About Marian
Marian is a graduate of University College Dublin and taught Maths at Mercy College, Sligo for 23 years. She was widowed in 1996 having lived with her husband Sean for 10 years in Manorhamilton where he ran the family supermarket.
She moved with her two sons to Sligo in 1996 where she lives currently. Her interests in voluntary, community affairs in Manorhamilton provided her with a lifelong involvement in and respect for what can be achieved in the voluntary sector (click here for her EU Report on Volunteering).
She was appointed as a representative from Co. Leitrim onto the body created to focus on West of Ireland issues – Developing the West Together – which evolved into the Council for the West. She became Chairwoman of the Council for the West and was responsible for the campaign which led to the retention of Objective 1 Status for the region.
That campaign involved leading a committee which represented the Western counties together with Clare in Munster and the midland counties of Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly. One of the outcomes of the work of the Council for the West was the creation of the Western Development Commission which has been very effective in encouraging employment and in attracting people to live and work in areas which had difficulty in attracting economic investment.
Determined to maintain a focus on lack of balanced economic delivery to those counties, Marian contested the 1999 European Parliament election in which she was unsuccessful but subsequently in 2002 won a seat to represent Sligo/Leitrim in Dail Eireann.
In 2004 in the belief that, as an Independent politician, she could achieve more in the European Parliament than in Dail Eireann, she ran for election and was elected.
She has been justified in her decision to opt for the European Parliament by the positive progress she has been able to make on a wide range of issues. In her Parliamentary work on volunteering and carers and on other issues raised by constituents, tangible progress has been made. A very positive advance has been her ability to have amendments to legislation adopted by the European Parliament which would have proven impossible in Dail Eireann due to the confrontational way in which that House is operated.
Eolas i dtaobh Marian
Céimí de chuid Choláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath is ea Marian. Chaith sí 23 bliain i mbun mhúineadh na matamaitice in Mercy College, Co. Shligigh. Fágadh ina baintreach sa bhliain 1996 í nuair a cailleadh a fear céile Seán deich mbliana tar éis a bpósta. Bhí cónaí orthusan i gCluainín an uair sin, áit a raibh Seán ina bhainisteoir ar ollmhargadh a mhuintir.
D’aistrigh sí agus a beirt mhac go Co. Shligigh sa bhliain 1996 agus tá cónaí orthu ansin i gcónaí. I ngeall ar an mbaint a bhí aici le gnóthaí pobail i gCluainín tá suim agus meas nach beag ag Marian ar an méid is féidir a bhaint amach tríd an earnáil dheonach (gliogáil anseo chun a tuarascáil EU Report on Volunteering a fháil).
Ceapadh ina hionadaí do Cho. Liatroim í sa chomhlacht Developing the West Together, comhlacht a bhfuil sé d’aidhm aige saincheisteanna a bhaineann le hiarthar na hÉireann a phlé agus as ar eascair Comhairle an Iarthair. Bhí sí ina cathaoirleach ar Chomhairle an Iarthair agus is ise a chuir tús leis an bhfeachtas a raibh mar thoradh air gan an réigiúin a ‘Stádas Chuspóir 1’ a chailleadh.
Mar chuid den fheachtas sin bhí sí i gceannas ar choiste a rinne ionadaíocht do chontaetha an Iarthair mar aon le Co. Chláir i Mumhan agus na contaetha lár tíre Longfort, Iarmhí, Laois agus Uíbh Fhailí. Bunú Choimisiún Forbartha an Iarthair is ea ceann de na torthaí a bhain Comhairle an Iarthair amach, agus tá ag éirí go maith leis an gCoimisiún fostaíocht a chothú agus daoine a mhealladh chun cónaithe agus chun oibre i gceantair a mbíonn deacrachtaí acu infheistíocht airgeadais a mhealladh.
Toisc í a bheith tiomanta aird a tharraingt ar an easpa infheistíochta sna contaetha sin, sheas Marian sna toghcháin Eorpacha sa bhliain 1999 ach níor toghadh í. Sa bhliain 2002, áfach, toghadh ina Teachta Dála í sa dáilcheantar Sligeach-Liatroim.
Ó tharla gur mheas sí, polaiteoir neamhspleách, gur mó an méid a d’fhéadfadh sí a bhaint amach i bParlaimint na hEorpa ná i nDáil Éireann, sheas Marian sna toghcháin Eorpacha sa bhliain 2004 agus toghadh ina Feisire í.
Cruthúnas ar an mbunús a bhí leis an gcinneadh dul isteach i bParlaimint na hEorpa is ea an dul chun cinn suntasach atá déanta aici i leith roinnt mhaith saincheisteanna amhail obair dheonach, cúramóirí, agus saincheisteanna eile a chuir daoine ina toghcheantar faoina bráid. Ar cheann de na tréithe is tábhachtaí atá ag Marian agus í mbun oibre tá an cumas a léiríonn sí leasuithe a chur le reachtaíocht a ghlacann Parlaimint na hEorpa, rud nach bhféadfaí a dhéanamh i nDáil Éireann mar gheall ar an mbealach achrannach a dhéantar gnó sa Dáil.
