Tipperary needs more Government funding to drive on the building of houses in the county

Q. Councillor Andy Moloney, thank you for entering ‘The No-Spin Zone’. Can you tell the voters briefly about yourself?
A. Thanks Cara. I’m married to Marie for the last 30 years, we’ve two children, a daughter 26 and son 23, one is a structural engineer, the other is a senior speech & language therapist in CUH. I’ve worked in manufacturing all my life and this is my second term as an Independent councillor.

Q. You got the second-highest first preference vote in all of county Tipperary in 2019 with 28%. I’m really curious to hear the secret to your success, so how did you do it?
A. I didn’t do it at all – the people did it. I’m still surprised at the vote I got. It was the people that put their faith in me to do the job, and I hope I’ve repaid them over the last five years. It was the people’s vote, the community’s vote, not Andy Moloney’s vote.

Q. Michael Murphy declared for the Dáil this week. Surely another big vote will point you in the same direction. Do you want to give me the big scoop right now?
A. I said it recently when speaking in the Seanad that I’m happier working on the ground helping out the local community. But if I did get a huge vote, you’d have to consider it. But I’m not looking any further than the Local Elections. And like anyone playing hurling, you never look further than the next game. So lets see what people say on June 7 and that will determine what I do.

Q. On the doorsteps, what are the three biggest issues in the Cahir area right now?
A. It depends where you are. Policing and security is a massive issue, people wanting to feel safe in their homes. The drugs unit is moving from Cahir, which I’m not happy about. Housing as well. In the case of my own 26 year old at home, good job, but can’t get on the housing ladder. It’s a big, big problem for young people. Access to health services is a big issue as well.

Q. In a recent Sunday Independent poll, housing has become the voter’s number one issue nationally. Is the housing situation here in Tipperary as bad as people say, and what can be done to improve things?
A. With the funding they get from Government, Tipperary County Council is actually outperforming their targets. So if they got more money to build houses, they would. It’s central Government funding that needs to be increased, that would make a big difference. That’s where good, strong representation nationally comes in.

Q. To health. I regularly say on national radio or TV that the HSE waiting lists in Ireland are a national disgrace, for everyone. Should councillors have more authority to hold local HSE managers to account for their decisions?
A. Yes. Before, when councillors were on the Health Board, managers and officials were held to account at monthly meetings. That’s now all gone due to restructuring. What you need running these things is a good business manager who knows how to make it work.

Q. To water. I’ve never met a person yet who had only good things to say about Irish Water. What is the water situation in Cahir and do you think that this is one of Government’s biggest ever failures?
A. I was the only councillor to ever get a motion against Irish Water over the line when I said that Irish Water should not transfer from the council until it could offer a fit-for-purpose service. I had another motion last month stating that Irish Water should give the option of a maintenance contract to the council again. In one recent case, they came from Listowel to fix an issue. Use the council, which is faster, and they have local knowledge. The investment in the local plants is welcome. Overall, it was a failure but we live in hope they get it right.

Q. I researched that you were previously a member of Fianna Fail many years ago, and were quoted as saying that you didn’t leave FF, that FF left you. What did you mean by that?
A. Yes, in 2014 I was unsuccessful at the convention but I was told by FF that I’d be added to the ticket. After the Ard Fheis, I got a phone-call saying that I wouldn’t be added. So I had no choice but to go on my own. They were supposed to add me but they didn’t, so I was left out on my own. That’s why I’m Independent now.

Q. To immigration. Cahir has always had a very high number of non-Irish residents, with the figure now approximately 30%. What is that Cahir seems to get right on this issue?
A. At this current moment in time, we have 29.87% non-Irish in Cahir. We have worked to integrate them into the community. They get involved in the Meet & Train group, Tidy Town, the local clubs, Comhaltas etc. Plus, most of them are working, getting up doing a day’s work. At one stage we had 42 different nationalities. It’s all about integration – Cahir is a very welcoming town, and always has been. If we didn’t have a non-Irish contingent in Cahir, you wouldn’t have the businesses open that we do, the factory wouldn’t be working, the hotel, nursing homes, hospitals wouldn’t be going, so the non-Irish bring incredible positivity generally.

Q. Many people seem to have a negative opinion of all political parties at the moment. Do Independent candidates have an advantage right now?
A. Yeah the buzz on the ground is to vote Independent. People are looking for change but FF and FG joining at the last election has to be the biggest change ever in Irish politics. But you need like-minded independents working together.

Q. I’m big into fitness so I’m really anxious to hear about the Cahir Meet and Train group?
A. I started the Meet & Train running group over 10 years ago as a fundraiser for Sean Fogarty who was badly injured in a car accident. And myself and Tim Shanahan, God be good to him, decided to see who could lose more weight during Operation Transformation. So we got a committee and kept it going after that and it’s a great group.

Q. What is your biggest achievement to date as a councillor?
A. I suppose getting the huge vote last time was a huge achievement, and to get elected. And on the ground, helping to make our district town Cahir a Destination Town, which it is today with all of the walks and amenities which are a huge boost to the economy.

Q. If re-elected, what is the one project that you would like to see achieved over the next five years?
A. Seeing a new state-of-the-art library coming to fruition in Cahir. People will have to be patient, but its coming and it’ll be great when it does. I’m the Chairman of the special policy committee and we’re working really hard on it. This library will be of huge benefit to the Cahir District

Q. I can’t but ask you about Cahir’s big celebrities, The 2 Johnnies, who often get online criticism. I think they’ve brought nothing but pride and positivity to Cahir and county Tipperary. Am I wrong?
A. No you’re 100% right. The 2 Johnnies, and anyone who achieves anything, best of luck to them. They’ve never forgotten where they came from, and they’re good for Tipperary. I’m aware of many, many acts of kindness that they’ve done, none of which you’ll ever see in the news or in photos. That’s the kind of guys they are. They’re getting their Tipperary Association Person of the Year Award in Dublin on April 27th which is a huge achievement for them.

Q. If you had a magic wand, what is one thing that you like to see change in how Tipperary County Council operates?
A. I’d like to see more funding coming from central Government. People forget that we’re only local politicians and we can only deal with what comes in locally. So more funding from Government, absolutely.

Q. Final question – why should people vote for you in June?
A. Because I’m an honest, down-to-earth, hard-working guy, that worked hard all his life, and I work hard in politics. Every morning I get up, I’m thinking about what I can do to help my community, and I’ll continue to do that. I’ve a track record from the last two council terms, and we do need the experience I’ve gained in that time going into the next one. So I’m hoping that people will stick with me. It’s not my seat, it’s the people who voted for me, it’s their seat, I’m only sitting in their seat for them, and we work very hard for it.