DEFEATED general election candidate Cllr Mick Finn has said he is putting TDs on notice that their record on delivering for Cork will be put under the microscope ‘every day of the week’ for the duration of the new Dail.
Cllr Finn, who polled almost 3000 votes as an independent candidate in Cork South Central, said he will be watching the constituency’s five TDs ‘like a hawk’.
“In congratulating Micheal Martin, Ciaran Lynch, Simon Coveney, Jerry Buttimer and Michael McGrath on being elected, I also want their voters to keep close tabs on them and see if they deliver what they promised,” Cllr Finn said. “They should consider this a probationary period: if they do well, they should be re-elected, if they fail to perform, they should be thrown out.”
Issues like flood defences, Docklands and increased funding for social housing and repair of roads in the city and county were among the citywide concerns that he will be following, he said.
Cllr Finn also alluded to the deficit of services in Carrigaline and the fact that voters opted to return the status quo in terms of two Fianna Fail and Fine Gael TDs with one Labour. “That a community the size of Carrigaline has no cinema, public pool and other leisure infrastructure – and mindful of the failed promises of addressing chronic traffic problems – yet returns the same TDs is baffling.
“I believe they should now make a contract with the existing TDs, demanding delivery of what they need and if this doesn’t happen, well…they will know what to do at the next election.”
* Cllr Finn also thanked his legion of volunteers and voters for their support during the campaign and looked forward to their help again in the future.
