Support for FF better than polls, says Cowen

CAVAN:SUPPORT FOR Fianna Fáil on the doorsteps is stronger than polls would indicate, Taoiseach Brian Cowen has said.

Speaking in Cavan yesterday afternoon where he laid a block for a community childcare centre, Mr Cowen said personalities and local recognition would play a big part in Friday’s elections.

He said that the party would do better than the figures suggest.

“The big poll is the June 5th poll. We have obviously done a thorough canvass and we are going to keep going to the end,” he told reporters.

“Our canvassing returns would suggest a better result than that [opinion poll]. That is anecdotal obviously and with that you have to make certain adjustments so we will just have to wait and see. The real poll or polls will be next Saturday or Sunday.”

Mr Cowen also said he believed personalities and personal recognition would play a big part in the local elections.

“I think we have 250 local elections in each area. It is a different type of election in each area, local issues, local personalities, work rate of councillors. Who was in a position to deliver in the past, what young people are putting their heads up now. It is quite different local elections are not the same as national elections in that sense.”

However, the Taoiseach added: “At the end of the day one is not unmindful of what the opinion polls might say. They are a trend. But from our point of view we just believe we will do better than what they might have suggested.”

Responding to criticisms that Government childcare support of just over €60 per week was low, Mr Cowen said some years ago former minister Brendan Smith “carried out a review of childcare funding when he was minister for children, to find a sustainable path forward”.

Mr Cowen said much work had been done in the provision of childcare in response to that review and current Minister Barry Andrews would continue to petition Government at budget time. “But I think the amount of investment you have seen in childcare, in every part of the country you can see it, it is really local communities empowering themselves.

“This was a major challenge some years ago and I think a lot of progress has been made. But it is to build on that in the background of tight budgetary constraints, that is the challenge in the future”.

Mr Cowen was in Cavan and Monaghan yesterday as part of his pre-election tour. He will visit Carlow and Kilkenny today.

** Patsy McArdle adds: More than 300 protesters gathered outside St Mary's hospital in Castleblayney yesterday afternoon carrying banners and chanting protests against Fianna Fáil, when Mr Cowen paid a visit to the hospital.

Fine Gael deputy Seymour Crawford and Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin were joined by local councillors and the respective party candidates in the demonstration outside the Castleblayney hospital.

The crowd was also addressed by chairman of the Monaghan General Hospital Alliance, Peadar McMahon.

Members of Monaghan County Council also took part in the protest.

The demonstrators carried placards protesting against the threatened closure of AE services at Monaghan General Hospital.

A strong force of gardaí was on duty at the hospital and they held back the chanting and placard waving demonstrators as Mr Cowen was driven into the hospital car park.