Southeast 'much poorer' for Minister's departure

REACTION:MARTIN CULLEN received messages of support from political colleagues in Waterford last night after his resignation from the Cabinet and the Dáil.

Labour TD Brian O’Shea said the southeast would be “much poorer” for the resignation.

Mr O’Shea said that there were a number of capital projects in the region that “urgently need someone at the table to give an extra push to bring to fruition”. These include the need to upgrade the Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) to university status and the extension to the courthouse on Catherine Street in the city, the need for a new fire station and funding for the extension of the runway at Waterford airport.

“It is a great pity we are losing Martin Cullen from the Cabinet table at this juncture. I wish him all the very best and hope that he can make a recovery that . . . allows him to have a good quality of life,” said Mr O’Shea.

Fine Gael Deputy John Deasy said Mr Cullen was “a very good colleague of mine. I always had a good relationship with him; he was helpful, co-operative and respectful.

“I had a bad hip so I had also been limping around but his problems were far more serious . . . he has major back issues and needs to look after himself.

“For the city of Waterford not to have a Government Minister, it is a sad loss. But this Government won’t last . . . there will be a change.” Mr Deasy said Mr Cullen’s “achievement was getting to Cabinet at a time when the Government had money”.

However, Mr Deasy said that some things “didn’t get done”. He said that while his elevation to cabinet did help, the WIT issue was “not delivered”.

Senator Paudie Coffey, Fine Gael, said Mr Cullen’s resignation was “not good for Waterford. He has served Waterford reasonably well. He did fight for the motorway to Waterford, he was in a position to deliver.” Mr Coffey said “the disappointment was that he didn’t get university status for WIT”.

He added: “But I want to wish him well. He served to the best of his ability and I would like to acknowledge his position. He was in opposition to me in the last general election, but on a political front the Government has let this county [Waterford] down and he is a part of that Government.

“He did serve to the best of his ability. He had a fairly long ministerial career with a lot of portfolios and Waterford will be at a loss; we have a lot of unemployment in the last number of years.

“I hope whoever Fianna Fáil get to replace him will strongly look after Waterford’s interests.” Mr Coffey said Mr Cullen “got the blame for the e-voting machines” and that he carried the can.

“But he wasn’t prepared to listen and tried to force it through and it cost the country €55 million. That is money that is well-needed in today’s economic climate,” said Mr Coffey.

His Fianna Fáil colleague, Brendan Kenneally TD, said that his loss is “not going to be good” for Waterford. However, Mr Kenneally said his retirement from politics was “a blow to Martin” more than to anyone else.

“I am aware of how he has suffered with his back and I would like to wish him well . . . I hope he gets some relief after the amount of time he has spent in public life.”

His main achievements included infrastructural improvements in the southeast, while he wished to point out that “the process regarding WIT is on-going. It hasn’t been exhausted”, said Mr Kenneally.