Republican News · Thursday 30 November 2001

Stanley to contest Laois/Offaly

Laois/Offaly Sinn Féin held their election convention on 14 November in the Bury Quay Centre in Tullamore and selected Portlaoise Town Commissioner Brian Stanley to be their candidate in the forthcoming general election. Members felt the party should contest the election in the constituency to provide a clear and radical alternative to the right wing politics of the establishment parties.

Brian Stanley thanked those attending for selecting him as their candidate and said that he would work diligently with members in both counties to ensure the Sinn Féin message and policies reach people throughout the constituency.

"For far too long, Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael have had a stranglehold on politics in Laois and Offaly," he said. "Their three- and two-seat monopoly has meant that there has been no real opposition to their right wing agenda on such issues as the privatisation of important public services and infrastructure. The difference between these two parties and indeed Labour is wafer thin, as they all huddle close together on the centre right of the political spectrum.

"This government's record of job creation in Laois/Offaly is not impressive. We must ensure that the benefits of being part of the BMW region are maximised. Sinn Féin is proposing a number of measures to address the employment situation and rural development. These include greater emphasis on the development of indigenous industries, the maintenance of existing semi state employment and where appropriate the expansion of this sector. We believe that community led initiatives have significant employment potential and just two obvious examples of this would be childcare and waste recycling. Sinn Fein advocates an increase in Leader funding, increased supports for organic farming and the promotion of co-operative agricultural projects."

Brian Stanley was elected to Portlaoise Town Commission in 1999. He is currently the vice-chair of the Commission, a member of the Portlaoise Area Committee of Laois County Council and chair of Laois/Offaly Sinn Féin.

active environmentalist, Stanley has been involved in campaigning for sustainable waste management and the rejection of incineration as a means of waste disposal. He has served as a member of the Ard Chomhairle of Sinn Féin and has played an active role in developing the peace process and in seeking the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.