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Verona Murphy speaking to media at the Wexford count centre following November's by-election. Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Verona Murphy says she's 'not a racist' as she confirms run as independent general election candidate in Wexford

Former TD Marian Harkin has also announced a tilt at the Dáil, while Sinn Féin’s only MEP Matt Carthy is also intending to run.

LAST UPDATE | 14 Jan 2020

TWO HIGH-PROFILE independent candidates have announced their candidacy for the upcoming general election, former TD and MEP Marian Harkin and controversial by-election candidate Verona Murphy.

Harkin will contest for a seat in the Sligo-Leitrim constituency where she held a seat between 2002-2007.

Murphy is set to run in Wexford where she finished in third place in the recent by-election. 

Murphy was dropped from the Fine Gael ticket for the upcoming general election following a controversial by-election campaign in which she sustained criticism for a series of comments about migrants

Speculation has been rife that she would instead run as independent candidate and Murphy told TheJournal.ie that she would make a formal announcement today. 

The New Ross standard newspaper in Wexford also reported this morning that she will run for one of the five Wexford seats as an independent candidate.  

Murphy’s Facebook page was updated last week to say that her office was open each day and it lists her as a “Dáil candidate”. 

Murphy previously said her comments about immigration were “misrepresented in the media” and were based on security concerns.

She reiterated that stance this morning while speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Seán O’Rourke programme. 

“Let me tell you Seán, I am not a racist. I have been continually misquoted by everyone, including yourself at times. I raised the security issue and that issue stands. 16 undocumented illegal migrants arrived at the back of a trailer in Rosslare airport and nobody can tell us where they are. Nobody can tell us who they are. And nobody can tell us why they were here,” she said. 

Murphy said she does not want to reduce immigration into this country but that she wants to stop it being done illegally. 

“I want legal migration, I want illegal migration stopped it’s absolutely heinous,” she said. 

Wexford

Fianna Fáil’s Malcolm Byrne topped the poll in the Wexford by-election and took the available seat with Murphy receiving the second-highest first preference vote in the November poll, finishing in third place. 

As well as Byrne, Fianna Fáil are also running James Browne TD and Councillor Lisa McDonald in Wexford.

Fine Gael are running two current TDs for re-election, Michael D’Arcy and Paul Kehoe.

Labour leader Brendan Howlin is the other sitting TD in the constituency.

Yesterday, it was announced that Seanie O’Shea is to contest the general election in Wexford for Independents 4 Change. O’Shea has campaigned alongside former TD and now MEP Mick Wallace since he entered politics in 2011.

Sligo-Leitrim

tds-visit-rossport-5 Independent election candidate Marian Harkin. Rollingnews.ie Rollingnews.ie

Harkin confirmed that she’s running for the Dáil again in an interview with Ocean FM, saying that she has the “energy, commitment and belief” to represent the area.

As well as being a TD for the area, Harkin served as an MEP for 15 years and will be a bring a formidable campaign team to the election. 

There had been suggestions that Harkin could run as a Fine Gael candidate but she said today that she sees herself as an independent. 

“I have full respect for party politician. I am an independent, I have always been an independent and that’s it. It’s no more, no less and less. That doesn’t make me better or worse than anybody else. It’s just how I conduct my politics,” she said. 

Asked whether she would support a government in exchange for becoming a minister, Harkin said that politics was “the art of the possible”.

The question is, how can you best deliver for your region or the people that you represent? I have no idea who’s going to be the bigger party, I have no idea of what grouping will be put in place after the next election. But I do know that I want to be part of it and I want to play a strong role.

“I cannot tell you what that role is, because nobody knows and I don’t know. But I want to be in the middle of it,” she added.

Monaghan

Sinn Féin’s only MEP Matt Carthy has confirmed that he will seek the Sinn Féin nomination to contest the upcoming general election in Cavan-Monaghan.

Carthy’s name will go before a reconvened constituency convention will take place this coming Thursday evening in the Hotel Errigal, Cootehill.

Speaking today Matt Carthy said: “Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin has been an outstanding representative for Cavan Monaghan and a pivotal and important leader within Sinn Féin, especially since his election to the Dáil in 1997.

“In the first instance I want to ensure that his legacy of hard work and dedication to the people of this constituency is maintained following his planned retirement from elected office.

 

“I am hopeful that this Thursday Sinn Féin members will re-affirm their previous decision to allow Pauline Tully and I to contest the General Election to win two seats.”

Elsewhere in the constituency, Fianna Fáil TDs Marc MacSharry and Eamon Scanlon will be defending their seats as will Sinn Féin’s Martin Kenny. 

Fine Gael are running former TD and current Senator Frank Feighan with Councillor Thomas Walsh as a running mate. 

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    Mute Dave
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    May 31st 2022, 8:37 PM

    My lord is anything working in this place, the country needs a complete reshuffle from top to bottom… Department after department being run by people who quite honestly do not seem to have a clue what they are doing…

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    Mute Epgenetics29 Declan Christy
    Favourite Epgenetics29 Declan Christy
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    May 31st 2022, 7:46 PM

    Year on year it gets worse, government depts seem to be systematically inept or ran by incompetent people with little or no over sight, but that’s normal, what isn’t is the general publics sudden amnesia come election time. You get what you voted for, every 4 years you get the chance. Cue the triggered FFG bootlickers….

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    May 31st 2022, 7:59 PM

    @Epgenetics29 Declan Christy: it was a 10 day passport express thing pre covid. And will be again when the dust settles. You need to relax. Cue the shinners jackboot lickers.

    40
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    Mute Patrick O Connell
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    May 31st 2022, 8:22 PM

    @Epgenetics29 Declan Christy: a lot of the backlog is applications filled out incorrectly and therefore applications need to be re submitted

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    Mute Tomo
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    May 31st 2022, 8:26 PM

    @Epgenetics29 Declan Christy: Why always the blame on public and civil servants? The people who do all the dirty work at the civil service are largely a dedicated and hard working work force (as hard as their private sector counterparts anyways). It’s the way things are managed and the way the government is run, and the amount of bureaucracy and red tape involved in changing absolutely anything, that has many services the way they are. Let me also remind you that civil servants have barely received a pay increase in the last ten years, yet inflation and the cost of living has been through the roof the last few years, a great way to retain talent.

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    Mute Patrick O Connell
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    May 31st 2022, 8:40 PM

    @Tomo: the Health service has the biggest ever budget provided by the state. Yet the problems still persist, minister and governments come and go yet civil servants are still there so it doesn’t take a genius to figure out where the problems are.

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    Mute Emer Caffrey
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    May 31st 2022, 8:44 PM

    @Paul Furey: the express bit is gone for starters!

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    Mute Barry Ryan
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    Jun 1st 2022, 8:25 AM

    @Patrick O Connell: No no no no no!!!!!!! This is not joe publics fault which is now the narrative.

    The passport office is heavily unionised and was deemed non essential during the pandemic.

    They decide when they have received your documentation, which leaves people in no man’s land.

    Turn the whole process over to private sector.

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    Mute John Johnes
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    May 31st 2022, 8:25 PM

    3rd world country services

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    Mute Ciaran
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    May 31st 2022, 8:33 PM

    @John Johnes: ye because the passport service in Afghanistan is so much better ..

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    May 31st 2022, 8:40 PM

    @Ciaran: I wonder is his also Munsterman?

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    Mute Patrick O Connell
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    May 31st 2022, 8:40 PM

    @Ciaran: great comment

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    Mute Rob Jones
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    May 31st 2022, 11:40 PM

    Nobody will get fired and all have their beautiful pensions.

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    Mute Peter McGlynn
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    May 31st 2022, 8:57 PM

    Those kids should check their privilege :-)

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    Mute Keth Warsaw
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    May 31st 2022, 11:45 PM

    You can checkout….but you can never leave.

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    Mute Betty O Sullivan
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    May 31st 2022, 10:03 PM

    Why didn’t they apply in time ,off on a fancy holiday.

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    Mute Scarletrose
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    May 31st 2022, 10:24 PM

    @Betty O Sullivan: 4 months should be plenty of time for a first time passport and yet, here I am. Still waiting. Different answers from different agents all the time. Our photo was refused the first time because she was smiling. Imagine that lol. A 16 month old must have a neutral expression WHILE looking at the camera. It’s absolute NONSENSE.

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    Mute Scarletrose
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    May 31st 2022, 10:26 PM

    @Betty O Sullivan: By the way, it isn’t a “FANCY” holiday for 95% of these people. I have scrimped and saved arse ways with my husband to be able to afford a holiday. These families have sacrificed and suffered enough over the last 2 years.

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    Mute Amanda Anderson
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    May 31st 2022, 10:52 PM

    @Scarletrose: Fulling expecting an issue with my 3 week old babys photo. Next to Impossible to meet their out dated requirements especially where the Child is so young.

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    Mute Rmaybe
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    Jun 1st 2022, 8:02 AM

    @Amanda Anderson: just make sure you get both ears in the photo and it’ll be good

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