North Wexford local election candidate aims to champion progressive and inclusive initiatives

Party candidate Ann Walsh from Castletown is running in Gorey in the upcoming local elections on June 7 as she believes every constituent should have the choice to vote for a broad range of candidates.

“All voices need to be represented at a council level, and unfortunately, we’ve had very few Green voices on Wexford County Council over the years. I would like to change that and together with my party colleague Brendan Cahill Flynn in Enniscorthy, I would love to see two Green voices in the council chamber after June 7,” said Ann.

Ann knows the commitment involved with running as she ran in a previous local election in 2016 and has helped in other elections.

Ann is originally from New Ross and has lived in Castletown with her husband and two daughters for the past 27 years. At the moment she is a doctoral researcher in the Department of Psychology in Maynooth looking at memory and pro-environmental behaviour, she holds an MSc in Psychology and a Higher Diploma in Psychotherapy.

Ann is founding member of the Special Interest Group for Addressing Climate Change and Environmental Emergency within the Psychological Society of Ireland. She’s also a member of Irish Wildlife Trust, Wexford Environmental Network and a founding member of Down To Earth Gorey.

Furthermore, she is also a carer and has worked with children with special needs. From her work, she has seen first-hand how a lack of services impacts people’s everyday lives.

“The frustrations are enormous, having a disability, or having a loved one with a disability makes life a little more stressful, but nothing can prepare you for the fight for services,” said Ann.

Her work as a therapist and carer was what first got her interested in politics and the imGREEN portance of legislative change. “I got involved in the political campaign of a family member who subsequently got elected in 2007.

“I hugely admired this person’s passion and commitment and they inspired me to become more politically active, although it took me a long time after this to join a political party. Around this time I also became increasingly concerned about environmental issues as well as social issues and when I looked further into Green Party policies I saw that it was a party of both social and environmental justice,” said Ann.

She believes that infrastructure should facilitate and be inclusive of people of all abilities, from transport to accessible public footpaths and if elected Ann aims to be a strong Green voice for Gorey. “The Gorey area deserves political representation that reflects the ongoing challenges we face with biodiversity loss and climate change. I will champion progressive, inclusive initiatives that ensure that the natural world that supports us is protected. We need clean water, clean air, healthy soils, and healthy ecosystems, to survive and thrive.”

“We have a duty to pass on to future generations liveable, healthy, biodiverse environments. We can do this with the help of our wonderful farming community who are facing so many challenges, the Green Party has always recognized the importance of our farmers as natures guardians,” said Ann.

Other issues that concern Ann are inclusion and housing. “I am very concerned that our reputation of a welcoming nation is strained at the moment, I believe we need to provide the necessary supports for all to ensure that new immigrants are welcomed into the heart of our communities. We need to facilitate clear, open, honest dialogue that breaks down barriers and builds trust and not sow the seeds of division,” said Ann.

Ann says high quality affordable housing both private and social as well as cost-rental housing needs to be prioritised.

“Green party policies are inclusive, considerate, and cognisant of future challenges we face as a society. I believe it is the only party that has historically really considered the bigger picture and seen the importance of planning for future generations.

“I do believe other parties are shifting as we wake up to climate change and biodiversity loss, but I don’t think they would be doing this without a Green Party to nudge them forward,” said Ann.