Navan FF candidates set out their stall

Navan"s Fianna Fail local election candidates had a busy schedule last week, with a campaign launch in the Newgrange Hotel on Tuesday night followed by a breakfast meeting on Wednesday morning with European candidate, Liam Aylward, MEP. Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey officially launched the party"s candidates for the town and county councils in the Navan area. Running for Meath County Council are Cllr Shane Cassells, Marguerite Fitzpatrick, Cllr Padraig Fitzsimons, Cllr Jimmy Mangan and Cllr Tommy Reilly. A similar ticket is running for Navan Town Council, with Cllr Christy Reilly instead of Cllr Jim Mangan. The minister wished all the candidates well and encouraged them to canvass each and every house in their area and to take on board the views and needs of constituents. He acknowledged that the recent budget was tough but fair, and said he hoped it was the platform to kick-start the economy again. The majority of the candidates are sitting councillors. Sports journalist Cllr Shane Cassells is a member both of the Navan Town Council and Meath County Council, and was the party"s candidate in the 2005 by-election. He has served as Mayor of Navan on two occasions and has been a member of the local authority since 1999. He joined Fianna Fáil in 1996. The Senate elections in July 2007 saw him contest the Labour panel. His current political objectives include securing funding for the development of the new park in Navan, the fast-tracking of the Navan-Dublin rail line and increased funding for the villages in the Navan electoral area. Cllr Padraig Fitzsimons, the current mayor, is a member of a family which has represented the Navan area at local, national and European levels for three generations. He was chairman of the St Patrick"s Day committee that brought the hugely successful parade back to Navan this year. Cllr Fitzsimons works in the family business, where he manages and runs The Stonehouse public house on Kennedy Road. Cllr James Mangan, Rathfeigh, was first elected to Meath County Council in 1977. Since then, he has held many important positions on the council, including chairman in 2002-2003. He is currently chairman of Meath Economic Forum and director of Meath County Enterprise Board. Cllr Christy Reilly was appointed a member of Navan Town Council in 2005. Since then, he has worked on the successful bid to attract the new regional hospital to the town. He is also active in helping residents improve the conditions of their housing. Cllr Reilly, who works for Meath VEC, is a member of many community organisations. His brother, Cllr Tommy Reilly, also a former mayor, was first elected to Navan Town Council in 1996 and was subsequently elected to Meath County Council in 1999. He is presently chairman of Navan Exhibition Centre Ltd which employs over 250 people and has strong links with Navan RAPID, Navan Travellers" Workshop, Claremont Stadium and Walterstown GFC. He is also chairman of Meath County Council Planning Special Policies Committee. Newcomer Marguerite Fitzpatrick is from Simonstown, and now lives in Athlumney. A former president of the Dublin Institute of Technology Students" Union, she has seven years" political experience working in Leinster House as a personal assistant to a Dublin Dail deputy. Ms Fitzpatrick ran in the local elections in Dublin North Central in 2004 when she was unsuccessful and now hopes to pursue a political career in her native town.