Laois Local Election Q & A: Housing the greatest issue facing people

What are your priorities?
My main priorities are: housing, our hospital and access to healthcare, mental health services for everyone in the community who needs it, quality sustainable employment, support for farmers and their families, our environment and the pressure on biodiversity, the immigration crisis, rights for those with disabilities, littering, policing and animal welfare.

What is the biggest issue facing your area?
I think the biggest issue facing our area is the lack of access to housing and the complexities of reasons that families and individuals face when trying to get a place to call home. The knock-on impacts of not being able to have access to a home is far ranging; mental & physical health suffers as does the fabric of our society. I do understand that everybody’s priorities are different but housing is by far the greatest issue facing people.

Why do you think you would make a good County Councillor?
I think a great County Councillor needs to be a bold, brave, creative thinker and a great communicator and this means listening more than talking. They need to be able to bring people together to work in a collaborative way so that nobody feels excluded from any project or issue that is being worked on. They need to be the conduit between the community, their needs and the local authority. When a great County Councillor is making representations on behalf of their constituents, they should always keep their constituent in the loop in order to avoid frustration or a belief that nothing is being done on their behalf.

Donal Kelly is a candidate in the Portlaoise Municipal District where seven councillors will be elected. In the lead-up to polling day on June 7 we will be featuring profiles on all 47 candidates vying for a seat on Laois County Council.