Fine Gael TD called a 'disgrace' over job creation claims

A Fine Gael TD has been called a disgrace after claiming to have delivered 150 jobs at a craft beer brewery for his constituency only to have its founder reject that the politician had any involvement in the company expansion.

Kildare North TD Anthony Lawlor’s election leaflet listed the jobs for the town of Kilcock, when the brewery in question had moved to Celbridge, 20km away.

Niall Phelan, founder of the Rye River Brewing Company, took to social media to dispute Mr Lawlor’s claims after a friend of the brewer alerted him to the TD’s election literature, in which he listed “150 jobs created Rye River Brewing Company” under the heading “Delivered to Kilcock”.

“I was extremely annoyed when this came through my friend’s door,” said Mr Phelan.

“Firstly, I have spoken to this politician twice in my life. Secondly to claim that he is responsible for creating jobs in our business is a disgrace.

“And third, it shows how little he knows our business, as Rye River has moved from Kilcock to Celbridge where we have announced 150 new jobs on top of the 50 we already created.”

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The businessman said Mr Lawlor, who was first elected to the Dáil in 2011, had “lost his vote” over the claims outlined in the campaign literature.

“Our team at Rye River have worked bloody hard and taken huge personal risks with plenty of sleepless nights to create those jobs. Mr Lawlor, you have just lost any chance of any vote from me, because if you’re claiming this, what else can I not believe on your leaflet.”

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Phelan said he and others at the brewery were all the more annoyed at the claim because of the involvement of another public representative.

“We did have help from another public representative who worked with us in the background, who is running in this election, and who has never sought publicity for it,” said Mr Phelan.

“So for somebody who hasn’t given any time to us to come out and claim something like that is a disgrace.”

He said that the majority of employees at the brewery are constituents of Mr Lawlor’s, and while many were still undecided as to how they would vote next week, many “now know who they won’t vote for”.

Mr Phelan said that he was angry and annoyed but had calmed down somewhat since he first learned of the leaflet.

Mr Lawlor yesterday conceded that his leaflet incorrectly stated that the company is still based in Kilcock, but saidt the literature was not an attempt to claim credit for the brewery expansion.

He said the start-up was supported by Enterprise Ireland and that the leaflet had intended “to share the good news” about the new jobs at the brewery.

“I have no intention of taking credit from someone as hard-working as Niall Phelan,” said Mr Lawlor.

The Rye River Brewing Company’s own Facebook page has posted a light-hearted response to the incident on Facebook.

It shared a doctored version of the offending campaign leaflet, in which it lists a number of achievements Mr Lawlor “delivered” to Kilcock.

These include bringing a successful end to the Cuban Missile Crisis, launching the first dog into space, finding the wreck of the Titanic, and credits the TD with being the “first man to get a fig into a fig roll”.

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