Fine Gael confident of taking two EU seats in Midlands North-West

Internal party polling puts Maria Walsh and Nina Carberry on track to be elected to the European Parliament in the five-seater constituency

Fine Gael candidate Maria Walsh is polling at 12% in the Fine Gael-commissioned poll. Picture: Dan Linehan

Fine Gael is confident it can now take two European Parliament seats in the Midlands North-West constituency.

Internal party polling, seen by the Irish Examiner, puts both Fine Gael candidates Maria Walsh and Nina Carberry on track to be elected in the five-seater constituency.

Ms Walsh and fellow sitting MEP Luke Ming Flanagan are polling at 12% in the Fine Gael-commissioned poll, similar to an Ireland Thinks poll published over the weekend.

The poll, conducted on Friday and Saturday, puts Ms Carberry, a former champion jockey, on 10%. Three points better than the Sunday Independent poll, it would put her ahead of Fianna Fáil’s Barry Cowen, Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín, and Michelle Gildernew of Sinn Féin.

“It is still all to play for,” said one Fine Gael source, adding that the party believes Ms Carberry is very transfer-friendly.

“Nina is significantly strong at 19% when you consider voters’ first choice if their preferred candidate is not available, already elected, or eliminated,” added the source.

Empty milk cartons

Meanwhile, empty milk cartons have been sent to candidates ahead of Friday’s European elections, urging them to be “champions” for dairying.

Along with delivering empty milk cartons, Lakeland Dairies has written to all 27 MEP candidates standing in the Midlands North-West constituency asking them to prioritise the retention of the nitrates derogation.

Farmers are also calling on candidates to ensure that all funding to continue to support farmers to produce food in harmony with nature is delivered to the region.

To emphasise the importance of the dairy sector to the region, Lakeland Dairies has sent an empty carton of its Champion brand milk to each of the candidates, asking them never to allow anyone in Europe to imagine a rural Ireland without milk production.

Separately, Dublin Green MEP Ciarán Cuffe has hit out at Fine Gael, claiming a vote for Simon Harris’s party in the EU elections would be a vote for “climate chaos”.

Mr Cuffe accused Fine Gael of being driven by private, profiteering interests, adding that it is “hell-bent on dismantling hard-fought protection” designed to keep people safe and secure in their homes.

“Unfortunately, we have come to expect this from Fine Gael and the European People’s Party [centre-right grouping in the European Parliament],” said Mr Cuffe at a canvass on Dublin’s Henry St.

“Time and time again, they have gotten into bed with Europe’s far-right to tank green laws designed to keep people safe in their homes, safe on our streets.

“They make no secrets about their agenda of inaction either, going as far to publish a kill-list of EU laws.”