A recent attack by Senator Lorraine Higgins on sitting western MEPs in relation to funding for western infrastructure has been firmly rejected by Independent MEP Marian Harkin

Speaking at the launch of her Galway campaign for re-election to the European Parliament at the Clayton Hotel on Monday, April 7th, the Independent MEP stated that Senator Higgins had suggested that European representatives should have ensured European funding for a road/rail link from Cork to Belfast via Galway.

"In fact this is the responsibility of the Irish Government to apply for the funding and while they applied for the funding for a Cork to Belfast line via Dublin, they did not apply for the line via Galway. This has nothing to do with European representatives - all we can do is ensure the funding is in place and we did, it is then up to the Member States to apply.

"The fact that there is no funding in place is because the current Government did not include it in its priority projects. Indeed if Senator Higgins were to check the record of the Dail, she would see that when I was a member I lobbied the then Fianna Fail Government to make a priority application for this funding. They did not and subsequent Governments have not”, Marian Harkin said.
She had worked closely with a number of Independent Galway politicians to tackle problems of concern at local level and this vital connection to the local linked Brussels with citizens in Galway right down to parish level, she said.

“Recently in response to the concern raised with me by Noel Grealish TD and Cllr Tom Welby I hosted a meeting in Brussels with representatives of the Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages group who are concerned with adverse health and economic issues arising from the proposed Salmon Cage project for Galway Bay and it is this type of political co-operation which delivers best for the citizen”, Marian Harkin said.

On Wednesday April 9th she would be hosting a meeting in Brussels with Beef Industry representatives concerning possible anti competition activity by meat processors which was severely damaging the cross border trade in live cattle, she said.  “The marts in Galway, and farmers throughout Connacht, are having their business damaged by the existence of conditions laid down by meat factories and I, together with the ICOS and Northern Ireland interests, will be pursuing this issue with the competition and market authorities in Brussels”, she said.

Helping to produce good legislation and to see that it was fairly implemented was an important part of an MEPs work, she said.  “In the review of the new Common Agricultural Policy, for instance, it was Galway farmers who asked me to have a measure on coupled payments to be included in the new policy”, she said.  “I proposed an amendment to have this measure included in the CAP and worked it through relevant committees and had it adopted – this is a clear example of how the citizen can, working with a single MEP, achieve an influence on EU legislation”, the Independent MEP said.

As the Parliament’s representative in dealing with the Globalisation Fund which existed to fund retraining, up skilling and even funding of redundant workers to create their own business, she had proved what an Independent MEP could achieve, she said.  “In the context of the total €1 billion Euro fund I was among a small group which helped to ensure that it continued when moves were made to close it.  I also initiated the work which led to the creation of the €35 million fund specifically geared to helping redundant Irish construction workers”, she said.

Understanding how the European Parliament worked was the key to delivering positively for citizens, she said.  “Recently on a visit to a school in Mervue, in order to give the pupils an idea of how the European Parliament works, I pointed out the existence of Covidien , an important employer in the area which produces medical devices.   I told them of the measures influenced by MEPs which helped guarantee top quality medical devices for patients and also did not tie up the Covidiens of this world in red tape”, she said.

Regulation was an essential part of the Parliament’s work and while supporting the European Commission in that respect it was sometimes important to avoid unnecessary over regulation which could drive industry and jobs elsewhere, she said.

She also instanced a number of initiatives she had taken in the Parliament which were important in showing the flexibility of the EU and its willingness to accept measures which favoured the citizen. She had initiated the measure which required the retrospective fitting of blind spot mirrors on trucks in  order to improve pedestrian safety while her work to help electrical contractors working in the security area, who had to pay an annual registration fee of €2,500 per annum, had the fee reduced to €1,000 per annum, she said.

“Similarly when traders in the Country Markets were faced with the imposition of individual registration by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland I successfully raised the issue at EU level with the result that the registration of the markets themselves is now sufficient to cover all traders”, Marian Harkin said.

She hoped, if re-elected, to continue her work for carers and for people with disability, she said. “I initiated the move to have an EU Commissioner specifically designated to deal with disability issues which unfortunately will not be achieved before the end of the current Parliament but hopefully will happen in the new assembly”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.

Noel Grealish TD who organised and Chaired Marian Harkin’s launch urged support for her in the European Parliament election.  “Marian has worked so well with me and other Independent politicians and we look forward to continuing that alliance into the future.

“Marian Harkin has shown her ability to deliver and this can be seen in the fact that in two successive years she won MEP of the Year Awards for her work in encouraging volunteering and in the area of employment and social affairs.

 “She fully deserves the support of the people who will benefit substantially by helping her to be once again re-elected to the European Parliament on May 23rd, Independent TD Noel Grealish said.