his life.
Ferris was a Republican activist all his life. I have no problem with Martin Ferris and greatly admire in fact.
The electorate did not have a problem with his actions. He also received very strong transfers from FG voters so they didn’t either. It is nearly 20 years ago since Adare.
Why don’t you get your facts right before you spout the usual drivel you post! To use Jean McConville, yet again, to bash SF with, says more about your humanity than those you attack!
The venom showing here by extremist posts just goes to show how hard It Is to Move the peace process along In the North of Ireland. Always at election time a cohort of anti SF bloggers Posters broadcasters print media come to the surface Blaming this or that who said what and where,
Until all this self thought Hate Is eradicated First of all In the South The Norths Peace Process Hasn’t a Ghost of a chance,
Paddy Power, who generally use polling companies to set their odds, have Brian Hayes (FG), Lynn Boylan (SF) and Mary Fitzpatrick (FF) as the three to take seats in Dublin.
Aww shur I’m not really battling them, just keeping them relevant so people know when they hear how a wealthy man understands budgeting between heating and food it’s normally bullplop.
Somebody running for a seat in the European parliament should, at the very least, know some basic facts about European institutions. Boylan is just another example of Sinn Féin trotting out candidates who don’t have a basic grasp of the facts and have nothing to offer but populism.
A reason they won’t win as many seats as their poll % justifies.
They lack the candidates of merit to sway a dubious voter.
Taking my own constituency (Wicklow).
Cllr Brady of SF was pipped last time by Donnelly.
You’d think he’d stroll to a seat next time, but SF will more than likely miss out again, despite a good 1st preference.
It’s a good opportunity for a bit of publicity, ask her will she be supporting dublin or kerry tonight? She has been on the kerryman and radio kerry a lot. Was she not a candidate in kerry recently? welcome to Dublin. If you need a map to get around the tourist office supply them ha
I’ve told you 100 times before, it’s called painting and the thing you paint on is called a canvass.
It’s going well, I have this big stone structure called a house to protect me from the weather so it doesn’t really affect me in what I do inside it.
It’s handy as I can use it to do things that interest me, like say reading books about things that interest me, so that when I’m asked about things that I’m apparently interested in, I have some working knowledge as to whats going on in that area, beyond the front page of an advertisement.
What a shame that so many people choose to ignore the realities facing everyone on a daily basis in the Ireland of 2014. The article at the top of this page is actually about the Sinn Féin EU candidate for Dublin, and the future, not the past!
People who come out with unsubstantiated bile about Sinn Féin murdering people are so obviously either a) very uninformed individuals who think the Irish and British media are honest and unbiased!!!! or b) supporters or members of the establishment political parties who fear the continuous and very welcome growth of Sinn Féin all over this island.
How does any of this trolling help a single struggling small business, family rearing children for export or mortgage holder worrying about the future? IT DOESN’T. Try reading some SF policy & listening to what is being said when SF representatives speak, then maybe you can make an informed choice.
As a voter, I can highly recommend making it your business to inform yourself and take a hard look at the misery inflicted on so many by the establishment parties. It’s damn well time that we all stood together and asked the questions Sinn Féin are asking every day. We need answers, we need accountability and we need integrity in our politicians at all levels.
Be it local, national or European, I for one hope to see and hear Sinn Féin people in huge numbers standing up for us all and campaigning against all that is “cosy” but WRONG in this country.
I say this proudly, as a father, husband and small business owner.
Like the BNP in the UK, anti-establishment parties can do very well in impoverished constituencies.
Sadly the constituents never benefit from electing the candidate who feign’s being champion of the underdog.
Hayes sounds like he as been disconnected with the area anyway, so he is doomed.
I’m sure the Shinner candidate has been heavily trained by Mary Lou to try to ingratiate herself as one of the people, sitting on your couch drinking tea. Obviously she doesn’t give a flying F about Tallaght, but she’ll make a good charade on the doorstep.
I gather my statistics on the Journal. Overwhelmingly people are Sinn Fein supporter. Very popular too are people who have never voted Sinn Fein before due to their bloody criminal deceitful past, but are going to do so in future to let them ‘have a chance’.
Based on this research, scaling the level of support for Sinn Fein onto the constituency population, it would appear Sinn Fein will easily win the seat.
It’s hardly that there is simply a peculiarly active handful of Sinn Fein supporters heavily policing the Journal to incessantly make pro-Sinn Fein comments or post cosy pictures of Gerry Adams in a fluffy jumper with his teddy bear.
Fair play to you Lynn the only reason Hayes is running is because he knows he won’t win his seat back in the general election in 2016 tour right so run now come on lynn
Tell us Michael Garett “How many sinn fein members have criminal records and done jail time?” ?! Then tell us why you have an issue with the democratic mandate of 100,000s of voters? Well Fascist?
And then, tell us how many of the scores of councillors convicted of corruption were Sinn Fein members? That’s easy, it was ZERO! Almost all convictions for corruption were Fianna Fail and Fine Gael and they were the parties who colluded in the abuse of and cover ups of the abuse of women and kids in Ireland for decades. This is PROVEN, not the right wing hearsay and smear levelled against Sinn Féin. Fine Gael Labour and Fianna Fail ALL have paramilitary backgrounds.
This country needs people who are interested in change for the betterment of the country like Sinn Fein, not people interested in more of the same and self enrichment: Fine Gael Labour and Fianna Fail.
Anyone with sense can see through the establishment efforts at damaging Sinn Fein, as the only party who will actually threaten the cosy status quo and offer equity and equality.
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