GENERAL ELECTION: “It's time for the rich to pay their share” - candidate Ken Mooney

Many fresh faces have emerged across Laois’s political scene ahead of the upcoming General Election, and none are as eager as 23 year old Mountrath man Ken Mooney.

Mr Mooney will stand for People Before Profit in his battle for one of three seats in the Dáil.

At just 23 years of age, the office clerk has recently graduated from the University of Limerick with a degree in politics, and has been a member of People Before Profit since 2020.

Born into what he describes as a fairly apolitical family, Mr Mooney believes that the strength of his campaign comes from his own experiences, rather than whether he hails from a political dynasty in Laois.

“While people in politics tend to come from political families, I was drawn into it by my own personal experiences,” Mr Mooney explained.

“This will be my mother’s first time voting. Day in day out I saw what was happening, and I was interested in the decisions being made on both local and national levels. I have no background as a TD, but maybe that’s for the better, I’m not stuck in an environment where I don’t meet everyday people,” he said.

Pictured: People Before Profit candidate Ken Mooney

“As a student, I had to eat sleep for lunch, and even now working full time, I’m pinching my pennies. There are many candidates running in this General Election that are not experiencing that.”

The candidate first joined People Before Profit while living in student accommodation in Limerick.

“It was somewhere you wouldn’t even put a dog, for €500 a month. I thought that there has to be something different we can do about this. I joined the party and threw myself straight into it. I am very proud to be a member,” Mr Mooney said.

One of Mr Mooney’s main priorities is tackling the housing crisis in Laois.

“People Before Profit propose an amendment to the constitution to make housing a right. We have the right to food and water, but people also need a home,” he affirmed.

“On a Laois level, we can look into building houses. When you look at housing estates around Laois, and into the urban areas of Portlaoise, we see social houses that were all built from the 1940s to the 1970s.

"There haven’t been real developments in the last few decades, and we are constantly promised more housing without seeing any,” he said.

“There is also a huge issue of dereliction nationwide. There are vacant council-owned houses that we need to turn into homes for people, and it’s something that can be done,” Mr Mooney stressed.

While powerhouses Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have dwarfed other parties in Laois throughout the decades, Mr Mooney believes that Laois people are ready for change.

Pictured: Mr Mooney out canvassing for People Before Profit.

“I speak to working class people every single day on the canvas. We don’t just canvas during election time, we are out and about 24/7 365. People Before Profit are the only party where the majority of candidates are renters. We have many people running who are renters, which can’t be said for the other parties," he said.

"We are seeing our wages going towards rent and people are paying extortionate prices around Laois.

“I would love to be elected, but that’s not the number one priority for me. For me, it’s making sure that people’s voices are heard. We all bleed the same colour, and we are all fighting against the inequalities and disastrous policies of 100 years of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael,” Mr Mooney asserted.

People Before Profit have consistently fought for the taxation of the rich and the abolishment of USC charges. Mr Mooney believes that tax exemptions for everyday people of Laois are possible through his party.

“We want to keep the surplus going, and it’s time for the rich to pay their share,” he said.

“We need to scrap the USC and replace it with a millionaire’s tax that we can invest into our public services. We have published a budget where we have costed every thing we want to do. The data is there and the money is there, our ideas aren’t just pie in the sky,” Mr Mooney said.

“The USC was brought in by an austerity Government as a temporary measure 16 years ago, and we still have it. That’s one change we want to make. We also see the current rise in prices of goods and services. It’s not a god-given raise in prices, it’s a bonanza,” he claims.

“Energy companies have seen record profits this year. We need to impose a tax on the prices of essential goods and services like heating, fuel and even bread. There needs to be a cap on how much these goods can cost, and put money back in the pockets of everyday people,” he said.

Mr Mooney has said that he will continue to fight for the rights of the working class, carers, immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community in Laois.

Pictured: People Before Profit candidate Ken Mooney

“I think that the rights of carers is a big issue. I grew up seeing how the state treated my mother as a carer, and it was disgusting. On economic terms, carers are saving the state €10 billion, but it’s not just purely economic,” he said.

“These are family members who love their relatives in need of care. They deserve respect, dignity and a decent living wage. Something I am tremendously proud of is how my party have always stood by carers with compassion. I am also very proud of how my party has stood by the LGBTQ+ community, we are extremely vocal on trans rights. There are so many trans people in Laois that aren’t getting access to the healthcare they need, and I think that’s extremely important," Mr Mooney said.

"We are also strongly in favour of abortion and women’s rights too. Our TDs don’t take the full Dáil salary, they take the average industrial wage. That’s just one thing that signals that we are serious about this, we aren’t just making promises at election time,” Mr Mooney finished.

Ken Mooney was born and raised in Mountrath, having attended primary and secondary school in the town. At 23, he is the youngest candidate.

The candidate said he comes from an a-political family, and chose to run in the election to give a voice to the working class people of Laois.

Mr Mooney moved to Limerick at the age of 17, to study politics in the University of Limerick.

It was here that Mr Mooney saw the housing crisis first hand, and chose to join People Before Profit-Solidarity in 2020.

The main policies championed by Mr Mooney are housing, cost of living, abolishing the Universal Social Charge, free public transport for all, a better living wage for carers, the revitalisation of Laois towns.

The candidate firmly believes that the people of Laois should not be taxed for the use of fossil fuels, and that the problem is large companies contributing to climate change.

Mr Mooney holds the supports of carers particularly close to his heart, having grown up with his mother working as a carer.

He is a proud champion of abortion rights for women, the freedom of Palestine, the protection of workers and easy access to healthcare for the trans community in Laois.