Happiness tinged with sadness for poll topper Burke

Wife Olivia, and sons Leo and Ted were with Minister Peter Burke in those final hours before the first count was announced – but so too were his in-laws and extended family, which meant a lot to him in a year when he lost his mother.

“It was great to have my family, to have Olivia and Leo and Ted down with me here, and Olivia’s parents Seán and Bridie,” Minister Burke told the Westmeath Examiner, adding that it also meant a lot to him that his two uncles, Philip and Denis as well as his aunt Olive were present, and he had the support of his uncle, Ted.

“It’s a very special moment,” he admitted.

Peter had good reason to be happy: not alone was he the poll-topper, but his 10,864 first preference vote put him comfortably past the quota, with a surplus of 549, 107 of which later transferred to party colleague, Micheál Carrigy, and 200 to Fianna Fáil’s Robert Troy. He was the first Fine Gael candidate to top the poll in this constituency since Paddy Cooney did so in 1973.

However, he disclosed, he had not been in any way confident of that sort of success when the election was called.

“I don’t think you can ever afford to be confident going into an election so I’m very grateful and humbled by the support that I have received and I can really promise everyone who voted for me that I will do everything I can to vindicate their trust in me,” he stated.

“I will keep up a top class service to the public and all my constituents and keep my clinics going – which are very important. They’re fundamental to my service and I just really want to thank people because the goodwill that was shown to me during the campaign was absolutely exceptional.”

Peter revealed that the recent death of his mother (on October 8) last had hit him hard: “Being an only child, that had a very significant effect on me, especially with my dad passing away just two years before that. So if it was five years ago, both of them would be here with me,” he said.

He was greatly touched, however, by the reactions of people he met over the course of the election campaign: “People really were so respectful, so genuine, and such heartfelt warmth was shown to me at the doors.”

Government

Looking to what lies ahead, Minister Burke said it was too early to say what shape the next government will have: “We were very clear from the outset, the proposition we put to the Irish people was that we would not go into government with Sinn Féin,” he said.

“Obviously it depends on what the numbers will be.

“So what I think has to happen is wait and see what the three main parties are, in terms of the leaderboard. Then we have to reflect on what the Irish people have said in respect of other political parties and then see who is serious about forming a government, who really wants to do this to provide a stable government.

“Obviously we are a party that does want to go into government but we will have to see what the numbers are.”

Issues

As to what sort of message has the electorate given to the political classes in the election, Minister Burke commented that something that he finds frustrating is that sometimes the election isn’t on substance and people can get carried away talking about fringe issues.

“But,” he stated, “the substantial issues are housing; trying to ensure there are more resources for those with additional need; trying to support our carers. Those are the critical issues that people are facing day in day out that affect their quality of life.

“Sometimes it’s frustrating to hear people talking about other issues that go on and on and on and the substance loses out. One of the things we need to focus on is really improving the quality of life of all our citizens. And that’s one thing I got into politics to do, to try to improve public services, to try to deliver more housing – which we need.

“Also obviously it’s about trying to improve the lives of those who are caring for people and rewarding working families, and when I say working families, I mean those who are caring for a relative, I mean those who are working on CE schemes, who are contributing to society.

“Anyone that’s contributing positively to society, we as a government need to back them.”