Sinn Fein European election candidate Martina Anderson receiving a standing ovation on her arrival in the Waterfoot Hotel in Derry last night.
European election candidate Martina Anderson has said she will continue to campaign for the interests of Derry in Europe.
The Derry woman was co-opted to the European Parliament in 2012 to replace Bairbre de Brún.
The sitting Sinn Fein MEP was speaking at the launch of her election campaign in the Waterfoot Hotel in Derry which was attended by around 300 party faithful.
Ms Anderson said: “While always conscious of the fact that I represent all the people of the North, I will always keep one eye firmly focused on opportunities in Europe for Derry and the North West because I firmly believe that economic regeneration of this region will make a massive contribution to regeneration elsewhere.”
Sinn Fein’s Martina Anderson speaking at the launch of her European election campaign.
She also said the election of an all-Ireland team of Sinn Fein MEPs – the party is fielding a candidate in each of the four European constituencies throughout Ireland – would help make the border irrelevant.
She said she was looking forward to returning to Europe as part of an increased Sinn Féin team.
She said a strong Sinn Féin team in Europe wouldl help improve cross-border communications, particularly in areas like Derry and Inishowen.
She said: “Mindful of the fact that many European cities have larger populations than the whole of Ireland and whether in Derry or Kerry, Belfast or Dublin, all our people are feeling the bite of austerity, I have no doubt that a Sinn Féin team representative of every corner of Ireland will add momentum to our agenda for change – in Europe, in Ireland and in Derry.
“While I will be working as part of an all-Ireland team I will of course be paying special attention to areas of common interest with Matt Carthy and the Donegal team in identifying projects and EU programmes that will redress the historical neglect and lack of investment in the North West.
“An all-Ireland team of MEPs will give us endless opportunities to make the border economically irrelevant as it should be, while we increase our efforts to remove it politically also.”
The European election will take place on Thursday, 22 May, the same day as the local government elections, with the count taking place in the King’s Hall in Belfast the following Monday.
