An Australian born engineer, David Barrett has confirmed he will be contesting next month’s General Election.
Living in Ireland since 2013, David and his wife spent four years in Wicklow before settling down in Cooraclare. Last year, he announced plans to set up The Moderate Party but the party is not fully registered meaning he will run as an Independent.
‘Getting a fair share for Co Clare’ is the election campaign tag he will be adhering to. Barrett confirmed his candidacy to The Clare Echo on Wednesday afternoon and stated political parties are “Dublin centric” and have “forgotten about Co Clare”. He registered his nomination on Wednesday afternoon.
“Having had a career in engineering I am well used to finding real solutions to real problems, and Clare is facing significant problems in health, housing, depopulation and lack of opportunities. As an Independent I will be answerable to the people of Clare, not Dublin puppet-masters.”
“An independent sometimes can wield more power for a county than party members, as they can hold the balance of power in a minority government. With the disgraceful governance of both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, I am asking the people of Clare to give a very strong message to the Dublin parties and back myself and other independents instead.
Barrett concluded, “The only way Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will change is if people give them a kicking at the polls. If FF and FG get one seat returned in County Clare, it is one seat too many after the way they have treated the county over the past decade”.
