Mary tells Martin ‘help me to the Áras’

A CORK mother of seven has told Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin, that she can solve his presidential election dilemma — if he asks her for help.

Mary Buckley says she is willing to contest the October election and she insists she would make a far better President that the other declared candidates.

“I know Micheál Martin is under pressure since he said he won’t be backing a candidate and I think it’s a very foolish decision. If he knocks on my door I’ll give it a go, and I can tell you that I’ll give it a bloody good shot,” she said.

The 57-year-old, who is not involved in active politics, said the challenge of bringing up seven children on a small farm — without a weekly age, a medical card, health insurance or college grants — has given her all the tools and experience she needs to be able to run the country.

“Ireland is broke, but I know how to live on the breadline as I have had plenty of practice for the past 33 years,” said Mary, who runs a 100-acre farm with her husband, John, in Rathcoole, Mallow.

“I never received a single penny from the state for anything, yet I managed to put my children through college and they were never hungry a day in their lives. While the crowd up in Dáil Éireann were tucking into steak we were down here eating mince,” she said.

No-nonsense Mary said she is far from impressed with the calibre of candidates in the presidential race and says she couldn’t bring herself to vote for any of them.

“The campaign is a joke. It needs livening up and I’m just the woman. A bit of common sense is just what the country needs right now.

“My children range in age from 32 to 21 and they are all grown-up now so they can look after themselves while I run the country.”

And although she admits to being a life-long Fine Gael voter, Mary would be delighted to enter the race if she could get support from Fianna Fáil.

“I’m very frustrated by Fine Gael, especially James O’Reilly in health. He had plenty to say in opposition but, as far as I’m concerned, he has let us down badly,” she said.

“I never got anything for nothing in my life. Three of my daughters are teachers and one son qualified as a mechanic and there was never any question of a grant or a handout to send them through college.”

An enthusiastic daily baker, Mary said she has the right recipe to get the country back on its feet and she has devised a five-point action plan for Mr Martin to consider.

“The first thing they need to do is stop giving out money foolishly and the people on the dole should have to work before they get their payments.”

Mary’s campaign priorities

* Recruit more nurses and administrative staff in hospitals to help get patients off trolleys and reduce waiting times in emergency departments.

* Unemployed teachers should be assigned as special needs assistants to work voluntarily for several hours every week to enable them to claim unemployment benefit.

* People on the dole should be put cleaning roadside ditches and put to work on community improvement schemes to earn their weekly payments and help them learn new skills.

* Put people before business and ensure that the ordinary citizens living on or below the breadline, particularly the elderly and the very young, are given priority instead of bailing out banks.

* Level the pensions playing pitch by giving public servants the same pension entitlements and benefits as old-age pensioners who have to survive on contributory or non-contributory pensions.