After threatening to drop out of the presidential race yesterday, Dana Rosemary Scallon returned to campaigning today, saying the country needs the self determination to rebuild a future where people are not forced into emigration/
Ms Scallon did not answer whether she would follow through on her threat to drop out of the race if the issue of her US citizenship were raised again. She did say she would have to talk to all her family members before making any decisions.
“It’s not that I want to, it’s just that it’s been very hard to rake up,” said Ms Scallon.
Ms Scallon said she was in the race for the moment because the country needed to focus on providing goods and services to the people.
Her family was touched by emigration, she said, as her daughter was forced to leave the country for America a few weeks ago because she “simply could not make ends meet”.
“If they want to stay, we’ve got build an Ireland, we’ve got to have that determination, self-determination, that will build the Ireland that will welcome them again,” Ms Scallon said.
Ms Scallon said it was a tragedy that some Irish communities had more members in living in New Zealand than in Ireland, as illustrated by the Irish rugby match against New Zealand.
The Occupy Dame Street protesters, she said, were an example of frustrated and voiceless Irish people “saying the reality, which is that it’s increasingly difficult for families here”.
Ms Scallon said that if the people feel they are not being responded to, they have very little option but to protest.
When asked if the level of support showed in the polls was an embarrassment to her campaign, Ms Scallon said she has never done well in polls, even on elections she has won.