Let's get the party started
At least three sitting TDs are set to jump ship to Deputy Peadar Tóibín’s new political party, as support for the new movement gains momentum.
There was a phenomenal turnout of over 300 people from across County Meath for the launch of the party in the Newgrange hotel last night (Monday) where Deputy Toibin received a number of standing ovations.
The former Sinn Fein TD outlined his vision for an Irish unity, economic justice and pro-life party.
The show of support in his home town was impressive and among those who attended were former independent councillors, former election candidates across the political divide, members of the clergy, lay people active in the church and medical practitioners.
The turnout had obviously taken both the organisers and hotel staff by surprise as more and more seats had to be carried into the room as the crowds continued to pour in.
His views and aspirations received the full support of the people in the room, as he outlined the neglect of Meath over the past few years, despite the fact it is “coming down with government Ministers and TDs.”
He spoke of the “disastrous funding of Meath services in comparison to other counties, the perilous state of our local hospital, the crash in Garda numbers, the absence of key infrastructure such as the rail line, the threatened chain of industrial sized pylons to be built across Meath and a community sector which is struggling for funds.”
“Our hospital is constantly in a perilous state. They are now talking about reducing A&E to an 8am to 8pm facility, but it will not happen on my watch, if I can help it at all,” he said.
Deputy Tóibín said the type of political upheaval we now see in the US and UK was a result of people feeling they had no voice.
He wants to create a party that will put democracy at its core, "where the leadership are a little bit afraid of the members who can flex their muscles and tell the leadership what to do."
The former Sinn Fein TD who resigned from the party last month over his stance on abortion said that people had said to him “over and over again” that they had “nobody to vote for”.
He accused political parties of "group-think" and said although it sounded a bit mad, TDs would often admit to not knowing what they were voting for, but were following the party whip.
"The system creates clones of TDs who wont step outside the flow."
The crowd was told the new movement will be a 32 county party and the issue of the border had been brought into sharp focus because of Brexit.
Deputy Tóibín said the party will be a movement of Economic Justice and spoke of the 750,000 people on the waiting lists for hospitals, the 2,500 children waiting over one year for their first mental health consultant visit and the fact there is not enough money to carry out emergency scoliosis operations.
The pro-life issue was one which clearly resonated with those in attendance. Deputy Tóibín said he believed all human life should be protected and all of the necessary economic and social supports must be provided to mothers and families to ensure that they know that they can raise their children in confidence.
Dr Ruairi Hanley thanked him for his stance and to a standing ovation said he was one of those GPs who walked out of that meeting in Dublin on Sunday. “You have my full support and I hope to see you in cabinet within the next year or two.”
Dr Niall Maguire, a local GP who campaigned against the eight amendment was also in attendance.
Others present included former independent councillors, Phil Brennan, Navan and Phil Cantwell, Trim and former election candidates, Pat O’Brien, Duleek, Adrian O'Donnell, Castletown and Stephen Ball of Bohermeen,
The new party has not been named yet, but according to Deputy Tóibín 700 people have contacted him and pledged support.
“Some from a SF background, some from a FF background, one from a Labour background and others who are independent.”
Monday night's meeting was the fourth in recent weeks, with other taking place in Tralee, Kildare and Dublin and five more are planned next week.