Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the forthcoming by-election in County Meath which I am glad is going ahead. The people of the county and the Opposition had an excellent Deputy in John Bruton. He is greatly missed, particularly in County Meath which has suffered a great deal since the Government came to office.

We will be campaigning with our excellent candidate, Shane McEntee, whose record stands for itself. His family are well known. He is an upstanding, honest and straightforward man and a hard worker. He has great passion and is stubborn. When he believes in something, he will stand by and fight for it. The three Fianna Fáil Deputies already representing the county do not seem to be fighting for it.

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