Aontú introducing two new candidates for Cork this weekend
Aontú was founded by Peadar Tóibín in January 2019 after he had resigned from Sinn Féin in late 2018 due to his anti-abortion views
Aontú will this weekend introduce its local election candidate for Midleton, and a European election candidate previously in the news for negotiating with the Russian ambassador.
The political party will hold a public meeting in Midleton’s Park Hotel at 7.30pm on Sunday 17 September, where its candidates will be introduced and the party’s leader, Peadar Tóibín TD, will speak.
The party’s Ireland South European candidate, Ballydehob-based fisherman Patrick Murphy, and Midleton woman Mona Stromsoe, who has been selected as an Aontú candidate for next June’s local elections, are also expected to speak at the meeting.
Aontú was founded by Peadar Tóibín in January 2019 after he had resigned from Sinn Féin in late 2018 due to his anti-abortion views, having opposed the party whip on the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018.
The all-Ireland party currently has one TD, Mr Tóibín, and three elected local councillors in the Republic, with no elected representatives in Northern Ireland.
In 2019, Aontú did not run any candidates for the European elections in the Republic or in Northern Ireland, but after June’s elections, Patrick Murphy, who made news headlines last year as one of a group of Irish fishermen who took on the Russian navy, hopes to be an MEP for the party.
Mr Murphy has been involved in the production of mussels in Roaringwater Bay for the past 25 years, and he has also led the Irish South & West Fish Producers Organization (IS&WFPO) based in Castletownbere since 2016.
Early last year, Mr Murphy was one of a group of fishermen who met with Russian ambassador to Ireland Yury Filatov, after which Russia announced they would move controversial naval drills further off the Irish coast, and away from Irish fishing grounds.
Ms Stromsoe, who lives in Scarriff, Midleton, said after her selection that she was passionate about her local community, and believed in an Ireland where human rights and equality were respected and protected.
“I've also been involved with an volunteer group which offers practical support to pregnant women and young families,” she said.
“In Cork Aontú have been involved in many campaigns to save local services, including fishing, health, fire and garda services,” Ms Stromsoe said.
The candidate said she is concerned about the lack of services and assessments for children with special needs in Midleton.
“Under the Disability Act, the HSE is supposed to complete the assessment within six months, [and] this target is not being met,” she said.
“Without the diagnosis, they cannot access the care that they need. Early assessment and early intervention is critical to how children can progress and meet key developmental milestones.”
Ms Stromsoe added that there was a serious need for a school for children pre-school and primary school age with severe developmental disorders in Midleton.
“This is a large town with a huge catchment area, and no school suitable for children with profound learning disabilities,” she said.
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