Many in west are still deprived, O Bradaigh says

"An Cat Mor Ceilteach" has passed many people by and there is still considerable deprivation in Connemara and parts of the west, Mr Ruairi O Bradaigh, president of Republican Sinn Fein, said in Galway yesterday. Speaking at the initiation of his party's local election campaign in Connacht, Mr O Bradaigh said honesty and integrity in public life would be key issues in the forthcoming poll.

He O Bradaigh appealed for support for Mr Tomas O Curraoin, who is campaigning for a seat on Galway County Council in the Connemara electoral area.

Not all conventions are over, but Republican Sinn Fein currently has seven local election candidates running in Cos Galway, Donegal, Longford, Tipperary and Limerick.

Queues for hospital services and the plight of small and hill farmers and fishing communities clearly indicated that a sizeable section of the community was still underprivileged and deprived, Mr O Bradaigh said.

Mr O Curraoin has already begun his campaign with meetings at Carna, Letterfrack and Tully Cross. Last week, he criticised the imposition of fines on three Connemara fishermen for dredging shellfish at Beirtreach Bui, while a Spanish-owned vessel, registered in France, had recently landed 90 tonnes of monkfish tails into Killybegs, Co Donegal.

This was despite the fact that the Department of the Marine had placed a restriction order of ten tonnes on all monkfish landings by Irish-owned boats from March 1st.