Michael Collins is new leader of new party

Cork South-West TD Michael Collins will lead a new political party called the Independent Ireland Party.

The Independent TD, who was first elected as a county councillor in 2014 and was subsequently elected to the Dáil in 2016, told The Southern Star: ‘The people of Ireland have been calling for a new party – they are sick of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and don’t want to turn to Sinn Fein.

‘I have spent the last year and a half putting in the foundations for a new party with like-minded Independent TD, such as Richard O’Donoghue, who is based in Limerick county, and others,' he said.

The announcement that a new party has been registered was made by the Electoral Commission on Friday November 10th. It also confirmed that Richard O’Donoghue is the general secretary of the new party.

Deputy Collins explained that only two elected TDs are needed to form a new party but 'the real scope of the Independent Ireland Party will only become apparent in the coming weeks.'

The TD said the new party’s primary objective is to focus on the local and EU elections in 2024 in which they plan to run 40 or 50 candidates so they will have a strong voice for the development of rural and urban communities.

‘The biggest issue of concern is housing – both urban and rural –considering that there are one million people on waiting lists. Our agriculture and fishery industries will also be a priority because they have been decimated by regulations imposed by successive governments,' he added.

Read the full report in The Southern Star out on Thursday November 16^th.