Election 2024: Bread and butter issues dominate Fine Gael canvass in Cork's English Market
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The stalls may be heaving with fresh meat and fish, with freshly-baked bread, infused olives, oozing cheeses, and exotic herbs and spices, but it was basic bread-and-butter issues that were raised with two of Fine Gael’s most senior figures as they led a whirlwind canvass through Cork’s historic English Market today.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe heard calls for a tougher approach to crime, for safer streets, for more gardaí, for more supports for small businesses, before they were confronted by a man living in homeless accommodation in Dublin.
Robert Dempsey, who has been living in homeless accommodation for several years, confronted Mr Donohoe on Grand Parade over his plight, and accused politicians of not listening to the people on the street.
“I’m coming back to you looking for help again. I’ve been moved from one accommodation to another,” he said. “The people who are coming into our land, and taking our homes under false pretences, applying for accommodation settings, it’s my home that they stole.”
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Mr Donohoe listened carefully, defended approved housing bodies, and said while he wasn’t aware of Mr Dempsey’s individual circumstances, he would look into the matter.
It started well earlier when Mr Donohoe arrived on St Patrick’s Street, jumped out of his state car, and changed footwear — gone were the leather formal shoes in favour of a comfy and stylish pair of Vans.
“I wore out of pair of shoes during the local and European elections,” he quipped, as he balanced on one leg in the drizzle, before slipping first one foot, then the other, into the canvassing shoes.
Ms McEntee arrived minutes later, shaking hands with two gardaí who have been deployed on the street along with the garda community policing van as part of a new high-visibility garda approach to city centre policing for the next few weeks.
After a few photos, they set off along Pana with Fine Gael hopefuls, including Senator Jerry Buttimer, councillor Shane O’Callaghan, and Úna McCarthy, meeting and greeting along the way.
John Buckley told Mr Donohoe he was a fan.
“The only regret I have is that you didn’t go to Washington DC. You would have been great in the IMF,” he said.
Then it was into the English Market, where customers queuing for their loaves and fishes, and stallholders working against ever-tighter margins had their flesh pressed by a posse of politicians and election hopefuls hungry for votes.
They got an insight into the magic of spiced beef from Paul Murphy, of P Coughlan’s Butchers, and his son, Alan, the fifth generation in the business established by Paul’s mother.
They stopped at K O’Connell’s fish stall where they met US tourist Dennis Morrell, from Connecticut, who had just left election fever in the US for a quiet holiday in Ireland, only to find himself caught up in election fever here.
By now, the canvass had been joined by other Fine Gael election hopefuls, including Minister of State Colm Burke and councillor Garett Kelleher, and the group wound its way round to the ABC bread company where Sheila Fitzpatrick echoed the views of many people they met.
“I’m in the market 30 years and at night, I’m afraid to walk back to my car,” she told the group. We need more people living in the city centre. It would make such a difference on so many fronts.”
Tim Mulcahy, of the Chicken Inn, told the ministers that Ireland is losing too many small businesses.
“We need to hold onto them. These guys are out on the frontline every single day fighting to keep their businesses open, their staff employed,” he said.
They are the biggest employer in the country. We need to pump up the enterprise boards.”
They all nodded, and then left the market for a photo shoot at the Michael Collins sculpture on Grand Parade.