A leading campaigner for the economic development of the West is to challenge the track record of the main political parties by contesting the European elections in the Connacht-Ulster constituency.
Ms Marian Harkin, who was one of the most outspoken voices in the campaign for regionalisation and the retention of Objective 1 status for the West, Midlands and Border regions, announced her intention to stand as an independent candidate at a press conference in Sligo yesterday.
She has resigned as chairwoman of the lobby group, the Council for the West, to fight the election. Ms Harkin is viewed as a strong candidate who has been prominent in regional and national media, particularly in recent months.
The announcement will add significantly to the interest in the contest. Before her candidacy it was thought virtually certain that the status quo of two Fianna Fail seats and one Fine Gael seat would be maintained in the constituency.
She said her candidacy was a challenge to the main political parties and she believed they had not done enough over many years for the Western region.
"I think successive governments have failed the West, and the facts and figures show this. The political parties need to be challenged. The votes were always there for them in the West of Ireland and there was nobody to stand up and say, `Well, let's see what is being delivered for these votes. Let's see what is happening in this region.' And that's the challenge I am presenting to them," she said.
Ms Harkin will be standing against the Minister of State for Science and Technology, Mr Noel Treacy, and the sitting MEP, Mr Pat "the Cope" Gallagher, both of Fianna Fail, and the sitting Fine Gael MEP, Mr Joe McCartin. The Labour Party and Sinn Fein are also putting up candidates in the constituency.
She said yesterday that her experience over recent years had convinced her that "a strong, independent voice" was needed for the region.
"I firmly believe that if the campaign for the retention of Objective 1 status had not been led and maintained by the voluntary sector and non-governmental organisations, then it would not have succeeded, and things would have gone on as they did before."
Balanced regional development and devolution of power were needed, she said, An effective regional body, with the power to make and implement decisions, should now be established to ensure that the full benefit was reaped from Objective 1 funding.
Ms Harkin said proposals put forward by the Minister for Finance for "a light administrative structure" in the regions would leave "virtually all decision-making still in Dublin."
She said this could not be allowed to happen. "What we will have in place is mere window-dressing, simply to appease Eurostat in order that we could access the extra funding from Objective 1."
She said the money from Objective 1 had to be seen as additional money. "Not only do we need to ensure that we get the benefit from the retention of Objective 1 status. We must also ensure that we get our fair share of national funds."
Ms Harkin said she would also push for a much stronger role for the voluntary and community sectors when decisions were being taken, particularly at local and regional level.