VOTING is 'a patriotic call to duty' according to European election candidate Eddie Punch (Ind Ire), who is appealing to all eligible constituents to cast their vote in tomorrow's polls.
Punch is one of 22 candidates aiming to claim a seat in the Ireland South constituency, of which there are five up for grabs.
The former general secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) says he wants to 'strike a better balance between food security, climate security and energy security in each of the member states' in the EU.
Punch is a member of the Independent Ireland party, led by Cork South West TD Michael Collins, and has put farmers at the forefront of his campaign to date.
'I want to see fair play extended to Irish farmers so that they can prepare for and safeguard their futures as best as possible, something which cannot be done while uncertainty persists over the nitrates directive, the nature restoration law and other EU regulations,' said Punch.
He added: 'The 25 years that I spent with the ICSA, directly making the case of Irish farm families and the agrifood sector with legislators in Brussels, has provided me with an apprenticeship that no other candidate standing in Ireland’s three constituencies can lay claim to.
'Knowledge, expertise and experience when it comes to how Brussels works is critical when selecting your MEP. I am uniquely qualified in that respect.'
'To receive someone’s vote is the single greatest act of civic faith that one citizen can extend to another. Should the people of Ireland South elect me to represent them in the European Parliament, I will repay that faith by working hard, by remaining open to collaboration, by speaking up for all constituents and by listening to them throughout the lifetime of the next parliament. I will not let them down.'
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