Athlone requires a voice in the Dáil

Westmeath Independent Comment

In modern times, the Westmeath Independent has a long history of not advising our readers on how to vote.

We intend to continue that tradition, but also to highlight what we believe is the need for voters in the Longford/Westmeath constituency to consider Athlone-area candidates.

We are not parochial. We know that TDs elected across Longford/Westmeath and Roscommon/Galway represent the entirety of each constituency.

We understand that in the globalised world, and even within Ireland, a regionalised approach is most effective.

And we realise that, while Athlone has been without a TD since 2020, many of the TDs in the two local constituencies worked hard and lobbied extensively for projects and on issues relevant to the wider Athlone region during the lifetime of the last Dáil and beyond.

However, the political reality is that Mullingar-based TDs will prioritise Mullingar, as Longford Dáil deputies will with Longford, as indeed Athlone TDs would with Athlone.

The fact that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael each has a candidate from South Westmeath/Athlone on the ballot paper is an implicit acceptance of this.

Athlone is a progressive town, driven forward by the endeavours of its entrepreneurs, community activists and workers, and the energy and innovation of its citizens.

It is the official regional capital of the Midlands, or in the language of the Government, the 'Key Regional Growth Centre' in the Midlands.

It is one of five towns nationally that have been designated as a Regional Growth Centre, on the basis that it functions in a similar manner, but at a different scale to the bigger cities.

It is the foreign direct investment hub of the region, with a thriving IDA park, and a second planned, not to mention the biopharmaceutical cluster in the Monksland area.

It is home to the regional university, the Technological University of the Shannon, with all that brings to the table in terms of access to skilled talent, innovation, and the vision and forward-thinking of youth.

A town like Athlone needs a TD. Indeed, it merits a Minister, but that's a whole other day's work.

The absence of a TD west of the Shannon in the next Dáil, following the retirement of Denis Naughten, and the lack of a South Roscommon-based candidate on the ballot paper only serves to accentuate the need for political representation in the corridors of power.

In 2020, there was a strong campaign in county Longford to secure a TD, after the entire county had been left without a TD following the 2016 general election.

This time around it is the Athlone region that is in the same situation.

There are six Athlone-based candidates on the ballot paper for Longford/Westmeath.

They offer diverse attributes, and represent different parties or none. If they don't fit the bill for you, there are other candidates across the constituency (all of whom are profiled over this week's and last week's editions, and online).

However, we believe it is crucial that Athlone returns a TD to the next Dáil.