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renua
Jonathan Irwin: 'I'm not a politician, I'm just a grumpy old man'
The charity co-founder has defended his new party’s lack of education and health policies.
RENUA CANDIDATE AND Jack and Jill co-founder Jonathan Irwin has defended the lack of health and education policies put forward by his party, Renua.
Irwin had previously expressed an interest in running in the next general election, but had hesitated to commit to joining Lucinda Creighton’s party.
However, he was announced yesterday as a candidate for Renua.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Saturday with Claire Byrne, Irwin explained that he wanted to become involved in politics after he “realised nothing had changed” following the last general election.
“The major parties are impregnated with a malaria drug, and they’re really all the same,” he said. Irwin said he was approached by Renua, and said he had ideas in common with what was being put forward.
I’m not a politician, I’m just going for one run here, I’m just grumpy old man.
He said that although no policies had been put forward in the areas of health and education – what he described as the ‘two biggest mountains’ – there will be.
“You have to give them time to evolve,” Irwin said, “What they have already put out on the table is very exciting.”
Irwin’s wife, Senator Mary Ann O’Brien, will formally join the party when she finishes her term, as she is currently a nominee of the Taoiseach.
He also predicted that party president Eddie Hobbs will “willingly fade into the background”.
Speaking to the same programme, historian Diarmaid Ferriter did not have high hopes for the party.
He predicts the party will suffer similar issues to Clann na Poblachta, as there will be ‘so many disparate voices’ and people ‘who are peddling particular agendas’.
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