Fianna Fáil Think-In puts Offaly at centre of national politics

TULLAMORE was at the centre of national politics this week as Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Government Ministers and Fianna Fáil TDs and Senators gathered in Offaly for the party’s annual parliamentary Think-In.

Offaly TD Tony McCormack used the occasion not only to welcome his parliamentary colleagues to his home county, but to showcase some of what Offaly has to offer and to highlight issues and opportunities across the county.

Ahead of the formal Think-In, Deputy McCormack brought colleagues to Tullamore D.E.W. and later to Shane Lowry’s Old Warehouse for dinner on Sunday evening.

They also made a brief stop at Christy Cowen’s pub in Clara, where the Taoiseach and parliamentary party members had an opportunity to meet local Fianna Fáil members.

Throughout the visit, Deputy McCormack also used the opportunity to highlight a number of issues affecting Offaly and discuss the potential for further investment and development in the county.

“It was a real privilege to welcome the Taoiseach, Ministers and my parliamentary colleagues to Offaly and to have the national focus on our county for a couple of days,” Deputy McCormack said.

“I wanted them to see some of what makes Offaly special, but I also wanted to use the opportunity to highlight the issues we need progressed and the opportunities that exist here.

“We have an enormous amount to offer. We are centrally located, we have great communities, excellent businesses and a skilled workforce, and I want to see Offaly competing strongly for investment, jobs and infrastructure over the coming years.”

The two-day Think-In saw the parliamentary party discuss its priorities for the new political term, with the upcoming Budget, cost of living, housing, infrastructure, childcare and support for businesses among the major issues on the agenda.

Deputy McCormack said those discussions must ultimately translate into improvements that people can see in their everyday lives.

“The Budget is obviously a major focus, and we have to continue helping families with the cost of living while supporting our small businesses and investing in housing and infrastructure.

“But having the Think-In here was also an opportunity to make sure Offaly’s voice was heard. When you have the Taoiseach and so many members of Government together in your county, you make the most of it.

“I was very proud of the welcome everyone received. For these few days Offaly was at the centre of national politics, and I think we showed exactly why we have so much to be proud of and so much potential for the future.”

Meanwhile, speaking at a press doorstep earlier on Monday morning at the Tullamore Court Hotel, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said the entire Fianna Fáil parliamentary party is “in unison”, when probed about support for his leadership.

Mr Martin said his focus is on “what matters”, citing cost-of-living and housing issues, as the party met for the annual think-in ahead of the new Dáil term.

The Taoiseach has previously insisted he will lead the party into the next election, despite facing pressure over the past year following criticism of the handling of the fuel price protests and the presidential election.

The Think-In focused on easing cost-of-living pressures, supporting families and households, protecting jobs and investing in infrastructure.

When asked about support for his leadership at a doorstep early on Monday morning, Mr Martin said: “The entire parliamentary party is in unison, focused on the issues that matter to the people in respect of cost of living, in respect of housing, and in respect of a range of issues that concern them.

“People want us to focus on issues that concern them. And I’ve always been very steadfast in that regard, never taken my focus away from what matters.

“In terms of the implementation of the Programme for Government, the commitments we gave in the Programme for Government in terms of infrastructure, which we’re delivering on.

“This government will be defined as marking a very significant turning point in terms of the level of investment in infrastructure, but also the pace and changing the delivery capacity of government to get these projects done faster, and particularly the legislation we passed recently in terms of critical infrastructure, the prioritisation of that, I think, is already making a difference.”

Mr Martin said one of the biggest challenges for Government has been the “international backdrop” of wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

“Each one in their own would be seismic, but we’ve managed to navigate all of those with an economy that is resilient,” he added.

“Fiscally, we’re still strong, although we have to be careful because there is an over reliance on corporate tax revenue, we’re using some of that windfall taxes to go into the Future Ireland Fund and the Climate Infrastructure Nature Fund.

“But overall, if you stand back, we have a very clear focus ahead of us in terms of what we must do and what we want to deliver. Housing being always there as the core one that we campaigned strongly on in the last general election.”