The Good:
A good looking WorPress web site. YouTube vide used on the site as well.
The Bad:
One way communication from Gay from his web site. No comments, no forum. It gives a strong impression of Gay distancing himself from his voters, and not really interested in hearing anything back at all.
Conclusion:

About Gay from his own web site:

Gay Mitchell was elected as a Member of the European Parliament for the Dublin constituency on 11 June 2004.

Gay is a full member of both the Development Committee, and the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. He is also Vice-Chairman of the EU delegation to the ACP (African Caribbean Pacific) – EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. He is a substitute member of the delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China.

First elected to the Dáil in 1981, Gay was Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for European Affairs (and preparation for the IGC in 1996), Local Development and the International Financial Services Centre from 1994 – 1997. He was the Irish Representative on the Reflection Group which prepared the Amsterdam Treaty.

He served for the second time as Fine Gael Front Bench Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, June 2002 to October 2004. He was Chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs from July 2002 to October 2004 and was also Chairman of its sub-committee on EU Legislative Scrutiny. President-in-office COSAC (Committee of European Affairs of all EU Member States and the European Parliament) January – July 2004.
He was previously the Fine Gael spokesperson on Health 2000 – 2002, Foreign Affairs 1997 to June 2000, Justice 1993-1994, Public Service and Constitutional Reform 1991-1992, Tourism and Transport 1989-1991, European Integration 1988-1989, Urban Renewal 1987-1988 and Health Board Reform 1981-1982.

Gay was Chairman of the Dáil Committee of Public Accounts from 1987-1993, Vice-Chairman of the Select Committee on Crime, Lawlessness and Vandalism, 1982-1987 and Chairman of the Finance Committee of Dublin City Council 1979-1984. He was a Dublin City Councillor for 20 years (1979 -1995 and 1999 – 2003) and was Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1992/1993. He was founder and President Dublin International Sports Council (1992-1994), and also founder of the Dublin International IMPAC Literary Award.

Gay was Fine Gael’s National Campaign Director in 1987 for the Single European Act Referendum, in 1992 for the Maastricht Treaty Referendum, and in 1998 for the Amterdam Treaty Referendum.

He was a member of the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee 1979-1985, Chairman College of Commerce, Rathmines 1979-1984. He is a former member of the board of Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin.

The Good:
Facebook
Email and mobile published on the web site.

The Bad:
THe web site reads – ‘Contact Us’. It should be more personal. I don’t really want to contact ‘Them’ but a ‘person’.

Conclusion: Online presence is actaulally just one quite ‘static’ and non-interactive web site. And a Facebook Profile that is an hours worth of effort.

A Personal Message from Patricia

If elected to the European Parliament, I pledge to continue my campaign and the campaign of so many grass roots movements in Ireland and in other EU member states for a more democratic, open and transparent EU. I will work with all those citizen groups who, in the face of huge political, media and establishment machines, are campaigning with little or no resources to achieve a better EU. An EU where social justice, sustainable development, human rights, peace and disarmament take centre stage. An EU where people have a say in the decision-making process and where those politicians and bureaucrats who are making decisions on our behalf will be held accountable. The future direction of the EU must have the consent of the majority of the citizens of the member states and must be based on the principle of democracy and accountability.

The strain put on governments by the current economic crisis is being used to introduce policies that will have devastating consequences for the majority of people. The super-rich will be the least affected, despite being the ones to benefit from the economic boom. The economic policies pursued until now have been unsustainable and have been responsible not only for our global environmental problems but also for our social problems. We need a new approach that puts people and the environment first.

If the European Union is to have the support and confidence of ordinary people, then it must be made more democratic. For years we have heard the phrase “tackling the Democratic Deficit” – EU speak for the fact that the EU is not democratic – but we have yet to see any clear evidence that democracy is being introduced. The recent referenda on the EU Constitution and the Lisbon Treaty are testament to this fact. Political leaders openly admitted that they would not let their people vote on this, because they could not be guaranteed to get the answer they wanted. Those lucky enough to have a say were ignored when the did cast their vote. The Lisbon Treaty decides the future direction of the EU and all citizens should have a say in this.

People need a voice independent of the Government and political parties to push on their behalf for the things that really matter to them. If elected I pledge to do exactly that. I have the experience and the track record to prove it. Summaries of some of the main issues I will highlight during this campaign can be found here.

The Good: Personal Web site deirdredeburca.ie
Twitter statistics: Following 711, Followers 491
Blog- 20ish updates allready (all in latest 2 months).
Facebook
YouTube – 44 Videos
LinkedIN Profile

The Bad:  Poor LinkedIN Profile.

Conclusion: Good Facebook and two sites deirdredeburca.ie and whatistandfor.ie. Twitter with actaul folowers, YouTube with 44 entries, and even Flickr used show the existance of an online strategy.

A message from Deirdre de Burca from her web site:

Welcome to What I Stand For…

You are very welcome to my European campaign website ‘www.WhatIStandFor.ie’. My name is Deirdre de Burca and I am the Green Party MEP candidate for Dublin in the 2009 European elections in Dublin on June 5th. This website aims to let you know what I stand for as a MEP election candidate in Dublin and to explain the importance of having Green MEPs in the European Parliament. The videos on this page tell you about some of my main campaign themes – creating Thousands of new Green Jobs for Dublin, giving More Power to Irish Voters in Brussels, and creating A City that Works better for all Dubliners. I will use my MEP position in the European Parliament to promote economic recovery in Ireland, bring much greater levels of democracy to the EU and make Dublin a greener city, and Ireland a better place to live and work. Please watch my videos below, enter my competition , let me know what you think, and vote for me, Deirdre de Burca on June 5th 2009 as you Dublin MEP candidate in the European Parliament.