Proinsias De Rossa paid a visit to Cavan town last week to officially open Labour’s Cavan/Monaghan constituency office where he was joined by party supporters as well as general election candidate for Labour, Liam Hogan.

Mr De Rossa, who is a Member of European Parliament, cut the ribbon on the new office which Liam Hogan will use as the base for his operations throughout the upcoming campaign.  Mr De Rossa said, ‘The winds of change are blowing across the country and it is clear that people want Fianna Fail out of office and Labour is the party that will restore faith in the country as well as provide good leadership. People want to see political reform, decent health services, better public services and reduced unemployment.  In Liam Hogan this constituency has a strong candidate who can deliver on Labour policies for this area and bring about the integrity that politics needs.  He surprised many, including observers from Labour head office when he missed out on a seat in local elections by a handful of votes. He is running a strong campaign and the people of Cavan/Monaghan would do will with a Labour TD in government to represent them if that is how the election unfolds.’

Speaking on the launch, Mr Hogan said, ‘Opening a campaign office such as this is a clear signal of my intent in relation to the upcoming General Election.  I know that winning a seat in the next election will not be easy, but, I think the opening of this office clearly demonstrates just how serious I am in my efforts to serve the people of Cavan and Monaghan in the next Dáil.   I am taking nothing for granted, but I have to say in the last couple of weeks I have been truly energised by the reception I have been getting on voters’ doorsteps around the constituency.   I have been on the canvass trail for the past couple of weeks and the one clear message that is being repeated on almost every doorstep is that the voters of Cavan/Monaghan want change and they want it as soon as possible.”

Mr Hogan is committed to a better, fairer society that is built on equal opportunities, sustainable employment and improved public services.

Speaking prior to the launch he noted that the same question is being asked in most of the towns and villages he has already visited on his campaign trail and that is: What can be done about creating employment in Cavan and Monaghan?

He went on to say,  ‘the protection of the Quinn Direct jobs in Cavan is a key priority for the area given that any reduction in the numbers employed in this area would represent a massive blow to the local economy.   In relation to Monaghan, the county has suffered over the years with the loss of various local industries which have not been adequately replaced.   In truth, both counties have long been over-looked by the IDA as a potential location for foreign direct investment and this needs to be remedied as a priority under the new government.  This is something I am fully committed to doing in conjunction with utilising the €500m Jobs Fund that Labour will create if in government.’

Aidan Brown, Mr Hogan’s director of elections who also lives in Ballyhaise, said that he felt now was the time for Labour to take its place as part of the next government.  Coming from a family steeped in the Fianna Fail tradition, with an uncle and a cousin who served as TDs, Mr Brown’s shift to Labour is a sign of the times and the fact that many former supporters now see that Fianna Fail has made a mess of things. Mr Brown added, ‘Voters want change and Liam Hogan and Labour can deliver it.’