Independent Ireland candidate will fight for legislation changes to remove unnecessary red tape from community development

Ciaran Mullooly says problems facing rural Ireland, the cost of living crisis and addressing the neglect of the roads network are also among the issues he will address if elected

INDEPENDENT Ireland candidate Ciaran Mullooly has outlined the issues he pledges to address if elected to serve the Midlands-North West costituency in the upcoming European election.

Ciaran Mullooly – known to households across the country as RTÉ’s Midlands correspondent for many years – is now turning to his hand to politics, but speaking to the Sligo Weekender, Ciaran explained how being at the heart of issues facing community development has shaped this new chapter of his life.

“I have been involved in community development for over 30 years. I was a youth officer for the county board in Longford in the 1980s and then worked in groups such as the Lions Clubs of Ireland and in areas like suicide prevention and rural development.

“This move is fuelled by that situation, in those committees you see the same issue all the time – grant aid, funding, legislation. Almost 90% of work in community development these days is related to legislation which emerges from the European Parliament and that is why I am attracted into this situation that I might have the opportunity to influence the rules and the support levels for community development through politics.”

Ciaran acknowledges that the Midlands-North West constituency is a vast area, to say the least. While North West voters may feel compelled to vote for the candidates closest to home for a sense of representation, he feels the European elections won’t be bound by geographical biases as all counties in the consitutency are facing many similar issues and will vote for candidates who are listening to them regardless of where they are based.

“It is a vast constituency, it is incredible. In between the two ends of the constituency, you still have the same issues as far as I am concerned.

“For example, Tidy Towns committees in Sligo and across the constituency are still applying for grant aid which is European funded. They have the same issue I have which is the amount of match funding they have to put up and they have an issue with European state laws which actually decide how much money can be granted.

“Once you go to Europe it all gets very detailed and is all about form-filling. I want to get that down to being a case of having to fill out four or five forms at most, to simplify it and give community groups an opportunity of professional help who will meet the groups to assist in completing these forms.

“The world I have lived in for so long is that you carry out the work, you borrow the money, you do the work up front and you claim back the grant aid when the project is finished. I am leading a call to our own government and to Europe that this system would be changed and that 95% of the funding is front loaded and that there is no need for 10km runs and shave or dye events, pushing themselves into an impossible situation that needs to be addressed in the context of community development.”

Rural issues are not only close to Ciaran’s heart, but he also highlighted why this was a core reason for joining the Independent Ireland party and linking up with fellow party candidate, Michael Fitzmaurice, with whom he shares many views.

“Central to Michael Fitzmaurice’s platform is the issues of the treatment of farmers, land holders and residents in rural Ireland.

“He has been a lone voice for two terms in Leinster House now in ensuring equity for rural residents in terms of transport, agricultural support and mental health support. In the next 12 months he envisages his group in Leinster House will be involved in the negotiations for the formation of government.

“I share strong views with him on rural issues and how those areas have been decimated by a lack of support. We have regeneration projects but not schemes that will keep restaurants and pubs open in these rural towns. Another big feature is the farm, there is a lot of small farmers in Sligo struggling to keep it going even with a part-time job and I am motivated to address that.”

Asked about his decision to run for an Independent group as opposed to being strictly an Independent candidate, he said: “Independent Ireland does not operate a strict whip system and on a matter of conscience we don’t operate a whip at all.

“I am a strong-minded person and I don’t have to compromise on the issues I want to focus on and I won’t lose sight of the reasons I am there if I am elected. Michael Fitzmaurice, for example, isn’t someone who tweaks or changes his mind too much, you know where he stands whereas the elected government have changed so much compared to what they were elected on, and that is why Independent Ireland appealed to me.”

Ciaran’s campaign is now a few weeks old. He has been on the ground in Sligo and wider north-west region, discussing what the feeling here is based on his interactions with potential voters.

“I have been in Sligo and Donegal since the campaign started and the feeling on the ground is one of impatience with the political process home and abroad and that the cost of living crisis isn’t being addressed quicker. You get that no matter where you go that costs aren’t coming down quick enough, or at all. On the face of it, you could say there’s little I could to address the cost of energy in Ireland from Europe. However, you look at policy in European Parliament and the energies they are supporting, then you see how that influences the prices we are being charged in this country.”

Another prominent issue being raised is the neglect of the N17 road. Ciaran said while he supports the provision of a stronger rail network for Ireland, the existing road network should not be suffering when many people do not have an alternative mode of transport to turn to that allows them to live and work.

“There has been an ‘all or nothing’ attitude to energy to be more green, that it has to be wind or solar energy, even in rail transport in that we aren’t going to do roads anymore even though the N17 issue is affecting an awful lot of people.

“We need railway lines in this country, absolutely, but you have to put these things to one side when there are bigger issues on front of you. It is Irish and European policy that we have the roads network but the Green Party has been responsible for putting plans for the roads network on hold.

“On one hand we are being told to go green, but a lot of people don’t have that option because the alternatives aren’t there yet. An awful lot of people still need the N17 and the state its in needs to addressed because we won’t have those green alternatives anytime soon.

“I am not anti-green by any stretch either, but we need to go one step at a time in bringing in this measure as long as we have the facilities in place, but in the meantime the state of the N17 cannot be overlooked.”

Ciaran also highlighted that many issues he wants to address are also fueling the rate of suicides in Ireland and that being a vocal advocate to amend EU legislation which can go a long way to addressing the root problems.

“I have worked in areas from sport, to recreation to mental health. Mental health and suicide prevention in particular are more relevant than ever. Suicide is a complex thing that I don't have the answers to, but I do know issues like cost of living, isolation and social inclusion are at the heart of issues leading to suicide and we can address them and I am pledging to go into the European Union to seek support and legislation to help people in rural areas. The EU funding is there, it is how legislation can be changed to provide it.”