Council profile: Co Meath For all the anti-FF talk on the doorstep. Opposition parties are wary, writes Marie O'Halloran
For all the anti-Fianna Fáil talk at the doorstep, Opposition parties in Meath are wary. Canvassers hear angry words on the hustings, but that only counts if the voter normally backed Fianna Fáil, they say.
As one canvasser put it, with a touch of envy, "Fianna Fáil have a great ability to separate 'our local man' from 'the big boys up in Dublin'."
"I've been listening to people giving out about Fianna Fáil for years, but that doesn't mean they won't vote FF," says another. "I think Fianna Fáil voters might be about to give their candidates a hard time, but I don't know if it will be a backlash."
The Royal County is fast becoming a suburban one, with a huge growth in its towns. As a result, infrastructure is a huge issue. There are rows over new housing estates not being finished off, lack of public lighting, terrible roads and water shortages.
The county has suffered major job losses, including the closures of Navan Carpets and furniture makers. The lack of jobs is particularly felt in Navan where a shortage of public parking is another complaint. There is a demand for a rail service to Dublin, and concern about Navan hospital. The proposed N3 motorway at the Hill of Tara has provoked much resistance, as has the plan to toll it at Kells and Clonee.
Just two TDs from the five-seater Dáil constituency will be affected by the dual-mandate ban as Meath is a constituency well represented at Cabinet.
The Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, former taoiseach Mr John Bruton and former minister of state Ms Mary Wallace are long departed from local politics.
Bowing out of county council politics are the poll-topping Fianna Fáil TD Mr Johnny Brady and the Dáil's youngest member, the energetic Mr Damien English of Fine Gael.
At the last local elections in 1999, Mr Brady pulled in a massive 2,414 first preferences in his Kells electoral area, where FF holds four of six seats.
His colleague, Mr Bryan Reilly, who topped the Kells Town Council election, has been co-opted to his council seat, and is expected to hold it.
However, another popular Fianna Fáil councillor, Mr Jimmy Weldon, is also retiring, and the party faces a battle to hold all four seats.
The Opposition senses vulnerability, and Sinn Féin, with a strong vote in north Meath, could well be the winner with Mr Michael Gallagher.
Mr English held on to his council seat in the seven-seat Navan electoral area, and the TD will be backing two Fine Gael candidates - Ms Jennie D'Arcy, from his home area of Bohermeen, and Ms Caroline Hogan, from Skryne. Fine Gael's Mr Jim Holloway and Mr Patsy O'Neill are expected to be returned and, while the party wants four seats here, there will be a pitched battle given the retirement of Fianna Fáil's Cllr Paddy Fitzsimons.
Outgoing councillors Mr Tommy Reilly and Mr Jim Mangan are joined by Navan town councillor Mr Shane Cassells - his uncle, Mr Peter Cassells, is Labour's European Leinster candidate - Ms Alison Boyle, the mayor of Navan, and Mr Brendan Markey.
Sinn Féin has worked extremely hard on the ground in Navan, but it would need a doubling of its vote to win a second seat for Mr Peadar Toibín, so Cllr Joe Reilly may be the sole Navan party representative on the council.
However, Sinn Féin candidates are expected to make a big impact in each of the town council elections in Navan, Kells and Trim.
Labour is expected to figure in the town council results as it attempts to rebuild its base, decimated after the last local elections in 1999. The party was in disarray, with no county council seat in Meath, following a schism when Labour councillors, led by Mr Brian Fitzgerald, departed the fold after the party merged with Democratic Left that year.
This time around Labour has high hopes in the Dunshaughlin electoral area with candidates Mr Peter Ward and Mr John King, formerly of Democratic Left.
Dunshaughlin could throw up a surprise because of the battles over rezoning land and the county development plan. Most sitting councillors are very defensive about a High Court case over the plan.
No changes are expected in the Trim area, which has three FF and two Fine Gael seats.
The PDs have no representation in Meath, but the party's youngest female candidate, Ms Sirena Campbell, is running in Slane .
The Green Party goes into the election with Cllr Tom Kelly, elected last time as an independent, and running for the Greens in Slane with Ms Carol Davis, whose vote is expected to help him.