Greens kick off Meath, Kildare North campaigns

Green Party leader Mr Trevor Sargent today unveiled the party's by-election campaigns in Kildare North and Meath.

Green Party leader Mr Trevor Sargent today unveiled the party's by-election campaigns in Kildare North and Meath.

He said Green policies would deliver a rail line to Navan, proper primary healthcare in both Kildare and Meath, and well-planned schools built at the same time as housing.

Mr Fergal O'Byrne will run in the Meath constituency, and Councillor JJ Power will contest Kildare North. The two attended a press conference in Dublin today.

Mr Power was elected to Kildare Co Council and Naas Town Council in the local elections last year. He worked for Eircom as a technician for 30 years and is studying civil engineering in IT Carlow.

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He is campaigning on issues such as traffic congestion and gridlock, improved social infrastructure and increased funding for home help for the elderly

Mr O'Byrne is a native of Meath and stood as a Green Party candidate for Navan in last year's local elections. He also contested the 2002 general elections in Meath.

He is involved in the campaign against the plan to build a municipal waste incinerator in Duleek, Co Meath.

Mr Sargent said the people of Kildare and Meath badly need the benefits of Green policies and more Green representation.

"The rapid rise in population of both constituencies has not been matched with any real desire or urgency to provide the much needed social infrastructure.

"The inhabitants of both constituencies experience inadequate healthcare provision, large class sizes in poorly maintained buildings, spend too many lost hours in traffic congestion and are poorly served by a Government that has turned its back on efficient public transport," he said.

"The Green Party will continue to fight Government plans to pollute our people and farmland with incineration while leading by example in prioritising waste reduction."