In the build-up to election 2020, Clare FM is meeting each of the candidates and allowing them a chance to outline to you, the voter, what they will do if elected on February 8th.
Michael McNamara, who served as a Labour TD from 2011 to 2016, is running as an Independent this time out.
My vision for Clare:
Clare is being let fall behind the recovery in the greater Dublin area. The pledge of the Republic “to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, cherishing all the children of the nation equally” has been neglected. My vision for Clare is to build a sustainable environment, supported by an economy that sustains rural communities.
I am passionate about seeking increased capacity in Clare’s hospitals to end overcrowding in Limerick A&;E, getting the State to urgently invest in mental health services, supporting a revitalised Shannon Airport to drive industry and to bring tourists to stay in Clare, pushing for the construction of homes to house our families, and developing a sustainable environment supported by an economy that sustains rural
communities and farmers.
My priorities if elected:
Capacity in our community hospitals needs to be doubled to alleviate overcrowding. Ennis A&E should be reopened and proper mental health services are required.
We need to address the number of derelict buildings in our towns and villages and go back to building homes in our communities, taking pressure off the rental market.
Shannon Airport needs to aggressively pursue an expansion of services followed by extensive marketing. A thriving Shannon is critical for attracting multinational investment and developing tourism.
We need to improve how Clare is marketed to increase spend and bed nights in the county.
The price of contribution to third level fees needs to be reduced. Investment in the SUSI grant is required to offset the increased living costs.
People work long and hard all their lives and deserve their pension at 65.
The State needs to intervene by regulating insurance companies whose costs are forcing Crèches and SMEs to close.
My experience:
I am a farmer and barrister from Scariff and had the honour to represent County Clare in Dáil Éireann from 2011 to 2016. As a farmer, I have witnessed at first hand the challenges faced by the agriculture sector. Equally as somebody living in East Clare and involved in many aspects of local community life, I share the frustrations of people impacted by rural decline and the increasingly east coast-centric policies of successive Governments. If elected, I will not be constrained by a party as I have demonstrated in the past when I voted for what I believed in and not the way of the party. I will serve the people of Clare to the best of my abilities. I care about my County.
