by Louise Doyle
CAMPAIGNER and defective concrete blocks homeowner Paddy Diver has called on Fine Gael not to allow Senator Bradley to “take the brunt” of people’s anger after a stinging backlash in the wake of her general election defeat interview.
The senator of four months, who lost out on a Dáil seat at the weekend, received criticism for comments she made in which she said voters in Donegal were ‘hyper focused’ on certain issues.
Senator Bradley, who lives in Milford, received 3,658 first preference votes but was eliminated on the 14th count. Her running mate John McNulty also failed to win a seat, receiving a similar number of votes.
In an interview with Highland Radio from the Aura Leisure Centre on Saturday as it became clear she would not be elected, which went viral, Senator Bradley, a motivational speaker, said she believed “attitudes in Donegal needed to change”.
Presenter Greg Hughes put some examples to Senator Bradley, such as the 7,000 homes crumbling from defective concrete blocks, 118 children waiting months for a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (camhs) assessment, and 350 families waiting for carers. He said it would be very hard for someone experiencing such factors to be positive.
Senator Bradley responded that she did not agree.
“I’ve been in a lot of those situations. I’ve sat in A&E in Letterkenny last Christmas for 15 hours on a chair that wasn’t suited to me as an amputee. I’ve had to travel to multiple countries for surgeries.”
Senator Bradley is an amputee who was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a form of bone cancer, when she was 16. She recently underwent rotationplasty surgery. She became a motivational speaker in her 20s, founding Fighting Fit For Ewing’s, which aims to raise awareness about the disease. She has also participated in many physical challenges including mountain climbing.
On Monday, Senator Bradley spoke on the Nine til Noon show to apologise for her comments.
“I want to clarify that how it came across was absolutely not how I intended it. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I didn’t realise how it came across until I saw it back,” she said.
Taking to X in the aftermath of the controversy, Mr Diver said Fine Gael should not allow Senator Bradley to bear the brunt of anger.
“Sometimes all you can do is hold your hands up and apologise, and it’s important we acknowledge it too.
“But is is also important for Fine Gael to understand why there’s so much anger and hurt in this part of the island and it cannot just let Bradley take the brunt of our ire,” he posted.
Elsewhere, in her ‘Fresh Take’ column in this week’s Donegal News, Sabrina Sweeney writes: “Bradley has not lived a life of ease and privilege. She has overcome huge adversity and is an inspiration to many regardless of political outlook. “I don’t know her personally but from interviews she has given over the years she comes across not as someone who lacks empathy but as a woman who knows the pain of struggle and has chosen resilience, hope and a determination to find solutions and keep going.”
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