Deputy’s Euro 2016 wallchart praised by constituents who say he is on the ball with poster

By Mary Dennehy

AS SOCCER fever grips the nation, one Dublin South West TD has been accused of scoring a personal goal by printing a UEFA Euro 2016 wallchart on his latest information leaflet.

This week, hundreds of households across the constituency received Fine Gael TD Colm Brophy’s sport-themed public information leaflet – which contains a centre page Euro fixtures guide.

Some constituents have expressed delight with the nifty wallchart, believing that the local deputy is on the ball with his inclusion of the fixtures.

However, others have branded the move as a cheap marketing ploy – and a waste of money.

When contacted by The Echo, Deputy Brophy, who is a self-confessed Liverpool fan, said: “I haven’t had any negative feedback to date. Anybody whom I have spoken with is happy with the chart and the other solid information contained on the leaflet.

“However, as with everything, you’re always going to have conflicting views on things.

“I’ve always enjoyed soccer, Liverpool is my big love, and as a councillor on South Dublin County Council I worked hard to promote all sports, including soccer.

“There are different sides to politicians and their work and I think it’s important to show that when communicating to constituents.”

He added: “As a politician you’re always trying to engage with people, and, in June, the Euro 2016 is going to be one of the most talked about topics in the country – so, why not respond to that?

“More importantly, if the wallchart engages people in the leaflet then hopefully they will read the other information about sports supports such as the Sports Capital Grants.

“At the end of the day, we’re all going to be hoping for a good result for Ireland this June – not whether people are recording the results in my wall chart.”