Independent Ireland | |
---|---|
Leader | Michael Collins |
General Secretary | Richard O'Donoghue |
Founders |
|
Founded | 10 November 2023 |
Ideology |
Conservatism Social conservatism Anti-immigration |
Political position | Right-wing [1] |
European Parliament group | European Conservatives and Reformists (cooperation) |
Slogan | Forward Together |
Dáil Éireann | 3 / 160 |
Local government in the Republic of Ireland | 11 / 949 |
Website | |
independentireland | |
Independent Ireland is a right-wing [1] political party in Ireland. It was formed on 8 November 2023 by former independent TDs Michael Collins and Richard O'Donoghue. [2] [3] Collins said that the party seeks to provide "a comfortable alternative" to voters unhappy with the Fianna Fáil– Fine Gael– Green Party coalition, but are unwilling to vote for Sinn Féin. [4]
Collins is the leader of the party in Dáil Éireann, while O'Donoghue serves as general secretary. O'Donoghue told the Irish Examiner that he and Collins hoped to encourage members of the Rural Independents Group in the Dáil to join. [5] Both Collins and O'Donoghue had been members of the Rural Independents Group prior to founding the party.
Michael Fitzmaurice became the party's third TD in February 2024. [6] In the same month, Councillors Shane P. O'Reilly and Declan Geraghty joined the party and announced their intention to contest re-election to Cavan County Council and Galway County Council respectively. [7] John O'Donoghue joined Independent Ireland in March 2024 while standing for re-election to the Limerick City and County Council. [8] Later that month, Noel Larkin of Galway City Council, Declan Kelly of the Galway County Council, Kenneth O'Flynn of Cork City Council, and Nigel Dineen of Roscommon County Council announced that they would run as Independent Ireland candidates in the 2024 local elections. [9] [10] [11] [12]
On 5 April 2024, the party announced that former RTÉ correspondent Ciaran Mullooly would be standing for Independent Ireland in the 2024 European Parliament election in the Midlands–North-West constituency. [13] [14] In the same month, Councillors Séamus Walsh and Noel Thomas of the Galway Council Council, Paul Hogan of the Westmeath County Council, and Danny Collins of the Cork County Council announced they would run as Independent Ireland candidates in the 2024 local elections. [15] [16]
On 22 April 2024, Ireland's Classic Hits Radio presenter Niall Boylan announced he would be running for party in the 2024 European Parliament election in the Dublin constituency. [17]
In December 2023, the party took part in a meeting called "The family of European Conservatives is expanding" organized by the European Conservatives and Reformists. [18]
Independent Ireland were one of two parties represented in the Dáil to advocate a No/No vote in the March 2024 Irish constitutional referendums; [19] the other party to advocate a No/No vote was Aontú. [20]
Collins has said that he's "against abortion. Full stop." [21] Collins and O'Donoghue were co-sponsors of a 2021 bill that would have required pain relief for foetuses being aborted. The Dáil overwhelmingly defeated the bill. [22]
Collins and O'Donoghue have both been alleged to have questioned the efficacy of vaccines against COVID-19, [23] [24] though both have since stated that they are not anti-vaccine and they have expressed a willingness to take a COVID-19 vaccine. [25] [26]
The party states that it is against open borders, claiming open borders are allowed and promoted by profiteers at the expense of the taxpayer. [27]
The party has pledged to enact planning reform, establish emergency modular housing schemes, and eradicate families living in emergency accommodations. [28]
The party aims to reduce the cost of living by freezing and reforming the Carbon Tax. It states it wishes to end the Property Tax and abolish the Universal Social Charge for people over the age of 65. [29]
Portrait | Name | Elected as | Constituency | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Michael Collins | Independent | Cork South-West | ||
Michael Fitzmaurice | Independent | Roscommon–Galway | ||
Richard O'Donoghue | Independent | Limerick County |
Name | Elected as | Council | |
---|---|---|---|
Danny Collins | Independent | Cork County Council | |
Nigel Dineen | Independent | Roscommon County Council | |
Declan Geraghty | Independent | Galway County Council | |
Paul Hogan | Independent | Westmeath County Council | |
Declan Kelly | Independent | Galway County Council | |
Noel Larkin | Independent | Galway City Council | |
John O'Donoghue | Independent | Limerick City and County Council | |
Kenneth O'Flynn | Fianna Fáil | Cork City Council | |
Shane P. O'Reilly | Fianna Fáil | Cavan County Council | |
Noel Thomas | Fianna Fáil | Galway County Council | |
Séamus Walsh | Fianna Fáil | Galway County Council |