STRONG support for Democratic Left's continued participation in the Rainbow Coalition was expressed by a cross section of the party's election candidates.
The party's youngest candidate. Mr Anthony Creevey (24), who is contesting Dublin North East, voted against the party joining the Rainbow, but has since changed his mind. "I thought that we would be scapegoated by the other parties, but I was wrong. Our Ministers are open and prepared to listen. For instance, various community enterprises in Dublin North East have received a total of £300,000 in Government grants."
Mr Creevey, from Coolock, who works as a religion teacher at St Kevin's Community College, Clondalkin, will be attempting to win back the seat once held by Mr Pat McCartan, now a Circuit Court judge. He lost it in the last election, when the national swing to Labour yielded that party two seats, won by Mr Sean Kenny and Mr Tommy Broughan. The other seats are held by Fianna Fail's Dr Michael Woods and Mr Liam Fitzgerald.
Mr Mick Enright, a teacher in Kilmuckridge Vocational College and the party's candidate in Wexford, studied political science under the current Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht Mr Higgins, in University College Galway. He was once a member of the Labour Party and left at the same time as Dr Noel Browne.
"I have no reservations about our participation in Government. It has legitimised us in the public mind, and our Ministers have achieved an exceptional public profile."
In Wexford, he faces an uphill battle, competing against two senior Ministers, the FG Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates, and the Labour Minister for the Environment, Mr Howlin, as well as the FG Minister of State, Ms Avril Doyle. The other seats are held by Fianna Fail's Mr John Browne and Mr Hugh Byrne.
The party's candidate in Limerick East, Mr John Ryan, has no difficulty with the principle of the party's participation in Government, but he has reservations about some of the Rainbow's policies.
"I think we have to be wary, and be careful not to lose our policy platform. I have doubts, for instance, about the decision to introduce free third level fees. I would prefer to target resources towards the primary and adult education sectors," he said.
Ms Helen Lahert, who is seeking a seat for DL in Dublin North Central, says that her initial reservations about the party's participation in Government have vanished. "We have done very well in areas such as social welfare, women's equality, long term unemployment and tackling the drugs crisis."
The seats in the constituency are currently held by the Fine Gael Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Bruton; Labour's Mr Derek McDowell; and Fianna Fail's Mr Ivor Callely and Mr Sean Haughey.
