It’s claimed urgent investment is needed to stop a proliferation of rural Clare communities from dying on their feet.
With Simon Harris set to confirm the general election date imminently, calls are ramping up in this county for services deficits to be addressed in towns and villages that have been “neglected”.
It’s expected voters will be going to the polls on November 29th, but the Taoiseach has promised to provide clarity on the matter by the end of the week.
The confirmed candidates in this county have already been hitting the campaign trail hard though, including Fine Gael Councillor Joe Cooney.
The Bodyke man secured the highest number of first preference votes in the county in June’s local elections and will now try to win a Dáil seat for the first time after reversing a decision he previously made to stay out of the race last week.
But speaking for the first time since announcing his candidacy in recent days, the former Mayor of Clare insists he was compelled due to the number of communities lacking housing, wastewater infrastructure and quality roads that need increased investment to prevent them dying on their feet.
You can listen to the full interview here.
It’s not the only late addition to Fine Gael’s ticket, Dr Tom Nolan from Kilkee previously served as GP in the region from 1980 to 2015 and now specialised in musculoskeletal medicine.
Dr Nolan was a prominent campaigner against the HSE’s reconfiguration which closed Accident and Emergency Units in Ennis, Nenagh and St.John’s in 2009 and claims there’s still a case to be answered as to how it was handled.
He says the Government of the time failed to provide the number of GPs required and recommended in Clare from the relevant report which downgraded the county hospital and says this must be urgently rectified.
You can listen to the full interview below.
