NUI Galway Young Fine Gael has called for the resignation of executive panel president, Killian Foley Walsh and Social Media Officer, Chloe Kennedy.
The call for resignations comes after recent revelations that the two high-ranking members of Young Fine Gael attended a conservative student conference in the US last week.
The event was organised by Young America’s Foundation which is a conservative youth organization whose stated aim is to ensure that “increasing numbers of young Americans understand and are inspired by the ideas of individual freedom, a strong national defense, free enterprise, and traditional values.”
US Vice President Mike Pence, Senator Ted Cruz and Wisconsin governor Scott Walker were among the speakers at the five-day conference.
Speaking about Mike Pence, Ted Cruz and Scott Walker, NUI Galway YFG released a statement accusing the men to be “known for their work in rolling back the rights of women, people of colour, minorities and the LGBTQI community”.
The statement claimed these values are at odds with Fine Gael stating that “Fine Gael has been the party to ring in the marriage equality, and the divorce referendums into law and repealed the eighth amendment.”
The statement went on to declare that “these strides” are reflected in YFG and went on to reference their recent motion supporting the access to “factual and unbiased sex education and the separation of church and state”.
It lambasted the views of the American Republican Party, the Young America’s Foundation and their President Killian Foley Walsh as not being “concordant” with those held by NUI Galway’s branch or Fine Gael as a whole.
“A minuscule number of members attended that conference and are not representative of the majority of views held in the organisation,” it said.
Mr. Foley Walsh was also accused of having failed to “address the anger in the membership of Fine Gael, and Young Fine Gael that he has inspired.”
They threatened that if Mr. Foley Walsh refuses to resign, a notice for dismissal may be presented to him.
“The NUI Galway branch of YFG understand that there has been discussion among members about invoking Article 9.7 of the Constitution and Rules of Young Fine Gael and submitting a motion of dismissal, giving the members the chance to exercise their democratic right to vote.”
