Westminster '97
STRANGFORD CANDIDATE GARRET O'FACHTNA
Garret O'Fachtna has been a Sinn Fein activist in County Down for nine years and is the Chairperson of the Party's South Down Comhairle Ceantair. He represented Sinn Fein in Strangford in last year's Forum elections.
Garret is a professional community development worker and trained therapist. In recent years he has played an important role in highlighting the drugs problem in the East Down area.
Garret believes that the question of improved links between the Ards peninsula and Lecale needs to be urgently addressed and that there should be a public inquiry held with a view to developing a long-term strategy on this important issue.
Standing as a candidate in Strangford, Garret hopes to give voters the opportunity to register their support for a negotiated way forward out of the impasse impacting on the peace process.
CONSTITUENCY PROFILE
Strangford
Apart from Ian Paisley John Taylor is the only unionist MP who served in the old Stormont junta. This time out his unionist opposition comes from the DUP's Iris Robinson. Though the DUP came within 1,000 votes of the UUP last May it would be a major upset if Taylor lost the seat this time. Garret O Fachtna offers the Sinn Fein alternative.