Fine Gael think-in: Politicians forced to go to ‘every funeral or cock fight’, says Brendan Griffin

Kerry TD Brendan Griffin has warned that local politics is in a race to the bottom, warning that bright people are shunning political careers as they will have to go to “every funeral or cock fight”.

TDs should not spend time dealing with “Mary’s medical card” or social welfare payments and instead should focus on national issues, said the Fine Gael TD.

“If we want to attract the bright people, the best people in to politics, they’re not going to go into politics as it is at present. Many won’t as they have to go to every funeral, because they have to go to the opening of every envelope, or they have to be at every cock fight,” he told the Irish Examiner.