Independent TD to make maiden speech

Maverick independent TD Catherine Murphy will outline policy priorities honed over a 17-year local political career when she makes her maiden speech in the Dail on Tuesday.

Maverick independent TD Catherine Murphy will outline policy priorities honed over a 17-year local political career when she makes her maiden speech in the Dáil on Tuesday.

Last weekend Cllr Murphy became the first-ever woman elected in Kildare North - now the only constituency in the country without a Fianna Fáil TD.

She will this week join the eight-member Technical Group of independents in the Dáil who hope to form an alliance on a policy platform ahead of the next General Election.

“I’m not daunted by the Dáil. As an independent I’ve learned to be focused and determined on the issues that I believe matter to people,” the Leixlip mother said.

“I’ll be getting a small speaking slot on Tuesday afternoon and I’ll use it to thank everybody who has helped me get this far in politics.

“I will also be outlining key issues in Kildare North like playgrounds, childcare facilities and schools.”

Referring to nearly 6,000 first preference votes she garnered, she added: “I’m very conscious of all these people putting their trust in me.

“But they know exactly what they are getting with the track record I have. With, me it does exactly what it says on the tin.”

She began a 17-year political career when first elected to Leixlip Town Council in 1988 and later won a seat on Kildare Co Council in 1991.

He has been a member of the Worker’s Party, Democratic Left and Labour but left the latter in 2003 after feeling too restricted by party politics.

After working as a full-time public representative on a modest councillor’s salary, Cllr Murphy will now enjoy a TD’s wage of 80,024 a year with allowances for travel, a constituency office, telephone calls and secretarial expenses.

She believes the salary and perks are generous but predicts they will help fundraise for her General Election campaign in mid-2007.

“I’m mindful that I will have to make an impression in less than two years so I will have to hit the ground running.”

The TD only spent €20,000 on her three-week campaign – funded mostly by table quizzes and raffles – well under the €26,500 allowed in the three-seater constituency.

“The short campaign suited me. The big parties pulled out all the stops in running a megabucks media campaign as well as using party leaders and Government ministers to canvass doorsteps.

“It was also spun to the media that I wasn’t well known outside of my base of Leixlip, which wasn’t true at all.

“In the end, the 39% turnout affected the big party support. Voters didn’t see a big name like McCreevy on the ballot paper and may have felt they were being treated as voting fodder anyway.”

As well as exerting influence among the Technical Group of Independents, Cllr Murphy will also be hoping to form links with the 22 other female TDs in the 29th Dáil.