Housing, law and order and Irish Water are the big Local Election issues in Tipperary

Q. Cathaoirleach Declan Burgess, thanks for entering the No Spin Zone. Tell me briefly about yourself and your political career to date?

A. Thanks Cara, I’m delighted to be here. I’m 28 and am one of the youngest elected representatives in the county. I’m from Cashel town, have 4 sisters living locally and one brother living in Australia. I am son to Kevin and Mary (nee Murphy). I’ve been a chef and working in the hospitality sector for many years. I am qualified in Business & Human Resource Management. I’m a full-time councillor now. I ran for my first election in 2019 and have been very involved local groups and organisations since my school days.

Q. Straight to the recent dramatic political news, namely the Taoiseach resigning. Were you shocked by that, and have you anything to say about him?

A. I am shocked, totally shocked. Leo to me has been an inspiring figure. While he’s had tough days, he’s also had positive impactful moments such as how he steered us through the covid pandemic, and he’s also navigated Brexit excellently.

Q. Simon Harris is the next FG leader and Taoiseach. What can people expect from him and FG from now on? 

A. It’s an exciting time within Fine Gael. I am confident Harris can bring the party back to basics and deliver for the country. He’s a very compassionate and determined person.

Q. What will be the 3 big issues of this election in the west Tipperary electoral area?

A. Housing is the single biggest issue as it effects people in so many ways. Secondly is water infrastructure – we hear lots about Water but not enough about a capital infrastructure plan for  Tipperary. We now have a water crisis that needs to be dealt with. Third is law & order, we need a much bigger investment in An Garda Siochana for resources and manpower.

Q. Every candidate I’ve interviewed so far says that Irish Water should be shut down, and that the council should take it over. Why is that not happening when everyone seems to want it?

A. I don’t see Irish Water being abolished, but what I’d like to see is a much great role for the local authority. I’d like for Irish Water to attend council meetings and be accountable to local representatives, as water services were in the past. That would improve the lack of accountability & communication issues that are presently causing such frustration for everyone. I will keep advocating for improvements at the highest level if elected.

Q. What do you think went wrong for the Government in the recent Referendum?

A. They didn’t engage. They rushed through a referendum that wasn’t motivating people. If you’re going to propose a constitutional change, then you must motivate the Irish people, not just a few select organisations. There needs to be buy-in from the public first and foremost. There wasn’t in this referendum, so it was an obvious failure really.

Q. As a Fine Gael councillor, do you expect to get stick about the referendum on the doorsteps, and what will you say to anyone who brings it up?

A. I don’t think I’ll get stick about it. I think people know from my political record that I’m a very common-sense approached person, and I wasn’t engaged in the referendum. I did vote because it’s important to vote. To be honest, I was concentrating on the real issues affecting our constituency. I wasn’t personally motivated myself by this, so I totally understand other people being the same.

Q. Tell us one thing about Declan Burgess that you would really like the voters to know about?

A. I think I offer a lot to the electorate. I’m honest, diligent, and hardworking. I focus on delivering real results for people, and I think I’ve done that. I hope that people recognise my hard-work, and my commonsense and proactive approach to everything. We see a lot of negative politics at play, in local media and online and I find that disappointing. I am deeply rooted on the ground. I believe we need a positive Councillor for our area who will listen and be available all year round and not just at election time.

Q. What will you do about housing if elected?

A. I’m happy with my role in delivering 9 social housing units in Boherclough Street in Cashel, which is the very first social housing development led by Tipperary County Council in Cashel for over 2 decades. I’ve also been championing in FG for many years the ready-to-build sites. We now have 4 fully serviced sites for sale in Boherlahan for sale at €25,000 each. For young people, I’d like to champion more of these affordable sites in Tipperary, and I’ve been engaging with them already on alternative sites. So, I think the council can do more here, and I will continue to advocate on this if elected.

Q. What do you say to people who say that politicians often don’t understand people’s housing issues?

A. Great question. The answer is that I’m in a similar boat to many people. I’m struggling to get a mortgage like others. I don’t know when I’ll be able to purchase my own home, and that’s so frustrating. I really know firsthand what people are going through and will push the housing issue big-time if elected.

Q. The HSE Assessments of Needs waiting list crisis for autistic children was the leading national news story last week. Tipperary is a disaster at present. Being a member of a Government party, can you interject and help with this? 

A. I think I’m blown away by the stories that I hear on a regular basis about people who are trying to access services. It’s really beneficial to come here and see what ye are going through personally with your severely autistic brothers. It’s something I can do more on and will highlight this issue with my party and to the decision makers.

Q. Onto immigration. Things really escalated in Cashel last November over the hostel case. What did you make of that?

A. It was a very emotive issue for everyone, there were huge concerns. My mantra from day one is that you can’t displace one person for another. That site was utilised by the local authority for homeless accommodation, and it was never acceptable to displace them. I liaised

directly with the Taoiseach & his department on this, and that intervention was the reason it was pulled, as one Government branch can’t interfere with another branch. I was the first public representative or candidate to put out a public statement informing the public.

Q. Traffic and road maintenance remain serious issues in Tipperary Town. Can you comment on that, and what will you do about this if elected?

A. As Cathaoirleach, I attended the annual meeting with the Transport Infrastructure Ireland body (TII), and with Council officials, and my big focus is the N24. Tipperary Town is being choked with traffic on a daily basis because of the national route going through the town. I’ve advocated this issue very forcibly. We have seen some progress, but until we get that by-pass, Tipperary will not be able to access it’s potential. I will continue to push this if elected.

Q. I’ve heard people say that Declan Burgess will be a TD someday. Can you give us the scoop on that right now?

A. Who are you talking to Cara!! Right now, I’m 100% focused on local issues. Far too often, we have local representatives acting like national representatives, and then national representatives acting like local representatives. My focus now is to get re-elected to the Council. I have a lot of work to do.

Q. Final question, why should the people of Cashel-Tipperary vote for you in June?

A. I have proven myself to be an able and effective voice on the council. I understand the diverse needs of our rural communities and I am ambitious enough to drive this district forward. Later this year the new council will lead on a new Development Plan for Cashel. It’s important to elect a strong team up for driving an ambitious, well thought out and sustainable development plan for our growing town. This plan must appropriately address the future needs of our community, particularly in the areas of transportation, housing, recreation, health care, water, and education. I am well prepared to take on this challenge if elected to Tipperary County Council. Cashel is bursting with potential, and I want to champion the local agenda. I am the youngest and most results-based candidate in the race. I humbly ask the people for their support.