Local elections set to build base for pro-life party

The election of three new councillors for Aontú will give the pro-life party a solid base for the next general election, party leader Peadar Tóibín TD has said.

“We’re delighted with the results of the elections,” Mr Tóibín told The Irish Catholic. “In the constituencies we’ve run in, we’ve averaged between 4 and 5% of the vote which is  a phenomenal result for a party that’s 20 weeks old. We got some really good results with Sarah O’Reilly in Cavan, and with regard to the election of Emer (Tóibín) in Navan and obviously with the election of Jim Codd in Wexford, and we came tantalisingly close to seats in Dublin West, in Limerick, in Galway and in Donegal.”

With four councillors in total and a TD, and with some real canvassing experience, the fledgling party now has a base in many areas across the country despite minimal media coverage from RTÉ in the weeks leading into the election, he said

Serious
 chance

“We will be selecting candidates in June for the general election, and we will be targetting at least half a dozen seats with a serious chance of taking Dáil seats in the next general election,” he said.

The local elections had proved an invaluable chance to develop the party and to build awareness of it, he said, adding “we’ll be able to make sure that our organisation is far more professionalised and far more efficient and effective for the next election”.