'Change' the keyword as SF man drives home his message

Sinn Féin's Meath West candidate, Peadar Tóibín, started last Wednesday night's canvass in Navan with something of a spring in his step as, earlier that day, Newstalk political pundit Ivan Yeates had tipped him to win a seat. However, the first-time general election candidate wasn't counting his chickens, but was determined to convince voters to give him a chance. By last Wednesday night, Sinn Fein had already knocked on the front doors of 20,000 houses and the party said it was determined to get to every house in the constituency. They have been down the highways and byways of Meath West and had canvassed Clonard, Ballinabrackey and Castlejordan in the very south of the Meath West constituency the day before. Cllr Tóibín told a number of voters that it could well come down to a battle between himself and Fianna Fail for the final seat in Meath West. He started his canvass in the McDermott Villas/Parnell Park area of Navan and it was very much a family affair. Cllr Tóibín's fellow canvassers included his mother, Margaret Tóibín, and sisters, Emer and Noelle, as well as fellow councillor, Joe Reilly, a veteran of several general elections going back over two decades. Among his election team was Francis Flanagan, who had in the past canvassed for former minister Noel Dempsey and Fianna Fail counillor, Padraig Fitzsimons. "My whole family were always Fianna Fail, but I've a son and a daughter and they are struggling to pay mortgages. Fianna Fail let them down big time," he said. Mr Flanagan said he was aware of the good work that was being done by Cllrs Tóibín and Reilly and decided to give them a hand this time. At the first house on the canvass, the woman said she had heard great things about him but had serious reservations about voting for his party. She had been one of the 12,000 people who had taken to the streets of Navan last October to march in support of the Our Lady's Hospital, an event Cllr Tóibín had a major role in organising. She wanted to hear his policy on the arts and told him that, as far as the banks were concerned, she didn't believe that Ireland could 'burn the bondholders' and survive. Cllr Tóibín said Sinn Fein was talking about separating Ireland's sovereign debt from the commercial debt of the banks, which should be dealt with in a commercial way. As regards her reservations about Sinn Fein, he pointed out that they had been involved in one of the most successful peace processes in the world. "Who could have thought that McGuinness and Paisley could sit down and work together like they have?" he asked. When he pressed her again for a vote, she responded: "Ah, sure, I will." We met a couple at the next house, who had also been on the march for the hospital. The man of the house hadn't worked in a year and, while he remembered the recession of the 1980s, he said he had at least been working then. He took the election literature from Cllr Tóibín and said he would have a read through it. The recession was top of the agenda at the next house, too, and the man Cllr Tóibín spoke to was furious a the size of Noel Dempsey's pension. Business was tight for the next voter, who commented that the government should be collectively shot. He said he hadn't made his mind up yet on how he would vote. Another man wanted to talk about Johnny Brady's inability to live on €100,000. "Ah, God love him," he said. This man said it showed what was wrong with politics as politicians just don't understand what people are going through. Cllr Tóibín explained that Sinn Féin TDs would only take an average industrial wage of €35,000. At our next stop, we came across one of Cllr Tóibín's students. He teaches a number of courses at Meath VEC and his student jokingly told him she'd get all the class to vote for him if he would guarantee her an 'A'! At another house, a couple who were both working explained how they were struggling because of pay cuts and the fact they had three children attending college. The were just over the limit for grants and so had a huge bill for registration fees and had to pay €150 a week just to provide transport for their children to get to college. "Sinn Féin will get of registration fees," he promised them. The mother of the house was also greatly concerned about emigration. She had four siblings who went to the UK and she felt it broke up the family. "We missed each other's children growing up," she said. At another door, a woman said she would vote for whoever gave her back her wages. "I'm working for the HSE and I'm down €90 every two weeks. I don't mind doing my bit, but there is doing your bit and taking the p***," she said. "All I want is my wages back. There was someone here for (Fianna Fail's) Shane Cassells last week and I ate him," she added. Cllr Tóibín said that unemployment, emigration and education have been recurring themes on the doorsteps and people are very worried. It is clear from this canvass that people are looking for change, and the young SF councillor and his election team are going all out to persuade the voters that he is the change they are looking for.