Greens unveil candidates for by-elections

The people of Kildare and Meath badly need the benefits of green policies, Green Party leader Trevor Sargent said today as he unveiled candidates for the upcoming by-elections.

Councillor JJ Power will be standing in Kildare North and Fergal O’Byrne is representing the Greens in Meath in the by-elections on March 11.

Mr Sargent said: “Implementing green policies would deliver a rail line to Navan, proper primary healthcare in both Kildare and Meath and well-planned schools with facilities at the same time as housing not just as an afterthought.

“The Green Party will continue to fight Government plans to pollute our people and farmland with incineration while leading by example in prioritising waste reduction.”

Mr Power is chairman of Kildare County Council’s Development Board and the Environmental Strategic Policy Committee, since being elected to Kildare County Council and Naas Town Council in 2004.

He is also on the Finance committee, the Corporate Policy Group and Rural Water Monitoring Committee.

“The issues I will campaign on include traffic congestion and gridlock, improving the social infrastructure which is currently failing to keep pace with the rising population, tackling petty crime and anti-social behaviour, and increasing the funding for home help for the elderly,” Mr Power pledged today.

Fergal O’Byrne, an environmental activist who works in the public sector, said he would stand for election in Meath on a number of green issues.

“The issues I will campaign on include improving our public transport, heritage protection including saving the Skryne, Tara, Dalgan valley from the proposed M3, planning development issues, and waste prevention including supporting a zero waste option rather than incineration.”

Mr O’Byrne has been an environmental campaigner on waste issues in Meath, particularly for greater waste management provision by local government.

The Green Party fielded candidates in both constituencies in the 2002 General Election, gaining 6% of the vote in Kildare North and 3.6% in Meath.