offer to run for the resurgent Fine Gael party and become an "insignificant backbencher", and was determined instead to stand as an Independent candidate, declaring: "I think you're going to see in this election a huge number of similar independents who want to put an end to cronyism, who want to see a change in the political system, who want to put an end to Civil War politics in Ireland, who want to see an end to the kind of tribal politics we've got, who are going to stand in the election as well". During the general election campaign Fine Gael TD Alan Shatter attacked Ross, saying the Senator "was a cheerleader for Sean FitzPatrick and Michael Fingleton" and had "reserved his criticism of bankers for AIB and Bank of Ireland and celebrated the enormous profits earned by Anglo and Nationwide". In the election Ross received the second-highest vote in the country, heading the poll in Dublin South with 17,075 votes. In April 2011, Ross claimed the Government was "wearing the clothes of the last government of Brian Cowen" in its economic policy. He asked why senior bondholders had to be treated in the same way as depositors. "They are completely different creatures", he said. "Senior bondholders go out there and take a risk and make an investment." He claimed that Enda Kenny's greatest cheerleaders in his policy were in Fianna Fáil. "The support is coming from the last government", he added. "And very few people can see the difference, if there is any, between this government and the last government in its attitude to the banks." Ross accused the Government of completely and utterly surrendering to the IMF and the EU. "They know that, we know that . . . everybody knows that", he said. "Default, apparently, is the word which cannot be mentioned in this chamber." In February 2013, Ross spoke in the Dáil against water fluoridation, referring to a Hot Press article he cited Declan Waugh whom he called "a well known scientist" and claimed fluoridation was the cause of Ireland's "high rates of cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes". He also claimed that Ireland had double the incidence of Down's syndrome of Northern Ireland as a result. In 2015, Ross co-founded the Independent Alliance. He lost his seat at the 2020 general election. Ministerial career Transport At the 2016 general election Ross topped the poll in Dublin