'An opportunity for change' in Kilkenny - Social Democrats candidate

Martin O’Neill will be bidding to become the first member of the Social Democrats to be elected in the Kilkenny City Local Electoral Area (LEA) when he contests the local elections on Friday, June 7.

The Tullaroan native is an English, History and Geography teacher at St Kieran’s College.

Mr O’Neill told the Kilkenny People that Kilkenny County Council could be doing much more to provide further affordable housing, transport links and to create more green spaces in the city, adding the long-running promise to complete the Ring Road also needs to be brought to a conclusion.

"I’ve just got tired at looking at the failures of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and in particular on this (city) council where five of the seven members are either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael," he said.

As the saying goes, 'all politics is local' and the Social Democrats candidate has discovered that personally while meeting people on the doorsteps.

"Access to childcare is an 'enormous' issue, people ;wasting hours of their time in traffic; and the ongoing scourge of homelessness locally have all been hot topics amongst the local public.

"People are ashamed to see tents down on the canal. In Kilkenny City in 2024 and for all the councillors who have been there for 20 years or more like however we’ve done it it’s been a disgrace," he said.

"Without a shadow of a doubt it’s become normalised (in local government). I have no doubt the incumbent are very decent people but they all back Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and their policy is to make rich people richer," he added.

"The teaching of History and English has definitely made me think about the world we live in," he commented.

"We are giving the people of Kilkenny City the opportunity to vote for the Social Democrats, move away from the soldiers of destiny who have failed so abysmally. The people have an opportunity to vote for change, they have to take that opportunity," he remarked.

The Kilkenny branch of the Social Democrats are hosting a debate for the female candidate members of the European Parliament in the Ireland South Constituency on Thursday, May 16 at 7.30pm in the Clubhouse Hotel.

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