THE ATTENDANCE OF two Young Fine Gael (YFG) committee members at a US right-wing conference has been criticised by the DCU branch of the youth group. 

The Dublin City University (DCU) wing of Young Fine Gael said it feels “concern and disappointment” over the president attending the conference.

“Members of the executive council, especially the president, chose to take up the mantle of responsibility for the entirety of their term which they were elected to serve,” a statement from DCU YFG said.

“To state a highly political trip, publicised on social media, was in an entirely personal capacity during the term of president is not an acceptable defence.”

YFG president Killian Foley-Walsh and social media officer Chloe Kennedy attended the National Conservative Student Conference in the US last week.

This is a right-wing convention held by Young America’s Foundation, a youth conservative group with pro-life views.

US Vice President Mike Pence spoke at the five-day conference. Other speakers included US senator Ted Cruz and pro-life activist Lila Rose.

Both of the YFG members who went to the event told the Irish Independent that they attended in a personal capacity and that the trip was funded by themselves and the Edmund Burke Institute, a conservative educational charity. 

Young Fine Gael is the youth wing of the Fine Gael party for people aged 15 to 35. It is an autonomous organisation that embodies the values of the political party. 

Fine Gael declined to comment on the incident.

Representing views

Ógra Fianna Fáil president Ian Woods told TheJournal.ie that YFG members should be free to attend such events if they align with the views of their leadership. 

“It is up to Young Fine Gael members to decide whether the attendance of their president at events such as this is representative of their views,” said Woods.  

“My belief is that YFG members’ enthusiastic cheerleading of this particular foreign political party is reflective of the views of a large section of YFG and Fine Gael’s membership.”

Members of an organisation called Free Speech Ireland also attended the event last week.

A statement from two group members said they were disappointed by the “unfair attacks” on those who attended the conference. 

“We attended the conference to enhance our knowledge of political values and to hear from a broad range of conservative and classical liberal speakers,” the statement said.  

The attendance was also criticised by some FG party members. 

Fine Gael TD Noel Rock who is also a member of YFG said this attendance didn’t represent the “progressive” YFG members he knows. 

Fine Gael MEP for the Midlands North-West Maria Walsh told the Irish Independent that she will be writing to the YFG committee calling for Foley-Walsh to resign as president.