Businessman and former presidential candidate Peter Casey has announced his candidacy in June’s European Parliament elections.
Mr Casey will run as an independent candidate, hoping to secure one of the five seats for the Midlands-North West Constituency.
As well as the 2018 presidential election in which he came second, the former Dragons’ Den panellist failed to secure a seat in the 2019 European elections.
However, the Midlands-North West constituency will have five seats to fill this time after the Electoral Commission recommended granting an extra seat with counties Laois and Offaly transferring from the South constituency.
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Mr Casey also ran in two separate constituencies – Donegal and Dublin West – in the 2020 general election, again failing to become elected.
He has drawn criticism in the past over controversial comments made about the Travelling community and immigrants.
Announcing his candidacy, Mr Casey said he is “very concerned” about the “total open-border policy” of the Government “and indeed the opposition, Sinn Féin”.
Mr Casey described it as a “serious mistake” that Irish MEPs voted in favour of the EU migration pact.
If elected, Mr Casey said he would work hard to ensure incentives are put in place to encourage young expats to return home to Ireland, saying people are leaving “in droves” as they feel they will never be able to buy a home or “get a job”.
Mr Casey said, “as a businessman”, he will ensure that large multinational employers in the area know they are welcome to Ireland, saying the “critical source of revenue and job creation” must be protected.
“Attracting more jobs and preventing jobs leaving rural Ireland will be my mission if elected,” he said.
Separately, and in addition to more gardaí being needed for rural Ireland, Mr Casey said he has long been critical of the Green Party and the carbon tax.
“There is no doubt that we need to tackle climate change. That has to happen, but carbon tax is not the answer. In rural Ireland, we do not have the options that people living in Dublin have to get around. We have no choice but to use our cars.
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